What's the best way to stop drinking?

ceadaoin. · 10-12-2019 3:56pm

Feisar wrote: »

It's a ten day bender, loads of people go on hols for ten days getting hammered everyday, come back and go cold turkey.

I dont know, I think it's the getting hammered every day and then starting again, early as the OP describes, to stave off the hangover that could cause a problem. 10 days of never being sober could possibly lead to withdrawal if you went cold turkey. OP said he gets the shakes. He needs to taper down himself drinking less each day until he is dry (bit hard if he can't stop) or ask for medical assistance

tdf7187 · 10-12-2019 3:57pm

nthclare wrote: »

A bridge to normal living without the hooch or drugs ain't easy.

There's a non secular recovery program called life ring, nothing to do with with sky fairy's or god etc

Im off drink and drugs 17 years I had a choice of going along the big book AA thumping and thinking im special and one of the chosen ones, or a bridge to normal living without drink or drugs.

Picking up the pieces and changing my ways wasn't easy, but now I am at my 17th Christmas sober and clean.

Outside help was good too, just to rewire the brain and get away from the addictive cycle and away from the cult of the 12 step program.

I can go to pubs, dances and gigs and enjoy myself without a crutch.
No interest in drinking or drugging, gave it all up at 27 the same age as a lot of tragedies occur in addictive cycles.

Im not knocking AA but there's more to life than being a dry bitter drunk wasting away in a program full of contradictions and dogma.

Choose life as Renton in Trainspotting said....

nthclare, fair play. Just to ask you, did you use Liferings or similar group, can you elaborate on what you mean by outside help?

nthclare · 10-12-2019 4:06pm

tdf7187 wrote: »

nthclare, fair play. Just to ask you, did you use Liferings or similar group, can you elaborate on what you mean by outside help?

I sent you a private message

weldoninhio · 10-12-2019 4:07pm

Hit the pub, at least you'll be able to get soakage in if they serve food. If you have the money there best to be sociable.

The Oort Cloud · 10-12-2019 4:08pm

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

I've been on a 10 day bender. Keep drinking more and more each day to stop the hangover from setting in. Haven't seen my child in that long too. Not sure I'll have a place of work to go back to.

I just can't snap out of the rut. I'm not generally a person who gets down in the dumps. But I really can't seem to stop the binge. Any advice appreciated.

The only way I found a way was two years ago that worked as akin to your situation was to go to your doctor, he/she will prescribe you a drug that will help with the DT's. It will get you over the withdrawl for three weeks, but you have resonsibilities also, If you want the pain to go away and get back your health, you seriously need to focus and stick with the three week medication 'No Drink Period'. If you can get through the three week period then you are on the road to recovery. If you do not focus on this for your own personal health then you will fall deeper into the abyss just like I did.

Been there and believe me you don't want to be where I was. I was off the drink for 2 years and lost three stone in weight and was getting healthy big-time but then my brother died in november from glioblastoma stage 4 cancer and I was lost and went back on the drink, fecked again I am a bit, but I myself am going to see the doc and do the same thing I done before to get back off the drink as it worked for me two years ago. I'd recommend that you see and have a chat with your doctor and they will prescribe to you a basic drug that will at least take the withdrawls away and then it is up to you thereafter. Don't slip back into it buddy, trust me, it will feck your life up.

Sometimes you just have to put the boot down on yourself and get your health and sanity back. Not easy, but very well possible.

tdf7187 · 10-12-2019 4:15pm

I'm currently drinking 8 cans of cider a day most days. Strange thing I don't even get bad withdrawal symptoms when I have the odd day off it apart from sleeping too much and a bit of anxiety, I can only reason that I gradually built up a high tolerance. At 20 I was a moderate drinker, at 30 heavy enough social drinker, got into daily drinking later on.

