You Can Find a Way to Quit Drinking

You Can Find a Way to Quit Drinking Addiction Coping and Recovery Personal Stories Print You Can Quit Drinking Make a Decision, Get Support By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Updated on June 24, 2019 Getty Images More in Addiction Coping and Recovery Personal Stories Methods and Support Overcoming Addiction Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use No matter how far your alcoholism progresses, no matter how bad it gets, you can quit drinking. It takes you making a decision that you want to quit and then finding some kind of support. You dont have to wait until it gets as bad as it did for Jeffrey, but even if it does, you can still find your way back, as he explains: Jeffreys Recovery Story On November 7, 2009 I decided that I wanted to die. I was alienated from my wife (still am) because of a suicidal rage I was in a week prior because of excessive drinking. I drank all week and for some reason, I decided that November 7 would be my last day on earth. I bought a 30 pack of beer and a fifth of bourbon. I nearly drank it all. I called my wife in a stupor, had an argument that I cant remember and smashed my cellphone into little pieces. I drove (thank God no one was killed) to the local convenience store to find a pay phone to continue the argument. Why Does Suicide Risk Increase With Older Alcoholics? They Just Wouldnt Shoot Me Inside the convenience store I had a moment of clarity. I decided if I got the police to show up that I could have a showdown and they would shoot me dead. I fell on the floor and told the clerk to shoot me if she had a gun. Of course, she called the police. When they arrived, I asked them to shoot me dead. When they didnt comply, I fought with them, hoping they would use lethal force. Even in cuffs I smashed my head against the glass in the back of the car until I was incoherent. They just wouldnt shoot me. I spent three days in a mental facility just to sober up enough to be released to my new therapist. Not a Drink Since I have not had a drink since that day. I drank for 20 years before that. I am an alcoholic and can never drink again. I went through the stages of alcoholism, and I am fighting to reverse the effects. My brain has never functioned better than it does right now. I feel the pain of the damage I have done to my wife and children and am working very hard to try rebuild myself and my relationships. I have feelings like Ive never had, good and bad. I have desires for a better future, which Ive never had. Alcohol and Drug Rehab Recovery Begins With Treatment Initiation Just Stop Drinking I have a plan, thanks to a lot of support, to make sure that my life is better than it was. Im not where I want to be, but I know that I will get there. If youre struggling with alcohol, just stop drinking. Dont over analyze the who, what, why, where, etc, just stop. You cant see anything else until you stop. It takes a lot of humility to admit you have a real problem, but you can stop drinking. Find Some Support Find support. This forum saved my life even after I stopped drinking. The people on this forum are real, and, whether or not they know it, their advice and comments, at the very least, made me want to live another day to hear what they had to say. I am in no way over my addiction; I must fight every day. The fight gets easier and easier. I cant say enough about the people on the online support forum I participate in; without them, I dont think I would be sitting here. -- Jeffrey Help Is Available If you decide to quit drinking, there are many different kinds of support available to you. There are treatment and rehab facilities, pharmaceutical treatments, support groups, and even Internet meetings and online Forums.Find something that works for you, and if it stops working, try something else. What Are the Treatment Options for Alcoholism?