My dear friend, my prayers are directed your way today. I have been there and there is where I am everyday…….. Blessings

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:

quote:

Originally posted by Gene Hillman:
<<snip>> If there is none in the house I don't eat them. I don't know if this works for alcohol but I would think it might. Best of luck in whatever you do.

Cannot speak for others, but this is the case for me. If it isn't in the house, I don't drink! Same goes for those darned Little Debbie cakes!!!

Gonna be that guy, and just call “HorsePucky”


No one who can stop drinking by not having it in the house, goes on a public forum on the Internet and ask for “Alcohol treatment needed ASAP”. No one ever.

Because people who do not drink by simply not having it, don’t have the problem by definition.

It’s a disease of the mind, body and soul. AMA classified it as a disease in 1955.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:

quote:

Originally posted by Gene Hillman:
<<snip>> If there is none in the house I don't eat them. I don't know if this works for alcohol but I would think it might. Best of luck in whatever you do.

Cannot speak for others, but this is the case for me. If it isn't in the house, I don't drink! Same goes for those darned Little Debbie cakes!!!

Gonna be that guy, and just call “HorsePucky”


No one who can stop drinking by not having it in the house, goes on a public forum on the Internet and ask for “Alcohol treatment needed ASAP”. No one ever.

Because people who do not drink by simply not having it, don’t have the problem by definition.

It’s a disease of the mind, body and soul. AMA classified it as a disease in 1955.

I have to agree with Signified.
I failed in my attempts to stop drinking for YEARS due to having that kind of mind set. If you do in fact have a problem it's a way more serious problem that requires a steadfast dedication and somber acceptance of the truth.

I have alcohol in my house right now. My wife still drinks, because she isn't an alcoholic. She might have a drink once every few months. It's not a problem for me because I have an actual solution to my problem.

Here, they had this figured out back in 1935, from Chapter five of Alcoholics Anonymous - "More About Alcoholism":

quote:

Despite all we can say, many who are real alcoholics are not going to believe they are in that class. By every form of self- deception and experimentation, they will try to prove themselves exceptions to the rule, therefore nonalcoholic. If anyone who is showing inability to control his drinking can do the right-about- face and drink like a gentleman, our hats are off to him. Heaven knows, we have tried hard enough and long enough to drink like other people!

Here are some of the methods we have tried: Drinking beer only, limiting the number of drinks, never drinking alone, never drinking in the morning, drinking only at home, never having it in the house, never drinking during business hours, drinking only at parties, switching from scotch to brandy, drinking only natural wines, agreeing to resign if ever drunk on the job, taking a trip, not taking a trip, swearing off forever (with and without a solemn oath), taking more physical exercise, reading inspirational books, going to health farms and sanitariums, accepting voluntary commitment to asylums we could increase the list ad infinitum.

See, these are all reasonable solutions. For someone who isn't an alcoholic.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:
<<snip>>

Gonna be that guy, and just call “HorsePucky”


No one who can stop drinking by not having it in the house, goes on a public forum on the Internet and ask for “Alcohol treatment needed ASAP”. No one ever.

Because people who do not drink by simply not having it, don’t have the problem by definition.

It’s a disease of the mind, body and soul. AMA classified it as a disease in 1955.

Well in that case, I don't have a problem then! As I stated, if it isn't in the house, I don't drink it! This could be verified by my wife if I were willing to submit her to your ridicule. If you don't believe me, then just go ahead and publicly call me a liar.

Based on the additional responses, I guess I'm not an alcoholic and won't bother with needing treatment then.

Thanks guys, you all saved me from a heck of lot of trouble!!!

Cheers!

Man, cool it. One post, you're cool. Next post, you're angry. Cool it.

We've been over this. The addiction makes people dishonest- with others and with themselves.

You asked us for help. Do you want that help, or not?

I'm not angry at all! I asked for help and I received help. It's the "piling on" from others that is frustrating to me. You know, throw a cinder block to a man who is drowning!

According to the experts here, I don't really have a problem, and for that I am very pleased! No more response from me is required or should be expected. Anyone who wishes to contact me further may do so via e-mail, as the real helpers have already done.

Thanks for everyone's help and concern! Cheers...

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:
I'm not angry at all! I asked for help and I received help. It's the "piling on" from others that is frustrating to me. You know, throw a cinder block to a man who is drowning!

According to the experts here, I don't really have a problem, and for that I am very pleased! No more response from me is required or should be expected. Anyone who wishes to contact me further may do so via e-mail, as the real helpers have already done.

Thanks for everyone's help and concern! Cheers...

Bill, I genuinely wish you all the success; I’m not contacting you via email because I don’t know you and this being a public forum, the dialog may help someone.

Your rants and defensive outbursts are so familiar to me, they are what I’d expect from someone trying to get off the booze. I watched both of my fathers try and fail; now I’m watching my sister try and fail. They all failed because they refused to give themselves over to the disease and say, “never again”.

Until you say, “never again”, you will fail; it’s hard…I/we understand that. Somehow the gene missed me and I can have a few beverages without any issues, but I’m always very self aware of family history. If I had to quit, it would be tough…and I’d have to say “never again”.

I hope you find that place before you hit whatever version of rock-bottom that affects you most. Be well, and God Bless.

My offer to you is an open one, Bill.
When you get sick and tired of being sick and tired, it will be here for you.

