I wemt to my local hospital and told them I was drinking too muc which was leading me to having bad thoughts and severe anxiety. I went directly to the hospital re hab where I remained for 28 days. I received therapy both group and individual inaddition to attending AA meeting per day I have stayed sober and continoe to live a sober lifs. Good lucj.. Linda

Wow, way to go. Kudos to you.

Unfortunately my friend never did stop drinking. She chose a FORCED way to stop. She is also overweight. Last week she had Vertical Sleeve operation in which they remove 85% of your stomach.

It's a MUCH more severe operation than the lap band. She will not be able to eat anything more than a protein shake and some jello for quite some time.

When she told me she was doing this I said "but since you can have liquids, why won't you think you will still drink"?

She said: "oh no, you can't drink alcohol, you'll throw up"

So it's been 7 days since surgery, she can't eat, (don't really know if she's doing the wine thing because after all IT'S A LIQUID).

But at least she did SOMETHING.

Thanks so much for all the replies I got.

And kudos again to you for what you did. May you continue your sobriety.

I myself battled weight gains and losses for most of my life.

I finally got that under control.

Best thing I ever did.

Take care

Hi, and I hope that your friend can find some help. There are other options besides AA. AA does have a good reputation however, and she just might decide she likes it. Most communities have 'resource centers. This center may find some counceling for her to receive some private help. Ususally the payments work on a sliding scale, according to your income.
I have turned to this center myself a number of times, and found the direction I needed. Also the local hosptial in your area, may have an out patient program. I do wish your friend all the best. Ginnie

Hi Ginnie and Steve:

Unfortunately she has not sought help and continues to drink. It is what it is. I know I can't help her so when she is like that, I simply say I have to go and will speak to her at another time.

We all have our crosses, issues, whatever. Some find solace in the church, some find solace in eating, some find solace in drinking. I find solace in sprouting. This is helped me lose weight, control my diabetes, feed us and I also help others. And I received a nice compliment from our physician yesterday. I had taken my husband who was just diagnosed with diabetes on September 1st. His sugar on that day was 350. On that day I looked at him and said "you belong to me now". He laughed and said "okay". Now it's down to 100 or below. The doctor could not believe it. And I give him a bag of my sprouts also when we go there. And my husband is not on any medication and he lost 8 lbs in the past two weeks alone.

So little by little, I believe all we can do is try to help ourselves and if others seek our help, then of course we have to do what we can. But if one is determined to destroy themselves, well then, we have to do our best not to join them. It's not easy.

And I hope Steve that your Parkinson is not giving you too hard a time today.

Take care and thanks to both of you for responding.

Melody

Sheesh, aint that the truth. I have a quote that I like to use every now and then by JK Rowling. "Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life"

Remember that most addicts\alcoholics DONT have a problem. Its that simple. And until that day when you wake up and it hits you that you have lost everything, they will drink or use.

People want to help, but they run out of options.

AA, Celebrate Recovery and the like are great programs if they work for the individual. For me, I could not stand AA, not sure why. But I am still sober and its take a life damaging instance to wake us up. Whether it be health, DUI, divorce, depression, etc....it will happen. Just hope its sooner than later.

IF you can, stay with them, be a friend, no judging, just be there.

I have a question. When someone has so many problems (that are not going to away) and they go to the liquor store and buy the wine and get dead drunk and then the next day they call you and say "why should I not drink? WHY??" and we have HAD that conversation before and I usually respond 'Because you are on a road to nowhere and you are harming yourself" and they respond 'But I don't care" how does someone respond to "I don't care"


thanks much
Melody

Well, from experience, I got to the point where I didnt care if I died. I was not suicidal, I just got as drunk as possible and really did not care what the consequences were. When you get that far down, and crave the booze, the outcome is irrelevant. Your mind makes you think that what you are doing is rational, that its normal, that people perceive you as functional. Now, in hindsight, its almost embarrassing.

I bought a room at a local hotel (a popular chain) for a year. One whole year. I turned off my iPhone, didnt tell anyone where I was and hired a local lady to do my 'shopping' for me...total seclusion. I didnt care what other people thought, all I thought about was where the next drink was coming from.

To answer your question, I am not sure how you should respond. I know that I refused to listen to anyone, because I 'knew' what was best for me. Dumb.

I think they gotta find their rock bottom.

Addiction is a complicated disease, that I honesty believe begins at conception..From my first memories, there was something that I felt was wrong with me, that I was different than other people..I lived in my own little world, and felt uncomfortable in my own skin, and has no idea why?..It was like there was something missing in my heart and soul, and emptiness..Then at age 13, I was with some friends who were passing a quart of vodka around and a had a few swigs, and I loved he way it burned when it went down, and then it made me high, and medicated that emptiness and made me feel whole for the first time in my life..That was the carrot on the stick that led me to oblivion

I drank for about 23 years, and at about year 19, alcohol drove me back into that lonely emptiness once again..I couldnt live with it or without it..Then I entered a confusing quagmire, when the more I drank, the larger the emptiness and the anxiety got..The very feelings that I had escaped from came back with a vengance..I made attempts to sober up, and during those times, the thing that dominated my thoughts, every moment of my abstinance, was going out and getting drunk..It haunted me relentlessly, untill I coulnt stand it anymore, so I drank, and the mad circle stated all over again..It was like being lost in a maze with no way out

Then at year 22 I found heroin, and it "fixed" me for another year, and it made me feel whole again, from what had betrayed my wholeness after 19 years..I felt like I was on the road again..This is the insanity of addiction, and this is where your friend is at right now..On the road to nowhere

On the morning of Oct 30, 1989 I woke up very sick and hung over, and had this profound feeling it was over, and it was..I believe with all my heart that God did for me tha morning what I couldnt do for myself..I got active in AA and havent had a drink since..Through the application of the 12 steps I found myself, and inner peace

Ozzy Ozbourne has been clean and sober for about 6 years now

Here is a link to a song he wrote about his personal confusion with addiction, called "the road to nowhere"..(leads to me)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=849e8WraKCk