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How I kicked AL for good

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    How I kicked AL for good

    How I kicked Alcohol without any effort.


    Until three months ago I was a drunk. I was getting through at least two bottles of wine a day and falling into bed only to wake up to yet another miserable day wandering when I would get my next drink. I lived for the stuff and nothing else mattered to me. All I wanted was that feeling of inebriation all of the time. Result was it cost me over ?100,000 and I was on a one way trip to an early grave !

    Ar 16st 7 lbs, I was a flabby mess, too unfit to climb the stairs without blowing and no real time for my family. Alcohol was my priority. My friends were disappearing fast and I was totally unsociable. I stopped washing properly and my eyes were permanently bloodshot. I looked carefully at myself in the mirror one morning and asked myself the question, do I want to spend the rest of my life leading this existence or am I going to do something about it ?

    That was really the first step. That day, I was not working, so I sat down to study alcohol in more detail. I looked at its effects and researched it in every way that I could find. I became an ?expert? on the stuff. I started to get a little excited because the more I read about the subject, the more I wanted to get it out of my life. Problem was how was I going to go about it ?

    I had read Allen Carrs book and whilst it was quite hard hitting and well put together, it did not really contain the trigger that I needed to quit Alcohol. I needed something more and with a little more research, I found that key !

    Having spent a good deal of time on the mywayout forums, I decided to order a copy of Jason Vales book called Kick the Drink?easily. I have to give a huge amount of credit to this book and will categorically say that I could not have done this without sight of that book. It changed my life completely. OK at this stage I want to say that whilst the book is powerful, it is not the total answer but if you want to stop drinking for good then you must get a copy of this book before you start otherwise it just won?t work !

    I was convinced that I was an alcoholic, but early in Jasons book he states: ? There is no such thing as an alcoholic?never has been, never will be?. That really made me think. It is such a huge statement to make, but he is totally correct and when you read the book, you will understand why !

    I decided that I was going to stop drinking for good. Total abstinence meaning I would never touch another drink again. Moderation does not work?ever?ever. The only way is to stop for good and move forward. It is easy. There is no craving. What is there to crave for other than a life of misery ?

    I booked an appointment to see my Doctor. The plan was that I would control the appointment. I would tell him what I was going to do and how I was going to do it, but I wanted one thing from him in return which I will come to in a moment. You see, I had researched medications which could help me to control any cravings that I might have for Alcohol and I had decided that I would go for Antabuse as that seemed to be my best chance of abstaining.

    OK you are perhaps starting to see a little picture building up here. First I decide that I am going to quit drinking. Second I am going to read a very powerful book on the subject and Thirdly I booked an appointment to see my Doctor. Now I am starting to get excited because I am planning to have a new life and I am really looking forward to having my last drink !

    More to do yet though before I actually commit. I needed to look forward to see what those first few days would be like without my prop. I was going to live a life without Alcohol, yet everywhere I looked there it was. I couldn?t walk down a street without seeing it in shop windows. On TV, people are drinking and seemingly enjoying it. I like going into bars because my friends drink, so I had to make a decision. My decision was to keep plenty of alcohol in the house, just as I always had done. Even now, I have beer in the fridge and there is wine in the racks. I have spirits and liqueurs in the cupboard. I made the conscious decision to live with it all around me. I could have a drink whenever I want, but I choose not to. My choice.

    I went to see my Doctor on a Thursday evening. November 2nd. I told him quite simply that I was an out of control drinker who had decided that enough was enough and that I was going to stop. I explained that I would drink two bottles of wine that evening when I got home and I would drink two more the following evening ( Friday). I would pace myself until midnight, empty the bottle and that I would never touch another drop again. Well, it certainly got his attention ! I then asked him for his help and asked him to prescribe Antabuse. He told me that he couldn?t let me have it unless I went for counselling. I told him I was not going for counselling and if he woudn?t help me then I would go it alone. He thought about it and asked if I would go to AA. I said that AA would not cure me as their philosophy is that you are an alcoholic and live from day to day. I explained that I was not an alcoholic and that by Saturday I would be a non drinker?.for ever. He made a deal with me that if I could stop drinking for two weeks, he would prescribe a drug called Campral which he believed would give the best result.
    (I agreed and two weeks later went back to claim my prescription for the Campral !! More of this later)

    So now you see that my plan is coming together. All I had to do was to put it into action. Remember at this stage, I had no medication, just a plan.

