New day, New start, hopefully the penny will drop THIS TIME

[happy guy]

Hi guys, day 1 for the umpteenth time, really want to stop, been wanting to get back to AA for so long, met an AA:thumbsup::thumbsup: friend last night and had a good chat, unfortunately i had already bought my alcohol so no chance of stopping last night however through the foggy haze of hangover this morning i am feeling positive and hopeful that if i go to AA i don't have to drink. I really want to stop actually i need to stop, Over 20 years of heavy drinking has taken it's toll on both my physical and mental health but it stops today, to be continued!!!!!!!!

[available]

Hi HG and welcome. Glad to see you starting off so positive. Its not easy to give up al but it has been the best achievement of my life other than my children. Ive been a drinker all my life but the last 10+ it has been a downhill slide. After a few stops and starts of thinking i could be the only alcoholic in the world that could successfully moderate and failing dismally, i then decided i would just not drink al for today. Today has now been a year and a half and it is the best decision i have ever made in my life.

Head over to the newbies nest and say hello. There is a wealth of support from oldies and newbies alike.

Congratulations on making a very wise choice.

[jane27]

:welcome: HappyGuy!

[Lavande]

Hello & welcome happy guy!

It's never too late to quit drinking & improve your health & outlook
Why don't you jump into the Newbies Nest (in the Just getting started section) for lots of extra support!

Wishing you the very best on your journey!

Lav

[available]

I am always excited about getting sober and staying sober that is why the nest is a great place to settle in and get to know whats around. As you said HG, 20 years of drinking is enough, so looks like the nest is the place to be or your own thread! No matter what happens, each and every day sober is a total blessing.

[available]

shouting and deleting seems to be your style. I am sure newbies dont need to be upper cased and scared off. And before you destroy this thread, i will say no more except HG is big enough and old enough to make his own decisions on what suits his needs and good sane advice is what is he requires along with compassion, understanding and help.

[kronkcarr]

Welcome happy guy. When I came on here I was already taking baclofen because I wanted to be able to meet with friends every few weeks and share 1-2 drinks. I was thrilled to find the Meds thread. The people that had gone before me helped immensely. Read around and see what fits for you. Good luck.

[NoSugar]

Hi, Happy Guy. Here's a link to the Newbies Nest: https://www.mywayout.org/community/sh...-Nest/page5958. There is a daily abstinence thread started each morning - it's a good place to renew your commitment. Here is the one for today: https://www.mywayout.org/community/sh...-may-14th-5-am!! Maybe Reg and others could provide some links to other threads they have found useful for meeting their goals.

Reg, I don't want to argue with you about any of this but I think you're making some assumptions about what goes on in the Newbies Nest that just aren't consistent with my experience. It was there that I learned that I am not powerless at all. After so many failed attempts to quit on my own, I learned that if I did not take that first drink, I had ALL the power - alcohol had none. Before I joined, my earlier AF stretches were done by white-knuckled will-power. My hands - and everything else - finally relaxed once I understood that drinking even 1 drink was no longer a possible option for me.

Also, if Happy Guy or anyone else doesn't know what his or her ultimate goal in all this is, a period of abstinence and learning is encouraged so that the person who has come here looking for assistance can make a clear-headed, informed decision. Participation there does not preclude attending AA, taking medications, entering therapy or rehab, or anything else that can help a person. I certainly had not planned on permanent abstinence when I first joined the Newbies Nest but towards the end of the first month when it suddenly occurred to me that I never had to drink again, I felt truly liberated. I still feel that relief and gratitude every day and hope I always will.

Happy Guy, there are many ways out of the mess most of us found ourselves in when we were driven to find this site. I hope you can read around, post, and find the best way for you. Take care, NS

[kronkcarr]

happy guy,

Here's the link to the Meds section:

https://www.mywayout.org/community/forumdisplay.php?52-Medication-Research-and-Support

This will be helpful if you want to see others' experiences with Phenobarbital for alcohol withdrawal, Antibuse to not drink, or Camporal, Naltrexone, Topamax or baclofen to address alcoholism or alcohol abuse.