Relapsing

Markoneill27

Anybody have any stories of going back on it and regretting it?

Happened to me for the first time today. Had 4 pints for the first time in a month and feel like $h|T already I think this will actually be the motivation I need to quit for good once and for all!

stefan idiot jones

There has been quite a few on here.

They all regret it, dust themselves down and get on with it again.

I can't remember anyone saying otherwise, then again why would they post on here?

Good luck.

Sunnyisland

I did often wonder too is it possible to stay sober forever & ever, I know now that there is a lot more to being sober than to stop drinking and i am personally taken steps to prevent me getting complacent.

I also use the tool of never forgetting what i was like drinking and i sometimes play out scenes in my mind to remind me of the dangers of having the one, it helps me. Even if you have been clean and sober continually for more than five years, you are still one slip away from a relapse.

Re stories of relapsing , I have hundreds of stories, I used every excuse known to man & woman & animal to say why I should drink and how I had to have that pint, Sure I used to stop drinking for 8/7/6 weeks a year and thought I was a saint and so did a lot of other people lol


Anyway. Stay focused on your goal for today. It's only today you have to think about.


http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/relapse-prevention.htm here's a link to relapse prevention.

Jurga78

I was relapsing for the first 2 years of trying to not to drink. I was told what to avoid, but still had to check it myself. Felt like sh*** after every single one. But as it was said - dusted myself off, made mental notes and went forward. I was so tired of that damn cycle. The best advise I got then was - just move forward, even if your arse falls off, just pick it up and move forward.
Also mentioned 12 steps helped me a huge deal. For me there's a big difference now - back then I was trying to not to drink (which is not really possible for me), now I simply don't want to. I've got my right to choose back.

KeefF

realies wrote: »

I did often wonder too is it possible to stay sober forever & ever, I know now that there is a lot more to being sober than to stop drinking and i am personally taken steps to prevent me getting complacent.

I also use the tool of never forgetting what i was like drinking and i sometimes play out scenes in my mind to remind me of the dangers of having the one, it helps me. Even if you have been clean and sober continually for more than five years, you are still one slip away from a relapse.

Re stories of relapsing , I have hundreds of stories, I used every excuse known to man & woman & animal to say why I should drink and how I had to have that pint, Sure I used to stop drinking for 8/7/6 weeks a year and thought I was a saint and so did a lot of other people lol


Anyway. Stay focused on your goal for today. It's only today you have to think about.


http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/relapse-prevention.htm here's a link to relapse prevention.

I printed this off last week. It really helped me Sat night "play the tape forward".
Thanks again.

2lazytogetup

i probably did the typical relapse:

Before giving it up : I did the a couple of beers during weekdays but binged on the friday/saturday.

1. 6 months ago I gave up completely. not even a sip. even avoided Baileys chocolates.

2. After a few months, decided to relax a bit and thought , i could learn to control beers. so had a pint everytime i was out. that turned into 2/3 but though once i had less than 4 i wouldnt go mad.

3. 3 beers became 5 or 6 on a night out.

4. and then last weekend massive session.


So looking at the above, even starting on small, led to going mad.

lesson - complete absinence, and telling my friends i need their support so they will stop me having 'just the one glass of stout'.

souls

2lazytogetup wrote: »

i probably did the typical relapse:

Before giving it up : I did the a couple of beers during weekdays but binged on the friday/saturday.

1. 6 months ago I gave up completely. not even a sip. even avoided Baileys chocolates.

2. After a few months, decided to relax a bit and thought , i could learn to control beers. so had a pint everytime i was out. that turned into 2/3 but though once i had less than 4 i wouldnt go mad.

3. 3 beers became 5 or 6 on a night out.

4. and then last weekend massive session.


So looking at the above, even starting on small, led to going mad.

lesson - complete absinence, and telling my friends i need their support so they will stop me having 'just the one glass of stout'.

The last time i stopped drinking i lasted all of two months,which i felt was good going,and convinced myself i could moderate my drinking and drink like a normal person!haha how wrong i was!after a week i was back drinking every ****ing day in an absolute downward spiral.not even noticing life pass me by that was two years ago!!

