Would love to hear from those of you who have been successful

[Hanna]

Ok. Here is the thing. I have been on the roller coaster for years. I was on the site many years ago and am now back. I have tried a gazillion things to conquer this problem and have had very little success. I am not going to give up. It really helps to talk to people who are struggling like I am, but also would be probably more beneficial to talk to people who have had success. So, I would love to connect and hear from those of you who, after many attempts, finally are having some success. I want to know how, and why.

Thanks in advance,

Hanna

[Spiritfree]

Hi Hanna -the good news is that there are answers. The bad news is 'it always easy'. For me, I was able to take the medication Baclofen. It was not easy to begin with, but neither was drinking.

When I read your story, I felt like I needed to comment. I had tried everything as well. I knew that I could not just stop drinking and really did not want to quit -other than the fact that I knew that alcohol was destroying my life. Since I had tried every other method know, I started researching medications. All other options had been exhausted.

Eventually, Baclofen helped stop the cravings and it also eased the anxiety and depression. Believe it or not, looking back, I probably would have started with Gabapentin. Anyway, 18 months later, I walk a free man from alcohol.

I wish u the best on journey.

Ok. Here is the thing. I have been on the roller coaster for years. I was on the site many years ago and am now back. I have tried a gazillion things to conquer this problem and have had very little success. I am not going to give up. It really helps to talk to people who are struggling like I am, but also would be probably more beneficial to talk to people who have had success. So, I would love to connect and hear from those of you who, after many attempts, finally are having some success. I want to know how, and why.

Thanks in advance,

Hanna

[Hanna]

Wow thank you. I have used antabuse, with some success, But the longer I use it the more I realize every time I take a pill I am waiting for it to get finished in my system so I can drink again. I'm going to look at the baclofen and also the Ned you recommended.. Thank you so much for responding. I am so tired of this roller coaster ride.

[red67]

I too tried everything. Nal, AA, individual and group counseling, lots of self help books and finally Smart Recovery and MWO. In the end it was one really embarrassing night that made me say this is enough. I knew once I quit it would have to be forever, no wavering. It was not as difficult as I thought once I made my mind up. I gave it all I had with this last attempt and I can say after almost 4 years I don't miss alcohol at all. Sometimes I do fantasize about having a drink but when I think it though to the end I know it would be a disaster and I know I do not have another quit in me.

When you are truly ready do EVERYTHING to stay quit. I went to AA, Smart Recovery and posted here everyday during the first months of my quit to reinforce my resolve.

You can do this! I also stayed away from all drinking situations and everyone who did not support my absolute sobriety until I knew I was strong enough to resist temptation. That took about 4 months for me, but everyone is different. Do what you need to do to protect your quit (once you do quit). It is the best thing I have ever done.

[Hanna]

Think you. I am, thankfully, not surrounded by Alcohol very often . My husband is not much of a drinker. This is all about me. I can go days without alcohol, and it's really okay.. But I have a bug in my head that I can't get rid of. And when it leads me to drink I drink a full pint of hard alcohol. I do this more nights then I don't. And I am the small woman. 5 feet four inches 110 pounds. I eat very carefully and work out religiously. I don't know why I do this with alcohol all the time. Ugh. Any help would be appreciated.

[guapo]

Naltrexone and the Sinclair Approach have helped me reach indifference to alcohol. It gets little airplay, but has allowed alcohol to cease being a problem.

[Sunbeam]

Hanna, the list of tasks I used is at perma link 236 on the toolbox thread. I selected various tasks from this list, took pride in accomplishing some and selected a new one when I needed strength. Just reading my own list gave me strength. It enabled me to change my life in the way I needed to stop drinking for good. I also was not a daily drinker, a smaller active and healthy person.

[Trying To Be Happy]

Hi Hanna,

Just wanted to say that while it is early days for me, I have tried so many times over the last ten years I can't count them. I could estimate, but that would be very depressing. I have not made more than 4 weeks in that time, and that was ten years ago. Apart from my latest attempt, second best was two weeks in July last year. From mid September to just a few days ago though, I have been on cloud nine. Alcohol free, and watching my partner in the same situation since mid October. We have had a short (4 day only, back into it tomorrow) hiccup, but I really think we are on the way. What has helped? Medication: Campral and Naltrexone for us both, but more crucially being ready and having feedback - from doctors and in my case a counsellor.

