Do I need alcohol counseling

Hi,
I am drinking again and its starting to worry me. I drank sunday and now again today.

I planned on going the week without it but gave in.

I was sober for two months and I believe it was easier because I was being tested every other week by the counseler because I had got a DUI. I think being monitored by someone is the only way I can quit myself?? is this true?

Hi Angel_Davis – I think that it’s going to be different for everyone. I know for me personally when I was in outpatient treatment and being monitored it didn’t stop me. I wasn’t ready to quit back then unfortunately. That’s not to say something like that iesn’t going to help you though!!

What else helps keep you sober?

If it worked once, it might just work again. Ideally, you would work with your counselor to find out more about your motivation and triggers for relapse.

Some people might be *willing* to stay sober (at least for a while) in order to be compliant with something or someone (such as a judge, minister or doctor), but drinking again will still be inevitable for someone who might also have even a *desire* to stay sober and yet simply cannot live without returning to drink for the effect of the alcohol. A counselor might "hold you accountable", so to speak, while you try to prove you can live without drinking, but anyone who truly understands chronic alcoholism would never do that. Instead, he or she would be helping you understand why some of us simply cannot "Don't drink" and need something such as the Twelve Steps in order to find a "sufficient substitute" ("A.A.", page 152) for the effect of the alcohol.

Hi, I guess another thing that would keep me sober is working and i'm not working at them moment. If I am doing something the following day I cant drink the day before so that would keep me sober. But I sometimes make it convenient for myself to have nothing in my schedule so I can drink. I wouldn't be worried accept that I drink so much when I do drink. It got this bad after I got sick with Lymes an the depression became realy bad...im hoping when I get better I can stop it or slow down..
I keep telling myself i'll go to AA meeting and never do...maybe I can do an online one...did anyone here ever do that

The fact i can't remember what i do the night before scares me. i ended up in trouble with the cops a while ago while drinking....and i couldn't remember what i did....it had to do with a fight with someone at a bar...and i have no idea who it was...

I've never done an online 12 step meeting, but I have done several of Smart Recovery's online meetings. Try to find something you enjoy and stick with it.

Have you ever tried to control how much you drink to keep that from happening? Some people can drink sanely and safely where others of us cannot...and there is nothing that can be done about that for the alcoholic.

There is the dilemma many of us have faced:
a. A desire to drink safely, but we cannot;
b. A desire to not drink at all because of that, but we cannot stay sober.

Some meetings might be helpful where others would not be, and that can depend upon many things. All of my own A.A. activity today is done online, and here is where you can find varieties of online activity:
Online Intergroup : Alcoholics Anonymous
Online Intergroup : Alcoholics Anonymous

I do try to control the amount like two weeks ago I went out to eat and said I would only drink two, and I did... then last weekend I went out to eat and said I would only have two but afterwards, I got a six pack and drank it...
sometimes I say I will only drink so much but then I lose inhibition and don't care and then drink what I want. I can do it sometimes, but not others..maybe if I'm eating and I get realy full I wont drink anymore...I dk...but thanks for the links for the online meetings

If I'm trying to control something, it's already out of control.

Sometimes I'm like this too

I think firstly you have to be ready to quit. I had a down and out spell where I drunk everyday but I was such a wimp and would throw up after six beers to start with then eventually I could go maybe 8beers then a half of whisky. But it helped me blank everything out and just get lost in my music.

Alcohol actually used to help me remember things i've forgotten if I went to excess. Its said to make you forget but I think of things that have happened contrary to belief?? So it is maybe worse for some people. But I was always a freak of nature. My meds seem to prevent this aberration.

The AA is a sham. There is no god. There is some good slogans like live in the present moment I might research some more but its main principle of finding the spirit (we drink spirits in search of the spirit/holy ghost is another theory of alcoholism)

I would think you need to get to the root of your problems, why you drink. Is it to escape traumatic past or are you just addicted to the feeling or do you have an emotional disorder .....

In my opinion, the more safeguards you put in place the better. Throw everything you can at the demon, accountability, meetings, prayer (if you're a praying person), 12 step meetings, sponsor(s), all that stuff! If it works, do it!

Have you considered Antabuse?

I feel that being monitored is a good start because no one wants to get into more trouble so most times we do better. But what happens once the monitoring is over it is then up to the individual to stay sober no one is any longer looking over your shoulder.

I believe when you attend your first AA meeting you'll be pleasantly surprised at how welcoming we are to newcomers. I haven't participated in online AA meetings so I can't comment on their effectiveness, but I do believe that attending a meeting would be valuable.