Alcoholic

Thanks for sharing. I can identify. I have to try and control my alcohol intake as I live in isolation and loneliness. My only coping mechanism.

I read the AA literature to try and find ways to control my cravings for alcohol in my isolation.

I am saying hello here as have been floating around , and was tagged here. I dont have anything really useful to say.

I tried AA a long time ago.

I drank the next 20 years minus 27 days.

I have made a lot of bad decisions.

I spent a lot of money earned doing horrible jobs.

I made myself ill so many times.

I live alone.

I find structure/relief in drinking.

I spend more on it in a week than I do on clothes in a year, plus have health problems now as get older.

Been told many times by doctors to stop.

I've not drunk 3 and a bit days now, so it is very likely I will today.

@Bill16

Hey @Chris222

Just wanted to check-in and see how you were doing? Did any of our suggestions help?

I can identify with many of these points, you are not alone.

Hi, I am new here don't know how to create a new post or thread or use this.

I am wanting to talk about alcoholism among other things.

I am actually 1 month off alcohol now for the first time in about 15 years straight because I am on blood thinners and drikning would put me further at risk of dying etc.

Problem is even now I struggle with thinking about alcohol and it has been really hard (harder than my life threatending injuries) to deal with not drikning and the cravings even after weeks off it and sober.

I can only drink once a week now (massive session nutil I can't drink anymore) but still feel addicted and think about it every day.

I find that I get bored if life, feel very serious and angry and boring, and need an escape which is alcohol.

It instantly makes me feel better with 1 mouthful.

I used to only got 'out' to drink but now I only really stay home on my own and drink alone during Covid and end up messaging heaps of people I would never message and regret pretty much all of it but don't care when drinking as need attention and think 'why can't people respond what's wrong with them I am being friendly the world need more friendliness'.

I can function and deal with hangovers no problem really and it usually goes, drink, deal with the hangover day, next day feel extremely fresh and want to drink again, drink, rinse repeat.

Sometimes I do 5 out of the 7 days and rarely I took more than 2 days off until recently.

I find I am a different person drinking, patient, friendly, interested, loving, and the opposite when I am not drinking.

I have said I can control it and stop whenever I want but I don't think I can, no one seems to care and I've ruined HEAPS of my life doing this, relationships with lovers, friends, work, it goes on, money, high risk activities etc.

I want to talk and be honest, anyone here?

Hello @Danm

I noticed your post from about an hour ago because of a reference given by @TAB . If you are online at present I am free for a little while.

How do you think that anyone, including myself, might be able to help you?

To reply to me just "copy and paste" my forum address @HenryX into the "reply" box.

Alternatively, with the mouse-cursor in the reply box you can type the symbol @ and my forum address will be in the drop down list. Click my forum address in the drop down list and you will see it included in your message.

@HenryX

Hello @Danm

You have successfully posted your message to which I responded earlier.

• Now the way to know who has answered you is to look at the word New near the top right of the page and just to the right of the words Guidelines & Info .
• When a message has been sent to you, there will be a small circle attached to the word New . In the circle will be a number which tells you how many messages are waiting for you.
• Clicking on the word New will take you to the "Your Notifications" page.
• On the "Your Notifications" page, you will see a list of the messages that have been addressed to you and also those messages that have been posted in threads in which you have been active. Initially, the list of Notifications will be small and gradually will increase with your activity.
  
• It is worthwhile having a look at the Guidelines & Info so that you are aware of ways to protect your own identity and that of others. The anonymity of people using the website is protected by the provisions detailed in the Guidelines & Info
• This is a starting point. We can gradually build up knowledge on other functions of the site. I hope this information will help. If you have any questions, please ask in any thread. This thread will be a starting point, but I look forward to assisting you explore other functions of the site.
• I really hope that we can assist you in your progress. I can say that I am aware of the issues that you face and will be more than happy to assist in any way that I can.

Look forward to catching up with you later today,

With Best wishes

@HenryX

Hello @Chris222

I only became aware of your initial post on this thread last night, so I am sorry not to have picked up and responded to your messages sooner. I have left some notes, that might also be useful for you, on corresponding with other members, in a response that I posted to @Danm above. If you use those notes to assist with communicationg in the forum, you will be able to alert other members to your messages and know when they have responded to you.

Initially, it does take a while to get used to the way that the forum works. It certainly took me a while to work out how to get around when I returned in February this year, after first joining in 2015.

It is my wish that we will be able to talk with you about the issues that you are facing. I do understand that, while consuming alcoholic drinks has a positive side, as time goes by, other issues tend to develop. By the time we recognise those issues as being counter-productive and in some respects maladaptive, we also become aware of how much we have become increasingly and worryingly dependent on it in our lives. It is not normally the alcohol that we may become concerned with, but the developing dependence that we recognise and at times fear.

@Chris222, I hope that you will receive this message and be able to establish a positive and productive correspondence with other members and me, on the forum. I likewise hope that @Danm will connect also. I am aware that @Owen45 has been active on the forum for a while, and notice and acknowledge @Shaz51 and @AussieRecharger for their messages as long standing members.

With My Best Wishes

@HenryX