Our hiccup has been more a calculated test, but I will post about that separately. Not the best decision either of us made but we did both make it calmly. We will see. Anyway, good luck. The point of my post is, don't give up. For many of us it feels like you are trying forever, but giving up won't get you there - only repeated efforts will, if the first, second, fourth or upteenth hasn't got you there. Don't give up. Ever! Love and best wishes xo

[Eloise]

hi Hannah. In spite of being frightened to jinx myself I think I will dare to comment. I tried many times to stay away from the wine, it worked for a few weeks, then months, and then I would decide I was fine 'whats the big deal?'
Then I moved to Europe (from the sunny Caribbean), got married, had no job and started to drink even more ( shocking that could even be possible) than I did previously.
Only this time there was a witness to my drinking, yuck... I hated that. And then I started to experience my new sister in law. Lordie what a wake up call that was. She scared me sober mostly.
Two things helped me to clean up my act. 1. I didn't want to become my sister in law and 2. I didn't want my husband to be married to someone like his sister.
I just found all of it combined positively impossible to play down. Alcohol ruins lives and it was going to do the same to me if I didn't stop.
Notice I did not say 'cut down.'
So I ordered a starter pack in the health store here on mwo. I listened to the tapes and took the supplements and stopped drinking for a few months. Slowly I got back into the bottle.
After spending 2 weeks with my crazy (literally) mother I decided I needed every braincell I had left.
Hence, another starter pack, this time a 2 month supply, and when it was gone I ordered more. Calm forte, LGlut GABA etc.
Now, almost 8 lovely and liberating months later, I rely on the LGlut, calm forte and vitamin B mostly every day (just because I feel it does help). I have run out of the LGlut and the cravings started again, so why rock the boat.
My life has calmed down and sorted itself on it's own WITHOUT alcohol. Imagine that!
It was hard, but it is slowly becoming natural. And I am scared of alcohol now. Scared of what I see it doing to people, all over the world, in every walk of life.
It is possible to walk away from that life, and worth it.

I hope this post does inspire you and let you see that it is very possible without medication.
Not easy, no, but possible. :llama:

[NoSugar]

For many people, including me, it is easier to remain AF if you also eliminate the other addictive substances that in their own way fire up your brain and keep the 'dream of drinking' alive. For me, that means no added sugar and crappy food that immediately turns to sugar or highly processed foods. Others have had a similar experiences and reduce or eliminate triggers such as caffeine, as well. I think much of that is addressed in the MWO literature.

All the best, NS

[little beagle]

For me drinking became more painful then quitting. I wanted to NOT drink more then I wanted to drink. Using MWO as a resource, making friends on here to help me. Actualling using the plan I made for myself in case of emergencies.

[Byrdlady]

Hanna, I couldnt justify taking one drug to try and free myself from another. I was already concerned about the damage I had done to my liver and most all drugs are metabolized there. All the drugs used to treat ALK are heavy duty and carry a lot of side effects. I am not convinced of their long term efficacy, either. As you can imagine, it would take a very powerful drug to change our attitude towards AL. I have found that the fewer drugs I take, the better I feel!!
I planted myself in the newbies nest and I never left. Why? Because there is lots of activity there and always someone in front of me and behind me in experience. I am nearly 4 years AF and I can say that a common thread in recovery is teaching others what we've learned. Turning around and helping other addicts is the best way I know to keep my quit going. I never forget where I came from because I am talking to people daily who are coming from where I left off. I am one drink away from being back there myself. We need support and sticking with likeminded people is the best way to get it. Get on and participate in an active thread, otherwise you will not feel apart of it all. Read and post, get some skin in the game. I am accountable to the people here and they feel accountable to me. It works! There are people here that I talk to every single day...they are some of the finest people I know and I trust them with my life. I check in every day, no matter what. I made a vow never to drink or buy AL again, and I haven't. This is something I could not do on my own, I had to become part of something larger than myself, and that is this community. I have seen countless people come in, start to feel better, then gradually drift away. The next thing you know, they are back...worse than ever! Dont drift away from your source of strength! We nondrinkers are really swimming upstream on this one...the world is constantly bombarding us with DRINKING ads...friends push it, family encourages it, AL is everywhere! It takes daily support to fight all this off! If left to our own devices, we will cave. Stick with us!!

Thank you for asking this simple, but important question! Sometimes you just gotta take a leap of faith and hope these people know what they are talking about! All the best, Byrdie

[Dottie Belle]

Byrdie that post is a keeper for sure!!!!!!!!!!1