Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

[Tipplerette]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

BY FAR THE MOST LIFE-CHANGING BOOK I'VE EVER READ - A MODERN VERSION OF ALLEN CARR'S WORK.

THIS BOOK MADE ME REALIZE (FINALLY) THAT I'M NOT GIVING UP ANYTHING - MADE ME ABLE TO FULLY EMBRACE NEVER WANTING TO DRINK ALCOHOL AGAIN.


Ordered this book and finished it in two bum numbing days. I thought it was great. Sure makes one realize that by giving up alcohol, we're really not giving up anything but gaining our freedom again; the freedom from 'controlling' our drinking. Today is Sunday, Sept. 24th, 2011. It just might be the day I quit drinking. Tips:

[Tipplerette]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Actually it was Saturday yesterday. i swear I hadn't had a thing to drink... and problably won't ever again. Freedom.

[patrice]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Think I had better order this book

Thanks all
Patrice xx

[tonstantweader]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

I have to agree with the praise for Kick the Drink. Unwasted gets the credit for posting about this first in another thread. I think I was leaning towards Jason Vale's philosophy but he really brought it together for me that I am not giving up anything, I'm not losing out, and I'm not deprived by giving up alcohol. Instead I am gaining my life. A small warning: the book is not particularly well-written, gets repetitious (although he stresses that is the point; we have to unbrainwash ourselves) and it gets a bit sophomoric at times, but his message is still very strong, common sense-based, and well, well worth reading. His approach takes the self-loathing and the "why me" attitude away and replaces it with self-confidence and joy in embracing an alcohol-free life.

[Unwasted]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Tonstant - I agree about the repitition, and he does warn about it at the beginning of the book. Interestingly, this would have been a turn off to me, but I think it's the very thing that helped me cement the philosophy in my brain. I have NEVER gotten past the mental torture of alcohol until now. I think he deserves a medal. If there were an pulitzer prize in the field of alcohol literature, he would get my vote.

[LillyE]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

tonstantweader;1182638 wrote: A small warning: the book is not particularly well-written, gets repetitious (although he stresses that is the point; we have to unbrainwash ourselves) and it gets a bit sophomoric at times, but his message is still very strong, common sense-based, and well, well worth reading.

The above is exactly what I would have said about Carr's How to Quit Smoking but the basic philosophy still really helped me finally quit for good (though it was far from a single magic bullet). Which is why I've ordered his How to Quit Drinking although the blurb saying it says there's no such thing as alcoholism troubles me and I'm sure I'll find it poorly written and sometimes annoying. Having now read a half dozen books on alcoholism and quitting drinking I find there're things that work for me in (almost) all of them - and things that don't. The more we educate ourselves the more we can pick and choose all the pieces that work for us individually I guess.

[Tipplerette]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Mine too. Can't believe my change in attitude. Wow it felt good to wake up this morning for the third day in a row, bright eyed and bushy tailed. It's just after 7:30 a.m. and I've done two loads of laundry. Hubby won't know what hit him... or me.

[Tipplerette]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Oooops not supposed to be counting days.

[tonstantweader]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

LillyE;1182861 wrote: ... although the blurb saying it says there's no such thing as alcoholism troubles me and I'm sure I'll find it poorly written and sometimes annoying. Having now read a half dozen books on alcoholism and quitting drinking I find there're things that work for me in (almost) all of them - and things that don't. The more we educate ourselves the more we can pick and choose all the pieces that work for us individually I guess.

There were definitely things in the book that I found annoying; it's almost as if it is written by a 15 year old, but his overall message resonated strongly: we shouldn't feel deprived, or that we can't enjoy social events without drinking. He also takes advertising, other drinkers, and the whole society that tacitly supports drinking to task. When he details all of the ills that alcohol brings to a person, it hits home just how destructive a poison it is. He also uses analogies to heroin addiction and quicksand that are effective. As he puts it, quitting drinking is about the only addiction where you have to justify it. If one gives up heroin or smoking, one is applauded, but when one gives up drinking the questions and accusations begin. It's crazy!

