DAY 1

[lindee]

Hi

I first found this site last night and spent most of the night reading it with glass in hand. I have woken this morning and here I am, hopefully a non drinker today and tomorrow and.............. one day at a time. then one week at a time. month at a time. year at a time. any help and support would be great. x:new: :thanks: I have been a half bottle of vodka a day drinker for a very long time. I stopped for nearly 3 years but for reasons not known to me started again about 7 years ago. for weeks now I have been thinking about stopping but only thinking. I read a lot on this site yesterday you have all given me hope. so here goes this IS it. How can I tell my 17 year old son the dangers of drinking and tell him not to when all I do is drink

[xtexan]

DAY 1

Hello lindee:

So glad you found this place to get some support. I found it pretty much the same way only last week.

I don't know anything to tell you about your young son.

I do however have a theory about why we go back to our habits after being off of them for so long. I think something deep within ourselves stays unresolved. We get the strength to stop something that we like, but know is bad for us, and may last weeks, months, or years even. Then one day, after fighting so long , that thing comes back, and blindsides us. It may be mental, physical, or emotional, but it lurks down deep.

It's a big part of my own personal recovery to find out exactly what that thing is. It may be painful like something I have never known to get it out, but I'm determined to at least try to find it this time around.

We are here for you. If you have gone 3 years before, I believe you know it down deep that you can do it again.

I have only gone 9 months so far, so your story is inspiring to me. Maybe you fell down, but thats OK. Please keep posting, and let us know how you are doing.

[lindee]

DAY 1

I'm scared

I'm scared. I remember oh so well how hard the first few weeks were. The not sleeping, which makes it worse, as that all you think about is. If I had a drink I would sleep. Any tips on getting through the first few sleepless nights would be great.

[xtexan]

DAY 1

lindee:

The only advice I can offer on the initial difficulty in sleeping is to relate what I have done.

I used, and still use amino acids, and herbal supplements. There is a lot more on these elsewhere on this site.

The things I use are aminos: GABA, 5-HTP herbs: valerian root, passion flower, skullcap.

I'm not qualified to tell you about any prescription drugs. I can tell you that I have used valium and xanax in the past prescribed by a doctor for withdrawal, but my experience was not that good long term.

Hopefully, others will post here soon, and offer their recommendations.

[lushy]

DAY 1

Welcome Lindee!!! I cannot believe how many people from the UK come to this site. If you keep reading and look into the supplements this program suggests you might find relief from those first few restless nights. If you gave up alcohol for that long before you know you can do it again. That is longer than a lot of us here have ever gone. I know for me the longest I ever went was when I was pregnant. Good luck on your journey.....

[Newyear]

DAY 1

Hi Lindee :welcome:

I think the first part is the scary part - just deciding there really is an issue and also deciding not to ignore it but to do something about it. There is a lot of help here and advise on what you can do to help with the physical issues. I was so worried about not being able to sleep too.
To my surprise, when I first quit - or really cut down- I found that I was getting sleepy earlier and could sleep just finr. A little later I did have problems sleeping but I tried taking a supplement called melatonin - found it next to the vitimin c in my pharmacy. It has worked great and I'm not tired in the morning.

Anyway- just wanted to say welcome and best of luck. I have a feeling you are a pretty determined person though and you know you have quit before - you can do it.


xextan- I think you are right too....got to figure out why we are doing this. Helps when we are trying to stop if we know what is driving us. good luck to you too
lush- I read lots of your posts and wanted to say thanks....you have been helpful to me

Lisa

[gypsi]

DAY 1

I'm Scared too

lindee wrote: I'm scared. I remember oh so well how hard the first few weeks were. The not sleeping, which makes it worse, as that all you think about is. If I had a drink I would sleep. Any tips on getting through the first few sleepless nights would be great.

Hi Lindee, and :welcome:

I, too, have just started with this program, and I have to say, it's the not sleeping that is getting to me. I keep thinking the same, "If only I had a drink, I could sleep!!" And then, even when I do get to sleep, it's almost impossible to stay asleep. I've been on the supps for a day and a half, and to be honest, if something doesn't kick in soon and let me get some sleep, I don't know what I'm gonna do! Hopefully, some of our more seasoned members around here have some suggestions on how to deal with the sleep issue

[xtexan]

DAY 1

I have one other bit of information here. It's only for information purposes, and consider carefully.

Here in the U.S., you can get a couple of drugs over-the-counter that will induce sleepiness. I used them on a few occasions in the past. They have side-effects, but are relatively safe since you can buy them over the counter.

One is doxylamine succinate. It can be found in the sleep aids section in tablets by itself. It goes by brand names of Unisom and others here. Read medline data here. Its also an ingredient in several cold medicines.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/d...r/a682537.html

Another is diphenhydramine, or good old Benadryl. I have used it for everything from allergies, to bee stings, and sleep inducer. Brand names here are Sominex and Nytol. Read medline here.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/d...r/a682539.html

I would consider these only if the aminos and herbals don't work too good for you. I think they can make the situation worse for some folks withdrawing from drinking, so please be aware of that. So if you want to try something that does not need a prescription, this may help.