MY Warning Signs Of Getting Closer To Rock Bottom

Hundreds of thousands of people drink alcohol all over the world.  Some drink to be social and relax after a hard days work, and then there are those, like myself, who just don't know when enough is enough, and when to stop drinking alcohol.

Some people that drink too much alcohol and don't know when to stop drinking begin to depend on alcohol everyday of their lives, as I did for many of years.  It started as just a fun time out with the guys, to being full blown addicted to alcohol.

I couldn't go one day without alcohol in my system.  It was now a huge part of my life, and the life I had before being addicted to alcohol was my dear family, my wife and my children.  Those people were put behind my addiction to alcohol when alcohol finally took over me.

My warning signs of getting closer to rock bottom were getting clearer as each day and week passed. I asked myself, "why do I depend on alcohol so much?"  "Why can't I go a day without drinking alcohol?"  So in reality, deep down inside me, I knew I was doing wrong in my life, but just didn't have the willpower to say no more, and to just surrender once and for all. My demons have taken over me and wouldn't let me go until, October 27, 2009 when I stopped drinking forever.

This was getting frightening to me, and was effecting my family life too.  I saw it coming slow, but sure, but I couldn't change my way of life all because of this addiction I now have.  I was afraid to try and stop drinking alcohol because I didn't know if anything bad would happen to me regarding my health and getting sick from no alcohol in my body.  Not only that, I wasn't ready to surrender to this addiction to alcohol I had.  I loved the buzz alcohol gave me, although hated the hangovers in the morning, but once that first alcoholic drink was drank I was like a new man, or was I?

WHAT WERE THE WARNING SIGNS FOR ME HEADING CLOSER TO ROCK BOTTOM:

• I needed to drink everyday, sick or not.
• I started to drink alone.
• I hid my alcohol from family and friends.
• I didn't want to ever eat with my family.
• I never ate anything until I had my fill of alcohol for that day.
• My appearance was getting worse as the weeks went by.
• I gained so much weight from the alcohol. (beer)
• I stopped wanting to go with my family to family affairs.
• I would never go anywhere unless I knew there was alcohol being served.
• If I went somewhere where alcohol WASN'T being served, I brought my own and hid it.

So, rock bottom for me was right around the corner, and if I didn't realize it when I did, I would have lost everything I worked so hard to have, and that includes my family.

Don't let yourself go to the point of being so close to rock bottom like I did.  Catch it before it is too late my friends.

Mine you, I have NOTHING against anyone that drinks alcohol.  I just wished I could drink socially, but that is impossible for me, so I just don't drink.

Drink alcohol and have a good time, BUT drink responsibly, and don't abuse alcohol or your body. You will pay for it in the end, so please be careful, and think before you drink and NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE!

How Can Sobriety Change My Life?

For anyone that has an addiction to alcohol may often wonder what it would feel like to be sober once again, and may ask them selves and others how can sobriety change my life?

I am here to tell you, that I drank alcohol for many years, and alcohol many times came before all else, including my family and friends.

Once I decided to finally surrender to my demons, and get out of the denial I was living in for so many years, everything began to get better in my life, and if you try the same thing you might find your life will improve also.  The thing is that many alcoholics are simply afraid to quit drinking alcohol for the fear that they might not be able to get along in life without their crutch named alcohol.

Believe me, I did it and so can you my friends.  I feel we all are friends and have the same thing in common which is an addiction to alcohol and just don't know how to stop drinking or are afraid to stop drinking as mentioned above.

Please never be afraid of changing your life for the better.  Sobriety will never hurt you, it's your addiction to alcohol and abuse of it that will kill you in the end, and if it doesn't kill you it will make your life turn upside down and you will then experience rock bottom if you haven't already.

Alcohol does exactly what is suppose to do, and that is to make you feel drunk, act like a ass, hurt people you love, say things that you would never say sober, and so many other things.  Alcohol when drank responsibly is okay in my book, and I wish so bad I could have one drink and just socialize with some friends, but my problem was, I didn't know how to drink responsible and never knew when enough was enough.

This I am sure, is the problem with many people that just don't know how to have a social drink.  It is never enough until you get that buzz your body longs for.

HERE IS HOW SOBRIETY CHANGED MY LIFE.

