I think I have alcoholism in my history (quit smoking, detox, medication)

[hollygolightly]

I may drink too much on occasion. My grandfather on my Dad's side was an alcoholic. Am I? Do I need to go to AA?

OK, I edited this out of feeling badly because I don't want anyone to think I'm a lush.

Truth is, I drank too much last night and sprained my ankle. My BF has been taking care of me, but he is concerned. Do I need to enter a rehab facility?

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by hollygolightly

I may drink too much on occasion. My grandfather on my Dad's side was an alcoholic. Am I? Do I need to go to AA?

OK, I edited this out of feeling badly because I don't want anyone to think I'm a lush.

Truth is, I drank too much last night and sprained my ankle. My BF has been taking care of me, but he is concerned. Do I need to enter a rehab facility?

Truth?

If there any doubt that you have a problem with alcohol-------stay away from it, please.

I can comment on that being many of my (maternal) relatives were full-blown alcoholics and I basically refuse to drink------mystifying some of my other relatives who do inbibe.

[hollygolightly]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

Truth?

If there any doubt that you have a problem with alcohol-------stay away from it, please.

I can comment on that being many of my (maternal) relatives were full-blown alcoholics and I basically refuse to drink------mystifying some of my other relatives who do inbibe.

I have anxiety issues, too. I want to stop drinking, but I'm scared. I have fear of what will happen, when I stop. I don't want to be labeled. I also do not want to lose the love of my life, which I fear may eventually happen if I keep going on this course. I want to stop!!!

But I don't know how.

[NCN]

When I think I my be out of control about something, I just decide to do without it for a while. If you try to stop drinking and cannot, yes, you may be, but just drinking too much on occasion is not a sign. Alcoholism is when you have to have it and cannot quit. Just try not to drink for a month or another length of time and see what happens. If you have problems with that, talk to your doctor. Your doctor will know how to help you.

[hollygolightly]

Originally Posted by NCN

When I think I my be out of control about something, I just decide to do without it for a while. If you try to stop drinking and cannot, yes, you may be, but just drinking too much on occasion is not a sign. Alcoholism is when you have to have it and cannot quit. Just try not to drink for a month or another length of time and see what happens. If you have problems with that, talk to your doctor. Your doctor will know how to help you.

Thank you for your insight.

[cmacf1]

Holly - I have alcoholism in my family, too (maternal grandmother was a serious alcoholic and died of cirhosis of the liver.) I didn't think my drinking was all that bad until I started drinking too much too often. Then I broke my toe after drinking tequila and I had no clue how I did it. That day, I stopped hanging out with the friends who drank, changed my patterns and quit drinking. I was not at a point where I was drinking everyday and I wasn't drinking by myself ever. But, still, I broke my toe badly and didn't know how I did it. That scared me a lot. Shortly thereafter, I quit smoking (cigarettes) too (this was all in the early 1990s, so it's been many years now.) I'm afraid if I ever had a drink, I'd start smoking, so I just avoid alcohol completely.

I also had anxiety issues and several years after the broken toe incident, I went to a doctor and confessed what to me seemed like a weakness in my personality. She convinced me that it was NOT a weakness and that medication may help me. It did. I have been on and off anti-depressants since about 1995 (on more than not.) It took me a long time to feel ok about it, but I am SO thankful that these drugs exist.

Please get yourself to your doctor and tell him or her what's going on with you. They have truly heard it all before and they are there to help you. You will feel better if you can get control of the anxiety and start treating it in a healthier way rather than with alcohol. Medication isn't for everybody (I know there are some out there that think it's a crutch and let them think that - it sure helped me,) but it could potentially help you. And please know that you are certainly not alone. Many have been through the same things.

[hollygolightly]

Originally Posted by cmacf1

Holly - I have alcoholism in my family, too (maternal grandmother was a serious alcoholic and died of cirhosis of the liver.) I didn't think my drinking was all that bad until I started drinking too much too often. Then I broke my toe after drinking tequila and I had no clue how I did it. That day, I stopped hanging out with the friends who drank, changed my patterns and quit drinking. I was not at a point where I was drinking everyday and I wasn't drinking by myself ever. But, still, I broke my toe badly and didn't know how I did it. That scared me a lot. Shortly thereafter, I quit smoking (cigarettes) too (this was all in the early 1990s, so it's been many years now.) I'm afraid if I ever had a drink, I'd start smoking, so I just avoid alcohol completely.

I also had anxiety issues and several years after the broken toe incident, I went to a doctor and confessed what to me seemed like a weakness in my personality. She convinced me that it was NOT a weakness and that medication may help me. It did. I have been on and off anti-depressants since about 1995 (on more than not.) It took me a long time to feel ok about it, but I am SO thankful that these drugs exist.

Please get yourself to your doctor and tell him or her what's going on with you. They have truly heard it all before and they are there to help you. You will feel better if you can get control of the anxiety and start treating it in a healthier way rather than with alcohol. Medication isn't for everybody (I know there are some out there that think it's a crutch and let them think that - it sure helped me,) but it could potentially help you. And please know that you are certainly not alone. Many have been through the same things.

Thank you so much....it helps to know that others are or have gone through what I am going through.

I just don't know what to do now, I think I'm going thru withdrawal and I have heard that can be fatal so I'm scared

[hollygolightly]

I'm in a bad place right now...

[allforcats]

Alcohol withdrawal "can be fatal" only to those who have been blind, staggering drunks day after day for years and suddenly stop drinking. If that does not describe you, then there's no reason to expect that you will die from not consuming alcohol, so please be realistic, okay?

You mention you're afraid of this or that, and scared, and you don't know what to do. Cmacf1 gave you perfect advice: "Please get yourself to your doctor and tell him or her what's going on with you." Very simple step; easy to do -- great results -- just do it.

CHOOSE health. CHOOSE joy. CHOOSE to feel confident that your life belongs to you and is yours to create. CHOOSE to know you have the intelligence, the wisdom, and the power to make your life clean and fun. CHOOSE to love you. Because you know what? That's all true. That's who you are. I wish you joy!!

[krakenten]

Go to an AA meeting, tell your story and see what the members say-they'll let you know in a hurry.

If you had the DT's you'd know it by now.

If you think you're an alcoholic, you probably are-however anxiety and bi-polar disease cause many people to drink, and getting a handle on that is necessary for your recovery.

There's no shame in being an alcoholic-if you stop drinking!

Go to your doctor, go to AA(rehab may be a little radical at your stage of the disease, even if you have it.)

Good news-you won't die.

Bad news, you can never drink again, and you have to go to AA meetings for the rest of your life(try to find one with good coffee and donuts).

Actually, the honesty and wisdom you'll find in the rooms is refreshing, and you'll learn much-I never met a stupid drunk, just drunks that had done stupid things.

Don't be afraid, be sober and be honest with yourself and other people.

Nothing much will change in your life, except you'll lose the hangovers and the guilt.

And avoid a whole raft of very nasty health issues, of course.

So look up your local intergroup, find a meeting, and go! It's in the phonebook, and I'm sure it's also on line.

Then keep going back-it works.

(if you've been drinking for days, you need detox-get to the ER, tell the docs everything and let them decide.)

Do it now-later may be too late.