Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

[allankay]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

Slaythefear;1394427 wrote: There are biological reasons a person needs medication. I believe Allan's point is just that sometimes it's a matter of just wanting it enough to make the commitment and following through even with discomfort. There are different levels people go through and different problems, but there are often commitment issues as well. An overweight person may just want a pill to eat the fat away rather than watching their diet and exercising. That is the type of behavior Allan is referring to if I am not mistaken. We can be our own enemies and just not want to face that, but weeks without sleep is a real problem, Stumpy. You need to address that and medication may be needed. It's not like you are just having a couple nights of discomfort.

Slay, I am glad someone got it right. Of course medications need to be used in serious cases but not for things that can be solved yourself, if you are willing to make an effort.

AK

[stumpy]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

Slay, I'm so glad to see you and yet so sorry to hear of your pain and slip. It seems like you dusted yourself off and are ready to move on. Stay on here Slay, I have a lot of respect for you.

[Alcoholic]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

Allan:

You are correct:

for some people, quitting alcohol doesn't require meds, for others, it does.
for some people, depression doesn't require meds, for others, it does.
for some people, high blood pressure doesn't require meds, for others it does.
for some people, high cholesterol doesn't require meds, for others, it does.

Everyone is different, individualization is the key.

alcoholic

[RunningCourage]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

allankay;1394437 wrote: Slay, I am glad someone got it right. Of course medications need to be used in serious cases but not for things that can be solved yourself, if you are willing to make an effort.

AK

:agreed:

[allankay]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

Space, I will have to disagree with you. My Way Out is a great resource and people here are incredible. I want to encourage people to be more self sufficient. It is only through struggle that we appreciate the end result. Sitting on your ass and popping pills will get you nowhere.

I guess I could have phrased the thread a little better but I want to encourage people to ride the mood swings, fight the cravings and share their success here. I have been reading some posts that got me angry. A little stress, a little temptation and they are back to where they were. If you are not ready you are not ready. But expecting a miraculous result without putting any effort in yourself is just childish. If that offends you then that is fine. I am sharing my opinion. You are sharing yours.

[Slaythefear]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

allankay;1394432 wrote: Slay, we started posting about the same time and I very much respect you. I was worried that I have not seen any posts by you recently. I wish there was a way for people from this forum to meet in person as nothing really replaces physical contact. You know you can always turn to us when you feel like there is no tomorrow.

I have always drowned myself in alcohol when I was stressed beyond the limit. But let’s say something happens tomorrow like a death in the family, will I drink? I really hope I will not. I know one thing for sure that no matter how low I may feel, AL will just kick me hard when I am down. It solves absolutely nothing. I don’t have an answer for what to do when you feel like your heart is breaking but maybe grieving (crying, punching walls, breaking stuff) is better than the bottle?

AK

It's nice to see some familiar faces here. I've had a lot of things going on in my life and to some degree I was actually feeling a bit triggered by this board at the time I left. We have to do what we feel is best for our own lives, and I needed to be more productive with action. I knew I needed a break, but I should have come back for some support through the last week. Had I logged on here that night and not felt so alone, I probably would have made it through without the alcohol, so yes, you are correct. I'm not always good at talking about personal problems or asking for help. In fact, I'm basically horrible at asking for help. For some it's easy, for others it's not. I have NO intention of drinking regularly again, so at least there is minimal harm. It, also, reminded me how terrible you feel afterwards and how judgement is impaired while under its influence. UGH!!

You are doing great!!!! You should be so proud of yourself. You have taken control of your life, chosen to make it better and are moving forward. BRAVO, friend!:l

[allankay]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

Slaythefear;1394448 wrote: I have intention of drinking regularly again, so at least there is minimal harm. l

Slay, is your goal to be successfull at moderating?

[Slaythefear]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

stumpy;1394439 wrote: Slay, I'm so glad to see you and yet so sorry to hear of your pain and slip. It seems like you dusted yourself off and are ready to move on. Stay on here Slay, I have a lot of respect for you.

It's so nice to hear from you as well, Stumpy. I have issues with sleep as well, but had them even before I drank. Sleep deprivation on a long time basis is very unhealthy. If you've tried various reasonable methods to resolve the issue and have failed to make progress, you may have to resort to other options. It can take time for the brain to really adjust to changes, but no sleep can damage that healing progress. You don't strike me as the easy way out type, so I can imagine you need some real answers and help.

Yes, I'm standing back up. I stayed tough until it became too much for me to take. I probably would have averted the major episode had I reached for a hand, but I tend to be more of a private person.

