[sparky0488]

I made a big decision this morning and it's been something I've been coming to terms with for a while now. I'm quitting drinking. I need to say this here on this forum, just to know that I'm not just telling myself this.

I know this will make my life better on a lot of levels in the long run, and I'm actually excited about it in a weird way. But I'm really scared, too.

I've come face to face with the fact that I self-medicate for my anxiety. A few beers works wonders temporarily, then I wake up in the morning and feel twice as lousy and panicky. When I drink, I tend to over-drink.

Also, my friends (all great people) go out quite a bit. I've been burned out on that scene for a while, and it just feels like there should be more to life than that.

Like I said, this is a big change for me, and ANY support or tips anyone has, I will appreciate, and need, them!

Here goes nothin' ...

[concerned4stepkids]

Good for you! You have set your mind up to it! That is a big step.

SInce you are in this frame of mind, write down all the reasons you can think of to stop and keep it with you.

Best of luck. You can do it! Keep us informed.

[splitimage]

Congratulations Sparky.

Thats a big and scary decision to make. But in the long run it's a really healthy choice and self medicating with alcohol is never a solution and just leads to more problems in the long run.

When I was first quitting I always found the first 4 or 5 days the hardest. Remember if you get an urge to drink, it's just an urge / habit whatever, you don't have to give into it. It might be helpful to have some candy / snacks around too. Alcohol has a really high sugar content to it, so if you're drinking a lot you're body is going to be missing the sugar. When I first stopped drinking I was sucking peppermint sticks like crazy. Now's not the time to worry about diet - concentrate on the not drinking for the first little bit and if that means eating kind of unhealthy in the short term, you can always deal with that later.

I'd also suggest having lots of yummy things on hand to drink that are non-alcoholic. If you're at all like me, you're probably just used to drinking, so having something tasty to substitute helps.

You might want to check us out, over at the substance abuse forum too. It's not the most active forum but the people are all really nice and supportive.

Good luck again.

---splitimage

[AAAAA]

Good for you! You will find a lot of support here, both in the forums, and there is a weekly support chat. I wish you the best of luck!

Obvious things for me when I was dealing with my binge drinking was not to hang out with the friends I drank with!! I also would just go to bed at 7:00 if need be & read (I love to read) & get cozy & "self-medicate" in other ways like that.

I also would remind myself how much better I would feel in the morning & how proud of myself I would be & how much money I would be saving (not only on alcohol but VISINE eye drops for my red eyes!!) & that I would no longer look like Nick Nolte's mug shot first thing in the morning.

Plus if there were ever a fire, chemical spill or evacuation of some kind I might actually hear the sirens & wake up (not probable when I was passed out) & actually go out to shelter or wherever directed without being totally embarrassed because I looked like Nick Nolte's mug shot, smelled of alcohol, had blood shot eyes, slurred my words, & probably acted strangely...

Didn't do "drunk dialing" or "drunk emailing" where I would let all sorts of emotions & inappropriate stuff spill out & either not remember it or if I did, regret it. Then if the person talked to me about it at a later date I had to try to gather clues as to what I had revealed, etc. without letting on that I didn't remember. I had many, many blackouts--actually pretty much every time I drank. You may not be so bad, but if you are having signs of trouble now, do take action to prevent getting to where I was. You end up humiliating yourself & hurting the ones you love.

Saved a bunch of calories & people noticed my face wasn't so puffy (fat) in a matter of days (I was drinking a lot). Proud of not following in my parents' footsteps (both raging alcoholics) & being a good role model for my children (my 1st child was born 2 1/2 mos. premature due to my smoking & drinking while pregnant--you don't want that kind of guilt).

Keep posting. You are making a great decision & all sorts of new things will open up for you once you have cleared your mind & body.--Suzy