gomper Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Long story short my drinking career has reached massive levels and I couldn't handle it anymore. Started going to AA. Anyone have advice on how to stay sober? Please no wise cracks. Anything would help. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stl Bills Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Long story short my drinking career has reached massive levels and I couldn't handle it anymore. Started going to AA. Anyone have advice on how to stay sober? Please no wise cracks. Anything would help. Thanks. I'm not in recovery but I was heavily involved in AA with a family member and it really does work. The key is to find a group you like and to stick with it. My family member relapsed a few times until hefound a group that worked for him. He relapsed a few times and then tried going to 90 meetings in 90 days and after completing that has been sober for over 3 years. I'm not an alcoholic but I think if you really want to give up drinking you just have to take it one day at a time and do the things you can do just to worry about staying sober today. Good luck, you can do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Long story short my drinking career has reached massive levels and I couldn't handle it anymore. Started going to AA. Anyone have advice on how to stay sober? Please no wise cracks. Anything would help. Thanks. My wife runs a drug and alcohol treatment center. I'd recommend looking into that. If your problem is severe, you'll probably want to consider an in-patient treatment where you live there for 30-60 days, attending groups and one-on-ones with councelors. AA is a tool, but from everything I've heard her say, it's unlikely that you'll be able to stay sober by nothing other than attending them. What state do you live in? I can ask her if she has any resources she can recommend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Anyone have advice on how to stay sober? Don't watch the Bills. I can at least make that wise-crack, can't I? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Don't watch the Bills. Indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Don't watch the Bills. I can at least make that wise-crack, can't I? There's actually some truth in that. If he normally drinks while watching football games, he's going to want to avoid that trigger for awhile, regardless of how well they're playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damj Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Long story short my drinking career has reached massive levels and I couldn't handle it anymore. Started going to AA. Anyone have advice on how to stay sober? Please no wise cracks. Anything would help. Thanks. Takes a man to admit he needs help. I have no advice for you, but I wish you well with your recovery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Is boredom drinking a problem? One piece of advice would be to join a gym and start hitting that instead of going out drinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarkLessWagMore Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Takes a man to admit he needs help. I have no advice for you, but I wish you well with your recovery. +1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Keep busy. Stay active. Exercise vigorously - both your body and your brain. Surround yourself with interesting and supportive friends (sad to say, but you may have to avoid the friends that you used to drink with - at least for a while). Drink cranberry juice with a lime (unless 'Cape Codders' were your beverage of choice) and lots of water. 'Designer water' with a lemon wedge may ease the angst of having a glass in your hand at social events. As a 'borderline guy' myself - who walks that thin line between admitting he has a problem vs. 'drinking to make other people interesting' - do not be at all ashamed to seek help from a professional or a trusted friend. Be well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 this is pretty much the standard test. http://alcoholism.about.com/od/problem/a/blquiz1.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Ironically (?), some of the best addiction research is apparently coming out of UB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 I stopped drinking in the early 90's for about 10 year. I'm just a casual drinker now and am glad I can control it. When I stopped I did it solo and refused to go to AA. I went to the library and pulled a 12 step progam book off the shelf and read only the first two steps and put the book back. 1. Admitting that one cannot control one's addiction or compulsion 2. Recognizing a greater power that can give strength I called bull shiit. I can control it and what is this greater power? What is this religion? No way. Quit cold turkey on my own with no help. What I did was buy a bike and rode and rode and rode every night after work. Kept my mind off it and I got in great shape and had a blast doing it. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 I stopped drinking in the early 90's for about 10 year. I'm just a casual drinker now and am glad I can control it. When I stopped I did it solo and refused to go to AA. I went to the library and pulled a 12 step progam book off the shelf and read only the first two steps and put the book back. 1. Admitting that one cannot control one's addiction or compulsion 2. Recognizing a greater power that can give strength I called bull shiit. I can control it and what is this greater power? What is this religion? No way. Quit cold turkey on my own with no help. What I did was buy a bike and rode and rode and rode every night after work. Kept my mind off it and I got in great shape and had a blast doing it. Good luck. I used to be a heavy drinker (see my old screen name) until my daughter came along. Parenthood has a way of sobering a person up. Do I still drink? Yes, I do. But I maybe drink once a month, and only a couple. I even stopped drinking during Bills games, believe it or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiew Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Never had a drinking problem. But I've been surrounded by (and dated) some alcoholics. I smoked for 30 years b4 stopping cold turkey. The only 2 pieces of advice I can give are: 1. Change ALL your current lifestyle habits and routines to avoid "triggers" 2. Don't ever, ever, ever, ever, ever take a sip (or a puff). Good luck to you - keep reaching out for whatever help you can find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike In Illinois Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Cutting back on consuming alcohol can help in weight loss if that's a problem for you as well. It was widely reported that eliminating Patron helped LenDale White drop 30+ pounds over 6 months. So maybe that can be used as motivation for getting this problem under control. Good luck to you and much respect for asking for help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 If this is serious thread, than congrats to you. While I do not as of yet have a drinking problem, I was a heavy smoker till last year. Tried all kinds of methods to quit, not a one worked.UNTIL, i read a book by Allen Carr ..The Easy Way to quit smoking. His method shifts the paradigm that you approach quitiing any drug that you are dependant on. Quick peruse of Amazon shows this book is having success as well. I like Chef am not so sure on 12 steps, but I will evangalize Carrs method all day long! http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Way-Stop-Drinki...iews/1402736479 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Good luck - best advice I know to give you is surround yourself with people that support what you are trying to do. Your true friends will do this automatically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt. Dan's Revenge Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 If this is serious thread, than congrats to you. While I do not as of yet have a drinking problem, I was a heavy smoker till last year. Tried all kinds of methods to quit, not a one worked.UNTIL, i read a book by Allen Carr ..The Easy Way to quit smoking. His method shifts the paradigm that you approach quitiing any drug that you are dependant on. Quick peruse of Amazon shows this book is having success as well. I like Chef am not so sure on 12 steps, but I will evangalize Carrs method all day long! http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Way-Stop-Drinki...iews/1402736479 That's interesting. What would you say was the biggest difference with his method(s) as compared to the others that are often predictable and redundant? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordio Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Interesting topic. I really do not consider myself an achoholic. I do not ever come home from work & crack a beer open, never drink during the week, never let it effect how I am to my son or my recently born daughter. My wife says I have a problem. She calls me a binge achoholic. See I can not just have one or two beers,(part of the reason I will never touch a beer during the work week). If I drink one beer I really have to have at least 12-15 beers. I can not stop. That is why I usually save my drinking for Saturdays & Sundays during football season. The other thing she gets mad about is often times, especially during college football season I will go down in the basement & watch the football games & drink by myself. Sometimes a friend or 2 will come over but I am at the age now where all my friends have families & we do not see each other nearly as much as we did 3, 4 or 5 years ago. My son is at an age now where(5 years old)where I will bring him down in the clubhouse(the basement) on a saturday & we will watch college football all day. We will play mini basketball down there & watch the games & have alot of fun. I know it is not the best influence on him but hey what are you going to do, it is still quality time we are spending together & he really likes it. I am not judging anybody as everybody has their demons so to speak in life. Good luck to the OP, it has got be difficult quitting. Although, from the sounds of it, I do not drink as much as you, I do not know if I could do it or not. & alot of posters, if they are really honest with themselves probably could not quit either. Imagine going to a bills tailgate & not drinking. I would rather not even go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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