• I was a very negative person when I drank alcohol, but now being sober for four years I am now a very positive and healthy person.
• My social life is now enjoyable being sober, and I act like the real me, and not a fake and a drunk.
• My family life is excellent and my marriage has improved so much.
• I spend quality time now with my wife and family, when before I spent my time drinking at bars or drinking alone.
• My appearance has improved 100%.
• I lost 50 pounds by not drinking all that beer each and everyday of my life.
• I eat great now and have plenty of energy to do what I want each day.
• I can go out in my car anytime I please without worrying about being pulled over and giving a DUI for drinking and driving.
• I have fulfilled my life long dream of living at the Ocean, when before when I drank, I still wanted that dream to come true, but alcohol held my back from achieving that dream.
• I never wake up anymore with that horrible massive hangover.

Listen everyone, I am not here writing to piss off people or preach to everyone.  I just want to tell all those that will listen, that there is a great life out there after an addiction, and not to be afraid to change your life.

Just think, you can save your own life just by making that change in your life.  It really isn't that hard if you have that will, determination and that positive attitude to get and stay sober.  GRANTED, there will be those that need to enter a Rehabilitation Center, and that is the smart thing to do, for sure.  To be treated and cared for by Professionals. Get Sober the safe and healthy way!

For myself, I went cold turkey and was worried every minute of everyday wondering will anything happen to me. Will I get the DT's and get deathly sick?  Don't put yourself through that, do it right, but first off, you MUST want to have sobriety in your life before all else works. 

You are the only one that can make sobriety happen in your life and nobody else.  It is up to you, and you alone to make that choice to change, and to make a new life, not only for you, but your family as well.

Get out of denial and make up your mind to surrender once and for all.  You need to take that first step and all others steps will follow.  One step and one day at a time. You will reach the top of those steps before you know it.

Living In Recovery

Living in recovery is something we the alcoholics need to get used to.  After so many years of drinking and abusing alcohol, getting and staying sober is so different to all of us.

Our bodies are so used to drinking alcohol everyday and when we stop drinking and want to change our lives we tend to be a bit bored with our new life.

Why are we bored?  The simple reason is that when we live our life for alcohol and need to have alcohol everyday we just cannot get used to the fact that our alcohol demons are no longer with us, so we need to find something in our life to occupy ourselves and get our minds off of the poison that was going to kill us sooner or later.

When I stopped drinking alcohol I was a nervous wreck trying to figure out what I would do for the entire day without having a drink in my hand.  It was the most unpleasant feeling in the world.  It felt like one of my arms or legs were missing.  That is how much I depended on alcohol each and everyday.

I am very sure many of you that have stopped drinking feel the same way as I did and do.  I am used to being without alcohol now because it has been almost four years without a drop to drink.

We need to learn how to stay busy and occupied each and everyday.  Living in recovery is a wonderful thing I must say.  When we drink alcohol and abuse it to the point that we depend on it everyday we tend to forget what it feels like to be sober and live a life of sobriety.

We also need to stay positive and have a positive attitude at all times.

HERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT KEEP ME SOBER DURING MY RECOVERY:

• I think to myself how hard I worked to get to the point of where I am now in my recovery.
• I think how many times I hurt my family and friends while I abused alcohol.
• I think how much money I wasted on alcohol, when I should of been using that money for my family needs.
• I think of all those horrible mornings feeling like crap from over drinking the night before.
• I write articles each day here on my blog and also on HubPages in hopes to help others that are suffering with an addiction to get and stay sober.
• I think of all the wasted days I had because of drinking my life away.
• I think of all the things I missed out on because I put alcohol before all else.
• Loss of quality time with my family and friends.

Those are a few things to think about when you are in recovery.  You don't want to pick up that first drink when you ever get the urge for alcohol.  This will happen to you as it has happened to me a few times.  Having that temptation to drink when something may not go the way you have wanted it to go.

Living in recovery is a wonderful thing, but you will have those days you just wished you could have a drink and make things get better, but as we all know, drinking alcohol will not fix one thing in your life.  I learned that the hard way and it took many years to finally figure that out.

Enjoy your recovery and be proud of what you have accomplished in your life by beating your demons.

Stay strong and keep that positive attitude at all times.  Never let anyone or anything stand in your way of your recovery.  You need to be proud of yourself and love and respect yourself more than ever.

