They say it takes 28 days to make/break a habit. We shall see. Hi. My name is Mike and I am an alcoholic.
I’ve been a high functioning drunk for YEARS; I use drunk because I didn’t need alcohol to get going in the morning or to make it through the day, but I have been drunk everyday for at least the past 16 years. I’ve never hurt myself or anyone else physically from my drinking, but I know I have emotionally. I know I have a problem, I say it every morning when looking in the mirror. All the times I say I’m not going to drink today, I always end up with a beer in my hand and empties in the recycling bin. It’s time for a change!
A buddy and I decided we were going to take the month of January off from drinking. Dry out a little before training starts up again in February. Training for him; I train everyday. He runs marathons; I have a truck… Anyway. I found Sober Time/Talking Sober by just wanting to find a sober counter app. Now that I see there is a whole community on here, maybe/hopefully my month can turn into more! Maybe I’ll be able to work through my issues by interacting with people that actually know and understand what I go through. Maybe even slay a few of the demons.
Welcome to you! It can be liberating to admit to being a drunk, it was for me. Being an alcoholic, drunk or sober, is my defining trait, and as it turns out, it’s also my salvation.
My goal is to get to bed sober tonight. I’m yawning and tired out now, so I’ll make it. And tomorrow will be a blessing.
Thanks for the welcome Dan! I’ve never hidden the fact that I’m an alcoholic; although I have always used the words drunk or lush. My go to was always “I’m not an alcoholic. Alcoholics go to meetings! I’m just a drunk”. Somehow in my mind that made it better. But of course that just made me look like the idiot I am…
I’ve looked into AA; not being Christian it just didn’t seem palatable for me. Nondenominational groups seemed to be lacking is something or other, so I never pursued it. But I think something like this could be just the ticket!
You might call me a high functioning drunk who never looked in the mirror and thought he needed to stop, didn’t need an eye opener, or a drink to get through the day. I showed up to my job, out performed everyone else, had things, and even dogs that depended on me to live.
I learned that everything I thought made someone an alcoholic was a caricature and that being an alcoholic was not the pejorative term people used it as. I learned that I was an alcoholic but that wasn’t the death sentence I feared.
This is a self diagnosed disease and only you can ultimately make that call. Stick around and listen with an open mind and don’t hesitate to ask questions. We are generally a good natured sort of crowd who are more than happy to share our experiances with you.
Hey, @Seabee! AA suggests that a power greater than oneself is needed to get sober. I interpret that to be anything past my nose, and excluding what goes on in my brain. So this forum has experiences and examples of sobriety and relapse that are beyond me, and from which I can profit.
Much of the AA literature and tradition uses some vaguely Christian language. The Higher Power is generally referred to as a personalized, male, big G god. Any references to Christianity beyond that is very local, specific to a group or area.
AA tradition maintains some important tenets. 1, as @Mephistopheles points out, the only requirement to be a member is for you to declare yourself a member with a desire to not drink. 2, each group is independent and can run its affairs as it sees fit. So if you run into something you don’t like, you can come here to ask about it and then go to a different AA group. Hell, you can even start your own!
My personal definition of a higher power is that I exist in a box of space and time and I cannot know what is outside the box. But I do know there is a box, and there is a something outside it.
I’m so pleased that you are making the change from lush to alcoholic in recovery!
Hi Mike, I’m Megan, alcoholic and addict. Welcome to our deranged family! Man, was I a professional drunk! Now I’m nearing 19 months clean and hot damn does it feel good. I never realized how much of a slave I was to the drink, how much it controlled my life, until I was given the gift of desperation. I had zero choice. Well, I guess I had 2 choices. Drink and die, or get clean. Choice 1 wasn’t too appealing, except that it was. That shook my to my core. But I took choice 2.
Don’t let yourself get to this point. Too many of us ended up there, it’s not pretty. This is a progressive disease. Stop that progression now! There is a bright sober community everywhere you look. Some of those wonderful people stopped where you are, stopped before this became a desperate choice. Not that I know you haven’t hit a desperate place, you may have already, but if you haven’t… well, don’t.
Create accountability for yourself, find strong allies, do whatever it takes. Welcome brother!
Hi all. Reading your posts is really encouraging. Today is day 2 for me. I need to find an AA group and sponsor urgently here in Johannesburg south Africa. I really want and need to quit. I’ve reached the point of desperation although I’m also a functioning alcoholic
Well even though I’m brand new myself; welcome @Pimentel! Congratulations on 2 sober days!
Just take it a day at a time; one foot in front of the other. Use this site as your meetings and sponsor until you can find one local to you. Or heck, message me directly! I’m great at giving advice! Taking my own is my problem…
Come here often, read a bunch (even just the fun stuff is good therapy). We have a fantastic group of people that are literally at your finger tips about hour of the day for support
. Dan
