I've waited a while to say anything, because like all alcoholics (at least in the beginning) I wondered if anything worked, and if I would ever be anything other than Mary, the loveable but unchangeable alcoholic. I too have found my way out, at age 23 (now 25)
I'm not entirely sure it works for everyone. My mother is a pharmacist, my brother is a doctor. Neither of them believe in miracle cures. And neither do I, frankly. Though I feel there should be someone out there who lets people know what their options are once they figure out maybe they've got something along the lines of alcoholism.
The things that I wish were told to me:
1) You don't have to wait until you do something so terrible that you decide you've hit rock bottom
2) There are many reasons for alcoholism, including the fact that perhaps your brain is just a little overactive
3) The things you feel ARE in fact abnormal. You're not normal. Work on that!
I have been successfully out of alcoholism for over a year now, thanks to Topa. Again, I do believe it's not a miracle cure and probably not for everyone. It makes you loopy as hell (I'm a teacher, and after going to the bathroom one day, instead of grabbing my coffee cup, I grabbed a soap dispenser and tried to drink out of it.) It's not fun. I mean, it's funny. But not fun for people who love you.
But, I do believe that the trick to slaying the beast so to speak, was given to me by a friend.
You have to stay on Topa for a while. You need time to break the old habits that brought you to where you are. Everything starts with habits. Alcoholism, like all drug addiction, is a disease that begins with a habit you develop. And, if your brain happens to be wired like mine (perhaps some of yours are), then you need to give your body a chance to stop. Just stop. And breathe. My dosing followed the book's until it was too high, then I backed down. But I stayed on Topa in some form for a year. A YEAR. And over the last 3 months I was on 25mg every other day. Not much! But it certainly changes a lot.
But you are pretty f**cking loopy sometimes! I tell you what
But, the premise is all the same. If you can fight through it, and you believe in your purpose (whatever it is), and you can fight your brain long enough to do the opposite of what it tells you, then yes. It can be over.
Because I sit here tonight as the first person who left the bar. As someone who had four drinks over 3 hours and said, "WOOOW I am way over what I'd like to drink" and walked right out. As someone who consoles the people who struggle with the things I used to. And by GOD is it frustrating. Because only we can see what they are feeling.
The easiest things to do seem to be as follows:
1) Don't go with your gut reaction (at first)...because that will be to pick up a drink. It's just so simple. Just don't do it. The more you DON'T do it, the easier it becomes
2) Make appointments and dates with people you love. Don't leave them hanging. Get in the habit of not letting others feel let down by you. Feels good.
3) Once you've chosen not to drink it for a while, or to put down after one drink, enjoy it! Relish in it! Feel good and feel superior! You've done well!
4) Help someone else. Get outside yourself. Help others. Be in the community. Get out of your head and with others.
5) Wash, rinse and repeat!
6) Always remember to set limits. You are, and forever will be, a child when it comes to alcohol. If you break the rules, don't drink for a month, or two. If you stay within your own bounds, keep on being you.
I don't know about anyone else, but I like being the first person to leave the bar. When leaving, it sucks. But when getting home, it feels good. Because no one wants to be the last man standing.
I feel like if, when I was younger, if I would have known there to be more options out there, or more people who not just accepted what they were but actually wanted to change, that I would have been more receptive to trying. I am absolutely lucky to be a success story, and there are a lot of people I have to thank for that. But, in the interim, I just wanted to share my story and hope it helps someone else.
Kind Regards,
Mary
I'm not entirely sure it works for everyone. My mother is a pharmacist, my brother is a doctor. Neither of them believe in miracle cures. And neither do I, frankly. Though I feel there should be someone out there who lets people know what their options are once they figure out maybe they've got something along the lines of alcoholism.
The things that I wish were told to me:
1) You don't have to wait until you do something so terrible that you decide you've hit rock bottom
2) There are many reasons for alcoholism, including the fact that perhaps your brain is just a little overactive
3) The things you feel ARE in fact abnormal. You're not normal. Work on that!
I have been successfully out of alcoholism for over a year now, thanks to Topa. Again, I do believe it's not a miracle cure and probably not for everyone. It makes you loopy as hell (I'm a teacher, and after going to the bathroom one day, instead of grabbing my coffee cup, I grabbed a soap dispenser and tried to drink out of it.) It's not fun. I mean, it's funny. But not fun for people who love you.
But, I do believe that the trick to slaying the beast so to speak, was given to me by a friend.
You have to stay on Topa for a while. You need time to break the old habits that brought you to where you are. Everything starts with habits. Alcoholism, like all drug addiction, is a disease that begins with a habit you develop. And, if your brain happens to be wired like mine (perhaps some of yours are), then you need to give your body a chance to stop. Just stop. And breathe. My dosing followed the book's until it was too high, then I backed down. But I stayed on Topa in some form for a year. A YEAR. And over the last 3 months I was on 25mg every other day. Not much! But it certainly changes a lot.
But you are pretty f**cking loopy sometimes! I tell you what
But, the premise is all the same. If you can fight through it, and you believe in your purpose (whatever it is), and you can fight your brain long enough to do the opposite of what it tells you, then yes. It can be over.
Because I sit here tonight as the first person who left the bar. As someone who had four drinks over 3 hours and said, "WOOOW I am way over what I'd like to drink" and walked right out. As someone who consoles the people who struggle with the things I used to. And by GOD is it frustrating. Because only we can see what they are feeling.
The easiest things to do seem to be as follows:
1) Don't go with your gut reaction (at first)...because that will be to pick up a drink. It's just so simple. Just don't do it. The more you DON'T do it, the easier it becomes
2) Make appointments and dates with people you love. Don't leave them hanging. Get in the habit of not letting others feel let down by you. Feels good.
3) Once you've chosen not to drink it for a while, or to put down after one drink, enjoy it! Relish in it! Feel good and feel superior! You've done well!
4) Help someone else. Get outside yourself. Help others. Be in the community. Get out of your head and with others.
5) Wash, rinse and repeat!
6) Always remember to set limits. You are, and forever will be, a child when it comes to alcohol. If you break the rules, don't drink for a month, or two. If you stay within your own bounds, keep on being you.
I don't know about anyone else, but I like being the first person to leave the bar. When leaving, it sucks. But when getting home, it feels good. Because no one wants to be the last man standing.
I feel like if, when I was younger, if I would have known there to be more options out there, or more people who not just accepted what they were but actually wanted to change, that I would have been more receptive to trying. I am absolutely lucky to be a success story, and there are a lot of people I have to thank for that. But, in the interim, I just wanted to share my story and hope it helps someone else.
Kind Regards,
Mary
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