My big addiction was not alcohol but cocaine. It was the 80's, I had a record deal and the coke was flying. My record was 11K in a month on coke. I quit in '88. Never again. Cigarettes in '89. Addiction is scary and strong. When I quit coke, I slept for 3 days, had skin rashes where I would scratch the skin off my self for months. For years I could smell the ether and feel a buzz. It eventually subsided.
To Quit or Control it....Drinking that is....Who has succeeded and how?
by oompa 52 Replies latest jw friends
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Mysterious
AA is definitely not for everyone and as an atheist I find their style to be somewhat..distasteful. Despite the fact that they attempt to explain that your higher power can be your family and friends not just god it really does come down to the big G. Don't get me wrong I think trying to go it alone is a bad idea, but I just don't see AA as the be all end all of the matter either. I also don't necessarily think that you have to out and out quit drinking -- there can be a matter of control. But it is all in the planning -- drink on x days, x number of drinks..no more..and if you start slipping out of control that may be an indication that control is not going to work for you in your life, again everyone is different. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss more I had friend go through their 10 day program and then end up controlling his drinking with friends' help instead of quitting or going through AA. Good luck to you, work hard, and stay strong.
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Galileo
Thanks Oompa for starting this thread and being so honest about it. I wish you luck whatever approach you take. And thanks Crumpet, your posts struck a chord with me, and I like your approach.
I started drinking heavily when I started "doubting", to deal with my situation. Cognitive dissonance, as Daniel said. I felt I couldn't leave the cult because I wanted to stay married and keep my extended family. The alcohol helped numb the pain.
Now I live alone and it's a habit. Honestly a lot of my problem is boredom. I have structured my business in such a way that I don't have to work every day if I don't want to. As a result, I have too much free time. On those days, I often start drinking at noon. I know I drink too much. I don't think I'm ready to quit yet, but I think my time is coming soon.