Hi. I've been proud of myself for staying sober for nearly 10 years, but for some reason the urge to have a drink now is quite strong. Maybe the time of year, or the fact that I'm approaching a major milestone (10 yrs) and will be able to control my intake? I just don't know. I had no problem stopping, no medication or withdrawal symptoms. I know I shouldn't, but the 'need' to have just one social drink is always in my thoughts. Any ideas out there?
I can understand the urge to have a social drink at Christmas, alcohol is everywhere and party's are rife but if your anything like me it won't stop at that.
You will be undoing all the good you've done.
You must have amazing will power to just stop without any meds etc. Well done!!
Think seriously before you do something you might regret, you might not be able to stop so easily next time.
Merry Christmas🎄🎄
I always feel when people are tempted to drink or go back to their old ways it's because there are unresolved business ...
There are alcohol counseling lines when you have an urge ..
Drinkline is one of them..
Why don't you try that ..
Lisa
Does medication help you stop drinking?
Do they work as I'm thinking of taking them in the new year?
Also as I'm drinking now I'm beginning to equally drink soft drinks too..
Have you ever done that?
It's been 4 weeks now and I drink soft drinks as well as alcohol whereas before it was just alcohol..
Am I changing or is it a phase?
Hi Jess,
It works for me, I'm on Antibuse (Disulfiram)
If I have a drink on this I will become violently ill.
I've tried doing it on my own but I just go back to drinking.
So this is my life at the moment and it's a much better one. Been on them for 4 years.
I don't have a urge to drink as the fear of been ill is a massive deterrent.
Christmas is a bitch but doesn't last long.
Have to come up with lots of different concoctions of no alcoholic cocktails, so I don't get bored.
Not sure if what you are doing is a phase but I drank vodka and coke basically anything, if I didn't have a mixer neat would do.
Don't know if you only drink in the evening are not? I drank all day till I feel asleep. Hmmmm!! Not good.
Good luck with what you decide xx
Thank you for that ...
I think the medication gives you shock treatment
But I feel you have to get to a point where you are ready and willing to stop.
There must be underlying reasons why you need to drink once they are resolved then all will come to a halt
Always been around alcohol. My family are from Newcastle(north of England) Big drinkers 😳Not sure if your in this country. Mum and Dad are massive drinkers and don't think they have a problem but my liver function test told me I had a problem and needed to stop.
Mum used to take me out drinking at 15.
If your sad you drink, your happy you have a drink.
Needed a drink to have a good time because the two go hand in hand.
I live in London now and it's probably a good job or I'd probably not here telling the story xx
Hi John ..
Just seen your post and replying as fast as I can.. 10 years is a huge milestone and they say that if/ when you restart after stopping ( no matter how long you are likely soon to.pick.up where you left off )
I had 14 yrs sober and what great years..I lidded myself and everyone else I could drink normally ...not ! My drinking is different now but still impacts on.my life hence finding this site for advice ..I have always quite got why one drink.led to so many .I am.now on trying TSM have now been taking nalmafene for 2 weeks and can now see positive changes .. I am holding out a lot of hope that this us my way forward.. However I wouldn't be doing this had I not been so stupid as to start drinking again but as they say everything is for a reason ....
Just ponder carefully ...I know how tempting it can be 🙃🎄
Excuse all the errors...was trying to send this really quickly 😊
I think you are so right ..unresolved stuff.I was once told I wss 'dry' rather than sober
Lisa I so agree with your thoughts on this. It will never be be social drink. I found that out after 14 years sober ...It's taken almost 14 years to start to get to grips with it ....
Temptation stay away, especially if your triggers are saying in your mind just one drink.
One drink can set you back all those years of sobriety. Is it really worth it?
just find a fizzy drink and leave it at that. Your hard work all these years took a lot of courage to maintain no alcohol. Don't give in to the brain trying undermine all the years of having a life without alcohol.
Many prayers sent your your way for extra courage to say no!
HOPE4CURE
But kids you are an adult and you can see things from an adult perspective now..
You can decide what's right and wrong..
That was your parents way of dealing with issues but it doesn't mean it has to be yours right?
We need to make decisions with an adult mind and if you really want to you can change things ..
It's all about wanting to..
Hello John. I managed 20 months alcohol-free, a few years ago. That thought, in my mind, that I could drink socially again, was VERY WRONG.
I went right back to heavy drinking , really quickly.
Please, just try to leave it out of your life. Experiment with non-alcoholic drinks... find something you like.
It is amazing that after 10 years, you are thinking about drinking. It must never really leave our minds.
I hope you decide NO !
All power to your will.
Alonangel 🎇
Thanks Alonangel. I'm not sure why these thoughts are coming back now after so long without a drop. Possibly because ten years is a 'magic number.' I have looked on these years as a sort of punishment for my excessive drinking. I'm talking up to over half a litre of spirits in an afternoon. But my head is telling me that I'll be ok now as I've proved to myself that it's not a problem any more. But....?
Thanks for your support and advice.
Thank you. It's good to know that people do understand.
Thanks Lisa.
Natalie whenever you have these thoughts of drinking contact Drinkline .. I think it maybe a 24 hour service .. They maybe specialist counselors that can help you to talk through it and support you in talking about your issues.
There are some underlying issues that maybe have surfaced and were locked up for so long.
Sometimes a 10 year period may have made it surface.
You need to DELVE into the root cause and you can do that with these help lines.
On these chat forums you maybe going round in circles it's not resolving the problem.
Even hypnosis is very good at stopping drinking..
Because it gets straight to the problem.