Always had sleep issues even before drinking but damn. Former prescribed benzo user so that is not an option for withdrawal therapy. Trying to just feel normal. I am an mmj user so it helps a bit but the effects are not as strong as the things I am trying to suppress. How do you deal with the itches and such? I'll probably be going back to therapy for the first time in like 18 years so you don't need to suggest that either. Thanks for any input.

Its crazy when I did the math. I usually have 200 ml of whiskey a night and sometimes end with a white claw. Sometimes more whiskey after that + the claw. Give or take. So roughly 4 maybe 5 drinks a night, times by 7 days. 28 drinks a week. So I’m prob having 28-33 drinks a week. Just realizing that now god damn. I Wanted to tell anyone as my friend isn’t available. She’s aware of my alcohol abuse.

Also for the comments yes I know it a a problem I’ve posted on this sub quite a bit, deleted the posts now. But yea just wanted to get that outta my mind and discuss about it nuts to me.

Im 24 years old and live with my dad who drinks every night since covid. He stopped for a good 7 months bet recently has started drinking again.

I don’t know what to do or how to help anymore, he’s 63 years old and has had 2 heart attacks in the past.

I’m over it if he can stop drinking for 7 months he can clearly stop when he feels like it, im tired of worrying im going to wake up one day and find him dead in his bed. He clearly doesn’t care enough to stop so why should I care about him…

Plus he’s a horrible person to be around when he’s drinking he drinks at night but during the day he’s so passive aggressive and just dumb his brain doesn’t work like a normal persons does.

I’m tired I don’t want anything bad to happen to him but i hate feeling like this, i just want him to be healthy and happy.

I’m a 18m and I drink frequently every since my father passed away I’m starting to get cravings please give me advice on what to do please

I am 60 yr old black man. I say this, because I have suffered a great deal of racism in my life. As a child, I was physically, psychologically, and sexually abused. My mother beat me so severely (one of many times), I couldn't go to school for 3 weeks. I could only lay in my bed, black and blue until I healed. If I had gone to school, the authorities would have been called. My brothers beat incessantly, tied me up, and would urinate all over me. The neighbors used to call the police saying we were torturing the cat; it was me screaming so loud. I have absolutely no positive memories of my childhood.

At age 17, I joined the Marine Corps to get away from all of that. I haven't spoken to mother, brothers, or sister since. In 1983, I was sent to Beirut. I was involved in several firefights, including the bombing of the Marine Barracks, which killed 241 Marines. I spent the next 3 weeks digging them out. A leg here, arm there, a torso; whose tattoo is this? Was that Jones? This is when I was first diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress.

After I got out of the Marines, I became a police officer, in one of the most violent cities in California. I've investigated well in excess of 100 people for murder. Unknown amount of rapes, armed robberies, and every kind of crime imaginable. I've seen women sell their children to pedophiles for crack cocaine. Two people shoot themselves, splashing blood/brain matter all over me. I've been shot twice and I've been involved in three separate Officer Involved Shootings. What I wrote is just the tip of the iceberg. Here is when my alcoholism started.

So, I am an alcoholic, with CPTS (Complex Post Traumatic Stress; it is not a disorder), depression/anxiety. I take 5 separate medications for all of it. I see a psychiatrist once a month and a therapist twice a week. However, all of the trauma cost me two marriages and one fiancé. A helluva a lot of other things too, including almost my career. I did, however, retire 5 years ago.

Like most, I started drinking slowly. Mostly to get to sleep. 2 beers, didn't cut it and it started to drastically increase. The alcohol dulled all the pain and, of course, temporally, relieved me of it. Beer turned to whiskey. Drinking became my obsession in life. I couldn't wait to get off work, having beer in the car, to drink while driving home. My days off, I cannot even remember. I'd pour whiskey into a glass and then fill it up with beer. Drinking from the time I woke up, until I passed out.

I retired and moved to Idaho. My drinking didn't stop. It got worse. I would get drunk and stay that way. For the last year of drinking, I was never sober. I was so drunk when I went to bed, I'd wake up drunk and immediately start drinking again. I'd have 4-5 stores I would rotate through to buy alcohol. In Idaho, you can only buy hard alcohol at certain stores; they are all closed on Sundays. So I had to plan accordingly and put a bottle in the freezer.

