Is this my Imagination or what?

[mylife]

Is this my Imagination or what?

Scottish and Tipp,

I for one will vouch for it. It has been a lifesaver for me. I take only a small dose - 1/2 pill every other day - just enough to have it in my system so I'm afraid to drink. There have been many nights I've thought about that glass of wine (or 4) - but Antabuse just takes that away. It's not a possibility. I've even had nights at the beginning where I thought - I need to stop taking this for a week - I just need to have the option to have a glass of wine if I want one. But the next morning when reason is restored - I pop my 1/2 tab and that's that.

And like both of you I was a bottle of wine a night drinker more or less (toward the end I'd pour the last glass or so down the drain) and maintained a successful career and a marriage, friends etc. I just knew the drinking wasn't working for me.

Hang in there and I wish you both strength and peace on your journey!

[Unwasted]

Is this my Imagination or what?

SL, you bring up a good point. By industry standards I would have been considered a heavy drinker - usually 3 or 4 glasses of wine nightly. By some standards that is laughable - there are people here who drink a gallon of vodka a day. But if one small glass of wine is what I can drink and be healthy, that is laughable to me and NEVER would have satisfied my craving. I HAD to have more than that. I thought about drinking all the time (I still think about it a lot but in a very different way - now more about the ills it causes)....

Lav recommends taking Antabuse under the care of a doctor. I don't know anyone here who is doing that - possibly K9? I think others have just done it on their own by reading here. Not sure what the answer is to that.........

Anyway, wishing you guys the best. I am very anti pills, but if I get to the point where I can't do it on my own, that will be my next step.

ML I'm so glad it's working for you.

Best to you all.....

[Tipplerette]

Is this my Imagination or what?

Great input everyone. I am going to find a way to order it and if I haven't resolved this by my vacation which is one month or so from now I will start on a very small dose.

I like what you said, My Life, about just knowing that drinking wasn't working for you. That's the best way of putting it. It's not causing me ANY problems socially, physically or any other way but it's taking it's toll on me emotionally and it is insulting my intelligence by it's poisonous nature.

Went to the elderly uncles and he and hubby shared a bottle of wine. Not only did I not have any, nobody asked me about it. Easy as pie. Then off to visit grandbaby. I walked in and was offered a glass of wine. The men had one beer and DIL was drinking wine. I said no thank, I'm not thirsty" Worked like a charm.

[K9Lover]

Is this my Imagination or what?

Hi Tipps,
I was a 12 pack of beer per night drinker. If I ever told anyone I could drink a whole 12 pack they would laugh, like I was joking. I wasn't joking, some nights I'd get up to 14 or 15 even. Now that was a hard habit to break, because I spent so much TIME doing it...I mean the first few days of quitting I had no idea what to do with myself. Drinking a 12 pack takes most of the night (3-4 hours at least), so suddenly I found myself sitting around wishing it was bed time. I know you have social situations where you feel like drinking, and all I had was ME, and I don't know which is harder. You can avoid social situations, I tried, but never succeeded in avoiding me. LOL I have tried for years and years to stop. I never found any real success until I went on Antabuse. UW is right, I do get it prescribed by my doctor. She told me that taking it for years is no problem. I plan to take it as long as I need it. Once you realize that you just CANNOT drink, it takes such a burden off your brain and lets you focus on other things. I have researched Antabuse and it doesn't seem to have any side effects. It only reacts to alcohol. Some people are SUPER sensitive though and have had reactions to perfume, mouthwash, etc. I have been lucky in that regard, I can basically use anything and never have a reaction. If you are willing to commit to it, I highly recommend it. You'll feel such a relief at not having to wage the inner-battle on a daily basis. Good luck Tipps and let us know how you're doing!
K9

[Tipplerette]

Is this my Imagination or what?

Thank you K9. I think drinking alone has got to be harder to give up because the time can just crawl by as you said. At least I can talk with my friends and do the socializing while not drinking.

The Canuck thread has helped me obtain antabuse and I am going on it at the next fall off the wagon. Hopefully never. I am a hopeless optimist.

You have done so well cutting out 12 beers a night to none. You must have lost a ton of weight. Congratulations.