You will indeed have bad days in the future, as we all do, but never let those bad days make you reach for that first drink of alcohol.

Alcohol - The Temporary Escape From Reality

Alcohol the temporary escape from reality is so true and I can certainly relate to it. The buzz or being flat out drunk is only temporary and it will go away when you stop drinking and be taken over by your huge hangover in the morning.

So what should someone do to keep reality and whatever problem you may have from coming back? Well of course, keep on drinking and keep that drunk on.  This is what many people do to escape from reality.  They continue to drink each day hoping for things in their life to get better, not knowing that those problems will never go away because you are drinking alcohol.

I used to think, "wow I feel great drinking all this alcohol and I am not worried about a thing."  Sure drinking will tend to ease the problem because you simply don't care anymore at that time, until the booze wears off and then reality sets in and Bang, there is your problem you originally had.

Drinking alcohol will sometimes just make matters worse than they are.  You sit there drinking your life away coming up with all these stupid ideas that you may think will work to solve this so called problem in your life, and when you sober up and reality sets in again those so called great ideas sound stupid.

Your sober and think to yourself, "how in the world would this idea I had last night being drunk even work?"  Although last night when thinking up these wonderful ideas, they all sounded great, because you were not thinking clearly and you were drunk.  Does any of this sound familiar to you?  It sure does to me!

When I was drinking and getting drunker by the minute I thought I could run the world. I thought nothing could get me down. I knew everything and had answer for anything, although those answers were most likely wrong.

Alcohol is a wonderful thing?  It make you forget about anything happening in your life, but just for short while until you sober up.

Don't get me wrong, I love alcohol and loved to drink it every single day of the week without missing on day.  If by chance I was sick and down in bed, my mind only though about when "will I get better so I can drink again?"  That is really a sorry thing to think about when you are down and out with sickness and you are thinking about drinking alcohol and not thinking about getting better and what you can do to get better fast.  It was as if someone cut one of my limbs off.  That is how addicted you can get when you are missing a day or so without alcohol.  Pretty sad right? It is sickening to me now being sober.

I would give a anything to go into a club and have a drink or two and just shoot the breeze with the people at the bar, but I can't do that.  One or two drinks wouldn't cut it for me.  I would start a fire inside me if I were to have one sip of alcohol.

I know what would happen to me, so that is why I simply don't drink anything.  You have to know your body.  I know for a fact if I drank one sip of alcohol I would be right back to drinking alcohol every single day of the week.  That's why I don't drink and will continue not to drink for the rest of my life.  Sad, but true!

I have a friend that has written a book and has a website called "living sober sucks, (but living drunk sucks more)" Those words are so true in my book now.  Living sober does indeed SUCK, but I have to do what I have to do in order to save my life and all those that are in my life.  Family and friends are far more important to me than any alcohol by far. What is your choice?

I guess it is all what you want in life.  To be happy, healthy and sober or just live drunk everyday.  Sooner or later the alcohol will indeed catch up with you and you will be the one that suffers in the end.

Alcohol Addiction And How It Will Effect Your Life And Others

So many people have this huge problem with alcohol addiction.  We all need to really sit down and think of our alcohol addiction and how it will effect your life and others in the future and right as of today.

We get so involved in our addiction to alcohol and we tend to forget about our life and what our addiction is doing to others that care and love us so.

The more we drink and abuse alcohol the more we are getting addicted. I know from my experience of drinking alcohol, that as each week passed by I needed more and more to get to that point of being satisfied with the buzz I was out to achieve.

We tend to get blinded by our own addiction.  We think more of alcohol than our own life and others that are being effected by what we are doing.

Do you think you are just a social drinker or do you think deep down inside you may have an alcohol addiction?

HERE ARE SOME TELL TALE SIGNS THAT YOU MAY HAVE A DRINKING PROBLEM.

• Do you try to hide your alcohol and pretend you don't drink as much as others think?
• Are you ashamed or feel guilty by your drinking habits?
• Does your family or friends worry or say things regarding your drinking?
• Do you need to have alcohol in order to get through each day?
• Do you drink alcohol in order to relax?
• Do you disagree with what others say to you regarding your alcohol intake?
• You never know when to stop drinking.
• You think of alcohol, and when you can have your first drink of the day as soon as you wake up.
• You drink alcohol alone.
• You are embarrassed of your addiction.
• And you live in denial, thinking there is nothing wrong whatsoever by what you do.
• You use alcohol to try and solve problems.
• You relationships are falling apart, but you do nothing to stop drinking. 
• You refuse to attend a function that alcohol would not be served.
• Continue to have trouble with the law (DUI) etc.
• You make any excuse to drink alcohol.

