My story..can I ask for your help

[timpin]

I am a 57 year old salesman who is happily married with three grown up daughters. I have a great life and everything going for me. I am not wealthy but not hard up either. Life is good with one exception...I have a drink problem.

I have drank alcohol for most of my life. I drink every evening as much as two bottles of white wine. At the weekend it can be as much as three bottles. I never pass out or feel hammered, but often I can't remember what I did or said the previous night. I rarely get hangovers and do not have the shakes. However I know that I have a problem because although it doesn't look like it, my job is being affected by use of alcohol.

My Doctor advised me to try and cut down but not to stop completely as it could be dangerous. I went to the alcohol advisory clinic and found them not to be very helpful. I know that if I continue as I am then my life will be short, I will end up losing my job and perhaps my wife and home, yet alcohol still seems to keep winning the battle in my head. If anyone out there can give me some advice or help, I would be really grateful.:new:

[startingover]

My story..can I ask for your help

Hi there Timpin, a huge welcome to you!
My advice to you would be to read the book (you can download it from this site). That will give you some ideas to put a plan together i.e. abstinence or moderation and ways to help you achieve it. There is lots of ways to beat cravings, such as supplements or meds plus reading and posting here for support and inspiration.
There is also a terrific thread in the Monthly Abstinence section called the Toolbox thread. That has lots of ideas for making plan, motivation, and dealing with triggers.
You have found a great place here.
Best wishes.

[National]

My story..can I ask for your help

Hey Timpin - Welcome!! This is a great place to start...I can't believe I've had more success in three days than in the last 10 years. Read the posts, stay close to this site and get involved with the discussions. Good Luck...National

[Lavande]

My story..can I ask for your help

Hi Timpin,

Welcome! You have found a good place, lots of support & encouragement to be found here.
I cordially invite you to join us in the 'Newbies Nest', a thread in the Just Starting Out Section (right here).
Please keep reading & make yourself comfortable.
All the best!

[Evie.Lou]

My story..can I ask for your help

Timpin, Welcome to MWO !!! You will find lots of people who have been where you are and figured out how STOP THE MADNESS and go on to live joyful, productive SOBER lives.
If I can do it......I know you can too !!!
Read ALOT and post often. I look forward to getting to know you.

[colbe]

My story..can I ask for your help

Welcome Timpin! I am not the best for advise right now, but being in sales myself...alcohol is a driver OR a killer when having to be motivated. Obviously in the long run...it all ends the same, the killer.

You have found a great place to start, just keep reading

[The New Me]

My story..can I ask for your help

Timpin,
Having gone for help to so called medical professional, I can symphatize with your frustration over the quality of advice. You really have to be lucky to find someone, who can help you. Most of them will send you to AA.
The good news is that there is so much information available for you! This is site is one of them. It is a wonderfull source of well tried advice and support.

If you are a reader, read all the books on alcohol, nutrition, etc. It will help you understand your condition and design your own way out.

For example, "In seven weeks to sobriety" you may recognize yourself as a type resiliant to effects of alcohol, for your brain creates its own alcohol-stimulated endorphans, similar to heroine, which is why you may not suffer from hangovers. I learned that I am the allergic type, who suffers tremendously after intake (which, iroinically, did not make me stop, until recently)

Anyway, I am not a scientist, BUT KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Keep us posted

[Sunbeam]

My story..can I ask for your help

Hi Timpin,
My oldest brother is in sales. You can provide well for your family, but it is a hard life. He also struggled with alcohol for awhile, but then he quit and is doing OK, except for his heart health. Being on the road so much, he never got exercise in his routine.

So you too can beat this. Cutting back is harder than quitting completely for most of us. I wasn't a daily drinker, so I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms, I wish I could help you more with that. Definitely keep reading and posting, so you can benefit from the support, people are great here.

[colbe]

My story..can I ask for your help

The New Me;661270 wrote: Timpin,
Having gone for help to so called medical professional, I can symphatize with your frustration over the quality of advice. You really have to be lucky to find someone, who can help you. Most of them will send you to AA.
The good news is that there is so much information available for you! This is site is one of them. It is a wonderfull source of well tried advice and support.

If you are a reader, read all the books on alcohol, nutrition, etc. It will help you understand your condition and design your own way out.

