Hey everyone...

Bee22 · Newbie

Hey everyone...

Quetzal · MIP Old Timer

Hi Tamara,

Welcome to MIP.

I know that I can never safely just have one drink again. For me, one drink inevitably leads to another and then another and then another.

I became a daily drinker and even if I wasn't drinking I was obsessing about getting my next drink. Alcohol had taken over my life.

Eventually I contacted AA in my area and decided to try a few meetings. Life is great now. I have a choice whether I want to drink or not. AA has given me that choice. I never had a choice while I was drinking.

I don't want to think about never being able to drink again, so I just take it one day at a time.

Why not check out AA in your area? It's totally anonymous and the person you speak to will tell you where and when your local meetings are. He/she could arrange for someone to take you to a meeting, or to meet you outside and introduce you to people in the meeting. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

Please keep posting and letting us know how things are going for you, won't you?

Take care,

Carol

Bee22 · Newbie

Thank you, one of my best friends is an alcoholic which doesn't help.

pinkchip · MIP Old Timer

Howdy bee and welcome! I fully suggest going to a meeting in your area and picking up a big book. It sounds sort of scary to think, but most of the answers to your questions are in that book. Also the book "Living Sober" is extremely helpful in getting started. I am not much of a big book thumper, but in this instance I feel compelled to really point out the message of Chapter 3 of the big book and "More about Alcoholism." The first 4 paragraphs of this chapter are read in every meeting I go to. You can read it online here at http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_bigbook_chapt3.pdf

For me, all the answers about the thoughts and confusion I had with whether or not I was an alcoholic, whether or not I could drink again, and why I could not just have 1 drink were answered in just the first 4 paragraphs. Pretty much the first time on this site where I have had to say the literature can explain and deal with this much better than I can (which I ought to concede more often). I read it in my first week and got a "buzz" better than any drink I ever had. Enlightenment.

Mike B. · MIP Old Timer

Bee,
Thank you for the post and welcome. All good suggestions here.
Pinkchip,
Thank you for the link to Chapter 3, I needed to read that today. I tried so hard to drink like a normal drinker, but to no avail. Drinking soon took me over and made decisions for me. I didn't want to drink, but couldn't go without drinking. The normal drinker doesn't obsess about drinking under control, they just do it..... That's struck home with me...
AA and the program as it's layed out in the BB saved my life. I have a good life today.

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

Bee22 wrote:

All this week I've had an irregular heart beat, shortness of breath & feeling so lethargic.

cut down (or eliminate) caffiene, and get some garlic pills to take. Garlic regulates your heart beat, and caffiene does the opposite.