I'm not recommending anyone drinks the amount I do, my lifestyle is not sustainable in the long term, I get that. I was in AA for ten months and actually quite liked going to meetings, then had a few fallings out with people and just got generally pissed off. Incidentally none of those AA people have called or texted, so what does that say about their great fellowship?

petes · 10-12-2019 4:16pm

FFVII wrote: »

Bit of fecking will power is all anyone needs.

No, no it isn't.

Feisar · 10-12-2019 4:17pm

Just to say fair play to those who chimed in candidly with their own struggles.

SEPT 23 1989 · 10-12-2019 4:19pm

tdf7187 wrote: »

I'm currently drinking 8 cans of cider a day most days. Strange thing I don't even get bad withdrawal symptoms when I have the odd day off it apart from sleeping too much and a bit of anxiety, I can only reason that I gradually built up a high tolerance. At 20 I was a moderate drinker, at 30 heavy enough social drinker, got into daily drinking later on.

I'm not recommending anyone drinks the amount I do, my lifestyle is not sustainable in the long term, I get that. I was in AA for ten months and actually quite liked going to meetings, then had a few fallings out with people and just got generally pissed off. Incidentally none of those AA people have called or texted, so what does that say about their great fellowship?

the heartburn must be bad would you not switch to beer?

tdf7187 · 10-12-2019 4:24pm

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

the heartburn must be bad would you not switch to beer?

That's the strange thing. The heartburn was a lot worse with beer, partly why I switched to cider. I know you would think it would be the other way around. I personally find white wine the absolute worst for heartburn. If the government banned all alcohol sales apart from white wine tomorrow, I'd probably stop, lol.

nthclare · 10-12-2019 4:39pm

tdf7187 wrote: »

I'm currently drinking 8 cans of cider a day most days. Strange thing I don't even get bad withdrawal symptoms when I have the odd day off it apart from sleeping too much and a bit of anxiety, I can only reason that I gradually built up a high tolerance. At 20 I was a moderate drinker, at 30 heavy enough social drinker, got into daily drinking later on.

I'm not recommending anyone drinks the amount I do, my lifestyle is not sustainable in the long term, I get that. I was in AA for ten months and actually quite liked going to meetings, then had a few fallings out with people and just got generally pissed off. Incidentally none of those AA people have called or texted, so what does that say about their great fellowship?

AA is full of narcissistic selfish people, stubborn and portray themselves as spiritual.
Far from it ive concluded.

They're like a cult, they say only 4% of people stay in AA and on top of that id say 5% in there end up living a stable fulfilling life.
A lot of them are like cult leaders and bleeding deacons, God thumpers and there's also record's of grooming going on too.
Its nor regulated, and if you ever go to an area meeting or group conscious.
Then you'll see the sobriety

Most people there are single and never get married.

monty_python · 10-12-2019 4:40pm

Go to your gp and tell him the story. Ask for a few diazepams, d5's arent strong but will chill you out for a few days

dennyire · 10-12-2019 4:43pm

nthclare wrote: »

I sent you a private message

can you send me a pm too please. Thanks

10-12-2019 4:43pm

nthclare wrote: »

AA is full of narcissistic selfish people, stubborn and portray themselves as spiritual.
Far from it ive concluded.

They're like a cult, they say only 4% of people stay in AA and on top of that id say 5% in there end up living a stable fulfilling life.
A lot of them are like cult leaders and bleeding deacons, God thumpers and there's also record's of grooming going on too.
Its nor regulated, and if you ever go to an area meeting or group conscious.
Then you'll see the sobriety

Most people there are single and never get married.

Ah dude..I can understand people having issues with AA, but that's hardly fair for the most part.. Hardly the place for it either..It works for a lot of people.. and saves lives..

tdf7187 · 10-12-2019 5:01pm

nthclare wrote: »

AA is full of narcissistic selfish people, stubborn and portray themselves as spiritual.
Far from it ive concluded.