For example, "In seven weeks to sobriety" you may recognize yourself as a type resiliant to effects of alcohol, for your brain creates its own alcohol-stimulated endorphans, similar to heroine, which is why you may not suffer from hangovers. I learned that I am the allergic type, who suffers tremendously after intake (which, iroinically, did not make me stop, until recently)

Anyway, I am not a scientist, BUT KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Keep us posted

I wanted to say that...but I couldn't have put it quite like that. I recently tried to get medical help and the first night I got sent to jail (emg room gave me pills that I have no exp with and I took the "take as needed" literally), and second day (after jail) they did the "make an apt for pills". I put so much effort into seeking help, and I felt like a number...not to mention getting pulled over for an expired tag on the way to the hosp.

No thanks, I stay right here with MWO (My Way Out)

[TakeHeart]

My story..can I ask for your help

Timpin...welcome!

Wish I had more advice, but want you to know that you are not alone. I am so glad you posted. Didn't know there were different types of people resilient to AL. Always wondered why I am so sure I am an alcoholic, but never get hangovers or the shakes...have had bad anxiety when I 've tried to quit in the past, though.

[The New Me]

My story..can I ask for your help

It is such a waste, for when we finally turn to a professional for help, we are so vulnerable and ashamed. Sorry about your experience, you would hope they know better.
My substance abuse counselor talk about herself all the time and only knew AA stuff. And I was supposed to pay for that??? No thank you, MWO is sooo much better!

[The New Me]

My story..can I ask for your help

TakeHeart;661298 wrote: Timpin...welcome!

Wish I had more advice, but want you to know that you are not alone. I am so glad you posted. Didn't know there were different types of people resilient to AL. Always wondered why I am so sure I am an alcoholic, but never get hangovers or the shakes...have had bad anxiety when I 've tried to quit in the past, though.

Yes, it is very interesting - the types who are resilient are actually in more danger becasue AL effects their brains differently. But do not kid yourself, your body suffers in slience because the brain blocks off the pain...
They are also the depressive types, that develop depression after quitting - another brain chemistry mistery.
This information is from "Seven weeks to sobriety" which addresses the chemical needs of different addiction types.

[veritas]

My story..can I ask for your help

Timpin, a very warm welcome to you.

Like you, I am a "so called" functional alcoholic. People do not want to believe I have a problem, because I am not a nuiscance (to them, that is). Yet I miss out on joy, time, insight, relationships... I am only functional in that I do not create problems for others, only myself.

Listen to your intuition and stay around.

[Boss.man]

My story..can I ask for your help

Welcome Timpin. Stopping abruptly should be done with care. Your doctor said that. However, stopping completely will be very good for you. It's easier than trying to moderate. Take time to educate yourself on the issues. You can then decide whether to seek medical care or techniques to try.

Like you, I was a long term daily drinker until August 2, 2008. Then I quit. Well, first I wanted to cut down, and then ran into some issues, and had to mentally adjust and grow to learn what would work. I kept at it, and eventually conquered it (I think - one day at a time...).

Now I'm a much different person. I went from being 100% afraid of not having my drink to looking forward to all the exciting things I can taste, and do and feel now that I don't drink. I'm 48, have more than a dozen employees, and did this by myself and without a break from work.

I'm confident everyone has this power within them. The group here can really help get you some ideas and approaches to try.

[42cat]

My story..can I ask for your help

Hey there, Timpin. I was like you .. (except I drank morning to evening - a fifth of hard liquor per day) .. and I never got hungover, or the shakes, never really got drunk, just an all-day and evening buzz.

But, when I tapered off and cut it out, boy did the withdrawals kick in .... shakes, anxiety, ETC... like a monster hangover the size of which I've never experienced before. NOT fun. But, once it was over (took me a few days, or really the better part of a week, as I was tapering off), it felt so good to be free.

I'm glad you talked to your doctor about it... His advice to cut down is good for starters.. I assume he meant at first, and not abruptly? I pretty much kept it to myself, except for one doctor visit where I mentioned how much I'd been drinking. She then (way too quickly, imho) prescribed me Paxil for anxiety and told me to stop drinking....... Uh, thanks...... I didn't start on the Paxil (but I didn't tell her that) .. and my anxiety went away after I got off the quart-a-day habit. Some docs really don't seem to know a lot about addiction.

As for advice, I'm still a newbie to sobriety ... but my best advice would be to enjoy this site - read and learn as much as you can ... get some ideas for strategies that might work for you ... make a plan ... and try try try .. and keep on trying. You'll find your way through.

Nice to meet you! Please keep on posting!