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Not sure if there's a better place for this type of thread. Feel free to move.
I am addicted to alcohol. For a few days (and that's even a big deal, I've only done it a few times in the past few years) I can go without, confident that I have found Jesus and He has saved me from it all.
But, here I am on day 5, and I'm cleaning house and that little voice creeps in, "you've worked so hard today, you deserve a glass of wine" (which will turn into a bottle). I honestly feel like Jesus carries me, or a better analogy, helps me ride my bike with training wheels, but then when He lets go, off I go...right into the wine cabinet.....
I don't know what to do. And let's not think about impending holidays like Memorial Day right around the corner.....ack. Help.
Stop believing in Jesus and start believing in profane things starting with yourself. First of all: alcohol is nice, in moderation. It's a stress relief if nothing else. Then there is the calory aspect of it: it's a cheap, easy and fun source of energy. Why chose to eat boring vegetables or nuts if you can drink and feel good? In other words: you have to improve your diet so your body doesn't crave the cheap source of energy anymore. And in many cases there are deeper psychological issues that cause you to drink. See a shrink if you think you drink to hide from your anxieties.
And never let anyone talk you into feeling guilty when drinking. In moderation it's a perfectly healthy thing to do and in excess it's often still better than a lot of medicines. You need to address the underlying issues, but don't exagerate the severeness of drinking
Stop believing in Jesus and start believing in profane things starting with yourself. First of all: alcohol is nice, in moderation. It's a stress relief if nothing else. Then there is the calory aspect of it: it's a cheap, easy and fun source of energy. Why chose to eat boring vegetables or nuts if you can drink and feel good? In other words: you have to improve your diet so your body doesn't crave the cheap source of energy anymore. And in many cases there are deeper psychological issues that cause you to drink. See a shrink if you think you drink to hide from your anxieties.
And never let anyone talk you into feeling guilty when drinking. In moderation it's a perfectly healthy thing to do and in excess it's often still better than a lot of medicines. You need to address the underlying issues, but don't exagerate the severeness of drinking
Way to go denying the existence of alcoholism
To the OP....ignore everything in the post above
Clearly you have a problem with alcohol and for alcoholics moderation really isn't possible.
A simple test to determine if you have a problem with alcohol is the CAGE test.
Have you ever felt the need to Cut down on drinking?
Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
Have you ever felt Guilty about drinking?
Have you ever needed an Eye opener drink in the morning to get going?
Answering yes to 2 or more questions correlates very highly with alcoholism.
Clearly you are having trouble dealing with this on your own, as do most people with alcohol problems
Clearly you have a problem with alcohol and for alcoholics moderation really isn't possible.
A simple test to determine if you have a problem with alcohol is the CAGE test.
Have you ever felt the need to Cut down on drinking?
Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
Have you ever felt Guilty about drinking?
Have you ever needed an Eye opener drink in the morning to get going?
Answering yes to 2 or more questions correlates very highly with alcoholism.
Clearly you are having trouble dealing with this on your own, as do most people with alcohol problems
Where did I deny the existence of alcoholism? Liar.
I just disagree that there is a God who is going to save you. You have to do it yourself and I'm telling you how I did it myself and how you might be able to do it too. If the level of alcoholism is simply too high you need doctor's treatment, but I cannot assess that from your post. In any case no approach that includes God or sweet baby Jesus is going to do much good for you, especially since you already tried it.
Where did I deny the existence of alcoholism? Liar.
I just disagree that there is a God who is going to save you. You have to do it yourself and I'm telling you how I did it myself and how you might be able to do it too. If the level of alcoholism is simply too high you need doctor's treatment, but I cannot assess that from your post. In any case no approach that includes God or sweet baby Jesus is going to do much good for you, especially since you already tried it.
Just because you do not believe in God does not mean others do not believe in God and it is wrong for you to tell them that God is not going to save them. How do you know for sure? Besides the main topic of the thread is alcohol, addiction and moderation.
PS ~~ Changing one's diet is not going to help alleviate the addiction to alcohol.
When one is an alcoholic moderation is usually not possible and every day is a struggle to not drink no matter how many days in a row you have not had an alcoholic beverage.
Original poster: Seek professional help immediately in regards to the alcohol addiction, this is usually something you cannot change on your own. You need to have a good support system, proper information and professional help in dealing with this issue.
In my opinion which is one of an alcoholic moderation is not possible for most alcoholics because the addiction and tendency to over induldge is too strong and one drink will put them right back into the cycle of drinking.
If your belief in Jesus gives you some strength, fine, but that is not going to do it alone. As was mentioned above, you need a solid program to help you with this disease (and, yes, it IS A DISEASE).
A lady friend of mine is an alcoholic and hit bottom several times before the realization set in that she needed help. She rationalized it by saying she was not an alcoholic, but an alcohol abuser ! She finally got help and has been sober for a year or so now and is her old self again.
BUT, YOU CAN NEVER TOUCH ONE DROP OF ALCOHOL AGAIN, EVER ! If you do, all the hard work you put in will be wasted and you have to start over again because that one drop will start you right back where you were before.
You have started the first step, you realize you have a problem, now get professional help. There are lots of free programs everywhere to help you. Good luck.
OP, think of your addiction as an allergy. When you have a chronic allergy to things, your best plan of action would be to see an allergist who can help you manage the allergy. And of course, you have to avoid whatever it is you're allergic to, if at all humanly possible. Feeding an allergy is a really bad idea.
With alcohol, you need to see a professional who can help you manage your cravings, either with medication, or behavioral modification, "talk-therapy," group therapy, or any of a number of other methods. AA is one method, and since you are a believer in "a higher power" then AA might just be a good match for you. That would be the "professional help" you need.
The next step, just like with an allergy, is to avoid the offending substance if at all humanly possible. This means - no more Listerine - get an alcohol-free mouthwash. It means no more vanilla flavoring in the cupboard; learn how to make a water-based emulsion of vanilla beans if you REALLY need it that badly for baking. It means give all the unopened wine in your house to the local church for their services, and dump all the opened wine down the drain.
What's also important - is you let your friends and family know that you need to avoid alcohol, and ask them to be respectful of that. Any friend who insists you go out to the bar "just for old times sake" - is a friend you need to cross off your list.
Just like severe allergies - you can't intentionally expose yourself to it "in moderation" and expect to come through it unscathed.
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She finally got help and has been sober for a year or so now and is her old self again.