They're like a cult, they say only 4% of people stay in AA and on top of that id say 5% in there end up living a stable fulfilling life.
A lot of them are like cult leaders and bleeding deacons, God thumpers and there's also record's of grooming going on too.
Its nor regulated, and if you ever go to an area meeting or group conscious.
Then you'll see the sobriety

Most people there are single and never get married.

I went to a few group consciences, they were like AGM meetings for a particularly boring golf society.

Most of the AA people I encountered were married. Many of the long term members I encountered, I don't want what they have. They don't have what I'd consider to be serenity or spirituality. The home group I went to is run by a 70 year obnoxious dry drunk and sociopathic bully. A small man, in both stature and emotional well-being who has never succeed in anything in life apart from AA, so he clings to it like a liferaft because they tolerate his bull****. Another, female, member is a gossip and very sick person who is not an alcoholic but is using AA to treat her mental disorders. She has BPD, which usually improves with age I'm led to believe, but of course AA is making her worse.

tdf7187 · 10-12-2019 5:03pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Ah dude..I can understand people having issues with AA, but that's hardly fair for the most part.. Hardly the place for it either..It works for a lot of people.. and saves lives..

I will say in AA's defence that the 90 meetings in 90 days thing does work, and that in my experience most members are married (not that that matters, one way or the other.) But I agree with him that there a lot of sick people in AA. Sick as in not just alcoholism, just not nice people basically, not people I'd have wanted to go drinking with.

The Oort Cloud · 10-12-2019 5:08pm

tdf7187 wrote: »

That's the strange thing. The heartburn was a lot worse with beer, partly why I switched to cider. I know you would think it would be the other way around. I personally find white wine the absolute worst for heartburn. If the government banned all alcohol sales apart from white wine tomorrow, I'd probably stop, lol.

The only thing that will control your acid problem is 'NEXIUM tablet form over the counter, it will work wonders, but remember, you are only cloaking the main problem for say around 3 weeks then your system just gets used to it and it will not work.

tdf7187 · 10-12-2019 5:15pm

The Oort Cloud wrote: »

The only thing that will control your acid problem is 'NEXIUM tablet form over the counter, it will work wonders, but remember, you are only cloaking the main problem for say around 3 weeks then your system just gets used to it and it will not work.

Oh I know about Nexium, I don't even get bad heartburn anymore due to it. I took it for a few weeks in 2015/16 or so. One fellow I met in AA - a nice guy, actually, one of the few genuine ones - has life long stomach problems due to his alcoholism, even though he stopped drinking 20 years ago.

NuttyMcNutty · 10-12-2019 5:24pm

Blondie919 wrote: »

Have you any friends or people close to you that you can talk to? Talking face to face with someone will help, as opposed to us online folk. We can offer advice but you can still hide from us. Talk to someone man. it will help.

I could be your friend for 6 months, wait 2 of us, ehh 3 months :pac:

The Oort Cloud · 10-12-2019 5:31pm

NuttyMcNutty wrote: »

I could be your friend for 6 months, wait 2 of us, ehh 3 months :pac:

The Cable Guy

Got to have a sense of humour.

tdf7187 · 10-12-2019 6:01pm

The Oort Cloud wrote: »

The Cable Guy

Got to have a sense of humour.

I think it's all about repeat work for you guys, because if you said we were cured, then we could go home. And then the next week you'd be sat on your tod reading the Hungry Caterpillar.

Still waters · 10-12-2019 6:07pm

tdf7187 wrote: »

I was at one of his shows circa 2008 at the Pod, yes I do remember a few people bitching that they couldn't drink in the actual arena but there was a bar open somewhere in the premises.

You know what, big deal, his show, his rules. People who insist on singing along - usually drunkenly - at gigs I find to be annoying, frankly.

You'd rather he was six feet under I guess.

