Can an alcoholic control there drinking?

Question

I am an alcholic , since christmas I have been trying to control my drinking , but find being sober , alhough extremelly good and health , I obsess about drink and have not yet managed a week without a seriouse drink , I do not want drugs ( yes alchol is a drug ) nor do I want to go to AA , practical advice of life without a drug , but afraid , would be appreciated .

Answer 1

I watched my dad die through alcohol abuse, he battled it in the end and came off it but sadly died through chronic disease of the liver, he was 56 but looked 80, he did not want to go to AA either and refused to do so, he never admitted he was an alcoholic and I think if he had and had got professional help he would be here now ( he was a good man ), It is not a nice thing to die off so please seek professional help because this decease does not only affect you it affects every one who loves you as well.

Answer 2

You are an addict and that can never be cured. All you can do is avoid alcohol completely and try to undo your negative coping strategies. You are kidding yourself if you think you can drink a controlled amount. An addiction is uncontrollable by its very nature. Your body has become dependent on alcohol. Withdrawal is not a pleasant experience, which is why you must be serious in your commitment to quit or you wont get through it. Of course you don't like being sober. If you were happy and stable you wouldn't feel the need to medicate yourself with alcohol in the first place. Your body will send you all sorts of signs to continue drinking - pain, the shakes, even hallucinations. You have to really want to stop and to do that you need to get your head together.

I strongly suggest you get help with quitting. AA is just one group. Your doctor can help you find others. It is hard doing it alone, I may even say impossible. You will benefit from talking to people in the same situation. To quit drinking for good, you need to understand why you drink in the first place and work through it. At the very least, contact your doctor. Alcohol withdrawal can be very dangerous.You will need medical supervision.

It's good that you recognise you have a problem. That is a big step and you should feel proud of yourself. I'm sure you're well aware of the implications to your health if you don't quit. Liver failure, pancreatitis, diabetes, epilepsy and mental illness are all side effects of long-term alcohol use. I've treated many patients with these problems. It is a terrible thing to live with. I sincerely wish you the best of luck in getting well.

Here are some links to sites that could help.

http://www.promis.co.uk
www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
www.ability.org.uk/alcoholism_support_groups.html

Answer 3

Some people can manage controlled drinking i.e. they stick to only drinking a certain amount a day. However, this is a very difficult thing to do. The best way to reduce or stop drinking is to gain a better understanding of your drinking habits: What situations do you drink in?, Could you avoid these or deal with them differently? Are there particular times when you are more likely to drink e.g. when you are feeling stressed? What else could you do at these times instead of drinking? Think of all the reasons why you don't want to drink, write them down on a card and carry the card with you everywhere. Every time you feel tempted to drink read through your reasons. Also take a up new hobby - anything that you are really interested in that you can focus on whenever you want to drink. Finally, remember that the peak of a craving only lasts four 4 minutes. Make yourself a plan of how you can fill this time e.g. make a cup of tea, go for a walk, watch TV. Good luck!!!

Answer 4

I'm not 100% sure what an alcoholic is ? That may sound strange because there are so many definitions going around that one of them must be true?
I am 68 years old I have since about the age of 18 always drank as much as any one I ever knew, I am not trying to tell you 'no harm in this' I'm merely pointing out the facts in my case.
I have woken up in the morning thinking 'Oh no I didnt really say or do this that or the other, did I ?'
My drinking has never interfered with my work,I cant ever remember having a day off from work except for a broken leg one time , that was not drink related!
I have the same opinion as you about AA or other similar groups and certainly I am anti drugs and these so called 'councillors'!
As for the religious set theyall have their own drug its called religion!!! I would rather be a complete pi** head!
Now back to your set up, I dont really know enough about you or your circumstances to draw any real conclusion, (and in case you are thinking of telling me your life story, I dont want to know, that must sound strange, but at least it proves I'm not some sort of councillor)
To my feeble mind the root of your problem is just in your mind you have been told some where along the line "You are an alky"
What is an alky? Yes I do know all the definitions none suit me and none will suit you.
Sort out your own brain box thats the only way ! Who am I to tell you to stop drinking , I probably still drink as much as you but I do have other priorites, dont you?
Why you mention 'afraid' I dont know, whats to be afraid of? nothing at all.
Just sort yourself out list your priorities in life and go for it!
I forgot to mention, good luck! Dont join any religious groups!!!

