I'm an alcoholic I guess

@Alex2 it really does get better! Your body is just going through the withdrawal of the alcohol and it does make you realise how much pressure we put our bodies under unnecessarily. We basically poison ourselves when we drink.
You will start to feel clean and you won’t want to mess up the fresh feeling that you have achieved.
I had some good days and bad at the start but I am now 74 days sober and I love it still scares the chap out of me sometimes though but just plodding along but no chest pains and sleep is so much better lost weight and just generally feel alive. Wake up appreciating everyday not dreading them.
I am sober and I love it!
Also big advocate of the self help books the naked mind is literally mind blowing.
Never have that first drink it’s not worth it!
Good luck and keep that last beer in the fridge undrunk xxx

10 Likes

Welcome. I really cant add too much, you have started a rewarding albeit challenging process. There are tons of people here to support you whenever you need it. Be proud of the accomplishments you have so far, they are nothing to sneeze at.

I’m on day 5 and today is the day that I finally started to feel “normal”. My brain has been foggy all week long to where I was actually wondering if I had done permanent damage after my weekend binge. Stay strong @Alex2 we are all here for support and more or less have the same story.

1 Like

Oh awesome! Something to look forward to! My brain feels like a cloud and I’m dying for some clarity.

For sure! My brain was so foggy and my vision was kind of weird too. I couldn’t really sleep either at night until last night finally. Water and greens help. Greens like dark lettuce and broccoli are really good at cleansing your liver.

Hi @Alex2 and welcome to the forum! The good news is you’re young and have a whole sober life ahead of you! The first few days and weeks can be very difficult, stay strong and get as much support/info as you can - This app/forum, reading/education, AA or other meetings, maybe an outpatient program, etc. Some useful links are found here:

Also you can personalize your profile:

See you around!

2 Likes

Hey there @Alex2 welcome

1 Like

Thank you all! Half way through day 5! Can’t wait to hit the 1 week mark! Today seems just as hard as day 1 for some reason, I woke up wanting a beer immediately and I’m barely sleeping. But I know it’s only getting easier the longer I go!!

1 Like

Thanks @JohnSee I went ahead and updated my profile!

1 Like

I woke up wanting a beer every day of my life since I was 19. It has been even worse since! We have all been through withdrawals, I recently have been through them myself. I have fallen off the wagon many times, and I still don’t sleep, but if you keep with it, you will succeed! You are past the hard times, just keep going!

2 Likes

Thank you @boblee87 I appreciate it!!!

Nice! I feel it helps members connect more.

Hey @Alex2 how’s it going today? Head clearing up?

1 Like

Hey @KSAPP ! Thank you for checking in, I so appreciate it! Yes I am doing much better! 1 week sober!!! So excited, I never imagined I’d make it…I’m so proud of myself!
I posted earlier, today was a great day. For the first time all week I did my hair and make up, took a walk, and I got a new job! I’m so excited to make a new life in my new sober life!!

7 Likes

Holy woman! That’s great and I’m so stoked for you! Thats exactly how I was last week too. Took about three days for me to even do anything other than drag myself into the shower ha ha

1 Like

@Alex2 - congratulations on the new job! That is always a major thing and a great motivator to stay sober. But be careful - jobs can also be an environment for triggers - as you probably know. Have a plan and strategy to deal with them. I probably lost my last job because of drinking.

1 Like

Thanks john! I took a detour from my career, bc it’s really stressful and just took took a really simple easy job for awhile to help me get through for awhile! Sobriety comes first right now! #1week!

2 Likes

First, there is nothing wrong with being an alcoholic. If you recognize it and take action to correct.

Second, whatever term you use to describe your abuse is pointless. Granted many people who describe themselves as an alcoholic lack control Once they start. I look at it like this, if your horrible at sports you don’t play sports. If you don’t like math you stay away from it.

Hence, why my relationship with alcohol has changed. I’m no longer going to inject my body with poison. I used to justify my experience with alcohol like this: I eat healthy, I spend 2 hrs in the gym. Why can’t I binge drink. I only binge drink once a week or every two weeks. Wow, the things we tell ourselves to justify our habit or addiction.

3 Likes

I definately understand @Shattered_dreams! We definately come up with some stupid excuses and reasonings to keep drinking. I was the general manager of a few different gyms for the past year and a half and i definately used that as an excuse, I work there…I work out there every morning…my body can handle drinking so much.
But in the end, like you said, injecting ourselves with poison is not worth it and there is no excuse to be doing so. Not as much as much as I was anyway.

1 Like

I relate to your story so much right now. I think my family are mostly functioning alcoholics as well, I’ve been brought up around it being normal and it took far longer than strictly necessary for me to realise I actually have a problem. Or maybe I just denied it and put it off for too long. I was at my first AA meeting tonight and it was daunting at first but I now feel like it’s something I should have done long ago. You can do this, it will be really trying at times which I know because that is how I feel about myself at the moment. I really hope for you that you can fight it. That’s what I need to do as well.

1 Like