So there are a few things I can think about, and what effected my life regarding my own addiction to alcohol.

If you think you may have a problem with your drinking, then really consider making a life change and seek living life clean and sober. Believe me, lots of your drinking buddies will say something to you about your decision to quit drinking alcohol, but never let that stands in your way of sobriety.

Let them continue to kill themselves as your life begins to improve and you get healthy and happier as each day passes. You will never regret living a life of sobriety.  As I said many times before, "all of us here on Earth have but one life to live," so why would we shorten that one life with an avoidable addiction to alcohol?

One thing I have learned that helped me get sober and stay sober is having a positive attitude. It has changed my life in more ways than one. You need to continue to tell yourself that you Can and Will get and stay sober. No negative thoughts whatsoever, and that means anything you do in life, not just getting sober.

How To Help An Alcoholic Quit Drinking

HERE ARE THE TWO BEACH CHAIRS MY WIFE AND I SAT IN MANY TIMES LOOKING AT THE OCEAN AND THANKING GOD FOR MY SOBRIETY.

There are so many families that have one or even two people (husbands and wives) that are are addicted to alcohol.  In many cases that I know of, and one case was my past addiction to alcohol that my wife wanted to help me try and quit drinking alcohol, but anything she said, I just wouldn't listen because I thought she didn't know what she was talking about.  After all, in my mind, I had no problem whatsoever with my alcohol, and how much I drank of it. I guess I was living in denial for sure.

That being said, there are, I am sure, millions of families going through the same thing as I did.  The spouse wants in the worse way to know how to help an alcoholic quit drinking, but doesn't know the right way to go about it without getting into a huge argument with the alcoholic.

It is like walking on eggshells in a sense.  You want to help the alcoholic, but worry at the same time that you my light a fuse and make things worse than they really are.  Some spouses just say nothing and deal with the tortures the alcoholic puts them through, until one day, they just have had enough.

That is when things could get ugly in a sense, because they have been holding back saying to the alcoholic what they really think and feel.  They just want to help the alcoholic get sober again and remain sober, but in many cases lost for words.  And suddenly they start to spurt out everything they have been holding back for so long.

Sometimes arguments and fights may start because the alcoholic knows the truth deep down, but they still don't want to be helped.  They may say, (as I did) "I can stop drinking alcohol anytime I wish."  Well you know, as well as I know that is a false statement, at least for me it was.

Sometimes the alcoholic needs to be threatened, such as the spouse threatening to leave and not come back until things in the alcoholics life changes for the better.  Sometimes, as hard as it might be to do, you need to light a fire under the alcoholics butt and let them know you mean business in every word you speak.

Many times this will work and make the alcoholic think twice before drinking another alcoholic drink.  It worked for me that's for sure.  Those words, "I WILL LEAVE YOU IF YOU DON'T STOP DRINKING!"

Words such as those are not to hurt the alcoholic, they are to help them.  Those words of meaning business may save the marriage or relationship and will in turn save the alcoholics life. Tough love as they call it!

I guess the whole thing here is, if the alcoholic truly loves their spouse, parents or relationship enough, they will stop drinking alcohol and start their recovery process towards long term sobriety.  That is what will make the difference of continuing to drink or quitting drinking.  Love, and what is more important in their life.  Their spouses, families and friends or alcohol?  It is not a hard decision to make!

If you really want your spouse to get sober and stay sober try sitting down with him/her while they are sober, (with no alcohol in them) and try to explain in a calm way what they are doing to them self and how their drinking is effecting the family and friends they have.

The alcoholic has to know this unless they are totally blind to the whole situation.  I knew and agreed that every word spoken was correct, BUT when a alcoholic lives in denial it might be a bit hard to convince them to stop drinking.

The alcoholic has to be ready to change his/her life on their own and not be forced or threatened into sobriety, because if the alcoholic is not ready, no matter what you say will make a difference. I can relate, because I had those talks many times and might of stopped drinking for short time to let the fire burn out and then, bang, right back at my old habits.