Answer 5

No. I've read the answers on this page, and I must say that there is a lot of ignorance on the subject of alcoholic behavior. It's not there fault, they do mean well, but when talking about a subject like this, it's best to talk to someone who knows, someone like you.
Becareful of who you take advice from because (fact) alcoholism is a progressively, fatal disease.
First let me say this, only you can diagnose yourself as an alcoholic, not even a Dr. can.
you should ask yourself these two questions,...
...When you honestly try, are you able to stop drinking entirely?, and, When you are drinking, are you able to control the amount you consume?
If you answered, no, to any of these questions, you may have a drinking problem.
There is no cure for alcoholism, but it can somewhat be arrested, if you are willing to go to any lengths to stop the insanity.
I say "insanity" because if you are a real alcoholic, something in your life, is the cause for you wanting to stop, but the obsession in your mind makes it feel virtually impossible to stay abstinent.
The insanity is, continuing the same thing, but expecting different results.

Answer 6

I think that I might have been an alcoholic for a period of my life. If I was not, I was definately alcoholic dependent.First you have to find the cause, in my case it was work related.(That's another story).
However, for a while try to shed any guilt about having the urge to drink. You say that you did not drink for a week, it obviously was a strain for you not to have a drink. So have a quite drink, just one or two and say to yourself, " This is me in future, just a pleasant drink and no more, I feel so much healthier and a
much better person, and I have done it on my own"
After a while you will wonder why you ever drank to excess. These thoughts might happen a few times, because you will slip back from time to time,but eventually you will be rewarded.
Good luck my friend, believe in yourself.

Answer 7

Alcoholism is like anorexia. Its an illness that cant be controlled. I know what its like to think about something constantly as i have anorexia. I cant relate to alcoholism personally but my had a problem with it. AA doesnt necessarily get you off drink, thats your choice, but it makes you realise your problem, where it came from, confront it and goes through steps of recovery. It is ur choice not to drink and no1 can take away your human rights. First step has been taken, youve realised you have a problem although its a different matter if you havent spoken about it out loud. Next you need to try and think about what caused this problem in the first place...how did it start? Does anyone know? How much do you drink? What time of day? If you dont want to go to AA go and seek a counsellor, and talk, they cant tell anyone, they arent emotionally involved and it does help make you realise whats happening and that you can fix it. There is absolutely no need to be afraid, everyone has a problem within them. Insecurities that sometimes get out. Eating problems like me...drink like you...OCD...schizophrenia...plenty of mental issues and physical ones. It is not unusual for someone to lose their way in life, so dont feel like every1 is judging you 4 it. I felt like everyone would be disappointed in me, or keep talking about it every time they saw me, or see me differently...but they didnt, not the people that knew anyway! What im trying to say is that it is ur business what you do, and if you dont want people to know then dont tell them but you are going to need support from somewhere, it would help if you could talk to someone other than a counsellor just for extra support. No matter what though im pleading with you not to let this problem continue, it will not get better and cant be beaten alone. Its not physical its mental and emotional. I hope i helped, get in touch if you need anything else. xxxxx good luck xxxxx

Answer 8

Alcoholism is a variety of dependancy the position it controls your existence. you're not to any extent further in a position to operate desirable on a common on a daily basis foundation. So managed eating might want to variety of be defeating the purpose.

Answer 9

not knowing your circumstances i can only tell you how i have stayed dry (10 years now) if you are truly committed to abstinence then the first thing you have to do is speak to someone (friends) parents or whoever your comfortable with and DONT hold back let all your fears out and keep in mind how you felt after a bender (i called it the fear)and i still remember it. It gets easier the longer you stay dry but always remember you are only one drink away from rock bottom GOOD LUCK M8

Answer 10

have you spoken to someone about things which have happened in your life that would help, it has been showin in studies that people with addictions have a problem with self esteem. before drug addicts want a fix their self esteem is at its lowest. It has been desmonstrated that their is a malfunfunction in a persons self beliefs.
Cognitive therapy teats emotional disorders by changing negative patterns of thought it is now internationally established as a key method of helping overcome lonstanding conditions such as panic attacks, depression, anxiety, gambling addiction and other disorders.
overcoing low self esteem has been developed as a self help manual by Dr melanie fennel from the department of clinical psychology at the warneford hopital in oxford. teh book will aid readers to understand their condition and armed with new knowledge to break out of the vicious circle of negative self image. learn the art of self acceptance and alther their lives for the better.
Explains the nature of low self esteem and self destructive thinking. Contains a complete self help programme and monitoring sheets and is baswed on clinically proven techniques of cognitive therapy. The book on depression is good, God bless