Desperate to stop wine drinking

[Candlelight]

Desperate to stop wine drinking

Hi j-vo, being busy does work! It keeps me physically away from the bottle. In the past week I've had just a couple of glasses of wine a day (down from my usual bottle) because I've had to be somewhere else, doing something else. I still keep thinking about it all the time, though. I've heard that there are drugs that reduce cravings -- you take them for 30 days and that gets you through the hardest part. Have any of you ever tried these drugs? Do they work?

[j-vo]

Desperate to stop wine drinking

Candlelight,
I've tried baclofen about 4 years ago. Unfortunately it didn't work for me, but I found something better. Not drinking worked the best for me. Just quitting cold turkey did it. The alcohol leaves your system after about 3-7 days. No physical cravings after that small amount of time. I do know there are supplements to decrease physical cravings such as Kudzu that is sold on this site. I didn't have much success with that either. If you can get past the first three days, and only having two glasses of wine a day lately shouldn't be hard on your physical self. The more difficult thing is the mental craving. These require lots of tools such as what you find in the toolbox. Not every tool will work for you but there are so many to try so that your mental cravings are reduced and you can turn off those Al thoughts by doing something. What has worked for me is posting on MWO at least twice a day, to stay connected to a sober community. It really works. Have you been to the newbie's nest? There are lots of newbies as well as folks with long-term sobriety that can offer the most encouraging advice that really, really works. When you continue drinking a few here and there, that just keeps the beast alive. It's a struggle while you continue to think, "well, I can have those few glasses," then think when you can have your next two and the cycle continues. So my advice is to post lots, read lots, and stop in the newbie's nest. Hope to see you there!

[Candlelight]

Desperate to stop wine drinking

Thank you, j-vo. My problem is I think I can handle the "couple of glasses" here and there, and I can't. I am realizing that it's an all-or-nothing kind of thing, which is hard to take. I also get angry and resentful when I think about how I got to this stage (which started out as a lonely habit and ended up as an addiction) ... and you know the rest. It does feel better to post. See everybody soon.

[Ginger999]

Desperate to stop wine drinking

Candlelight,
I'm brand new here too and it's been so helpful to read through your posts and to know I'm not alone. I'm heading to Newbies now to check it out. Like you, I was able to kill a bottle of wine a night with no problem. No wine? Three or four light beers worked too. I just started to feel so unhealthy. I'm a strict vegan and get lots of exercise so this drinking thing was really my last BAD habit I needed to break. Day two and counting (hoping) because this isn't my first rodeo at trying to quit. I found this site over a year ago and finally registered today.

[Candlelight]

Desperate to stop wine drinking

Definition of an alcoholic

I'm just curious -- what's the difference between us and the people who can casually drink a couple of glasses with their dinner once or twice a week and never think about AL the rest of the time? Is the definition of an alcoholic a person who cannot stop once they start? I can drink a bottle of wine a day alone at home, but would never do so outside and have never, ever been drunk or embarrassed myself in public. So what makes us different? Also curious: has anyone here ever been able to go back to "social" drinking without problems?

[Orimus]

Desperate to stop wine drinking

By definition it doesn't matter how often you drink but that when you do you can't stop. It's a compulsion. If I'm not mistaken it may begin innocently enough but as the body adjusts, particularly if you have genes susceptible to alcoholism, AL takes over. How long that takes varies from person to person.

[MossRose]

Desperate to stop wine drinking

Candlelight - I haven't posted here recently, but I've been following along. But your last post really caught my attention. I posted a thread recently about wanting "one little drink" and was reminded that for those of us who have a problem, there is no such thing as a "little drink." One friend posted..."It's always one long drink." That's the difference. Others can have one or two and stop. We don't seem to have that off-switch. That's why moderating is so tough for us. We don't have the "off-switch." It's one drink...then it's a bottle...or two. Then we wake up in the morning, hating ourselves and looking for a way out. You have found that. Stick close and post often. xx

[Cassidy2]

Desperate to stop wine drinking

How are things going?

I am a 53 year female high school teacher from Australia.
I joined about 3 weeks ago as I was like you in that I could not go with an afd. After trying acupuncture ( worked once) then I bought a hypnotherapy app. That didn't work at all. Tried counselling . Through the week I might have two to three glasses and easily have a bottle of wine ( as I did last night - Friday) I was hating the battle .... And wishing I could decide to go without for a night or two. Well last month I gave in and got a script for Antabuse.
I started 3 weeks ago and was quite nervous about it which is how I found this site.
I was directed to start with half a tablet and build up to one , I started with a 1/4 and I have not increased it as the 1/4 makes me scared enough not to drink. I have only been taking it Tuesday and Wednesday . I don't drink Monday night because you can't have alcohol in your system, take the 1/4 Tuesday Wednesday , not Thursday so I can enjoy my week end and then start again. I have been advised on this site that stopping and starting could be bad but at a 1/4 tab I can't imagine too much danger.
I have struggled some nights but I have no choice as I will get sick so I have an early tea and settle in with something else, usually my ipad.
It has taken away the battle because there is no choice.

[3June2013]

Desperate to stop wine drinking

Candlelight how are you these days? I haven't been online much, just checking in.
Cassidy2 welcome! Have you checked out the newbies nest? There's a link at the bottom of my post, also a link to the toolbox, lots of great posts.