Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselling Thread

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I've been drinking too much for too many years now, and I think it's starting to take it's toll. I've never been much for binge drinking, don't actually like getting very drunk. Instead, I drink to unwind after all the sensory input during the day, and it helps me sleep. I'd say on average I drink about a bottle of wine (or the equivalent thereof) every night.

I don't get much withdrawal if I don't drink, just the usual mild blood sugar drop for a few days, which can easily be addressed with, for example, juice, so I don't get too paranoid about the prospect of not drinking for a few days or weeks if I decide to hold off for a while. The problem is that I always start again after a while, part because of sleeping issues, part because I gradually become much more prone to shutdowns if I haven't had the ability to unwind.

I've tried many ways to solve this issue, including working out, long walks, engaging in my interests, reading/writing, but nothing helps, except for alcohol. I therefore believe that I'm likely to become an alcoholic at some point, despite the fact that I don't have it in the family, and I see no way out of it. I don't think I'm prone to ever hit a "rock bottom" (which I can totally see being the turning point for many people with addiction), and I don't think I'll be able to completely stop unless something like that happens.

The only way out of it, as far as I can tell now, relates to what someone wrote a while back on this thread, namely that I OCD too much about my liver to ultimately kill myself.

Anyway. Just wanted to share, don't know what else to do.

I.R. Harry_Dawson

There are drugs to get rid of the urge to drink, but for me nothing elts works to relax or let me sleep. The other reason you drink you have to decide on your best path to handle them. We can lend support but not make any decisions as to coarse of action for you. Be well Id suggest that you reduce first and deal with thing as they become issues that way its not a all or nothing proposition. Hope this helps!

I drink - let it kill me - I don't care

So I seem to have stopped drinking successfully......I've probably already mentioned it on this site. But yeah still no real drinking urges, which is good I suppose. But now I am thinking I should probably quit smoking cigarettes, due to recent respiratory crap I went to the doctor for...only thing is well, it's difficult I mean its like I can go maybe a few days even without a cigarette but then that makes me want to smoke more so I either give in and get more cigarettes and smoke my usual 1-3 a day or I get a pack and because I haven't smoked for a few days and smoke more than usual to I guess make up for it.

The doctor I went to gave me a number for assistance and possibly free nicotine patches....but yeah, I just don't know. I feel like it would be especially hard since I pretty much randomly stopped drinking regularly within the past 3 weeks and though that went fine it was a rather significant change so trying to quit smoking right now especially with all the other stress would be very difficult.

So yeah cigarettes suck, don't smoke them.

Congratulation on your succeeding to quit a bad vice.

been sober from opiates for...a few months now except for a few beers and some weed...and some kratom...
but lately...well..not really lately...when ever i'm not high- i'm researching getting high...or reading others experience getting high...it's my favorite research topic..a guilty pleasure i can't tell most people about.
kind of sucks when your favorite interest is tied to getting high.....makes all other interests a little dull because your interest can be tied to an actual high. =/
maybe i've just never been sober long enough to experience true sobriety....
i once had a pot head friend say when he quits weed for long enough he gets high on life...
but i have never felt that...at least not since i was a young kid...
How long do you need to be sober for your body to have some sort of "high on life" aspects? or is this an NT thing? =/