    I was started to get excited. That Thursday evening I drank my two bottles of wine as normal and continued to look at any article related to Alcohol that I could find on the internet. I woke on the Friday morning, the last day I would ever drink Alcohol and really looked forward to the day ahead. Just two more bottles of wine and I would be free forever !

    Throughout Friday evening, I kept topping up my glass and watching the clock. At 11.45pm, I topped my glass right up and sipped that cold wine until 1 minute before midnight. I took a last swig to empty the glass and went to bed. I have not touched another alcoholic drink since and have had absolutely no desire to do so.

    In the next part I will tell you how I did this and how I found it so easy. Before I do that though, I want you to think about planning your life without Alcohol. You must do these few things before you try to stop using the method that has worked for me.

    1. Decide on your quit date
    2. Get a copy of Jason Vales book
    3. Make a doctors appointment 48 hours before you finally decide to stop
    4. Drink your last Alcohol and then stop.

    There will be some people out there who will not agree with what I am saying or doing. I have no problem with that as everyone is entitled to their opinion. However I can assure you that no-one has found it as easy to stop drinking as I have. No pain, no craving, no bad withdrawal symptoms. Just pure joy because I am free of the nastiest drug ever concocted by man and I can now enjoy every hour and day of my life.

    I will start to work on the next part of this document and post it as soon as I can. If you have any questions, or comments, please leave them on this thread or message me.

    Regards?Tim

    #2
    How I kicked AL for good

    Tim, one thing I would add is that you continued to drink because you were timing it to coincide with the completion of the book, right? Vale tells you in the book not to stop until you're finished and I assume that's why you kept drinking? Doesn't really matter, just curious. Kick the Drink was also a mental turning point for me too. Not a magic fix, but definitely a critical part of my arsenal! Great stuff here; thanks so much for taking the time to put it together.

    I look forward to hearing your next segment and all about Campral!

    Comment


      #3
      How I kicked AL for good

      You go Tim

      I loved reading your story; thank you for posting that. We have a lot of stuff in common.
      When I first came here Unwasted was talking about Vale's book, and I had not read it, though I had read alcohol-related stuff for years trying to quit.
      I love the book, and the main thing I got from it was the concept of stopping the envy of "normal" drinkers. It was so beneficial to start looking at it from a different perspective.
      To actually SEE that there's no deprivation in abstaining when you are addicted to alcohol.
      The "Gee I wish I could drink like those guys." became "There is no point in drinking and I do not need to do it."
      I recognized long ago that I drank to get drunk-PERIOD. Yeah it was all fun and laughs in a social setting for a while, maybe 3 or 4 drinks. Then everyone went home and I consumed more and wasted 2 days recovering. What a waste!
      You should be proud. I think once you get it you get it, and even if you slip like I did-you've still GOT it.
      Another thing I've learned to let go of---the resentment when someone asks me out for "a drink". Most people have no idea about my struggle, and it's an innocent socially acceptable thing to do. If they did know I'm sure they wouldn't ask.
      So happy for you-stay strong!

      Comment


        #4
        How I kicked AL for good

        Ann, what do you say when /if people ask you for "a drink"?

        Comment


          #5
          How I kicked AL for good

          CS04;1264365 wrote: Ann, what do you say when /if people ask you for "a drink"?
          I just say "Thank you, Id love one. Lime an soda for me please"
          Living now and not just existing since 9th July 2008
          Nicotine Free since 6th February 2009

          Comment


            #6
            How I kicked AL for good

            Great post Tim! It shows that self awareness, knowledge and taking action are the key components to beating this thing. Congrats on finding sobriety!

            Comment


              #7
              How I kicked AL for good

              CS04;1264365 wrote: Ann, what do you say when /if people ask you for "a drink"?
              Hi CS04

              That is an easier question to answer nowadays. I used to tell people that I was having a night off drinking or that i was on medication and couldn't drink. Now I have a different tactic. I shock em by telling them I have a problem with alcohol and can't handle it so I have given up. You should see the look on peoples faces ! Tell em you were on the road to alcoholism and that you are doing something about it and watch them back off trying to get you to have a drink. Quite funny watching peoples reactions....you can't beat the truth. Also it will help you to be able to go into a bar and drink soft drinks with confidence.