Somehow I've been able to snap out of the dark cloud that is addiction and made a fresh start!42days sober now..relapsing is not an option. abstinence is key,tried AA not for me.but i won't knock it,everybody is different,everybody has there own path to walk.

i like the "play it forward" idea someone mentioned earlier, it keeps the mind alert and rational and highlights the consequences that drinking has for the user.

anyway there's my two cents worth!haha absolutely wrecked after two 12 hr shifts in a row so the screen just looks fuzzy at this stage i hope what i said makes some sort of sense,

Sunnyisland

I think that the only way anybody can moderate,is if you haven't already sunk deep into the ''alkie-hole''.

For me when moderating I used to constantly think about alcohol, constantly from the time I got up to the time I went to bed (and it was too late to go and buy some) ....

A constant turmoil of wanting it, hateing everyone because that day I was not drinking because I was moderating and today was a no drink day .... outwardly no-one could guess but inwardly alcohol was turning in my heart and mind, while my stomach was begging for it ....

Each and everyone of us knows deep within who and what we ourselves are, if we are able to moderate we know and if we are an alcoholic we DO know .... but for a long time we usually deny this to ourselves first and everyone else thereafter ....

I also have relatives and friends who open wine, beer etc and have one .... they don't finsh the bottle and that is an anathema to me ..... what is alcohol for if not to get drunk ....

If you feel this way then it will be hard to moderate ... Some of us came here because there was that elusive promise to be able to moderate ..... I thought it was a wonder cure - I would be able to drink and not get drunk - every night .....Unfortunally some of us here were deluding our selfs .

KeefF

realies wrote: »

I think that the only way anybody can moderate,is if you haven't already sunk deep into the ''alkie-hole''.

For me when moderating I used to constantly think about alcohol, constantly from the time I got up to the time I went to bed (and it was too late to go and buy some) ....

A constant turmoil of wanting it, hateing everyone because that day I was not drinking because I was moderating and today was a no drink day .... outwardly no-one could guess but inwardly alcohol was turning in my heart and mind, while my stomach was begging for it ....

Each and everyone of us knows deep within who and what we ourselves are, if we are able to moderate we know and if we are an alcoholic we DO know .... but for a long time we usually deny this to ourselves first and everyone else thereafter ....

I also have relatives and friends who open wine, beer etc and have one .... they don't finsh the bottle and that is an anathema to me ..... what is alcohol for if not to get drunk ....

If you feel this way then it will be hard to moderate ... Some of us came here because there was that elusive promise to be able to moderate ..... I thought it was a wonder cure - I would be able to drink and not get drunk - every night .....Unfortunally some of us here were deluding our selfs .

I think I'm with you on this one. I'm 2 months back on the dry having slipped one weekend early in Feb. That slip was c. 24 hours but was horrendous really. The pure discomfort I felt drinking knowing with all the old feelings, doubts, disgust with myself etc bubbled right to the surface. The last couple of weeks I have done a lot of travelling abroad with work, been out socially with work and had my godson's confirmation all which went really well. Last Sat night I was out with my friend and we went to the bar and for some reason I ordered a pint of Guinness. When it was sitting their in front of me I just thought to myself "what am I doing, I dont want to drink that". So I just said I'm not drinking it and ordered something non-Alco. It is amazing once I made that decision I was fine and could sit there for the night with no probs. My mate was very supportive too "if you don't want to, don't drink it" I am glad that it happened because it just shows I have the strength to make these decisions and that simply do not need to drink. However I obviously need to remain vigilant and to the extent I can, avoid high risk situations.

mickydoomsux

I'd completely agree with 'realies' post.

If you've reached the stage where you realise your drinking is a problem then you need to quit rather than trying to moderate.

I tried that approach around Christmas after a month off the drink. One night with a few cans turned into the next night with a few more then drinking all day on my days off and i was back to square one lying to myself that I would stop again and that would be "moderating".

souls

Markoneill27 wrote: »

Anybody have any stories of going back on it and regretting it?

Happened to me for the first time today. Had 4 pints for the first time in a month and feel like $h|T already I think this will actually be the motivation I need to quit for good once and for all!

hope you got back on the wagon friend… talking from experience i know this can be tough.