some more advice please

[sammy60]

I have finally come to the conclusion (after 16 years) that my drinking is a problem.
I asked you guys a couple of weeks ago for some advice and I would like to thank
ye for setting me on the right path. I made the decision to stop, then arrived my next problem.
I am finding it very dificult. I was always able to stop for a certain amount of time,maybe a week or two.
This time is different, I have tried but I find myself surviving until 9 or 10 in the evening.
I really dont want to start taking medicene or do the AA thing. What are my alternatives, if any.
I always used to take valerian to help with sleep but that dosen't seem to work for me anymore.
Thanks for your time.

[working dog]

when you drink it's hard to remember what it was like when you didn't drink..it was hard for me to remember my dreams when i was drinking...i think after you quit drinking and towards the end of withdrawal you remember much more and that can make things a little easier to handle....i did everything alone...no help until toward the end (if there is an end) to withdrawal when i found this site...after quiting alone i would get help if i had  to do it again...something to help with the anxiety for sure...good luck....billy

[LORDINEEDHELP]

hello  im glad to se your wanting to get help its the best thing for you doing it alone will be tough yet have faith you can do it please try AA again i used to not think i would never se my husband do it but hes going on his 3rd week and i have done some alanon it gives you a source of not being alone and the advice your getting here is also a support system for you although im not an alacholic my self i live with one and im reading not only the courage to change book for me but im also finding the aa book very helpful for me to understand what my husband is dealing with and for my husband to even admit the problem wass there was so huge for him and me considering he was in such denial just a few weeks ago and he loves what he gets from the aa meetings please try it who knows you may find what you need there good luck stay strong lean on our friends if you need anything let us know

[boogieman]

hi. a medical evaluation can determine what meds you will need, as well as your risk of having serious complications. the most important thing is that you must be honest with your physician about your history and patterns of consumption to get an accurate appraisal of your condition. if you can do that, you will likely not be given addictive medications such as benzodiazepines, unless you need such meds for the initial detox process. your doctor may even recommend doing this in a hospital or rehab setting, but it will depend on your assessment. best of luck,  gm

[sammy60]

I have an uncle that stoped drinking a few years back, he was off it for around a week and then started getting seziures. He had one, fell and banged his head. He ended up in hospital for a week or so. I would like to avoid something similar happening to myself.

[sammy60]

I am delighted that all you guys have taken the time to help, it means a lot.
I think I will go to the doctor and maybe try some meds. What drugs would ye recomend not taking, do any of the drugs have addective properties.
Thanks again.

[Jacker]

Don't be afraid to take medication - go see your doctor.  Detoxing gets harder each time you do it, and it also gets more dangerous.  I never want to go through it again!  You need to kick the physical dependence first - then you can work on learning to live sober.  If you can make it 30 days, then the worst of the physical addiction will be over.  You'll still have after effects, but they go away with time.  

See a doctor- drink water and gatorade.  Drink tea or water with honey (your body needs the sugar it used to get from alcohol).  Take a multi vitiman and B-Complex.  And get exercise right around dinner because it will help you sleep.

Don't let yourself get the DTs - if you do, get to an ER.  

[Faunus]

Hey Sammy...I've just quit drinking after 16 years of it as well, and like you in the past I have only managed to stay off it for a matter of days or hours. I've just turned 30 and have been sober for 3 weeks which is a big deal for me. I have not visited a doctor, am not on any medication and the only outside assistance is by reading this forum...and the understanding and support of my drinking friends. Now I am not saying that this is the ideal way to quit...I'm sure most people would say that it is not. What seems to be happening is that I have used my addictive personality against alcohol. I have convinced myself that sobriety is a drug (and it bloody well feels like one). I always have a drink in my hand whether it be iced water, coffee or my recommendation...ginger beer (the non alcoholic type). The side affects that I am experiencing i.e. insomnia, strange headaches, thirstiness, mild hallucinations etc are positive experiences for myself because I am aware that I am in the midst of a transition and every symptom is a nod of the head telling me that it's the right thing to do.
Unfortunately I am not completely sure how or why quitting this time is different for me and I don't really know how this might help you...I just want you to know that someone that drank virtually every day since they were fourteen in the country of Australia where drinking is basically the national sport can stop if they really want to. We can be your AA if you really think that it's not for you.

[Veneeta5]

I have been sober now for 4 and a half years, my husband just celebrated his 9 years of sobriety. We both have tried many different ways to stay clean. My husband drank for 27 years and the only thing that has help us stay clean is AA. We could not do it on our own. We needed to be around people with the same disease as us. Doing the 12 steps is the way to freedom. We even met each other at a meeting.
Give AA another try. If you don't like the meeting you go to then go to another one or another one until you find the one that is right for you.
My husband also did recovery houses and treatment centers.
I wish you all the best. It is such a wonderful and rewarding life being sober.

[Phtartist]

There is no easy way to do what you are doing. You are in your own personal prison and the  way  out is to ride it out or go to the hospital.  

Your organs are cringing for the alcohol that you bathed through them for years on a daily basis. It will get better, but your body has to reset its own functions.

You need to consume a lot of fluids, water.  You will be extremely fatigued with the inability to sleep at times, with the need to sleep too much.

If you have a doctor, see the doctor.  

[ibizan]

as usual boogieman is on the money with good advice.I echo his comments!

[boogieman]

hello. what you are attempting to do is not easy, and doing it alone is even harder. i can only speak from my own experiences and observations. and although there are several ways to treat this condition, by far the most effective today is the use of aa. prior to its creation in the 1930's, there was no other therapy that had promising results. and back then alcoholics had little to look forward to aside from a painful death or being permanently institutionalized. doctors would pronounce such folks hopeless as they had no remedy. because of the progressive nature of this condition, it always grows worse, even during periods of sobriety. this is why you are not able to stop like you once did. there are, of course, expensive therapies including traditional psychotherapy, behavioral training, and even a recently emerging treatment which uses aversion therapy to attempt to take away the desire and compulsion. there is nothing that will make it possible for any chemically dependent person to safely use alcohol or any other drug once they have crossed into active dependency. there are also some non-spiritual based programs that work for a relatively small number of individuals. others are able to stop in response to fear of declining health, imprisonment or loss of affection but these are the exception, not the rule. best of luck,   gm