[High Treason]

I'm not an alcoholic or anything, but I can't seem to control drinking. Whenever I drink lately, I always drink too much. I can't just stop drinking after I drink a reasonable amount. I end up drinking all night long and making a total fool of myself because I'm just out my mind wasted. Then I end up the next day with my girlfriend pissed off at me, and feeling like total crap and I'm sick of it. And very time I decide never to drink that much again or even to stop drinking entirely for a while, but like a week later I end up doing the same thing again. Why can't I just not drink? That would make life so much easier. But then I wouldn't have any friends I guess. All I ever do with my friends is drink

I don't really know what I'm looking for posting here, but I want this to stop, and I feel powerless to stop it. I feel like such a loser.

[optimize990h]

Hello High Treason! You should consider going to an open AA opening who you can decide if that is helpful for.
Other pC members will have other advice for you to consider.

Take care.

[layla11]

Hi High Treason, theres nothing shameful about being a alcoholic, the sad thing is not doing anything about it. I not saying you are a alcoholic, only you can decide that.

[madisgram]

there's a saying=if you think you "might" have a problem/abuse with alcohol you probably do.
drinking like until the well runs dry is another indicator that you are obsessed when you drink.
uncontrolable drinking is another indicator.
it sounds like you are abusing alcohol which can lead to alcoholism.
here's a good link and see if you identify with the article: http://alcoholism.about.com/od/about/a/symptoms.htm
taking the screening test at the link may help too.
i'm glad you posted. we're here to support you if you do think you have a problem.

[High Treason]

Thanks for that excellent link madisgram.

After talking with my girlfriend about it, I've decided to stop drinking. I'm sick of feeling sick, acting like an idiot, spending so much money on something that is damaging my health. I just don't see the good side of drinking any more.

Honestly, though, I don't know if I can actually do it. I'm scared that I will drink again even though I don't want to. It shouldn't be that hard to NOT do something, but still I feel like I might not be able to do it. I hope I can go through with this. I think my life will be more productive and better all around.

Wish me luck.

[Leed]

High Treason ~ Since you dont' seem to be able to drink "just one" -- it sounds like you DO have a problem with alcohol. I can't call you an alcoholic -- only YOU can do that. But it's very possible you COULD be one. You have a good symptom of one.

Why not try some AA meetings and see what they have to say? You don't have to go along with everything they say -- take what you like and leave the rest. But ALOT of what they say makes sense. AA saved my life - literally. If I had kept drinking, I'd be dead right now. And I'm not kidding. They took me under their wings and got me sober -- and KEPT me sober.

And those "friends" of yours are just drinking buddies. How much you want to bet that once you quit drinking, they'll dump you? That's what happened with MY "drinking buddies." They didn't want a THING to do with me unless I was drinking. They weren't friends at all -- not in the TRUE sense of the word.

Go to some AA meetings please. Alcohol kills -- and I've been to too many funerals of people who wouldn't stop drinking. I don't want YOU to die. And if you don't stop drinking, you'll eventually DIE. Please don't die.

[davidonearth]

I've had problems with alcohol in the past, mainly but not exclusively binge drinking. After I started I just kept drinking, each drink seemed to give me more energy until 3/5am when I was left with an empty wallet and in a state of total inebriation.

The pressure builds up, alcohol was the release, freedom from stress and a chance to express myself more freely or at least I thought. It became a cycle (weekends etc) and in the end caused problems throughout the week.

Have you tried being around your friends sober when they are drunk?

If its causing problems now it will likely continue as you continue to drink, and they may well get worse.

[Nobodyandnothing]

Good luck High Treason. Congratulations on recognizing you might have a problem. I just hope my son, who seems to be in a similar place that you are, will see the light like you have.

[roads]

Originally Posted by High Treason

Thanks for that excellent link madisgram.

After talking with my girlfriend about it, I've decided to stop drinking. I'm sick of feeling sick, acting like an idiot, spending so much money on something that is damaging my health. I just don't see the good side of drinking any more.

Honestly, though, I don't know if I can actually do it. I'm scared that I will drink again even though I don't want to. It shouldn't be that hard to NOT do something, but still I feel like I might not be able to do it. I hope I can go through with this. I think my life will be more productive and better all around.

Wish me luck.

Having your girlfriend's support in your decision to give up alcohol will be a huge help to you, High Treason. Even if these "friends" you've been hanging out drinking with drop you (& chances and excellent they will), you'll still have her as company & the basis of your social life. Let her know how much her support means to you, and finds lots of alcohol-free activities you can share.
roadie

Change your playground, Change your friends ... AA will give you a bunch of new friends that will support your efforts to stay sober ... Those who don't or won't support your efforts really aren't your friends and it's okay to let them go.

Good Luck & Best Wishes ...

[High Treason]

Hi folks. I don't really have anything more to say at this time. I guess I'm just posting here to confirm my decision. I haven't drank anything since I decided not to, but that's not really an accomplishment because it's not like I drank every day before anyway.

I feel sad when I think about quitting drinking, though. Drinking has been my friend for a very long time now. It hasn't always treated me well, but it has also done some really great things for me as well. I was an outcast with no friends until I discovered drugs in high school which changed to drinking in university and beyond.Drugs and later alcohol gave me friends, a sense of belonging to something, a ready-made group of people who accepted me and didn't judge me. As long as I was a drinker, I was their friend. Drinking is responsible for almost every time I have ever had sex with a woman for the first time. It has given me some really weird and wild stories that I wouldn't trade for the world. It's part of who I am.

I don't really know what I want to do. Sometimes I think that I just need to not drink so much, and continuing to drink will be fine as long as I set hard limits on how much I drink. Other times I think I should just completely quit for a while just to prove I can. I guess I kind of wish that I could completely quit for a while, but the first thing seems so much easier.

I guess we'll see what happens.

I get this High Treason.... I think its normal that you miss it as one would miss a friend. I have heard AA is a great place to go to help you stick with a decision not to drink. Good Luck and keep us posted.

[High Treason]

Hello folks,

Well I drank some alcohol. I went to the bar before my girlfriend came home from work. She wanted to know where I was so I told her I went for a walk, but I couldn't keep it up for long and admitted where I was. Then she came there and joined me, and we drank together. I only drank 7 pints so I am completely in control of my mental faculties now. It's so nice to have controlled myself and not drank too much. I feel great and am so happy. My girlfriend had a few too many. She is such a sweet girl when she is drunk. It reminds me why I fell in love with her. Nothing like the annoying woman she is sober. I had a great time and am in a great mood.

I guess maybe I don't need to avoid alcohol. I just need to control myself and enjoy it responsibly.

You may find this helpful http://www.moderation.org/

[High Treason]

Thanks so much Lola! That site looks pretty cool. I can't wait to read it more. To tell you the truth I am actually pretty strongly against AA for several reasons that I won't go into here because I'm sure that program has helped some people in this forum and I don't want to get in an argument. But that MM program looks like it's really open-minded and sensible. You may have just helped me a whole lot!

[roads]

High Treason, you are self-medicating--not just yourself but your girl friend it sounds like. You're using alcohol, attempting to manipulate problems existing in people and relationships--& requiring you to maintain tight control.

The most obvious problem is that, once you're under the influence, you increasingly lose the ability to maintain this control.

I've been exactly where you are. What you are hoping for is not going to work. You think you're in charge--but in addiction, the substance is in charge. everything you have written tells me you are addicted. I'm sorry, I'm know I'm coming off as a know-ain't-all ... but addiction is a one way street.

Please go to some open AA meetings. If you're not ready to face the truth, then I hope you live long enough to return when experience has made you wiser.
roadie