That year, I rarely left the house, except to get alcohol. With DoorDash, I really didnt even need to do that. One day, I believe I polished off two quarts of whiskey and 15 or so beers; mind you, the beer I drank was about 9%. I woke up the next morning lying in a pool of vomit/blood, on my living room floor. My cat staring at me.

I realized I was trying to kill myself and that day, I stopped drinking. Cold turkey (I don't recommend this to anyone, I was stupid). The withdrawals were horrible. I could barely walk to the bathroom, spent weeks just throwing up constantly (mostly dry heaves), major insomnia, night sweats which soaks me and my sheets, thoughts of suicide, et al. It was one of the most horrible experiences I went through. I have been sober now, coming up to five years.

My reason for this post is for others: Get help. You can't do it alone. I finally started seeing a specialist in Alcohol Use Disorder. My doctor prescribes me Vivitrol. I do not do AA, it just didn't work for me. If it works for you, great. More power to you. Don't end up like me though: Alone, twice divorced, no family or friends, and fighting against the constant boredom. Find what works for you and stick to it. We are just different and can't drink/handle alcohol. As many times as you read and/or think it: It just isn't worth it.

Good luck to you and you have our support.

My mental health has been pretty bad lately. Normally, I rarely drink, but for the past few weeks I've been drinking a couple drinks per week, starting as early as noon. (I don't have a past with alcoholism.)

Since I had two drinks two days in a row (yesterday and the day before), I decided not to drink today. But I find that I'm tempted nonetheless. Which means I should probably be watching out.

Of course, this is a far cry from alcoholism. But it got me curious: how did you slip from normal alcohol consumption to alcoholism? Did you notice it, or was it only after the fact that you realized "oh dang, I have a problem"? And what stands out to you most about your change in consumption: the amount, or the way you psychologically relate to alcohol?

Decided to move to NY for a fresh start. Job and roof already locked in.

I was wondering if anyone has ever had this happen. Yesterday I drank around 8 beers maybe 2 shots. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling super weird, hands were getting sweaty, I felt like I couldn’t breathe, acid reflux had. I went to the bathroom and threw up pure acid. I thought I was dying or something. I’ve been drinking daily for like 8 days now. Usually same amount and then I drink a lot of water afterwards and eat etc. I’m trying to get away from the drinks as I notice it’s just out of boredom 90 percent of the time. Has this ever happened to anyone

Someone in my family whom I live with drinks a lot, and I have no way of keeping track of how much. I’ve talked to him about it before and he seemed open to cutting back. And he even said he would and feels like he has. I want to trust him, but I just watched him pour maybe half of a large coffee mug of bourbon at 10am, and I think I may need to have another conversation with him about his drinking.

Maybe the biggest obstacle to him realizing it may be an issue, rather than just cutting back because I’m concerned, is that it doesn’t seem to affect him that much. It’s probably contributed to him gaining weight, but it doesn’t interfere with him working, doesn’t seem to alter his cognition or his mood, and he doesn’t get any of the typical withdrawal symptoms (though to be fair he hasn’t tried to quit).

Based on this information, can anyone share their own stories/thoughts about if this is a problem, and how I could talk to him about it? Thank you.

For the first time in probably years, I didn’t wake up with a hangover this morning. I almost always drink too much on Saturday nights

I drank yesterday but instead of to excess, I stopped when i felt too much.

This is a wonderful step

Okay like all people who have had a problem "I am done with alcohol"... I feel I have been told to wein down by everyone but I find it impossible. If I could just cold turkey when I get mad at it I would have much more luck but o have had professional tell me i will get dts and other professionals say I won't(yes Dr's and drug therapists) Personally I am a 22yo 98kg 5'10" male I have been drinking off and on for 2 year but recently within a fortnight I have like 5 nights on 7 standards maybe 4 nights with 12 and 1 with 4 standards and 2 nights off.

Could I cold turkey or is it as dangerous as some say?