              Comment


                #8
                How I kicked AL for good

                I find that right now I have no business in bars drinking Coke or anything else.
                But when people ask I just say No I've quit drinking. Tim is right; the truth will set you free and freak everyone out!

                Comment


                  #9
                  How I kicked AL for good

                  Tim - thanks for the fantastic post.

                  I loved Jason Vale's book as well. It's so easy to lose perspective and think that AL is something that we like when really it's awful and we should celebrate NOT having it in our lives.

                  Another thing I think you did that is so critical is coming up with a "plan" for yourself. I've noticed a lot of successful non-drinkers on this site thought about it and came up with a plan prior to quitting. Eg. the day they would stop, seeing a Dr. if necessary etc. etc.

                  Fantastic. I am so happy for you. :l

                  Comment


                    #10
                    How I kicked AL for good

                    Timpin, congrats! Your plan worked for you. Thanks for sharing your story here.

                    I have read a lot of good things here about Vale's book and still haven't ordered it. I will do that this weekend. I've heard that it addresses societal pressures and expectations regarding AL, and I'd like to learn more about that.

                    It seems strange that your doc would make you wait two weeks for the campral. I thought the drug's purpose was to minimize the discomfort of early sobriety?

                    Ditto, Anne and mylife. It would be good to see societal pressures and expectations change to see AL more like it sees smoking - a costly health and safety menace that is not really healthy for anybody. Abstaining from drinking AL should be admired, not questioned. Maybe in time.

                    I jumped on the antabuse train and my only real plan was to take the pill, not drink, and start doing some things that I've wanted to do for years. It's working but I was really ready to take the plunge into full-stop sobriety.

                    I look forward to Part 2 Timpin!
                    Ginger



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                      #11
                      How I kicked AL for good

                      Thanks for sharing Tim. Are you a writer by profession? You write very well. I have read the book years ago - but maybe I was just not ready yet. By the way - I like your sentence ...alcohol is about the most evilo drug ever concocted by man ( or something like that) It is so true.
                      Can't wait for the next part.
                      make the least of the worst, and the most of the best - everyday.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        How I kicked AL for good

                        Part 2

                        Saturday morning arrived. How was I going to get through it ? I was a non-drinker now, but not only that, there was no going back. I had told my Doctor of my plan and also told my family what I was doing. There was no way I could have a drink, not for a few days anyway. Perhaps then I could slip back to my old life. Everyone would say, well he gave it a go, but we knew he would crack..after all he is an alcoholic.

                        However I had that move covered as well. Part of the plan ! I had decided upon something absolutely key to the whole thing and it is quite simple. I could either crave for the stuff and be miserable, or look for some alternatives. I forgot to say in the last part that between seeing the doctor and quitting that I had thoroughly read and digested Jason Vales book. It is one of the most hard hitting publications that I have ever read. Now I must stress to you that Jason states that it will only work once, so for goodness sake follow the plan. If you have already read it and failed then I would say that you should try reading it again exactly as part of the plan that I described on part one.

                        I reasoned that I had been drinking wine and lager for years. I never got to try anything else because I was too busy gulping those two flavours down my neck. I experimented with some different fruit juices and sodas until I found one I really liked. Now I only drink blackcurrant and soda water. It is refreshing, tasty and low in calories. The result that I got through day one without a single craving and went to bed sober and happy. However my body was a little shakey and I had a little trouble getting to sleep. This was where my research into Alcohol helped me because I knew that this could happen and I made allowances for it. I expected things to be like this for around six days. That proved to be exactly the case.

                        Sunday morning felt great ( apart from being a little tired) First time in years I had woken up without a hangover and I was sober ! A good full breakfast inside me and I felt I had a little more energy. I was now 36 hours without an Alcoholic drink. The day passed swiftly with no cravings. Lots of water and blackcurrant and soda water and a nice Sunday lunch. Alcohol seemed light years away.

