What do you value? (First post)

[Origen]

Hello everyone! This is my first post...I'm 24 years old and have been drinking since I was fourteen. I graduated from college and all that jazz, but my drinking has been crazy for about the last year or so. Just recently, my girlfriend said she'll leave me if I keep drinking. There's heavy alcoholism on both sides of my family and I guess I've always known that drinking for me has been playing with fire. I've quit before, for up to six months, but I think that was just to show 'I can quit when I want'. I've realized that even though 'I can quit when I want', i have to quit forever. I'll pop in for support, thinking of also hitting up some AA meetings. I want to keep whats important, not lose everything to gain nothing.

[A Work in Progress]

What do you value? (First post)

Origen, great name, and a great name for your first post. Welcome!

What DO you value? That question is of the utmost importance, and it gets lost in the midst of everyday life. We rarely ask ourselves that question, or any of the "big" questions when we decide to give in to the desire or impulse to have "a" drink. Part of the "mental game" of learning to be AF is to keep those big questions... and our own answers to those questions... foremost in our minds, when we are faced with difficult decisions.

I hope you will set up a good, solid plan to stay AF, using every effective tool you can find. You will see a lot of info here on this site, and in the MWO book, about various strategies and tools. Posting here, and reading a lot of posts here, is very helpful. You might want to check out the daily AF thread on the "Monthly ABS forum," for a "place" to check in every day.

best wishes,

wip

[Doggygirl]

What do you value? (First post)

Welcome Origen! You are wise to eliminate this problem from your life at such a young age. Booze adds nothing to our lives, and yet as you pointed out, can cause us to throw everything that's important to us away.

I was a drinker for over 30 years and a daily, and heavy drinker for a large % of that. OH what I would give to have some of that wasted time (literally and figuratively!) back. But the only direction we can go is forward, with a promise to make today better than yesterday.

Whether you and your girlfriend stay together for another month or a life time, I guarantee she is worth far more than booze will ever be worth to you.

I think you are wise to check out different programs. I started with My Way Out but more recently I have learned a lot of new and valuable skills from the tools available at SMARTrecovery.org. I know that AA has also been valuable to many folks here and everywhere. Take what works for you and leave the rest.

Freedom from alcohol totally rocks.

DG

[Origen]

What do you value? (First post)

I appreciate the responses. I like to consider myself a pragmatic person, so my eventual goal is to get things straightened out on my end and ultimately be someone that can be turned to for help. Until then, one day at a time. I'm gonna talk to my dr. about campral, see what he has to say about that.:thanks: