Lesson learned and prayer request for cleanness

[Saint of Light]

God is good, but sometimes we have to learn lessons the hard way. If our heavenly father didn’t allow us to suffer because of our mistakes, we would continue to make those same mistakes—which could, if not corrected, lead to serious consequences sometime in the future. This is especially true in the case of alcoholism and day drinking when you consider that alcoholics have shorter lifespans. Indeed, their lifespans are even shorter than smokers.

I made the mistake of day drinking yesterday. I began drinking at about 2:00 in the afternoon and finished shortly before going to bed, having consumed about 8 or 9 beers during this time span. Something bad happened to me shortly after being abruptly woken up at an odd hour in the morning, unable to return to sleep. It isn’t something I wish to elaborate on, but trust me, my lesson has been learned the hard way.

Mind you, drinking in and of itself isn’t a sin. If you consume one glass of wine at 6:00 in the evening, done only on occasion and not every day, it isn’t a problem at all. A problem is definitely there, however, when people day drink, drink to excess, and drink every day (or rather almost every day), all of which describe me.

My prayer request is not to drink today. I don’t want alcohol, even though I physically crave it. In fact, I wish to take it a step further and never drink (or at least very seldomly drink) for about a year, possibly two years. Then maybe I can try drinking in moderation and on occasion. If anyone can pray these things for me, I very much appreciate it. Thank you.

 

[quietthinker]

God is good, but sometimes we have to learn lessons the hard way. If our heavenly father didn’t allow us to suffer because of our mistakes, we would continue to make those same mistakes—which could, if not corrected, lead to serious consequences sometime in the future. This is especially true in the case of alcoholism and day drinking when you consider that alcoholics have shorter lifespans. Indeed, their lifespans are even shorter than smokers.

I made the mistake of day drinking yesterday. I began drinking at about 2:00 in the afternoon and finished shortly before going to bed, having consumed about 8 or 9 beers during this time span. Something bad happened to me shortly after being abruptly woken up at an odd hour in the morning, unable to return to sleep. It isn’t something I wish to elaborate on, but trust me, my lesson has been learned the hard way.

Mind you, drinking in and of itself isn’t a sin. If you consume one glass of wine at 6:00 in the evening, done only on occasion and not every day, it isn’t a problem at all. A problem is definitely there, however, when people day drink, drink to excess, and drink every day (or rather almost every day), all of which describe me.

My prayer request is not to drink today. I don’t want alcohol, even though I physically crave it. In fact, I wish to take it a step further and never drink (or at least very seldomly drink) for about a year, possibly two years. Then maybe I can try drinking in moderation and on occasion. If anyone can pray these things for me, I very much appreciate it. Thank you.

If you've never been to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, it's well worth the effort to chase some up. You'll find them insightful and encouraging.

 

[amadeus]

God is good, but sometimes we have to learn lessons the hard way. If our heavenly father didn’t allow us to suffer because of our mistakes, we would continue to make those same mistakes—which could, if not corrected, lead to serious consequences sometime in the future. This is especially true in the case of alcoholism and day drinking when you consider that alcoholics have shorter lifespans. Indeed, their lifespans are even shorter than smokers.

I made the mistake of day drinking yesterday. I began drinking at about 2:00 in the afternoon and finished shortly before going to bed, having consumed about 8 or 9 beers during this time span. Something bad happened to me shortly after being abruptly woken up at an odd hour in the morning, unable to return to sleep. It isn’t something I wish to elaborate on, but trust me, my lesson has been learned the hard way.

Mind you, drinking in and of itself isn’t a sin. If you consume one glass of wine at 6:00 in the evening, done only on occasion and not every day, it isn’t a problem at all. A problem is definitely there, however, when people day drink, drink to excess, and drink every day (or rather almost every day), all of which describe me.

My prayer request is not to drink today. I don’t want alcohol, even though I physically crave it. In fact, I wish to take it a step further and never drink (or at least very seldomly drink) for about a year, possibly two years. Then maybe I can try drinking in moderation and on occasion. If anyone can pray these things for me, I very much appreciate it. Thank you.

Praying that God help you in this in accord with His will for you.

 

[Cassandra]

Had you thought about reaching out to a group like AA? sSometimes God works through human agents. You'd have alot of support there.

Of course prayer as well.
I just saw under this thread a thread you made in August relating to medication for ADD. That does not mix well with alcohol. I found this on WEBMD:

• Stimulants, like Adderall (amphetamine salts), improve communication between brain cells. Alcohol slows down chemical signals within the brain.
• Drinking alcohol with stimulants that treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be dangerous. These medications can raise the risk of alcohol poisoning. Alcohol can also make medication side effects more likely.
• No ADHD medication is safe to take with alcohol. Speak with your healthcare provider about your unique risks based on your health condition.

We wouldn't want to lose you. Please consider getting outside help.

♥♥♥♥

 

[Saint of Light]

Thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement. Alcoholism is a serious problem that I’ve struggled with for years. Sometimes I’ve been able to stay clean for extended periods of time, except eventually something bad might happen to me: Anger, distress over unfairness, or some other trigger will make me relapse. At this point, I might drink one or two drinks, but not for long: My drinking invariably gets worse, little by little, and after three or four weeks I’m up to eight or nine drinks per day again.

Last Friday I spoke with my doctor about my alcoholism problem, and she prescribed a 6-day supply of Ativan 1 mg—a pill that suppresses GABA (which is overactive in alcoholics and makes quitting without help very difficult)—to assist with my detox. My insurance prior authorization went through yesterday, so I picked up my meds this morning. The results have been astonishingly good: The anxiety, unpleasant chills, hot and cold spells, and excessive sweating are entirely absent. Granted, I still get cravings; but since the horrible withdrawal side effects are gone, the cravings are minimal. This has made me suspect that it wasn’t exactly the alcohol I was craving, but rather relief from the effects of alcoholism. An interesting insight, no doubt.

Some of you suggested Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. I’ve been to some before; it’s basically group therapy for keeping clean. At this stage in my alcoholism, though, I think detoxing with meds is the best option. AA meetings are something I’ll consider after my detox is complete. I fear that if I go and hear only discussions about alcohol and avoiding alcohol while it’s getting out of my system, it will cause me to want to drink from constantly hearing not to drink, if that makes sense. But once I am detoxed and not having alcohol on my mind so constantly, I will definitely go to a few more meetings.

 

[Saint of Light]

Had you thought about reaching out to a group like AA? sSometimes God works through human agents. You'd have alot of support there.

Of course prayer as well.
I just saw under this thread a thread you made in August relating to medication for ADD. That does not mix well with alcohol. I found this on WEBMD:

• Stimulants, like Adderall (amphetamine salts), improve communication between brain cells. Alcohol slows down chemical signals within the brain.
• Drinking alcohol with stimulants that treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be dangerous. These medications can raise the risk of alcohol poisoning. Alcohol can also make medication side effects more likely.
• No ADHD medication is safe to take with alcohol. Speak with your healthcare provider about your unique risks based on your health condition.

We wouldn't want to lose you. Please consider getting outside help.

♥♥♥♥

Thank you for that bit of information. I actually stopped taking my ADD pills for two weeks, since I’ve gained weight and my blood pressure has subsequently gone up. My doctor gave me a higher dose of blood pressure medicine, and my follow-up appointment with her to get it checked is on the 23rd. It takes three days for alcoholics to return back to normal (or achieve homeostasis). That is plenty of time to get the alcohol out of my system and blood pressure under control. I’ll have to make sure to ask her if I can resume taking my ADD medicine; thank you so much for the heads-up.