Transitioning Your Life and Breaking Out Of The Alcoholics Routine
How do you transition your life and break out of the alcoholics routine?
Not really sure. I got drunk tonight. Not really too pleased about it.. It was the same old self destructive routine that I have done again, and again, and again.
I have been to AA, have read addiction self help books, cried out to God, and have unleashed "Oh poor me" text messages. I've did the drunk facebooking (how embarrassing), been arrested (too many times), and have suffered through the worst hangovers that you could ever imagine.
How do you make the transition?
I think you need some kind of a goal, and I think that you need some kind of reinforcement from an outside influence. Alcoholics have a chemical addiction that longs to be satisfied. There is no joy during the chemical withdrawal process. That's why I think you need a good support system in place and they need to know that "going to the park" or "going to the movies" may not give you quite the same enjoyment (as a healthy minded sober person) when you have decided not to drink anymore. Mentally and emotionally it will be a roller coaster until your body adjusts to what a "normal healthy" person feels.
Alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, heroine, pasta (yes, carbohydrate rich food) , and many other things boost your serotonin levels. When you take away what you are addicted to, your serotonin levels crash. Serotonin levels control your mood. Anti depressants like Prozac work (although with unwanted side effects) by boosting serotonin levels.
So how do you transition your life? How do you bust out of the alcoholics routine?
I really, really don't know. I've listened to recovering alcoholics, I've been punished by the law, and yet still drink. I think that saying of "Sick and Tired of being Sick and Tired" makes a lot of sense. That was pretty much how I felt when I was sick of how cigarettes made me feel. Cigs were so much easier for me to quit because I never really felt joy from them. Alcohol does give me joy from time to time. How do you bust out of the alcoholics routine? I don't know. I'm open to suggestions.
4 comments:
Best of luck mate.
Plenty online regarding foods to boost serotonin levels.
My philosophy that I use with friend with OCD is DON'T LET DRUGS CARVE NEURAL PATHWAYS IN BRAIN ANYMORE BUT MAKE OWN PATHWAYS AU NATURALLY.
Thank you for this blog, for your honesty, maleness, age? emotionalnesss good thing!
best wishes
If you have ever stopped for any length of time you'll know that the cravings usually happen at certain times of the day. I found that the best thing was to engineer a situation where you are away from your haunts at those times.
Go to the pub and drink a soft drink and then listen to how dull it is to spend time with drunk people and realise that those are your "friends" who you miss so much and the conversation and company you want, they won't want to be with you sober and you want to be with them drunk, are these really friends?
The process of giving up is a process of realising that there is a whole world of people out there who never go to pubs or drink a bottle of wine everyday. As a member of the majority you start to find other friends and develop other routines, the idea that the people sitting outside bars are having fun is an illusion of the mind, Most people don't do this and the ones who do regularly are hungover the next morning and you know what fun that is.
Most weekends my wife meets a drinking partner of hers and gets extremely drunk, I usually have to go and rescue her from a pub. It is like watching a film on a loop and very depressing to experience week in, week out. Our drinking culture is partly to blame.
I wish you luck, it's not easy but sitting in a house bored will not work, you have to find other things to do.
I agree, its a struggle. I've noticed I need to be around people who do care, and will discourage my drinking (even call me out when I need called out most). This is usually family, and true friends. If I'm craving a beer (and the cravings are less frequent over time), I know I need to talk to someone who wants me to be sober and will help me get through these struggles. I've experienced all the negatives as well- failed jobs, legal troubles, school issues, relationship troubles, being a terrible person. And I still want to drink all the time because my mind chooses to remember the good times instead of the bad times created from alcohol- so, even though its mentally tough to do- each day i tell myself at least 1 good reason why i shouldn't drink and give a good example. Writing these out has helped me get through some difficult times. Good Luck!
Thank you so much for your insight. I just broke up with a guy who is an alcoholic. I was with him for a year. It was a roller coaster and of course, he blames our break up on me and my emotionalism. Usually he was an amiable drunk, especially with other people around. But fairly often he would become antagonistic and even verbally abusive. I tried different ways of handling it. He, of course is extremely charming, funny, generous and affectionate with most people. With me, he withheld affection and it was spiraling down with the verbal attacks increasing. I finally broke down, flipped out and left. I had really never addressed the drinking before because it was clear he felt judged if I did and told me to take it or leave it. Also, I have kids and he once alluded to knowing that he'd have to change to have me in his life with my kids (I really kept them away from him) but he never did anything about it...so, by the time I left, I was just a run down mess and I wish I had just drawn a line in the sound in an unemotional way but I was a wreck. We are now talking again, just friends. I did tell him everything I experienced with his drinking and it didn't go well. The next time I saw him, he was pouring his wine and proceeded to get drunk in front of me and told me, when I apologized for having been so emotional, that he didn't really take it personally. So, I see that I have no leverage here. We are not together anymore. I'm still reeling from the whole experience and he's got his wine and lots of friends to keep him company. Now that we are talking as friends, is there anything I can do? Am I complicit in being friends with him? I feel in one way, it's his life to do with as he chooses and he is extremely high functioning. All of his friends accept him as is and on a rare occasion if he blows up they just leave and don't speak of it. I really love this guy. Any thoughts? Thanks.
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