I think I probably should but its funny how your mind only focuses on the good times and forgets all the times you acted like an ass and embarrassed yourself. Yesterday I was pretty down because of how stupid I got Wednesday night and yesterday morning but now the guilt and shame are already fading away.
If you even think you have a problem with alcohol, then you probably do.
Thanks for the reminder of how I felt the 'morning after' ... and the days, and weeks and months and years that followed that I didnt stop drinking. All that pain, suffering, remorse, guilt, shame , anger, frustration,ugh !
I am SOOOOOOOOO grateful for the program of AA and the God I found there, along with my sponsor to be sober today.
I don't believe the "score" at the end as posted here is accurate. I believe one to three "yes" answers indicate a possible drinking problem, and that more than three indicate some stage of alcoholism (or I believe "alcohol dependency" is the current medical term).
Regardless, it's a screening tool, and if you are answering a lot of the questions "yes" then yeah, quitting drinking is a good idea.
Gil welcome to the MIP board. Only you can decide if you should quite drinking, and in the end only you can decide to work for your sobriety. While I like your casual approach I must say that getting sober is quite the serious matter. Only 1 in 20, that want to get sober, is able to make it to a year of continuous sobriety. You've got to want it more than anything and be willing to "go to any lengths" for your sobriety. If that doesn't sound like your style then you might be wasting your time. usually people drag into AA with multiple issues "all score cards read zero" (as the book says) and have hit a "bottom". Being a bit embarrassed from a night of drinking fades fast. You might want to get out some paper and start writing the real story of the problems that alcohol has caused you and take a good look at it to motivate you.
yah. I agree with Dean. "Another run at sobriety" is not going to cut it. You need to want it bad...real bad. I don't advise going out to drink more to find out if you are really ready, but ambivalence is going to lead to half measures and that will get you nowhere.
I do not know anyone who has half-assed AA and stayed sober. You have to be really ready to surrender and make a serious life change or you will not have the psychic shift necessary in order to stay sober. If all this sounds like I am speaking alien, it is because it is from the literature of the big book of AA.
Not that I do not think that it is great that you are even beginning to think about getting sober. That is great. Just did not want you to start off setting yourself up for failure. Please keep coming back here and let us know how you are doing and whats up.
Mark
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
Went to your profile page to possibly see your age.
If you have some time, I would love to hear about your "other run at Sobriety".
Many of us really do not get in without the desperation bringing about a Willingness that was not there before.
So Many people here, they even write about it, talk about how they got off the elevator on a good floor, before it went into the Basement.....my own history did not tell such a story, I did go all the way to the basement....our Disease is very Progressive, there being a built in guarantee that it will always get worse, never better....and the Progression moves faster in some, than others....But it is a disease, that if not arrested in time, will lead to insanity or death....
With your earlier "try" did you go to AA Meetings, do you have a copy of Alcoholics Anonymous Book?? That book has everything you need to know about the Desease of Alcoholism. And if not, then you can buy on, or if you dont have the money on that day, they will give it to you....the first 164 pages are the pages that would be very worthwhile reading...
I sure do hope, after coming here, asking the Question, and then answering most of those questions, the first thing to do is find an AA meeting. Dont know what part of the country you live in, but if in a highly populated area, you will find AA meeting of all kinds, Newcomers meetings are great, they have a ton of good energy, and you can look up AA in the telephone book, ask about finding a meeting close by, and if you put in the area you lived, someone here would direct you to an online Meeting schedule for your area.
Really looking forward to hearing back from you dear.
Welcome, you are now a member here. so welcome to our little family here.
I know I felt plenty desperate when I came in, but I always kid that I was too much of a wuss to go down any further!
Seriously, though, I think that my early exposure to AA and Al-Anon did help me get off the elevator sooner rather than later. A big part of that was simply believing that it does work--I'd seen it with my own eyes and heart, working in others. So I had maybe a little less doubt and a little more fear of what would come if I didn't get off when I did.
It takes what it takes, for all of us.
-- Edited by Lexie on Saturday 24th of July 2010 08:01:01 PM
Yeah, even the basement wasn't down enough for me, I was still digging after getting into the sub basement.
I think of addiction, sometimes, like Stockholm syndrome. You're held prisoner by it long enough, you not only identify with it personally, but you tend to focus on what it gives you, and forget what all it takes away, how it treats you the rest of the time. But a disease is a disease and needs to be treated. Treatment for this one is abstinense ( I need spellcheck) from anything mind altering and time with sober alcoholics. It doesnt hurt to go to a meeting and see if there is just one person, or one story, that you can identify with. I hope we will hear more from you. Chris
People who don't have a problem with alcohol do not ponder whether they should or should not quit. And Guilt, shame and remorse do not typically follow drinking, for non-alcoholics.
Come back if you like, for more support and sobriety! Give AA a try....
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~Your Higher Power has not given you a longing to do that which you have no ability to do.