This is ridiculous. My partner and I attended his niece's wedding social last night. There he hit me, kissed another woman, and yelled at me in front of everyone. I was able to bring him back to the hotel to pass out after not even being there for an hour where he explained he hit me because I was fat. This morning, he says he doesn't need to apologize for anything because he doesn't remember, and therefore happened in a different reality and doesn't count. I can't help but feel if I was drinking too, I wouldn't be so adamant on his drink count or notice he was wasted and proceeded to have fun myself instead of worrying about embarrassing myself and him at his nieces wedding social and we would have had a memorable decent night. I am three months sober but I am so disappointed in myself I just let it all happen and we have a vacation to another province happening right after today where I don't even have any means to get back home on my own to move out. I'm stuck here and I'm disgusted with myself. If I was drinking I probably wouldn't care as much or be able to at least block it out.

Seeking guidance from a hero

Hi all, been struggling like many of us for many years. Relationships ruined, jobs lost. Self esteem shot to pieces and the worst is feeling that I can’t trust the one person I was supposed to from the very first screaming breath coming into this world to the very last: MYSELF. Isn’t that a horrible feeling ? The person you share your meat jacket with is like a horrible neighbour doing their best to make your life hell or a messy, bad influence roomy coming along to constantly rain on your parade.

So a couple of years ago going through some pretty rough withdrawals being a musician I’d heard stories about one of my idol’s struggles. A guitar player from a band called Sevendust. in my utter pit of misery and despair I thought fuck it and reached out. And to my utter amazement he answered back with some words of wisdom. This hit me like a brick and probably helped me drag myself through the mud of withdrawal and believe I would survive this one. Shortly after I came across the Instagram page Sober Celebrities. Lightbulb moment. I offered to write an article on Clint Lowery having already one foot in the door. Which I did please check it out if you want even if you aren’t a fan of his music his story I am sure will resonate with some of you.

Nothing quite resonates and brings people together like sharing an addiction. Whether it be to revel in it, suffer together enabling each other on the world’s worst merry go round, where the price of admission is your life and the pain of everyone you love. Or try and fight our way out of it and leave this shit hole together.

I went tee total for a while then thought « one won’t hurt » and it fucking did…along with the hundreds other that followed. Picked up right where I left of…funny that isn’t it just like riding a bike…straight off a cliff that is lubed with Sambucca and regrets.

I have finally decided to kick the habit for good…again. Because I have come to the realisation that it’ll either I kick the habit or I will inevitably kick the bucket from it and that’ll probably hurt my toes quite a lot. So here we are back on the rickety old wagon of sobriety for nearly three weeks…funny thing is the day after I decided to stop this shit show….again hanging out my arse spreading out a few beers to get me through the withdrawals like fucking weirdo alcoholics we saw on tv as kids an amazing podcast was released about Clint talking about his battle with the shitty neighbour sharing his meat suit….coincidence ??? Or maybe someone up there sending me a sign. I’ll take the latter. IWNDWYT and maybe tomorrow too !

We can do this.

Links: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqTXwWcMgCy/?igsh=aGF3dXp4cmRkNTRu

https://youtu.be/wlKsNEX4Ju8?si=zQdu5MrRU6_Rzuu1

I relapsed today. 4 months clean. Does anyone know how to make tomorrow not suck? I already told the family I'm pretty much useless for a few days because of the dts.

I feel crazy because he has no idea what I’m talking about when I mention it but often when he’s super drunk and goes to sleep, I’ll hear loud ass banging from his room and it’s like him either kicking his bedframe super hard or literally banging on the wall

I guess I’m wondering if this is some weird phenomenon in alcoholics or what causes it lol he’s been doing it since I was a kid, I remember one time he actually was in a bathroom banging the wall with a towel rod that had fallen and SO disoriented when I opened the door

and no he’s not a violent or aggressive guy or anything so it just has always kinda freaked me out

my room is on the other side of our house upstairs (room over garage) yet i can hear the pounding from it

This is more of a vent but I'm so lost and unsure what to do. My mum died from alcoholism 4 weeks ago. My little sister (16) is completely destroyed. Mum struggled for 9 years and so my little sister doesn't have happy memories of my mum as things have been really bad the past few years. My little sister won't come out of her room for the past 2 days. She feels like it's her fault my mum is gone, she regrets not being nicer to her and wishes she spent more time with our Mum as she thinks that would have saved her.

