Are you an alcoholic or were you just drinking a lot?
Over the years my drinking got heavier until i was drinking huge amounts. When I decided I was tired of being fat the drinking was the first thing to go. It was not hard, it was something that I decided I wanted to do.

If you just got into the habit of drinking all the time, changing the habit can be straight forward. If you are an alcoholic then consider seeking help from an expert in the field, even if it is just talking with the few members we have here that work in the field.

Good job!
I'm just over 3 years after quitting cold turkey. Life is absolutely amazing for me since and I hope you can find the same. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you find yourself struggling. It certainly is not a failure or a weakness if you do. It is bravery.

Just making the decision to quit is large positive move. Posting it here means you are really committed.

While studying niacin to improve my lipid profile I ran across information that it might help with alcohol withdrawal. Might be worth a shot and it is cheap, just research it for yourself. I have worked up to 500 mg twice daily and my lipid numbers are improving. But like anything else high doses of niacin can have consequences so speaking for myself I will be sticking to 1000 mg daily for a few months and see what happens to my lipid profile and absolutely won't exceed 1500 mg without medical monitoring.

https://allergyresearchgroup.b...acin-for-alcoholism/

And please keep in mind that niacin can be purchased in slow release or immediate release (pure nicotinic acid).

The slow release has been linked to severe liver damage, so please make sure to study it all you can before you decide to use it.

Good Luck and keep the plug in the jug - my last drink was in Feb 1998.

A couple of platitudes: You can't quit drinking forever, today. You can only quit drinking for today. Can't change yesterday and tomorrow is just a promise.

Regardless if you stay sober you have fucked up your drinking by acknowledging it's a problem - what kind of stupid/selfish sob continues to do something they know is harmful to themselves and their family?

'One's too many and a hundred ain't enough' pretty well sums up me and booze

I was never a heavy drinker or had urges to drink on a regular basis, but have a long list of alcoholism in my family tree. I used to quit randomly for long stretches of time (6 mos to years) to prove the draw was not in me. I probably have what equates to 1 to 3 drinks a month for the last several years.

Good for you to quit. Keep yourself out of social situations where the pressure to imbibe is present. The longer you go without alcohol the easier it gets assuming you are not an alcoholic. If you believe you suffer from alcoholism then please seek more support from groups such as AA. You have found your motivation through your son now push the urge to drink onto something more productive, like working out or completing projects. I wish you the best of luck on your journey!

I believe there are many of us who have the perfect record going. Count me in as number two.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
Gimme a call, man.

quote:

Originally posted by Bytes:
I don't know anyone that quit drinking and stayed "quit" without a relapse or two.

*Raises hand*

Now you know one. Relapse isn't required.

I am an alcoholic, alcohol affects me when I am not drinking it. It affects my mood when I know I’m about to drink it or won’t be able to. However, I will be fine quitting cold turkey. My daily consumption was half a fifth or a twelve pack. But I also didn’t drink EVERY day, I tried to regulate it but the regulation in my mind seems to differ from reality.

I’ll take it a day at a time for sure. And WRT Para’s questions and falling off the wagon comments, I understand Byte’s sentiment but my personality is in line with Para’s thinking, all or nothing so I gotta quit quit all together. A slip up is right back to it the way I justify stuff.

Arc and P220, I appreciate the emails and I’ll be in touch, I promise. Was at the airport until 0100 last night picking up my mom so I’m just tired and trying to keep all my thoughts in.

I’ve fasted for days at a time in many occasions, and it’s always more mental than physical when it comes to food so I imagine this will be the same on a much larger scale.

I’m committed to updating this thread at certain intervals though, gonna weigh myself this morning and start on a slow creep toward healthier habits. Don’t wanna shock my body too bad all at once so probably just some evening walks with the kids for a bit.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: OttoSig,

Appreciate the details of the decision.
Everyone needs to determine what is best for them and the fact that your son motivated you or rather woke you up to the facts is good.
Metabolically that amount of alcohol cannot be good on a daily basis for the long term.
If the individual can handle moderation then nothing wrong with that either.
Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
If your son asked you to do it, it's bothering him more than you know. Stick this one out, man...your kid deserves to have you healthy and in his life for years to come. It may be a daily fight, but it's worth the effort.

Of all the things one could say, for me this stands out.

Good Luck. It's a huge undertaking But doable if you want.

