Seeing the doc tomorrow

[Murphyx]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

So social anxiety? I'm still getting to grips with this whole baclofen and anxiety thing. Your anxiety levels were decreased by bac weren't they? But not social anxiety or panic attacks? I think I'm just getting this all mixed up, so feel free to ignore the blithering idiot.

[SlipperyPete]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

No it's cool dude. Bac has completely taken away the abnormal anxiety for no reason, but there's still the social anxiety at times. The panic attacks I feel are something totally different that will go away soon. Nothing has helped me with my anxiety has much as bac has. It's ridiculous.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

SlipperyPete;1152639 wrote: I bought a couple beers and was feeling nice. Then I realized that I've never just had a couple beers, so I bought some more, and it looks like I'll be getting pissed.

To answer your question: social situations. Had a rough day with a friend and my roomie, and decided that cushioning my reality would be nice. Walking to the store I knew it was a mistake, but fuck.

That doesn't sound to me like normal drinking, Slippers.

Abstain or moderate? Whatever. It was a process for me. Still is. Just keep taking the pills and thinking about it, is my humble suggestion. Know that it's slippery Pete, and more of us have fallen than have stayed the path and found some measure of serenity. I keep that in mind, while remaining (relatively, arguably :H) open.

Did I say congrats, btw? Can't remember, can't read bac.
:l

[SlipperyPete]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

I agree. It's not normal drinking. The thing is I'm not sure if I even CAN moderate, as in only have a few drinks here and there, since I'm so used to going all the way. Seems like I'd have to train my brain in believing that I can only have 1 or 2 and then stop, and that would be fine.

And yes, you said congrats

[Lo0p]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

If you look at my graph, I continued getting drunk once a week or so from February through about April (the graph doesn't show this). Then I started getting plastered on the weekend, even day drinking.

I was following the conventional wisdom at the time and had lowered my dose to around 150-225. I said "F that" raised it to 300+ (which was my switch dose) and haven't had anything I'd even remotely consider a problem with alcohol since. I've even been plastered a few times, but it was way different. It was on my terms. The demon or craving didn't have anything to do with. I haven't seen or felt that bitch in well over a year.

[bleep]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

Yup, agree with Lo0p on all counts.

If there was ever someone who was custom designed to not moderate, it was me. I tried time and again to only have a few, and invariably ended the evening by waking up the next morning, sometimes even in my own bed, wondering what had happened the night before. Now it's easy.

So cross that bridge when you come to it, would be my advice. It's pointless wondering what to do from here.

[SlipperyPete]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

Not quite sure what you guys mean. Are you guys able to moderate now? Am I eventually gonna have to go up with my dosage? Or just stay at my dose and give it time?

[bleep]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I moderate very successfully at the moment. Moderate makes it sound like I'm trying to do something though, when I'm not - I just have a couple of drinks, then I'm done.

As to whether your dose should go up, I reckon just see how you go. If you're thinking about drinking all the time, then... no, wait - if you are drinking a lot, then go up. Otherwise you're good. I say that, because I thought about drinking a lot after reaching indifference, without doing much drinking. It's only natural that you would think about it, seeing as how much of your life it's taken up to this point. If you aren't drinking, or craving, then it sounds like the job has been done.

[bleep]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

Hey, that's odd. Only this last post shows up with the sig, none of my previous posts. And why doesn't the name of the thread pop up like it normally does? Instead it is showing the url?

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

Something about putting [URL [/URL around it helps, bleep. (Don't forget the last thingy. I couldn't put it in because it finished the equation...)

I drank some, Pete, after indifference. A beer or two a week, when my husband was still drinking. I have also had a couple of drunks since then. (At least two, maybe 3, about a month apart.) It's not easy to get drunk, at all. I tried once, and was able to drink a beer and a half.

That said, booze makes me feel awful. Sometimes in the moment, sometimes for a day or two afterward. Plus it makes me feel bad. I have some of those pesky negative thoughts circling. So, for the time being, no booze for me.
That choice has become more effortless with time. I simply don't think about it, and when I do, I wouldn't choose it. It's the strangest thing I've ever experienced. Bar none.
I think it's a process in that it's what I always did, and so was hard to think about not rewarding myself with that. Also, I still find that cooking dinner, in my mind's eye, includes a glass of wine. Which is funny, since I didn't really cook dinner. I drank it!
Point of all the long winded stuff is this: You'll waffle a bit, probably, and then you'll be able to choose.
Baclofen gives you the choice. IF you take it in the right amount and don't mess with it, and lots of other ifs. One of them is this: If you are still drinking and enjoying it and still thinking about it in terms of how you used to drink, jkttdp! (Just keep taking the damn pills.) And lay off the sauce, would be my humble suggestion.

[Murphyx]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

SlipperyPete;1152892 wrote: No it's cool dude. Bac has completely taken away the abnormal anxiety for no reason, but there's still the social anxiety at times. The panic attacks I feel are something totally different that will go away soon. Nothing has helped me with my anxiety has much as bac has. It's ridiculous.

"It's ridiculous"? I'm not exactly sure what that means in this context. I assume it's an Americanism or youth-speak or some such gibberish.

When you say the panic attacks will soon go away, how do you know?

Sorry if I'm being too nosey, and feel free to tell me if that is so, it's just that the whole panic attacks/anxiety/social anxiety thing is of great interest to me at the moment.

[SlipperyPete]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

I'm not thinking about drinking really at all. I got pissed Sunday, and kind of felt like drinking a little on Monday...rebound anxiety or something, but I didn't. I guess what I'm worried about is drinking here and there and bac losing its effectiveness and having to up my dose, but I'm pretty sure I got a handle on it.

I'm just used to going all out when I drink, so the concept of a drink or two seems very foreign to me at the moment, although it does sound appealing.

Murphyx;1153596 wrote: "It's ridiculous"? I'm not exactly sure what that means in this context. I assume it's an Americanism or youth-speak or some such gibberish.

When you say the panic attacks will soon go away, how do you know?

Sorry if I'm being too nosey, and feel free to tell me if that is so, it's just that the whole panic attacks/anxiety/social anxiety thing is of great interest to me at the moment.

Your new name is "Old Man Murph" :H

I'd been talking to someone regarding my panic attacks, which only occur at night when I'm about to fall asleep. After one incident, I sort of realized that it was my disease finding a weakness in my defense, since I'd pretty much been using AL to pass out. Once I realized that, I sort of told my disease that I discovered what it was up to, and sort of told it to fuck off. I've had to do that a couple times now, but they've been dissipating slowly.

I feel like an AA'er would pray to God to find relief, meanwhile I'm cursing out my demons to fuck off. Whatever works!

[ignominious]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

You said it Pete, "whatever works".

For the best chances of success I can't see anything wrong with combining different methods. Get to a dose where you really don't care about booze: supplement that by helping your mind and body get used to living without booze. We all want to test our sobriety but we have a habitual history of living with drinking. This habit also needs to be broken. Much easier to do that whilst on HDB. When you feel that you've got a handle on it taper down slowly.

They will 'fuck off' eventually when they realise there is no joy to be had hanging around you.

[SlipperyPete]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

wowzers I think I see what you guys are talking about...drank 2 beers last night and a brick wall came up that made the thought of more sound terrible. :h

[Lo0p]

Seeing the doc tomorrow

Hogwash! You people are fools! Snake oil I say!!

There isn't pill that can do that!

You must not be a real alcoholic!