Hey All!

[voetsod]

Hey everyone. Some back history. I'm 35 and am an alcoholic. How do I know this? Every time I drink alcohol I must drink until I pass/blackout. It's extremely difficult to stop after starting. I usually binge drink for a couple of days and stop for a few and then repeat. I can drink an awful lot as well (12-16 drinks in a night, sometimes more if I start during the day).

I don't drink every day and never do anything dangerous or stupid (well too stupid) and have been much better with my drinking lately, making sure that my drinking is less frequent. But I still crave alcohol and it's very difficult for me to make it through the week without drinking. I last drank on Friday so am not currently physically addicted. I want to break the cycle completely. Ideally I wish I could drink in "moderation" one or two days a week. Although I've come to accept that this is near impossible to do on my own and if moderation is impossible then total abstinence (although a frightening though) will have to be the way to go.

I just ordered the CD and wanted to get a head start on which vitamins to order?

Which vitamins/supplements do you recommend I need to get started on my sober journey? I already take an Omega 3 fish oil and multi-V supplement everyday.

I'm otherwise pretty healthy. I exercise on my "sober" days and when I'm not too hungover but I really need to do something about the bingeing.

I'm glad I found this site. :thanks:

[tlrgs]

Hey All!

:hello2::colorwelcome::wave::groupluv: you can do this good luck .. strong and stay busy .. keep on posting.. it does get better

[biscuit]

Hey All!

Welcome you will find help and encouragement here.

Biscuit

[gabby1go]

Hey All!

Hi Voetsod,

Welcome! You will find this place inspirational and a true "friend" in your effort to gain sobriety. Only you can decide for you what is right (moderation v. abs). It is recommended that you have 30 days AF before deciding which is right for you. The extended period gives your body a chance to get rid of all toxins. It clears your head and you really feel terrific. Mentally it is a challenge but if you are prepared you can do it!

Currently, I take L-Glutamine, Kudzu, Sam-e, multivitamin, B-12, and a product form Sundown called Healthy Liver (mostly Milk Thistle and some other things). The Kudzu I order from MWO but all others I get at my local health food store. The L-Glut and Kudzu help with the cravings and the others do the obvious. The anti-craving stuff really helps me. I have done AF stints before but am now on day 11 and feeling great. Sleep has returned to normal, I have incredible energy, I am more mentally focused, and have had no w/d's.

There are some great people here that can offer great advice/support. Stay on board and let us know if you need help. All the best. Gabby.

[rachel]

Hey All!

Welcome

I too am a newbie just starting out. I am seeing my Doc tomorrow to discuss the medications listed in MWO and plan to start the program in the next week. Renewal started a newbie site to assist people who are all starting at the same place. You might want to check it out. Good Luck the people on this site are amazingly helpful and compassionate. Rachel

[LVT25]

Hey All!

Hi voet--

Have you read the book? It gives a good outline for the supps. Seems everyone kind of fine tunes the program to work for them. I ordered the allone powder, I think it is an awesome product, but it requires a lot of "doctoring" to get it down, and I guess I just get lazy. I take GABA when I'm feeling bitchy or stressed, I think it really helps. There have been a lot of posts on the subject--you can do a search and look in the holistic thread.

[Nia70]

Hey All!

Hi voet, Im new too, just started on day 3!

I found this site really inspirational, the people are amazingly supportive.

Read some of the posts and threads here, i thoroughly recommend the "What i hate about drinking" one for starters

[Doggygirl]

Hey All!

:colorwelcome: voet and rachel!!

I second the motion to download and read the My Way Out book if you haven't done that already. It explains the foundation of the My Way Out program - and I think it's worth understanding RJ's baseline even if you tweak the program to what works best for you. Good to know what it is you are tweaking!!

I'm a believer in starting with the supplements as recommended. There is also a HUGE disparity in quality of nutritional supplements, which is why especially for folks in the US I think it's wise to buy them from MWO (RJ is a stickler for the quality) unless you know for sure how to sift the good from the bad on your own. I have had my ups and downs with booze over the last year, but my initial 60 days AF with the supplements not only felt good from the standpoint of being AF. But some other health problems I was experiencing cleared up - and I attribute that to stopping the poison (AL) and the health benefits of the supplements - beyond just helping to manage cravings.

I have made some really bad decisions over the last year, but the best decision is still the MWO program. I have figured out that moderation is just not possible for me. So I'm back on the Hangover Free (alcohol free) wagon for 34 days now. This time I want to hit a home run for life!!!

Best wishes on your journey.

DG
:award: + ****

[voetsod]

Hey All!

Hey everyone. Thanks so much for your support and advice. I'm on day 4 now of being away from booze and I feel good. I've been exercising like mad and feel real sore today from it but good as well. The last couple of weeks I've been able to control my drinking more which has been good. By control I don't mean moderate I mean the days where I binge drink have been less frequent. Prior to about 8 weeks ago I was drinking about 4-5 nights a week. The last 8 weeks have been about 1-3 nights.

I'm trying to order the online book but the link is bad on the main page (I'd rather not order it from Amazon because I'm impatient I guess and would like to read it tonight). The link is on the main page right under BuyTheBooks the Download as a PDF link. I would of provided a link but I got an error (my post count must be 2 or greater).

Anyway. I'm eager to buy the book but kind of have a good handle on the supplements that I need to take. I'm already taking a multi-V and an Omega-3 fish oil supplement (was also taking MilkThistle for a long time while I was drinking in hopes that my liver would be less damaged). Even while I've been heavy drinking these years I've understood the damage I was doing and tried to counteract that with supplements. I also drink about 4-5 cups of green tea a day (from fresh leaves not bags).

It seems like Topamax is the most successful medication out there that will reduce the cravings and the desire to drink. However there are some unwanted side effects. I would prefer to beat this disease using OTC supplements. Maybe I'll give them a try first and then go from there. I need something that will really reduce the cravings and desire to drink.

I'm thinking:
Kudzu
Glutamine
Tryptophan

Again all thanks so much for any advice and feedback you can provide me.

[Ripple]

Hey All!

i swear by my Topamax! Throw in some fish oil, and a few other supps..and i am good to go!!! The only side affect for me...no drinking. Wot more could i ask for right now!!! AMEN. :H