Have you tried some of the herbal teas for a temporary help in sleeping. Maybe even combined with some calming meditation at bedtime to unwind? Passionflower helped me in the beginning of my insomnia problem years ago.

[Slaythefear]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

allankay;1394449 wrote: Slay, is your goal to be successfull at moderating?

I'm not entirely sure where I will be in the final run, but if there is any entertainment of possible moderation, it would be more like a drink or two between long distances. From my past drinking, I'm pretty sure I'd be addicted again in no time. So any possible attempt at having any alcohol would be small spaced amounts. My biology has already shown me I become addicted to alcohol, so the handwriting is on the wall. In general, we are addicted creatures. There are so many things people get addicted to...some mental, some physical and mental. I know some of mine and have no illusion I can outsmart my biology in regards to the physical ones. At the moment, I'm in the no alcohol camp. My fear with any moderation is that it's like the first C in college I received. I made it threw with almost all As and a couple Bs until one day, I had a C (I still don't feel it was fair...lol). I had one other C and it didn't hurt so bad the next time...


I've had so much other stuff on my mind, I haven't had a lot of time to think about the whole alcohol factor. I will give you further thoughts as I clear out my body again. I sure don't have a love for it. YOU aren't missing a thing. My fall was an emotional breakdown. No fantasy I am missing anything.

[allankay]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

Slay, the regulars give an excellent advice. They say that if you can stay AF for 30 days, 3 months, a year... You will be more capable of making the right decision. We have never really been sober for this long so we have no idea whats around the corner.

[Slaythefear]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

Originally Posted by Slaythefear View Post
I have intention of drinking regularly again, so at least there is minimal harm. l


Oops! Typo error. NO intention is what I meant. Went back and edited the mistake. Thanks, Allan.

[stumpy]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

Slay, if you ever need to talk, PM me. I do not repeat other peoples business. My problem is: I'm very tired at night but once I try to go to sleep, my eyes won't rest so I never fall asleep until maybe 6am and I'm up at 9 or sooner. I think I will try the med tonight. Yes, I've tried melatonin, made me sick.

[Slaythefear]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

allankay;1394467 wrote: Slay, the regulars give an excellent advice. They say that if you can stay AF for 30 days, 3 months, a year... You will be more capable of making the right decision. We have never really been sober for this long so we have no idea whats around the corner.

Well, I was a problem drinker early on until I became ill. (Separate story) I gave up alcohol because I had to and had a daughter. I didn't drink again until she was around 15. At that time I was going through something very difficult and met an alcoholic girlfriend. I found out how rapidly the addiction developed again. Here I am approximately six years later on here determined to not have this happen to me again. It's my choice now. I don't have to drink or allow an addiction to run and cause destruction in my life any longer. Do I want a better life or don't I? Do I want the pain and destruction alcohol brings or don't I? No, I don't. However, I am humble currently as I did use it when something in my life became very tough and painful again.

I have some further work to do on ruling this brain and heart of mine. I am sure life will bring more pain in my remaining years. So, I will have to be ready to handle such events and thinking in different ways.


You are doing great things to develop a strong foundation. You have my admiration.

[Slaythefear]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

stumpy;1394471 wrote: Slay, if you ever need to talk, PM me. I do not repeat other peoples business. My problem is: I'm very tired at night but once I try to go to sleep, my eyes won't rest so I never fall asleep until maybe 6am and I'm up at 9 or sooner. I think I will try the med tonight. Yes, I've tried melatonin, made me sick.

Thanks you for the offer, Stumpy. Very kind of you.

I couldn't take melatonin either. Passionflower is an herb that has a sedative effect. I would drink a cup of passionflower tea before bedtime. It made me very sleepy. In fact, it is in some of the herbal formulations people use here. I became allergic to it after repeated use, but after a six week terrible bout with a flu, I developed a bad problem falling asleep and staying asleep, so I had to do something. Sleep deprivation over time can really play havoc with your health. Maybe if you find something to let you catch up on your sleep, you can then have enough rest and energy to develop an exercise plan or other options. Time will tell what you need. If a medication is needed to bring you back to health, then that's what is needed. You've tried to be tough. Now you need some waterwings or maybe long term help. One step at a time.

[vlivengood]

Quitting doesnt require any medication! Has no shortcuts

Allankay - I rarely get involved in controversial posts and mostly stick to my Mod threads but I COULD NOT AGREE more with absolutely every thing you said!

However, I do realized there are some serious medical conditions that are aided thru medication and I am grateful everyday I do not suffer from any one of them.