Alcohol addiction

andysport1

I’ve been on mfp for years, given up trying to lose weight.
I need to kick the alcohol any suggestions?

ccsernica

If it's become a serious problem such that you recognize it as an addiction, I suggest counseling or AA.

Unknown

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callsitlikeiseeit

join AA if you aren't able to stop on your own. some people can (my fiance did cause it was the alcohol or me), and others can't. find what works for you.

1BlueAurora

I log as accurately as possible. If there's room in my calorie allowance for the day, I log in one glass of red wine, drink it and stop. That was a reduction in drinking for me. If that's something you can do, try it. If one drink always leads to another and another, I think you should try counseling or AA.

whitpauly

Maybe not focus so much on the losing weight atm and get a handle on the drinking first,I'm a problem drinker too and taking on too much at one time can be overwhelming,I wish you all the best((hugs))

CarvedTones

I am coming up on 300 days within a week. For me, losing weight at the same time helped because it gave me something else to focus on. I also had other things going on that I addressed. Usually there is more than just the drinking that needs fixing.

elisa123gal

I stopped my nightly social drinking and I've lost almost all my weight and feel so much better on every level. Drinking ..if you're not an alcoholic...is a bad habit..and you simp[ly have to break it like any habit.

At first, IT will be hard..seem boring..all that. i pushed through...now it is easy..and I don't miss it at all.

Fivepts

I am a food and sugar addict. I think we think the same. It seems that abstinence is the only path for me, even the slightest opportunity I give to the addictive thinking results in a crash. It helps to have lots of support and I pray a lot too.

Fivepts

You need a support group of real people.

kshama2001

While many people do find 12 step meetings helpful, I am not one of them. I found Step 1 incredibly dis-empowering.

Just a few Smart Recovery and Rational Recovery meetings in the 90s helped me change stop self-medicating with alcohol. SR still has in person meetings, but I believe RR no longer does.

However, 12 step meetings are a lot easier to find.

When I stopped drinking, I picked up an M&M habit, so watch out for that

These days I'm doing really well at managing stress with regular exercise instead of alcohol or food or other substances and behaviors.

CarvedTones

This thread was revived from a bit of a lull. A few posts up I mention being around 300 days. Today makes 575. I had to look that up on a date calculator; I don't count the days constantly.

12 step doesn't really do it for me either. I don't believe in a higher power. I think this depends on me and my will to overcome the problem. I believe in making the decision that I no longer drink as a lifetime commitment instead of thinking of it as a problem that I have to fight every day. I don't think meeting frequently with people who are struggling with quitting when I am not is helpful for me; I think it is a lot more likely that I will get pulled back in than it is I will pull someone out. I went to some SMART meetings early on, but I haven't been to any kind of recovery support meeting in over a year. I don't think there should be a total lack of compassion, but if I slip, I think people can express disappointment and still be supportive. These are not popular beliefs in 12 step programs.

EDIT - I am not saying it won't work for some people. Depending on whose numbers you use it could be as low as 5-10%:
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/the-surprising-failures-of-12-steps/284616/
while the big book says 50%.

mbaker566

nvmd. not my hulahoop

KatyCSTinPNW

I will be clean and sober 4 years this May. I actually had a true physical addiction and checked myself into detox (I also was severely underweight and malnourished). After that I went to therapy and gained about 60lbs. I went through some crazy sugar cravings at first, I’m talking bags of jolly ranchers! I wasn’t a big fan of 12step either.

Instead, I constantly stayed focused on my future. I went back to school and changed careers. Got a great job. It was only this last May that I finally felt ready to aim my forcus on my weight. I am down 30lbs.

I think getting your drinking in check is first and foremost. Especially if you think you have an issue. If you ever want someone to talk to or have questions, I’m open.

snickerscharlie

andysport1 wrote: »

I’ve been on mfp for years, given up trying to lose weight.
I need to kick the alcohol any suggestions?

What and how much do you usually drink?

brenn24179

go to AA, I go to ALanon, I am a codependent. I know I need help with that as much as my food addiction. My exhusb was an alcoholic and now have 2 adult children that are.

ShayCarver89

I don't like to say that I'm "sober" because I still have alcohol like 3-4 times a month. But I am clean of drugs. In March it'll be 5 years. Getting off a substance is far more complex than anything we can get into on a MFP forum. There's therapy. There's inpatient treatment. Outpatient treatment. If its truly severe, sometimes you need the help of medications to bring your body down. You can die from detox. It can kill you. My biggest piece of advice is to do a supervised detox. So they can make sure that your body isn't going to go into some kind of shock. I thought I was having a heart attack and ended up in the hospital when I was coming off of opiates. This was WITH supervised detox. AA and NA are boring. Like I'm not going to lie. As someone who isn't religious, I thought it was ridiculous. But some people need it. Some people go every single day. I found a support group that wasn't centered around religion, which is sometimes hard to find. Whatever you choose to do, its not as easy as just stopping. Its not as easy as just going to a support group. You have to completely clean out the people around you. Learn to deal with life without your addiction. The loneliness is crippling. But it can be done. I am proof of that.

nutmegoreo

Depending on where you live and how severe the drinking is, there are detoxification centres that could be an option. For that, I would look at starting with your primary doctor or a nurse call centre that provides information about community resources. I know that there are circumstances under which medically supervised detoxification may not be preferable, but it is the safest (in my opinion).

If you feel that it has not yet reached this level, then certainly organizations such as AA could be a great option for you. There are also non-12 step programs that may be a better fit. Some searching for organizations near you and/or online resources would be a great place to start.

Good for you for recognizing this might be a problem. I had a moment about 12 years ago that showed me how close to the edge I was. All the best to you.

snickerscharlie

Darn. Just realized this is yet another necro thread.

andysport1

snickerscharlie wrote: »

andysport1 wrote: »

I’ve been on mfp for years, given up trying to lose weight.
I need to kick the alcohol any suggestions?

What and how much do you usually drink?

Well, I used to drink a lot, every day, beer, spirit and liquors.
Since July 12th 2019 I'm alcohol free

I took a sip of beer in October and didn't like it, then Christmas took a sip of several drinks and to my delight I found them all sickly.

Oh happy days.

andysport1

Wow
I feel good
April 2018 an alcoholic with no sight of a future.
July 2018 stopped drinking
2019 I can honestly say "I'm free"

nutmegoreo

andysport1 wrote: »

Wow
I feel good
April 2018 an alcoholic with no sight of a future.
July 2018 stopped drinking
2019 I can honestly say "I'm free"

I'm happy to see you're still here to update us with how you are doing. Sounds like you're doing well.