In the case of my 2009 experience drinking my beer in the garage all alone, a voice came into my head and it was a voice that changed my life forever.  While the talks I had with my wife helped me understand what I was doing to the family and myself, the voice that came about me convinced me I had to get sober and to do it at that moment.

HERE IS THE ARTICLE I WROTE ON HUBPAGES
 A LIFE CHANGING WHISPER

I wish that every alcoholic could experience what I did. Many people will not believe me and what I have written in this article, but I know what I heard and that is all that matters.  I am a SOBER guy once again and will remain clean and sober for the rest of my life.  I never want to go through the hell of alcohol addiction ever again.   

Stand up to your addiction and save your own life.  Your life is worth a second chance, so give it to yourself.  You will never be sorry you made the decision to quit drinking alcohol!

Signs Of An Alcoholic

HERE I WAS BACK IN 2009, DRINKING ALONE AS I MENTIONED IN THIS POST AND RIGHT BEFORE I DECIDED TO STOP DRINKING ALCOHOL FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

Millions of people in the world drink alcohol.  Some can handle it and then there are those that can not handle alcohol whatsoever.

Many of those that can't handle alcohol may often ask themselves."what are signs of an alcoholic?"  Am I an alcoholic or just someone that loves drinking?

From my past experiences of my addiction to alcohol, I can honestly say when I asked that same question to myself, it was YES indeed, I was an alcoholic. I knew deep down inside of me that I was, but did I think others thought the same about me?

I can assure you they thought I had a drinking problem.  Many would not come right out and say it to me, but hearing the way they spoke to me I knew they knew something was up and just didn't want to come right out and say it to me.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF BEING AN ALCOHOLIC?

• CRAVING A DRINK THE MINUTE YOU WAKE UP.
• DRINKING EVERYDAY OF THE WEEK.
• NEED TO HAVE A DRINK BEFORE YOUR DAY CAN BEGIN.
• DRINKING TILL WEE HOURS IN THE MORNING.
• PROBLEMS WITH YOUR SPOUSE REGARDING HE/SHE TELLING YOU DRINK TO MUCH.
• YOUR HAPPY AND THE NEXT MINUTE YOU ARE A DIFFERENT PERSON.
• YOUR BEHAVIOR CHANGES AS YOU DRINK MORE AND MORE.
• DRINKING ALONE.
• HIDING YOUR ALCOHOL.
• NEVER WANTING TO ATTEND A FUNCTION THAT DOESN'T SERVE ALCOHOL.
• CAN NOT REMEMBER THE NIGHT BEFORE.
• SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, UNLESS YOU HAVE PASTED OUT.
• YOU NEED MORE AND MORE ALCOHOL TO GET TO THE DRUNK STAGE.
• LOSING JOBS BECAUSE OF YOUR DRINKING PROBLEM.
• FREQUENT FIGHTING OR ARGUMENTS WITH YOUR FAMILY.
• DENIAL THAT YOU HAVE A SERIOUS DRINKING PROBLEM.

If you are seeing signs that you maybe an alcoholic then I would really stop and take a hard look at your life and those lives around you.  Is it really worth losing everything in your life from an avoidable addiction to alcohol.  I bet you are saying NO, it is not worth losing everything from something that will kill you in the end.

If you said No it is not worth it, then are you going to do something about it or just continue to drink your life away?

Believe me once the demons get hold of your body it will get harder and harder to get out of your addiction to alcohol.  Don't let that happen.  Nip it in the bud before it is too late!

I know you might think, "how can I live without alcohol in my life when I have been so used to having it be a huge part of your life?"

Trust me, you can live without alcohol.  You will see a new you my friends!  Your spouse, family and friends will see a new you, and you will be so proud of yourself when you finally stop drinking alcohol forever.

You will start to feel back to your old self.  Your appearance will not look like you are an alcoholic anymore. Your health will improve each and everyday.  You will regain your self-esteem and start living with a positive attitude, and not be so down on yourself because of your addiction. You know how alcoholic may say, Why Me? why doesn't anything go right in my life?

