Ok, I just joined and am so hopeful

[cmhguy3]

Ok, I just joined and am so hopeful

Welcome! Glad you found us!

[aidanspappa]

Ok, I just joined and am so hopeful

Thanks again

[ezzmae]

Ok, I just joined and am so hopeful

Also a binge drinker here. Make a plan and stick to it. You sound like you have support from your wife which is great. Make a plan to be busy and active around the time that you usually have your first drink. I find that if I can get past that hour the cravings have subsided and I feel better about myself.

[aidanspappa]

Ok, I just joined and am so hopeful

Ezzmae,

Do you find you can go a long time without any AL, only when you start you keep going until you feel good? That is the way it is with me. I used to think of Friday and Saturday nights as a reward for working hard all week...and that in 3 days, or 2 days (however far Friday night was) it would be ok to drink again. Its like I have amnesia...totally forgetting how bad I felt the morning afer drinking drunk.

[OverIt2007]

Ok, I just joined and am so hopeful

Hi Aidenspappa. Oh my, we have so much in common! This is a great place to find support. I know about the whole "amnesia" thing too well. Its like after 2 or 3 days all is forgotton, and here we go again! I have a 4 year old son too. I live in FLorida as well! The main reason I want to get sober is for my son. I spent Christmas day too hungover to play with him, AGAIN. Last time I had a drink. Hope to get to know you, and PLEASE stick around. This is a good place.

[ezzmae]

Ok, I just joined and am so hopeful

Yes, it was a weekly cycle. Saturday/Sunday drink. Monday hangover, Tuesday recovering. By Thursday I was feeling so positive about everything, voice in my head said that I wasn't doing anything other people weren't, just having a drink to relax and reward myself after a hard week. Saturday morning I hit the gym, by lunch time I was feeling really good about myself, by afternoon I had that first beer in my hand. I got so sick of the routine, of the hangovers on Monday. I realised that AL was ruling my weekdays as well as my weekends.

Since joining mid december, I have binge twice over Christmas. Those highs that you get on Day3 is nothing to the buzz you get on Day8 AF.

[aidanspappa]

Ok, I just joined and am so hopeful

OverIt...what a great handle!

I often wonder ( in the mornings of course ) why I would ruin living in such a wonderful state (fl) especially this time of year with feeling so awful each morning. Lately my hangovers are so limiting I wonder if I am dying, overconscious of my heart, cold sweats....am I insane? Einstein wrote, "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is insane". This site helps me feel sane; hope I am not fooling myself.

[aidanspappa]

Ok, I just joined and am so hopeful

EzzMae,

You make me feel so "normal" here; thanks! Your old patten has been my life for 20 years. I fear I have passed the point of no return...

[stopthecycle]

Ok, I just joined and am so hopeful

Pappa & Overit...
I also live in FL w/a four year old with mainly a binge drinking problem. I'm on day four AF and I'm so scared of my "amnesia" kicking in-especially w/our lovely weather and all the wine I love to drink while enjoying it..

[OverIt2007]

Ok, I just joined and am so hopeful

Aidenspappa, I do not think you are insane. What I think is that you are a "pretty" normal person who has a drinking problem, like the rest of us. When you find yourself obsessing over your drinking, conscious of every heart beat, and wondering just how much damaging you are doing to yourself, is probably your self conscious telling you its time to make some changes. Its a new year so its a perfect time to work on a new you. I know about the patterns you fall into. Especially living here in the "party" state where everyone here seems to drink. But everyone doesnt have a drinking problem, but we do. Are you ready to make the changes and break the patterns? Once I broke the cycle, going more than one week AF, every day has become easier and easier. I refresh my memory of the pain drinking has caused me, and so far it is working. One day at a time of course.

[OverIt2007]

Ok, I just joined and am so hopeful

Hey Stopthecycle! Wow, how odd is that. We all have 4 year olds, binge drinkers, and live in FLorida. Hey, we should all get together with the kids, LOL. Stopthecycle is what you need to do. I know, easier said than done. Oh boy do I know. I wish I had a year of sobriety under my belt, but I am happy to say that my last drink was on Christmas Day 2008. This is the longest I have broken the cycle in 25 years. I am 40. I woke up on Christmas Day just like the previous Christmas. Sick and hungover, and unable to enjoy watching my son open up his Christmas presents. Again. I decided to stop. And so far I have. Im newly sober, but I broke the cycle, and it is getting easier and easier everyday! Get past one week, just break the cycle.