If You Suspect You Might Have A Drinking Problem (An Open Letter)

RobFromGa | December 11, 2004 | RobFromGa

[Old Professer]

Maintenance drinking is different from binge drinking; rarely does one indulge in both. In the maintenance phase most drinkers function at a higher level than those times when they consciously abstain; in some cultures whole generations grow up, reach maturity and live to old age in a maintenance state, but generally this is limited to more primitive people who more or less live off the land or have families with wealth or holdings.

Once a maintenance drinker graduates to the blackout stage, he or she is now beyond the clinically safe "cold-turkey" point.

Those who indulge heavily and then make a decision to abstain or even to try and quit and fall back can often, through will, stop altogether with constant abstention but the key word here is constant, the most dangerous stage for this type of person is the point where he goes public and begins to brag about his achievement for it is at this point that his will is most tested and needs reinforcement.

[SweetCaroline]

Please add me to your PING list Rob and BTW congratulations on your sobriety.
caroline

[wagglebee]

Great post!
I celebrated 14 years last week.

[arasina]

Bravo, Rob!

[TheLion]

Congrats on quitting. It sounds like you needed to take a step back. I also drank heavily for many years and just up and quit. I wasn't a acoholic type , so it was easy, once I made up my mind. I went stone sober for four years.

I vowed that if I couldn't have one or two ocassional glasses of wine without it being a problem then I would quit for life.

I do drink about once or twice per week now and enjoy it instead of plowing them down. I have no reason to get drunk anymore. I think that is the problem for many....there is some inner reason for seeking oblivion. That needs to be resolved.

Enjoy.

[SweetCaroline]

GOD BLESS YOU! I wish I knew fourteen years ago what I know now. Would have saved me from alot of mistakes. Oh well, life is good now! 4 year BD in April.

[wagglebee]

I've made some huge and disasterous mistakes in the last fourteen years. The difference is that now I can learn from them rather than simply keep repeating them.
God Bless.

[RobFromGa]

I'll take your words of wisdom and hope that I can "jump on the wagon" and stay there.

Good luck to you, I wish you the best. Feel free to Freepmail me if you would like to talk about this off line.

[mamelukesabre]

I think the answer would lie in one's definition of "heavy drinker".

Some people drink constantly, but in small doses. THEy drink to get a slight buzz, and no more...but they need to be in that state AT ALL TIMES. That would be considered heavy drinking, even though never actually being drunk.

[RobFromGa]

wonderful post.

[mamelukesabre]

Very interesting.

I personally have a history of overindulging during the holiday seasons. I don't know why this is I just know it is. THat is why this year I vowed to not drink untill after new years. I made this decision about a week ago. It seems quite a coincidence that I would see your post just now.

I couldn't help but notice that your ideas seem to be at odds with those of AA. I never did understand the philosophy of AA. It doesn't make any sense to me at all.

[The Mayor]

Haven't touched a drink in over 12 years.
Every time my 3rd son has a birthday means another year sober for me.

If someone offers me a drink I simply say
No thanks, I've had enough for a life time..

Congrats my friend!

[RobFromGa]

I've added you on the ping list. Let me know if you want to be taken off. I don;t expect this to be real high volume just the occasional news story related to addiction recovery.

[willieroe]

Ping!!!!

[Walkin Man]

Of all of the drugs that cripple, main and kill people, alcohol is one of the worse. I knew many alcoholics in the military, it seems to be an occupational hazard.

One of my parents was an alcoholic and finally beat it with the help of God and AA.

May God continue to bless you and keep you strong.

I myself can drink if I choose to with no problem. But I only choose to once or twice a year. I have a healthy respect for the power of the bottle and have seen many lives and families ruined by it so I stay away from it most of the time.

[raybbr]

What don't you understand about AA? It's simple program for complicated people. You ask for help - you get it. I know it goes against the grain for people to seek support for a problem but alcoholism can rarely be handled alone. Better to have many people on your side.

[jocon307]

"It didn't help that she was mean and bitter while drunk."

Damn, that never helps. That was my mom, I don't think that woman had a happy day in her life. Brilliant woman, and I love my mom, but she was just SO unhappy.

[jocon307]

"I've taken off over 100 pounds.."

Congratulations to you. I think you are right about the processed foods. And they are certainly full of salt.

[fso301]

Physiology is also at play. I have a brother with a drinking problem. He can down a 12 pack, go to bed, get 7 hours sleep, get up the next mornign and go to work without hangover.

He just doesn't seem to get hangovers. If I did that, I'd be in a coffin pretty fast.

[MHT]

My late mother-in-law was an alcoholic and it nearly destroyed her life and those of her family. Her dad had been the town drunk and her sister was a boozing hellcat so she came by it naturally. She tried AA, psychiatrists, medications--nothing worked. She just didn't have the self-discipline. She ended up near suicide on a couple of occasions.

One night she prayed for the power to quit drinking and she felt a wash a peace flood over her. From that moment on, she never had the desire to drink again. It wasn't a matter of self-control, mind games, or anything else. She was healed to go and "sin" no more as the basic desire was gone.

I pray that your reprieve from this power over you is a total healing and that all desire to drink leaves you. That way, it is a joy to live rather than a calendar game that you are enduring.