                        The first few days of the new week were much the same. My next challenge was that I was going to stay overnight in an hotel. My routine had always been to have three pints of lager in the evening followed by a bottle of decent wine. Instead I got through four pints of Blackcurrant and soda with my meal and not a single thought about Alcohol. I was feeling better, healthier and cleaner and all this in just four days. I just could not understand why I was not getting a craving for Alcohol.

                        I spent a lot of time thinking about this and have concluded that the answer to this is in Jasons book. It will condition you to understand that AL does nothing for you at all. It has no benefits. It actually tastes foul and poisons your body. It doesn?t make you feel good, it makes you feel bad. It doesn?t lift you out of depression, it actually depresses you ! It doesn?t make you happy. It actually makes you sad !

                        It doesn?t steady your nerves, it makes you shake. It doesn?t make you a more social person, it doesn?t relax you, it stresses you. Eventually it makes you look bad, bloodshot eyes, beer belly etc etc. You simply cannot name me one single benefit as a result of drinking Alcohol.

                        I digress. Reading that book will help you to take away any cravings that you may have for the poison and set you on the road to a wonderful alcohol free life. However, if it were only as easy as that everyone would be able to stop using alcohol. Sadly there is another element that needs to be dealt with and I copy Jason Vale when I talk of ? the little monster in your head?

                        The little monster in your head is that little voice that you get when you may be craving for a drink. It will try to convince you that just one won?t hurt you. Go on it says , all of your mates are enjoying a drink. You can too ! That little monster is the AL craving in your head that you are trying to beat. Ignore the monster and it will shrivel up and virtually die away. However beware,it never quite dies off altogether. It is still in the back of your head waiting to pounce and put you right back to square one. It wants to feed itself on AL. Beat the little monster and you beat the craving !

                        I couldn?t believe how quickly two weeks passed and I went for my appointment with my Doctor to report on how my campaign had gone. I am honest when I told him that I had not had a drink for two weeks and he could not believe how I had done it. I told him about my methods and asked him to keep his part of the bargain and supply me with the Campral which he did. To be honest I was not really sure that I needed it, but took it anyway and followed the dose exactly. It was all part of the plan.

                        I took Campral for just over a month. To be honest I felt no difference in myself. Still no cravings for AL so I took myself back to the doctor to give him another progress report. I told him that I had taken it for the last time and would not be asking him for any more. Once again, he was surprised by my progress.

                        Since November 3rd, I have had absolutely no desire for an alcoholic drink, yet I have plenty of it around me in the house. I stay away in hotels two to three times a week and regularly drink in the bar ( Blackcurrant and soda) and the AL does not bother me. I sleep well and wake refreshed. I am content.

                        The key to stopping drinking AL is all here in these two letters. It is simple but only if you go about it in the right way. YOU MUST HAVE A PLAN ! I can?t emphasise that enough. You must make a conscious decision as to whether you are going to let AL rule you by allowing yourself to crave for it. If you do then you will not succeed..

                        I am 59 years old. I have been surrounded by AL since I was a small child. I was brought up in a culture where AL was available and accepted and I have had my share of it since I started drinking at around sixteen years of age. It got its teeth into me in my thirties and I have been drinking to excess ever since. Quite simply, it was a drug that was killing me. It ruled my family life and controlled everything I did. I was still able to work hard but there was going to be a time shortly when AL would get the better of me for good.

                        Work to the plan and this should work for you.

                        Regards?Tim

                        Comment


                          #13
                          How I kicked AL for good

                          Thanks for sharing this Tim! You have done an excellent job of whipping the beast. We appreciate your willingness to share !
                          :heartbeat:

                          Star:star:

                          08-13-15

                          I am only one drink away from never being sober again.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            How I kicked AL for good

                            Thanks again Tim.

                            Your story is really inspiring. I am another who really appreciates you sharing it here. If you were looking for one person to help you have done it!

                            Comment


                              #15
                              How I kicked AL for good

                              Hi Guys

                              Thanks for your nice comments. I reckon I have been one of the lucky ones in that I have found it easy to stop. I know that so many who are beating this are really struggling with the cravings and I just want to do my little bit to try and help out. I hope that those who are really struggling find some inspiration in my words.

                              regards...Tim

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