Hi all.

[Yamaha]

Hi everyone,I just came across this site and it seems to have a great spirit about it.
A bit of background info on me.
I'm 39 years old and have been drinking heavliy from I was about 14 years old.I used to drink everyday,but the last 6 months or so I have been drinking from Thursday nights right through to Sunday nights.
I have now realized that this has to stop.I can't have one or two drinks,if I drink I don't stop so I have to try and stop completely.
My drinking has ben putting pressure on my marriage,causing me to lose interest in my business and also costing me a lot financially.
With all this in mind I have came to the conclusion that if I don't stop I will lose the people I love and everything else that I have.
I haven't drank from Sunday,but to me that doesn't really count as I don't usually start untill Thursdays,so I will be counting my day 1 as this Thursday.
I hope I have the willpower to achieve this.

[rebirth]

Hi all.

Hi Yamaha,
Welcome!
We are the same age and I also drank heavily for 15 years..a bottle of wine a night ( if I felt particularly stressed) and binge drinking on the weekends..drank first thing on a sunday morning to cure my hangover.

This site is very inspiring. As a goup we can beat this battle together. x

[Yamaha]

Hi all.

Hi Rebirth and thx for the kind words,it seems like a friendly place here with lots of advice and words of encouragement.

[mauritiusdodo]

Hi all.

Hi and welcome yamaha, I am slightly older than you (41) but my journey with alcohol started at the same age as you (having parties at home with friends which revolved around raiding our parents drinks cabinets :blush: ) I too have found my marriage, finances along with other things suffering over the past year and have quit as of Monday, I have found this forum a lifeline and the people are so friendly and helpful, I wish you the best of luck with your journey - is your plan to go cold turkey from tomorrow then or will you moderate?

[DeeBee]

Hi all.

You're not alone Yamaha!!
Welcome to MWO:-)
I highly recommend you read the book "My Way Out" which will help you decide how exactly you are going to quit drinking.

[MrsB]

Hi all.

This site is a great place to start - I couldn't have done it without the support of everyone on here. Someone said just keep reading and I did and have been alcohol free since the 23rd of November. Like Rebirth I had a bottle of wine a night with more on the weekends, I would go through stages where I wouldn’t drink Monday to Thursday but that never lasted for more than a couple of weeks at a time. It definitely gets easier as time goes on – I haven’t felt this good for years. Good luck on your journey.

[Yamaha]

Hi all.

Thanks everyone for the replies.
mauritiusdodo,I'm gonna go cold turkey from tomorrow as I know within myself that I wouldn't be able to moderate.

Deebee,I will have a look at the book you mention,any help at all will be more than welcome.

MrsB,congratulations on being AF from November,that's a great achievment!

[rebirth]

Hi all.

Yes well done mrs B!!!

[RedJib]

Hi all.

Yamaha, I hear you. Have had a similar pattern of weekly detox, followed by days of immoderate drinking, then detox again.... over and over. I used to rationalize it sometimes by saying to myself that I wasn't as bad as real drunks, cause hey, I wasn't addicted to AL like all those 24/7 boozers on the streets.

There comes a point when you just can't b.s. yourself anymore, even if dependence hasn't yet become full-on addiction. Glad to hear you found this site and you're determined to give AF life a go. You can do it, I can do it, we can all do it! Don't give up, and don't give in to those little distracting voices which will pop into your head ("what the heck, I can manage one and stop again after this," or "I got through yesterday sober, I've earned a drink," or the killer "I can't deal with this, it's too much, I've got to have a drink right now.")

Wishing you well as you get psyched up for Thursday, your Day 1. Be easy on yourself, but not on AL. cheers
Jib

[Litre]

Hi all.

Hi Yamaha, I found this site last spring, but fell into my old habits. Everyone here is saying how drinking was putting a strain on their relationships. My relationship was putting a strain on me. He was trying to get me out of his life for about 4 years, and we were together for 4 years. He finally admitted he was not ready, but he also admitted he verbally abused me, so I drank to drown him out. I left in Sept, and continued to drink from morning to night. I woke up 10 days ago and said I will not live like this. I no longer have the negative air around me, I would like to wait then try moderate drinking. Last spring I really found this site very helpful, and I have just found it again a few days ago. I was looking and looking, and finally there it was. It will help you as I know it will help me. For all of us who are new or newly back koodos for making the move.

[Lavande]

Hi all.

Hi Yamaha,

Welcome to MWO, this is a good place
You can download the MWO book right from the Health store here.
Also take a look in the https://www.mywayout.org/community/f1...box-27556.html for some good ideas to help you make your plan. Learn the art of distraction - it works wonders!

Drop in the Newbies Nest & say hello!

Wishing you the best on your journey.

Lav