I drink

I smoke marijuana a couple times a week but the main reason I smoke pot is to quell the nauseau I get from drinking. I still enjoy pot. I drink vodka chased by beer every night. I have been doing this every night since I was 18 in 1997. I come from a family of drunks. The only extended periods of time where I have not drank was when I was in a homeless shelter in L.A. for 4 months in 2000. I manage to excel in school. Since my ex left me in 2003 I have been drinking more. Sometimes I go to work somewhat drunk but not school anymore. Is it possible for someone who has been drunk so long kick the habit and still juggle school and work? I cannot imagine life without alcohol to numb the vice grip of depression on my brain?

Hi timeforsleep, it is possible for you to quit drinking and still manage work, school and your depression. Matter of fact, I struggled with those things and all of them became easier to manage once I sobered up. I thought the drinking was the only thing helping me hang on to everything in my life but it turned out that it was actually making work and school harder to get done and my depression worse. In the evenings I felt I needed to drink in order to deal with the stress caused by such a busy schedule. I have found that when I don’t drink there is much less stress to deal with—I think part of my stress was caused by the effect of all the alcohol in my body. Now, not only has life become easier to manage, I have started to enjoy some of it.

Towards the end of my drinking/using, my world was starting to unravel and I was in the process of losing everything. If you are drinking that much everyday, you are probably constantly dealing with withdrawal symptoms. Maybe a little mental confusion, nausea or feeling shaky on the inside among other things. My withdrawal led to vomiting, severe anxiety and shaking every morning and afternoon until I had a few drinks. Use caution if you decide to try to quit. Withdrawal from alcohol can be dangerous. It might be a good idea to talk with your doctor about it.

A special note about the depression—alcohol is a depressant. It makes depression worse not better. It may feel like it improves things because you temporarily forget stress and sadness but it actually traps you in a nasty cycle that is hard to break out of. If you are like me, the depression will not go away until you break the cycle by taking alcohol out of the mix. It is possible that your depression may go away completely if you quit drinking and start dealing with it. For the first time in my life, I am depression free. I believe that only happened by staying sober and doing what I need to do to take care of my mental health.

I strongly urge you to try quitting. Life sober is so much better! I can’t imagine ever going back to that cycle of drinking and depression. I wish I could box up and send you a little bit of the peace and happiness that I have found in sobriety…it feels really good.

Hi timeforsleep,

I wanted to share that there is hope. I know people who drank for 30 years and quit. I drank for 6 years. For me it started at 21 when I moved out. At first it started on a social level, then I was using it to sleep, then I had to have it every day. I smoked pot if it was there, but alcohol was my thing.

I battled depression all through that. I went to a crisis center one weekend because I was afraid I'd end it. I was never honest about my drinking and they tried putting me on meds but the didn't work because I drank on them.

I found PsychCentral in 2004 because I was extremely depressed and unhappy in a relationship. I truly believe that the 6 months I spent here before I got sober saved my life through that horrid depression.

Now that I'm sober and work a program, I have another solution to life that doesn't involve substance abuse. I'm happier than I've ever ever been!!!

Its possible for anyone to get sober, no matter what. If you truly want to get sober, you can and you will. Welcome to PC and I'm so glad you found us! Post questions often and we can help.


Rayna

It's definitely possible to get sober. It's not easy but it is possible. I drank really heavily daily for over a decade including showing up for work drunk. That finally cost me my job. I'm still struggling to stay sober, but it's worth it to not have to deal with the constant cravings and withdrawl symptoms.

I jsut want to echo what depressme said. Withdrawl can be dangerous, so you might want to seek medical advice.

I'm glad that you found us & hope we can be of help.

---splitimage

Thank you all. It is good to know that it can be done. I guess my problem is I don't want it enough (To quit). Drunkeness is the other oblivion for besides sleep. I am using it to float through life until it is finally over.