I'm trying my best to reassure her and make her understand that our mums drinking had nothing to do with us and that the illness took her. I am so worried and dont know what to do or say anymore. My little sister somehow thinks we all (my dad and other siblings) would rather she died instead of our mum and she thinks we blame her. This is so far from the truth, I dont know where she's got these ideas and we are all trying to reassure her whilst dealing with our own grief.

I feel so guilty about my mums passing so I understand my sisters thinkings a little but I'm still so angry at my mum for doing this to all of us.

This is a vent but any ideas to how I can help her would be more than welcome and appreciated. Being a teenager is hard enough but she had to watch my mum decline over the years and deal with all the shit that comes from alcoholism

What advice would you give to someone who struggles to remain sober for more than an hour? We’re talking first wine 6:30am, 1-2 drinks per hour til lunch, breaks for food/hydration/stabilization, then continues on from roughly 3-7pm before passing out around 8? Basically someone who cannot fathom even a full morning of sobriety, yet alone 24 hours? 9-12 drinks/day. Puking semi-weekly, in the morning while getting ready for work.

I am a family member looking for advice from those with experience with alcoholism. Any help would be appreciated because I am not sure what to do.

I (f35) am concerned about my sister’s (f44) drinking. Her mother and my husband are also concerned. She drinks daily, and what she is drinking is very cheap and very strong alcohol. I think she has been drinking multiple times a week for a few years and daily for a year or more. She has had several issues while drunk over the last year (loosing her handbag, weeing on her carpet, falling down the stairs etc). Her mum wanted to approach her about it, however she is now ill and is not in a place to talk to her about it.

Her husband also drinks very heavily, so it is something they are doing together. Her teenage son has commented on their drinking several times (eg they can’t drive me there because they’re drinking type comments).

As a family member what is the best thing to do. Should I tell her I have noticed how much she is drinking and that im worried about her? Any dos or don’t when talking to someone about concerns for their alcohol intake? We are not very close, but I don’t think there is anyone else who will address it any closer.

If anyone has any insights or advice it would be really appreciated.

I'm a 38m, I've been a moderate drinker for 20 years, with some periods of heavy drinking and very few periods of abstinence.I've also experienced moderate anxiety/depression over the same period. In that time there have been around 4 instances of significant depression/anxiety, however they were linked to difficult life events (end of a relationship, stress during the final months of my research PhD, etc.).

Over the past 5 years my experience the day after drinking has grown progressively worse, ranging from terrible headaches (likely due or made worse by teeth grinding and sleep apnea), nausea, and anxiety. It was during this time that drinking the next day to manage the symptoms became necessary, often in combination with codeine/Xanax for the pain/anxiety. After a year of this behaviour once a week I decided to drink less, the feeling the next day wasn't worth it, and fortunately I was able to cut down. For years I have also taken a month off drinking, something I did not enjoy but was capable of.

My current situation is that I drink very regularly, it is an effort to take anything more than a day in a row off. I make sure I take at least one day off a week. Obviously this doesn't sound good, however I don't drink a huge amount. I would estimate 3-8 standard drinks a day. I never drink to the extent of losing control, and quite rarely to the point that I can't drive (due to the time period over which I consume those drinks).

Twice a week (wed/Fri) I hang out with friends at my local bar. I have 3 pints of beer (6 or 7% ABV) over a few hours and then drive home. I usually drink less than others around me. However, the next day I usually end up feeling terrible. Not in the way a usual hangover feels (nauseous/headache as soon as you wake up), but instead it can be mild anxiety/malease in the morning or even feel fine, but then it hits me at around 1-3pm. I feel anxious, nauseous, headache, jittery, awful. I know that a drink will help so I have a glass of whisky and repeat every 2-3 hours when the feeling returns. I end up drinking more the following day to deal with the way I feel due to drinking 3 beers the day before. Then on the third day I might feel better than the second, but probably still need at least one beer/whisky to keep that feeling away.

