First Time

[elroi]

Hi :new:,
It's my first time here. I'm feeling very vulnerable. I want to stop drinking to the degree that I do currently and believe I will need to quit completely for awhile. I don't sleep well. I think I am in a bad blood sugar cycle and that my body wakes up when it craves sugar--typically around 2 a.m.

One of my greatest difficulties is that I have trouble falling asleep. I cannot turn off my mind. I work in my head constantly and don't know how to turn it off anymore. So, the alcohol does it for me.

I now want to break this unhealthy cycle. Any advice you can offer is appreciated.

El Roi

[moni]

First Time

Hi Elroi,
you're very welcome. Like you, I always had trouble sleeping and though my glasses of wine in the evening helped me sleep. It turned out not to be the case. Since I stopped drinking I can't sleep enough. I'm so tired when I climb into bed in the evening I have no difficulty sleeping now.
If you think alcohol is having a negative effect on your life, give up for a while and assess it then with a clear head.

[paulywogg]

First Time

hi elroi,i can relate thats what started this whole mess,drinking a couple of beers to sleep as it progressed,i realize drinking is the WORST thing for sleep,now i take melatonin it helps slow the mind for a bit,welcome

[elroi]

First Time

Airport wait

Sitting in an airport on wine #4. Will likely sleep on the plane. Feeling lonely and obstinate related to work.

So, how have others stopped? What support helped you?

Scared, vulnerable, feeling alone.

HELP!

[Overit44]

First Time

Hi Elroi. I stopped the nonsense 10 days ago and do not regret one second of it.

I got a prescription of Antabuse. It makes you incredibly, deathly (in some cases) ill if you consume any alcohol while taking it. It "teaches my body what my mind is already learning that alcohol makes me sick and miserable. I experience a sense of relief and less craving, I know that I can't drink so I don't have to fight a drink all day long. It is far easier to make the decision not to drink once a day in the morning that to have to make 10-20 decisions not to drink all day long." When the urge comes, I just snicker at it because I can't, physically I can't, so I just move on.

Yes, it is a crutch at the moment but I just need to get these AF days under my belt so I can learn new habits and move on.

You just have to be at the point that you are sick and tired of the race. Get off that bus! You'll do whatever it takes to get your life back.

You will not regret once single second that you are AF. And.....if I can do it, you can too and that's the truth.

Good luck to you. Check back in with us.

[elroi]

First Time

Wow, Antabuse!

I had forgotten about that drug. I understand it works very well. Don't consider it a crutch. Consider it a tool. I certainly understand the value of the deterrent.

I made it home safe last night with a lot less money in my pocket from sitting in the airport bar.

Today I turn my attention to all the tasks needed for Christmas dinner for 24 people. This morning is a new day. I pray the cravings will stay away and that I hold to my decision not to drink.

[FarfallaP]

First Time

Hi elroi and welcome to MWO!

At one point you asked how others had addressed their desire to change their relationship with alcohol...in addition to the good advice already mentioned, I wanted to recommend the book written by the founder of MWO, Roberta Jewell, which is available on this website.

What helped me, too, was the vitamin supplement she recommended, All One, which I still take...(now I order it online from Vitacost) and the hypnosis CDs, which helped me change my attitude towards drinking.

last but never least, the generous ideas and stories shared on this forum, especially the hints included in the Tool Box thread, which is listed in the Abstainers section.

Good luck on your journey and let us know how it goes! FFP

[Lavande]

First Time

Hello & welcome Elroi!

You have found a great place with lots of information.
I was a wine drinker, used it to relax, to forget, to sleep, etc., etc. After a while all it did was make me dependent & sick.

I started out by reading the MWO book - you can download it right from the health store here on the site.
Then you need to make yourself a good plan, something just for you. Take a look in the https://www.mywayout.org/community/f1...box-27556.html for lots of great ideas.

Eliminating AL, adding some exercise & healthy vitmain/herbal supplements & beginning meditation has changed everything for me. The MWO Hypno CDs were terrific & I used them daily for a good year or more. They helped me learn to relax without AL & to change my thinking about it all together. I highly recommend them.

Drop in the Newbies nest thread for ongoing support ~ it really helps!
Wishing you the best!

Lav

[kuya]

First Time

Welcome Elroi,

Lots used drink to sleep but usually cos their lives were already out of kilter.

Make sure you address your diet, the commonest cause of poor sleep is poor diet and lack of excercise. Try tryptophan and melatonin, valerian, calms forte, or Benadryl to sleep but eat plenty and well!

[Alcoholic]

First Time

Elroi:

What works for me are kudzu (get a good brand though) and micronized l glutamine from GNC. I can't praise the l glut enough because it's changed my life completely.

[elroi]

First Time

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. Yesterday was a good day. No AL for me. My husband even offered to go to the store when he saw others drinking at the party. I said no. That's new for me. I will look at the toolbox as suggested. I really want to get off the roller coaster and find a way to get a good night's sleep. Thank yo, all for your suggestions. Elroi.

[FarfallaP]

First Time

Wow...congrats on an AF day...at the beginning, that. Is SUCH a victory!!! In fact, for those of us in this boat, an AF 24 hours is ALWAYS wonderful!

It had seemed so impossible, before...and now you know you can do it...well begun's half done! FFP