To tell you the truth, nothing will go right in your life unless you do something to change it.  You have to help yourself before anyone or anything can help you.  If you are not willing to make that change and make something out of your life, then I guess you will continue to be a lonely alcoholic for the rest of your life.

You will start to lose things, one at a time, and before you know it, you will then hit rock bottom.  Speaking of rock bottom, sometimes it takes an alcoholic to hit rock bottom before he/she does something to change his/her life.  Don't Let This Happen To You!

Why Is It So Hard To Stop Drinking Alcohol

There are millions of people in the world that drink alcohol.  Some can handle their alcohol and then there are some that just get addicted and wind up abusing alcohol.

For those that got addicted to the booze and want to stop drinking often ask them self, "why is it so hard to stop drinking alcohol?"

I know for a fact, trying to stop drinking alcohol is a very hard thing to overcome since you have been drinking and abusing it for so long.  Somewhere deep down inside us (the alcoholic) wants to live a life of sobriety, but the alcohol that has been in our life for so long wants no part of leaving our bodies.  The demons are settled in us, and very content as long as we feed them the daily dose of alcohol.

But, watch out if we decide to slow down or simply stop drinking all together. That would really piss off the demons inside each alcoholic, and they will put your body through the tortures of hell.  We all know how we feel if we stop drinking.  I know that I felt like crap for sometime, but I keep telling myself that I can and will beat this addiction to alcohol I have.

Any alcoholic can do the same if that is what you want in your life.  Many alcoholics are very content with drinking alcohol everyday of their lives and don't care what the consequences will be in the future.

If you truly love yourself, you will not put your body through this painful thing we call alcohol addiction.  You can stop drinking if you want to!  You are the one that is in full control of the one and only body you have.

Give your life a second chance and just try to stop drinking and see how your life will begin to turn around as mine did back in 2009.

A would recommend highly to seek Professional Help if you do decide to stop drinking.  You have to detox the right and safe way.  It will be very dangerous if you try to stop drinking on your own as I did.  I made up my mind to quit drinking back in October 2009 and simply went cold turkey.  Yes I was scared to death for things I heard about going cold turkey and the dangers of doing so.

I took upon my own to do it anyway regardless of the outcome.  Why, because I was afraid to go to any Doctor or Rehab. Center for the worry of what they may say to me regarding my long relationship with alcohol. I even thought to myself, "it just might too late to heal my body and live a sober life."

With that said, I chose to go Cold Turkey anyway.  I took a huge change and worried every minute of the day and night, wondering if something horrible was going to happen to me.  Will I get sick by not detoxing the correct and safe way? I was a nervous wreck I must say.

Once I made it through the first week or so without a drink, and my nerves started to get a little better, I knew I could make it and change my life.

So Lets Get Back To The Main Question Of Why Is It So Hard For You To Stop Drinking Alcohol?

• Is it that you are simply not ready to stop drinking?
• Is it that you don't know how you will survive without alcohol in your body?
• Is it that you feel that your drinking friends will look down at you because you stopped drinking?
• Is it that you feel you would have no more fun at parties or any kind of functions?
• What is stopping you from changing your life?
• There must be something holding you back from living a life of sobriety.
• You must know the answer of why it is so hard to quit drinking.
• Are you simply afraid of living clean and sober because you have been drinking for so long?

Stopping drinking is not as hard as most people make it to be.  I thought I would never in a million years be clean and sober again, but I sure fooled myself.  If you want something bad enough in life you will achieve it, and that includes your sobriety.

The only thing holding you back from sobriety is, you and you alone.  You make the call my friends.  I guess it depends on whether or not you wish to live or die.

Does that word DIE frighten you?  It should.  We all were given a gift of life and many of us chose to ruin the one and only life we have with the addiction to alcohol and drugs.  

Life is precious and we should start to cherish our life a little more than we do.  Get sober and get healthy again.  Live the life you were given in a clean and sober way, and stop making excuses of why it is so hard to quit drinking.

Put your mind to it and it will happen.  Think positive and act positive and you will see results, and that includes anything in life.  Negativity will get you nowhere in life, but pure depression.

It is not hard to stop drinking.  I did it and so can you!  The only way to stop drinking alcohol is to JUST STOP!  It is that simple.  Now, make up your mind to get sober and do it.  Time is wasting away, and your life clock is ticking away as you hesitate on getting sober and finding your sobriety.