I would add that it is important in teaching your son responsibility and that it is not always the same as plain abstinence.
Not just saying this or that is "OK" but that reasonability is made from qualified decisions.
.02

Hang in there Otto. You can do it. I will be praying for you. "I can do all these things in Him who strengtheneth me." Phil. 4:13

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:
Go 30 days; if that doesn’t work seek assistance.

This is what I'm doing. I'm on day 10.

I've tried to stop before and always find an excuse to have a drink - which leads to several drinks. This time, if I can't stop for at least 30 days, I'm going to make the call.

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:
Don't forget to replace the "thing you do" during the "time you did it". Meaning if you did it two hours every night, find something else to do, that eats up that time. Or you'll be sitting around thinking how nice it would be to have a beer or whatever.

In other words, it may well not be a chemical addiction (I hope it is not), but it is almost certainly a habit, for many/most of us. Changing habits is best done consistently and with new alternatives to replace them.

I think this is spot on r0gue. I never had an issue when I was working. Drinking became an issue for me after I retired because it's been too easy to "fill in the time" with alcohol.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
I would add that it is important in teaching your son responsibility and that it is not always the same as plain abstinence.
Not just saying this or that is "OK" but that reasonability is made from qualified decisions.
.02

I understand the thinking behind this, and I understand it sounds reasonable, but if one is a true alcoholic, total abstinence from drinking any alcohol is the only thing that works. That’s a qualified statement made from a lot of looking into this and the summary of all the experience I’ve been able to find on the matter. Without getting too deep into it right now, there’s a difference between problem or habit drinkers and true alcoholics, and what can work for the former would kill the latter. Otto says he’s an alcoholic, and it no small thing to admit that to oneself, let alone in public to a grouper people who know him. I suggest that right now, the reasonable and qualified course of action is total abstinence, especially that he says alcohol affects him when he isn’t drinking. That’s a big clue right there.

P220 Smudge is wise. He is also fairly recently sober. His experiences and opinions are more "raw", but more accurate for you in the short term.

I'm in the camp of long time sober (20+ years). I'm also in the camps of being an alcoholic, having it run in my family, and fallen off the wagon more than once.

Otto and CoolRich: You have a number of offers from members who are available if you want to reach out. Please consider me in that camp too. (Gee, I camp a lot!) Email in profile.

quote:

Originally posted by IntrepidTraveler:

Otto and CoolRich: You have a number of offers from members who are available if you want to reach out. Please consider me in that camp too. (Gee, I camp a lot!) Email in profile.

I will do that. Thank you.

Yeah I’m likely only a couple/3 hours away so if you want to get together to shoot, talk or whatever to keep your mind on other things just drop me a line.

Chris

I’m probably not alone in this personality trait, but I always need something to look forward to, something to stimulate me in a way. Far too often now that is the alcohol.

Today I’m gonna settle in with the newly purchased Kindle and watch some of the new season of Alone. That honestly excites me, maybe source a lower parts kit for the P229 build I’m working on.

I truly appreciate all y’all. P220 has talked to me before when I thought I was ready but truly wasn’t. It’s gotta be frustrating sometimes dealing with people in this position so I want to say I recognize that and apologize. I know y’all don’t need that but I just wanted to say it.

ETA: I truly enjoy cooking so I got 7 recipes lined up for my kids and mom this week. I’ll try to focus on that plus the reading and exercise.

Best of luck. Keep up the physical exercise. For most people it cancels out some of the urge, especially when you see some positive things like weight lose and feeling good.

I know some people can't get their head around it, especially those who have not had the problem, but alcoholism is a disease. The cure is painful for those who have drank for years. But you can do it.

Beyond the chemical allure of alcohol, I found that a substitute for cracking open a cold one helped with the habit of having a drink at certain times. Soda water was something nice to have in my hand instead of a cold beer.

After I stopped drinking alcohol, my sleep eventually became PROFOUNDLY more restful.

Good luck!

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
Gimme a call, man.

quote:

Originally posted by Bytes:
I don't know anyone that quit drinking and stayed "quit" without a relapse or two.

*Raises hand*

Now you know one. Relapse isn't required.

Great to hear P220. That is a very nice feather to have in your cap. My advice and experience is only coming from me and one of my friends that quit the booze. I was going to send you an email to see how you were doing but one thing led to another and I never did it. Otto, listening to P220 (and others in this thread) instead of me would be much more beneficial and productive. He (they) has walked the walk in a very self controlled way. Sending good thoughts your way Otto.