I know I'm describing alcoholism and maybe I'm just in denial, but it's hard to accept that a responsible/social 3 beers can lead to this behaviour pattern. I keep looking for something to prevent me feeling so poorly that I feel the need to drink the next day. I've considered it being a dietary issue, an anxiety issue, anything that I could try and resolve without me having to give up drinking entirely. I think I could do so if necessary, but I would really like to be able to just enjoy those 3 beers. I don't have a problem with stopping at 3, but I do have a problem with managing the awful way it leaves me feeling the next day..

Are there any options for me here to look into alleviating the way I feel after a fairly reasonable amount of alcohol so that I can still enjoy it, or do I just have to accept that any quantity that leads to a relaxed mood today will lead to anxiety and discomfort tomorrow?

Thank you

Withdrawal

A word often associated with medications and substances, yet its influence extends far beyond the realm of pharmacology. It's a phenomenon deeply ingrained in human experience, touching upon various aspects of our lives with profound effects. From the physical to the emotional, the psychological to the environmental, withdrawal manifests in diverse forms, each carrying its own set of challenges and complexities.

At its core, withdrawal signifies a state of transition, a departure from the familiar towards the unknown. It's the discomfort that arises when we step away from something we've grown accustomed to, whether by choice or circumstance. While commonly linked to substance dependence, withdrawal encompasses a much broader spectrum, encompassing technology, relationships, habits, and environments.

In this exploration, we aim to broaden our understanding of withdrawal, shedding light on its multifaceted nature and unveiling its nuances beyond the traditional confines. By delving into the intricacies of withdrawal in various contexts, we seek to empower individuals with knowledge and empathy, fostering a deeper appreciation for the challenges inherent in navigating transitions of all kinds.

r/withdrawl : inclusive hub for navigating a variety of withdrawal effects. Whether it's from medication, behavioral patterns, psychological dependencies, or media consumption, our community provides a supportive space for understanding, sharing experiences, and seeking advice For substance & recreational withdrawal.

r/drugwithdrawal : Safe space for individuals experiencing withdrawal from substances, and recreational drugs, Whether you're on the path to recovery, seeking advice, or offering support.

Join us on this journey of discovery as we unravel the complexities of withdrawal and embrace the opportunity to learn, grow, and support one another through life's inevitable transitions.

Im a 32 y old male. I drink. Not daily. But once a week I'm wasted. I suffer on Fridays at work. 8 pints are no exception. My girlfriend pulls the alarm or she'll leave me. I do occasionally hide bottles because it pisses her off. I'm in an early stage I guess but I need help. Tell me she's exaggerating please.

I (37f) have been with my partner (38f) for 7 years. The first 2 years she was sober, the last 5 years in active addiction having gone to 2 rehabs in that time and having some sober stints (7 months was the longest) here and there. She works a camp job and is able to remain sober for those 7 days working, sometimes can white knuckle sobriety out of a set home, but then the next set home generally binge drinks (and mean absolutely obliterated totally gone) for 2-5 days. 2 months ago I sat down with her, my son (16m) and my mother, which I have never done before, looked her in the eye and told her that this was her last chance, I couldn’t do this anymore if alcohol remained a part of her life. She agreed. A month later she disappeared to a hotel and went on a 5 day bender. I should have left then like I said I would… but I didn’t (stupid me) I didn’t tell my mom or my son, got the whole “desperation, say all the right things” talk again and fell for it for the 1 millionth time. One month later here we are again hearing the same desperate “give me one last chance, meet me half way, I’ll give you your space just don’t leave” talk after a 3 day binge. This time I told my mom and told my partner I was leaving. She is trying all desperate things in the book. Saying all the right things (ie. ill go to rehab again) “I’ll go stay at my moms” (we tried that before and she came back home after 2 weeks) everything to make it so I don’t leave. How many chances should a person get!? My head says leave like I said I would, my heart says stay. Someone talk me off a ledge.

He got sober in February in a rather traumatic way (withdrawals landed him in the ICU). When he was released, he made it clear that he wasn’t going to touch alcohol again because of how terrible the withdrawals were.

However, the other day I caught him with a bottle of brandy. He claimed it was just an old bottle that he’d found. I told him to throw it away and he did.

That evening I sent him to the grocery store to grab some things for dinner and I had a terrible feeling that he bought more brandy, so I waited outside for him to come home. He sat his backpack down while I gave him some trash to put in the dumpster. While he had his back turned I dug around his bag and sure enough, there was a bottle.

