I need help

[Georgiagal]

I need help stopping drinking. Any advice for a newbie? I drink almost daily and it's affecting my life badly. I have bad anxiety and paranoia and my life is becoming unmanageable. Help.

[TJAF]

Georgiagal

Welcome to MWO - This site has been a big help to me in my initial recovery and in my maintenance. Check out the Newbies Nest under the Just Starting Out thread to find others who are new. No matter how unique you may think your own particular drinking problem may be you will find someone here who can relate and share similar experiences. It truly is an amazing place. Welcome again

[Georgiagal]

Thanks. What are other people doing to become successful here?

[TJAF]

There is no magic bullet just a lot of hard work and commitment. What this place offers is the help, friendship and advice from like minded people. You will find most of what you could want here. If you want to learn about treatment options you'll find people that have experience, if you want to learn about AA we have folks for that as well, If you want to learn about supplements there is a thread, if you want support early on there are multiple threads for that. Heck if you want a joke we even have a thread for that. The point is that this site can be as good or as bad as you want it to be. I've just found it so very helpful. Can you be more specific about the success you are looking for? What is your story and what do you want in the short-long term?

[Georgiagal]

I want help to stop drinking. I have been drinking heavily for about 10 years now and I'm tired of it. I have anxiety, crippling paranoia and depression after I drink and it's got to stop. I am not sure about AA-I need a plan though

[Georgiagal]

I feel like I have no accountability for my actions

[Byrdlady]

Georgia,
There are 2 GREAT links in my signature line. The Newbie's Nest (that TJAF was speaking of) is a great place to get your wings. We have several folks just getting underway, so please join us over there, read back a week or so in order to know who we are. Also see the Tool Box. As the name implies, it has 7 year's worth of tips and coping skills to help you thru those first challenging days.
You are not alone in this fight! We can help! Welcome aboard, Byrdie

[Pinecone]

Hi Georgiagal, I just wanted to welcome you as well and give you some support. This is a safe place to post about this problem. You should consider posting in the newbies nest for immediate support as well. It is entirely possible to get off the terrible ride. Within a few months of quitting, my mental health stabilized and I felt kind of like "Ahh..." Before that, I always thought I had anxiety and depression. I now believe that it was the side effects of chronic drinking.

What worked in the beginning for me:

Rest as if treating yourself for the common cold
Light excercise (stretching or walking)
learning about "urge surfing"
learning about the "witching hour" concept
distraction for when an urge hits
eating well
hyrdration
vitamins (plenty of C, B and fish oil). I thought it was helpful but plenty of people don't as well.
snacking when an urge hits you (because we all like to drink on an empty stomach, don't we?).
A BIG ONE: just go to sleep when you are struggling, you can't drink when you are sleeping!

Make a commitment and never look back. I have never, ever, ever regretted quitting, not even for a second. I have never, ever woken up in the morning and thought "Man, I should have gotten really drunk last night." I HAVE woken up at 3:00 AM though, many times covered in sweat, trying not to cry and knowingly making a promise that I knew I would break not to drink again. Those are soul crushing moments, but we CAN end it. I'm glad you made it here!

[Georgiagal]

Pine one, thank you!!! I posted over there too.

[autumn]

Morning GeorgiaG,

How are you doing today? Hope your ok, please keep posting as you will get so much support & help here. We are all in the same boat here. And we all know how you feel and been in your shoes too.

Check out the tool box, and just treat yourself with kid gloves in the first week or so. Eat when you want to, what ever you fancy and try to sleep. Even if you just lie quietly if sleep wont come. Any thing to get through the first minutes, hours and days. They will all slowly start to add up.

It takes a while for the fog to lift, but it really really does get better with baby steps and time. It is trial and error as what works for you. But I can promise that having another AL drink wont work. Ride it out please, it does get easier, promise xx

[Eloise]

Hi and welcome Georgiagal! Lots of good advice already posted for you and just want to add you might look at the health store here and order a starter pack of supplements? I ordered it twice until I figured out where to buy what I needed elsewhere.
I highly recommend the Calme Forte to get you started, I still use (1-2 tablets) to get settled for bed.
It helped me a lot in the beginning.
Be patient and kind to yourself, it is great you found this site. I have to say it has been a savior to me. It is hard to believe only 9 months ago I was still struggling to give it up once and for all. Best to you!

[See the Light]

I feel like I have no accountability for my actions

Welcome. I just saw your post and am curious why you don't think you have control or accountability? It is only you in control, but this is a mental struggle though.
Your brain is not you, but a part of your body. You are not your brain, but the owner of your brain, a human spirit, self, or identity ("I") that authorizes all voluntary behavior, e.g., your addiction. Your brain is not interested in you or your personal affairs. No part of your brain is out to get you, and no part of your brain will ever come to your rescue...I think first step for you is to recognize this, so you can through away any excuses...you are in control, so if you really want to quit more than anything..start by realizing you are also accountable...you can do this

[TJones16]

Hi Georgia! I'm sober for two years and I've been engaged to alcohol and drugs. Anxiety and depression is where I lived during my addiction days. I wanted to quit but I can't also help but drink for more to alleviate the pain I feel. But after that, it only gave me a double pain. I thought I will stay that way forever not until my family convince me to seek rehabilitation drug center therapies. It has change my life completely, but of course you cannot guarantee any medication if you aren't committed and determined to your recovery. Try support groups or talk to a medical expert. It's not too late to break those harmful habits. Keep your hopes up and be strong always!

[lizker]

Hi and welcome to mwo. You have taken the most important step, recognizing that you have a problem and seeking ways to address it. Alcoholism is a very complex disease. It is a physical, emotional, psychological and most importantly a spiritual disease. All these areas must be addressed with time. Depending on the amount you drink daily, you may need medication to help you detox and stabilize ur brain chemistry. Ur drink of choice will determine whether you can self detox or not. If you drink hard liquor, you can detox with beer for a few days or seek medical help just don't go cold turkey whatever u do.Real work starts after detox as you have to relearn to do everything WITHOUT alcohol. You will need to develop new hobbies, form new friendships and get rid of others and get physically active. Exercise is very important to help you body heal and lessen cravings. As most people recommended, get multi vitamin supplements and plan on eating plenty of veggies and fruit. Avoid caffeine and sugar. I especially find green tea very calming if you have anxiety. I take decaf green tea everyday. If you are a believer, get some uplifting gospel songs to help you take your mind of alcohol and renew ur spirit. Good luck to you. Looking forward to ur progress