[timetochangeforme]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

I have ordered the book and I don't know if it mentions this but I have thought about the fact that there is no other highly addictive drug that it's considered ok if you "only have one or two occasionally". I know there are supposedly people who can only smoke socially or on occasion, but most people either smoke, or they don't smoke. I can't imagine someone telling someone "it's ok if you only shoot up one or two times, once or twice a week". Yet it would be ok if we had a drink or two occasionally, say once or twice a week. Well it doesn't work like that, just as it doesn't with any other addictive drug.

[Unwasted]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Time - these are the kinds of points that are made in the book. We wouldn't think it was ok to shoot up one or two times. He compares alcohol to cocaine and heroin throughout the book. Anyway, hope it helps you as much as it did me!

[timetochangeforme]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Thanks Unwasted, I just got the book today and have started reading! I have gone some times of not drinking but always had that feeling like I am missing out or depriving myself, I hope this changes my mindset. I know logically that I like myself and a lot of things so much better when I am not drinking, well I just got to the part about addiction not being logical so, hopefully this will get it clearer in my head why this happens and how to not let it happen.

[Stompy]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

:new:

LillyE;1180806 wrote: Hi D Girl!

Thank you so much for the welcome and the supportive post - it's a scary place to be in and I've really been wrestling with it. I'm 36, have been drinking heavily since my teens, but it's always been to a 'socially acceptable' enough level (especially since I live in Australia, where heavy drinking is rife), for me not to have ever really faced up to it before.

That said, now that I look back with a bit less denial I can see it's been very unhealthy for a long time and caused lots of unacknowledged problems. But things have always been 'normal' enough for me to never really address it. After all, most of my friends drink like I do - don't they? Etc.

I was reading through people's stories this morning and yours really struck a cord because, interestingly, I think what has triggered me into realising I need to quit drinking is quitting smoking... I quit five months ago and, just as you said, it was then my alcohol intake suddenly really amped up, as did the negative effects. No morning drinking or the like (as yet) but plenty of bingeing, more horrible hangovers, more blackouts, more out-of-control drinking, horrendous anxiety and depression following a binge. I have a few theories on why this is but in a way it's a blessing as things started to get bad enough to wake me up a little. Beyond that, I struggled so long and so hard to quit smoking that I do feel that finally managing to actually do it has nudged me to want to rid myself of my other major addiction.

At the moment I can go days, a week, even up to two weeks without drinking *relatively* easily, but it keeps luring me back, which inevitably leads to a night of bingeing (my off switch is so broken once I get going), which inevitably leads to crushing depression and incapacitating anxiety that fills me with shame & guilt and makes me despair. (I also am not keen on AA - with all due respect to AA and the many people it's done wonders for.)

I fear struggling with this for years. I know I really need to quit. It just still feels so overwhelming an idea. Particularly when so much of my social life - and even my professional life - just revolves around booze. It's so hard to imagine giving it up entirely and there's always, always a reason not to - some party coming up, some wine-tasting event, my birthday, Christmas, on it goes. And all of my (entirely well-meaning) friends keep telling me I 'don't have a problem' 'am just a social drinker' 'just need to moderate' and so forth, which really doesn't help.

Which is why I've come here for support from people who get it. Thank you.

Oh, and I did read those stories from the Big Book online and also found them very interesting/enlightening. I will download the MWO book too. I also have been reading 'How to Quit Without Feeling Shit' which is by the same guy (Holford) who wrote '7 Weeks to Sobriety' which I haven't read yet but may have to check out.. and I just ordered Potatoes Not Prozac too

Sorry this got so long-winded! Thanks again for your support.

Lilly

Hi Lily,
Your post resonates so much with me. I could have written it myself. On the outside I have a pretty successful life, good job, promotions, ongoing study,fit etc, However this is all against a background of complete alcohol abuse at the weekends often spilling over to Monday. This almost completely negates any positives in my life. I have all the same fears you have desribed. But I am determined to mature, develop, adjust and live a happy life without alcohol. I too am 36 and fear looking back in years regretting living a sub-optimal unhealthy life. At my current rate I have very little chance of settling down into some form of family life which I would love. The only way to give myself a chance of happiness is to give up alcohol completely.
I wish you success and hope to be able to support you towards your goal.