I got upset and went inside. When he came in, I asked him if he bought more alcohol (I wanted to give him a chance to be honest). He denied it. I asked if I could look in his bag and he walked away with it listing off everything he got and ended up hiding the bottle behind the trash can while he had the fridge door open (the door obscures the trash when it’s opened), then came back to show me the bag was empty.

I retrieved the bottle and confronted him with it and he just got very quiet. Later on, he came and apologized for lying to me and hiding alcohol. I asked him how long he’d been drinking again. “A couple weeks.” How much are you drinking? “I’ll go through a bottle every four days.”

I suspect he’s not being totally honest about that. Yesterday morning he was already shaky after not drinking all night.

I don’t know what to do.

Edit: Thanks for the all the replies. You folks are always so helpful and I appreciate it so much.

I tried not to be too hard on him because I know this is something people end up struggling with the rest of their lives.

This whole ordeal has just been really tough for me. When I initially saw him with that bottle, my heart sank, and all I could picture was him throwing up blood and having muscle spasms so bad they’d lay him out crying while I tried to massage his legs. Or him losing his mind and forgetting who I or his brother was, or where he was while he was in the hospital. I can’t imagine what it was like for him to go through that, but I know it was traumatic on my end as well, but in a different way.

I don’t want him to go through that again and I don’t want to watch.

His family has been a little hard on him because his father died going through withdrawals after being a severe alcoholic most of his life. My boyfriend knows this and understands where they’re coming from, but it doesn’t make it easier.

We had a long conversation last night and he told me it was a coping issue. He gets frustrated with something or himself and feels the need to suppress it. He’s been doing it a long time. I asked again if he’d consider therapy or rehab, but he said he’d tried therapy before and it didn’t help since there was nothing new the therapist could tell him or give him insight on. He’s very intelligent and has a high sense of self-awareness, so I guess I can see it. He went on about how upset with himself he is that he’s resorted to lying, that he really wants to get better, but it’s been difficult. I don’t want to give up on him, so I’ll stay put and try to offer any support I can.

Again, thanks for all your insight ❤️

I kinda wanna drink it, idk when but I know I don't really wanna toss it. And I found weed too a small nug. It's annoying because it's take 3 months for you to BEGIN to go back to normal but like if I do it now all my work would be for not. But... I feel like I could do it and be fine. I almost wanted to take one shot just as a fuck you, you don't control me. I'm gonna smoke a cigarette now.

My brother is 25 and in the Navy. In the fall of 2021 we couldn’t get a hold of my brother for 3 days. We called and no one in the military could give us an answer where he was. He finally gets ahold of us and we find out he’s been in detox. He drank alone in his room to the point he realized he needed help and called his friend who took him to the hospital. He was diagnosed with alcoholism and couldn’t drink for a full year. He made it through the year and even though he wasn’t here the conversations we had actually were good. My brother looked amazing and so healthy and was going to the gym daily. During the year of no drinking he would constantly bring up how he’s going to partake in “social drinking”. It’s been some time now and he’s back into drinking heavily and going out to bars with friends. My question is how do I support him without pushing him away? I want to help him so bad but also he’s all I have so I don’t want him to run away from me. Would it be beneficial for me to attend an AA group for support? My mom turns her head to it but I can’t seem to do the same. I just want a healthy brother again.

I know for most the actualization is a slow burn, but what was the moment you realized for yourself there was a problem?

I (22F) just don’t want to stop. I know I should because the drinking every night to make myself go to sleep is concerning. My entire family are alcoholics. But I just really don’t want to stop, it’s not affecting my daily life, I go to work, I have motivation to do everyday tasks, I don’t normally get hangovers. Everyone knows I’m “kind of a drinker” but it’s not actually hurting my every day life.

I just want to know if anyone else is in this position. Cause I don’t feel good about myself because I know I drink more than others but I don’t know if I could stop because I haven’t tried. Also being so young and my peers idea of hanging out is going to bars but I realize I always drink more than them.

I’m just upset.

https://preview.redd.it/lhcqdhxl0zwc1.jpg?width=495&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=16a2485d779f1acf04c0e87edd94da5d14b47eab