Jaysus, i said he's a miserable prick but i wouldn't wish him dead

Also, I'd consider it a pretty ****ty concert if you couldn't have a few pints and a sing along, he didn't mind it years ago when he was fun. You must go to pretty boring concerts if everyone sits quietly and just listens, you'd be as well off to say at home and listen to it on spotify

weldoninhio · 10-12-2019 8:08pm

Still waters wrote: »

He's the worst type of alcoholic, just because he gave it up means everyone else should as well, he wrote and performed better when he was boozin, now he's just a miserable old prick who thinks he's better than everyone who does drink, I've been to one of his shows in vicar street and another in lisdoonvarna and he wants the bar shut down and no one can sing along, he's forgotten what a good time is, he should retire if people enjoying themselves that much bother him

Saw him at the point and he was just a grumpy oul fcuker. No booze, no clapping and no singing along allowed. Same with that Francis Black one, ‘I couldn’t handle the jar’, so no one, even those that can control it, should have fun.

10-12-2019 8:28pm

tdf7187 wrote: »

I would like to know about the other groups you refer to please.

I was talking about AA across the world not Ireland specifically in the post you are replying to. In Ireland specifically you have already mentioned the two I would have mentioned. I know mostly of Life Ring because of it's use of CBT.

In fact I remember reading an Irish Times article about someone who moved from the US to Ireland and lamented the lack of alternatives here. But that must have been about 5 years ago I read that.

A guy I know finally started beating the drink having found none of the recovery groups worked for him. Instead he joined one of those "man shed" movements and found he got much more support and understanding there than anything before. That was thinking outside the box but I guess.

I run a guided meditation group which attracts a variety of people too. One of them who came to me after all other forms of anger management failed him. And one of them insists that the group is the best thing he has yet found in his struggle with alcohol.

So for me it is true - the group that works for you is the group that works for you. Be it AA - Man Sheds - or the local Ballet Class even.

Reading this thread - almost sounds like there is a niche for a whole new group t be started too. If no group works for you - starting your own does not seem a crazy idea.

petes · 10-12-2019 8:54pm

AA has about a 1 in 5 success rate. I went but was also going to an addiction counsellor.

Worked for a while, still drink these days but not to the extent I was althou there can be times that if I start I find it hard to stop.

A functioning alcoholic if you like but still an alcoholic. Take the wrong turn and it's always there.

For those people saying take a day off it and stay in bed, don't. Ensure you go to your GP first.
People think, yeah it's only ten days and you'd do it on holidays. Have you drank a bottle of vodka,10-15 cans and a bottle or two of wine each of those ten days?

You will be detoxing and you will need some help

Still waters · 10-12-2019 9:00pm

My old man does 3 or 4 weeks at a time, he always says you'd know when to get off it when you start bleeding from your nose, hed drink straight vodka/brandy most days to get a kick when he's at it

So in summation OP, unless you're bleeding occasionally from your nose you're grand for another while

ITman88 · 10-12-2019 9:04pm

Still waters wrote: »

My old man does 3 or 4 weeks at a time, he always says you'd know when to get off it when you start bleeding from your nose, hed drink straight vodka/brandy most days to get a kick when he's at it

So in summation OP, unless you're bleeding occasionally from your nose you're grand for another while

Handy to know this! Thanks

NuttyMcNutty · 11-12-2019 12:07pm

So in summation OP, unless you're bleeding occasionally from your nose you're grand for another while[/QUOTE]

Or your arse :eek:

weldoninhio · 11-12-2019 8:04pm

NuttyMcNutty wrote: »

So in summation OP, unless you're bleeding occasionally from your nose you're grand for another while

Or your arse :eek:[/quote]

With your arse it could just be piles though. I’d get them quite often when I was younger after a 4/5 day session. Thought I was dying the first time it happened.

Blondie919 · 12-12-2019 3:26am

weldoninhio wrote: »

Or your arse :eek:

With your arse it could just be piles though. I’d get them quite often when I was younger after a 4/5 day session. Thought I was dying the first time it happened.[/quote]

You get piles from a drinking session??

What's the best way to stop drinking?

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