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:
I'm not angry at all! I asked for help and I received help. It's the "piling on" from others that is frustrating to me. You know, throw a cinder block to a man who is drowning!

According to the experts here, I don't really have a problem, and for that I am very pleased! No more response from me is required or should be expected. Anyone who wishes to contact me further may do so via e-mail, as the real helpers have already done.

Thanks for everyone's help and concern! Cheers...

OK, so you want this thread locked, then, right? Because I'm not going to babysit this thread anymore, waiting for you to swing back from reasonable to throwing a tantrum, and this is EXACTLY what you are doing in this thread- throwing a tantrum.

If the DOB you have listed in your profile is correct, you're my age, and that means you damn well know how to behave.

Now, what's it going to be? Do you want this thread to continue, with the result being people might say things you don't want to hear? Or do you want it locked?

Nobody is piling on. We are all sharing what we've learned from going through this first hand.
If you are ready and can be completely honest with yourself go to treatment. Go to AA meetings. A lot of them. Read the Big Book.
Come back a few months or a year from now and read what you posted in this thread. You will just shake your head.

Many people don’t get it. It’s very difficult to surrender and let go.

Far easier to kick the slats out of your crib, and toss your rattle in the corner.

Seen it literally hundreds of times. Shall we stack and count the bodies?

My youngest son has lost 24+ associates/friends in the last five years. (Too much for a man not in combat; even then …)

I’m now of the opinion that some people are here just to serve as a warning to others, and what not to do. Not everybody can be helped.

There’s a plane crash happening in this country every day and nobody will do shit to stop it. 350 souls a day. A 9/11 every 10 days. Three 9/11s every month.

It’s far too serious of an issue to screw around. Many others to be helped who need and want it.

Bill, I want you know that you're welcome here. I also want you to know that I understand you're under a lot of stress and I am not trying to make it worse, but it seems like you're in need of some straight talk.

If you want our help, please accept it as its given.

I replied last night and thought better of it, but Ryan nailed it: Come back and read this thread with a year of not just being dry, but being sober (yes, there’s a difference), and you’ll shake your head and cringe.

It pains me to say it, but getting honest with myself and with others has been far more of a process than I would have liked. I say that to other sober drunks and they instantly know what I mean. See, denial is not seeing a gallon of milk in front of you and saying it isn’t there, it’s looking right at it and simply not being able to see it. You’re starting to see the shadow, but the form, shape, and details have all yet to come into view for you. About halfway through your fourth step, you’ll say “holy shit! There’s a gallon of milk there!” a you’ll feel amazement and regret that you never saw it before. Halfway through your ninth step, you’ll have poured half of it down the drain (remember, it’s been sitting there your whole life, so it’s really nasty stuff), and you’ll think “why was I so scared to pour this nasty shit out?” Your twelfth step will be something along the lines of seeing that your buddy Frank has a rotten jug of milk with him, too. “Hey Frank,” you say, “I can help you get rid of that if you want.” Frank will say “Goddammit, it's MINE! I’m know what I’m doing, BACK THE FUCK OFF!”

You can't comprehend the truth until you can see it. You know it's there, but you can't really see it yet. Trust me.

At some point, on a public forum, this thread is no longer about you or to you. There are people reading this thread, people who will read this thread in the future who badly need help. It will pop up on internet search engines, gifted to them by some bizarre stroke of luck, a smile from the universe that hopefully stirs something deep in their soul. That one perfect moment where an answer sought was given. To that person, I would say: When you’re ready to quit, thoroughly beaten, and finally out of bright ideas, there is a way that works, but it won’t work as long as you want to have it your way. If you think you know anything at all about how you should get better, you're wrong, and you should probably keep drinking until you’re out of ideas. You're mentally ill, and your sick brain cannot produce healthy solutions to it's own problem. Your way will never work, and you’ll never believe it until you’re out of options. I was in liver failure, 400lbs, shooting blood out of both ends, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, couldn’t anything but drink, I knew I was in liver failure and that drinking was going to kill me and drank for another month anyway and it wasn’t until impending Covid lockdowns and rumors of states shutting off alcohol sales that I knew I was fucked. Thank. God.

I have been sober since 2019. I have still read this thread and see so much truth!

While I couldn't imagine still doing what I was doing and feeling the way I was, mentally and physically, every now and then I want to sit on my front porch and knock back and 30 pack. But, I never will again. And I'm perfectly ok with that.

Best of luck, Bill.

Good luck. Quitting alcohol is a very hard thing to do, but so much better once you get past it, and living the sober life.

I read somewhere that a smart man learns from his mistakes, but a wise man learns from others' mistakes.

I strive daily to be the wise man. This takes vigilence, practice, and brutal honesty to oneself. I am a recovering alcoholic that started my sober living on May 16th, 2016. I work it everyday, I utilize the tools that I learned in rehab, and I stay plugged in.

This is a lifelong endeavor, you must stay vigilant, and never ever say or believe you have this beat. The very second you say or believe this, you have lost. Now, living sober does get easier with practice. Much like marksmanship, practice builds that muscle memory, and you'll start using your coping skills without conscious effort.

I applaud you for recognizing and making the critical decision to seek help. So much experience, truth, and love are being offered in this thread. I hope you choose to be the wise man.

I wish you great luck, brother.

Thank you for reaching out and good luck!

Problem. No problem. Talking to some proper folks will do you good either way.