Cold turkey alcohol withdrawal cured my addiction, am I a freak of nature?

originally posted by: angeltone
a reply to: JAGStorm
Alcoholic gene is interesting, I'm not even half a century yet, and both parents and two older brothers are dead directly from using ethanol...I call it that because that is the specific drug which killed all of them.

Especially since alcohol has been in the human story en masse since at least 3000BC. In Egypt, beer was almost literally all they drank. Was still so in the 1800's United States, booze was safer to drink and liquor & beer were the go to's over water.

Stay strong , you can do this.

Your not alone and your not a freak. When I went to rehab I was determined to quite cold turkey ( I had tried many times by myself but seemed unable I kept falling in the the same crowd doing the same things) I was a alcoholic and an addict. As you say they offered me a plethora of drugs to help “ease” my detox. I turned it all down knowing full well I would just become addicted to those as well. I loved all the substances anything I could get my hands on. Removing myself from my old life seemed the only option to give me a chance so that’s why I chose rehab. I went to one 600km from my home as well even tho we had a local centre.

Recovery really is a life long affair so I disagree on that front as in you can’t drink any longer your still an alcoholic just one that dosent drink. I too keep alcohol in my home for guests but not for me the desire to drink is gone. I can’t stand drunk people tho I like you i never go to bars because having a sober mind I just cannot tolerate smashed people. They actually disgust me, but I grew up in a alcoholic home as a child and hated that I was no better then my parents in adult hood, hated myself and my addictions with burning passion.

I had withdrawals from the booze and well a few others…got the bugs crawling all over me, the cold sweats, heart palpitations. Had delusions ect. But after all that broke I’d hardly say I was cured. A part of me as much as I hated my addiction loved the dangerous high risk life I was living. Regular sober life seemed so boring, predictable and well hallow….i was wrong tho I stayed with it because I had a dream. My dream was to have a big family with many children I am the only son of an only son and my whole family was/is sick with addiction. I wanted to do better, be better not just for me but for my family right the wrongs that started way before I was born.


I knew I could never achieve my dream if I carried on the way I was.

As for going through withdrawls my old man has probably done it a dozen times yet he always goes back to his old ways he cannot let go of the past he cannot become a different new person.

For me I killed the old me. I did away with everything no more friends from that life no more places from that life. Same name different person.

I wish you all the best In your new life and every happiness available.

As a strange synchronicity the same day I checked into rehab at near the same time my son was born two years later. I already celebrated that day as my sober day but I was gifted a son my dream on the very same day….the stars aligned for me it would seem.

Thanks for sharing
a reply to: angeltone

a reply to: angeltone
You are lucky to be alive.
Liter of Vodka everyday is rock star level.
Well done for quitting but if you ever relapse dont quit the same way-get some anti anxiety meds like xanax for the first couple of weeks-That drug is the same kind as alcohol-A GABA inhibitor-which will allow you to not die or hallucnate while you are quitting.No need to be taking them long term,just the first weeks.

Hopefully you dont need that advice but anyway.

Ths isn't a dig at you but-
Have you changed your view of your previous employers ?-Those who are essentially the only legal drug cartel in Britain,and who choose alcohol to be the only legal mind altering substance we are allowed to consume,even though safer alternatives exist..

Of all the drugs out there pretty much only alcohol and opiates can kill you if you stop suddenly.
And of damage to society,domestic violence,wreaked families and destuction of health,nothing comes close to alcohol.

Seems kind of messed up that the government make a fat paycheck out of the sale of booze really,considering its negative effects but what do I know.

Also the free bar the government have...sorry but F#k that sh#t man.Why the hell should we pay for government ministers to get bladdered every day when they are supposed to be running the counrty ?
No wonder the state of the place FFS.

Haha sorry for ranting but that really irks me.

One saying in rehab that was said to me often is you need to get strong in here physically and mentally because your addiction and your demons are doing push-ups in the parking lot waiting for you.

a reply to: olaru12

a reply to: godsovein
Omg I think alcohol is a fantastic social drug for humans, so long as it's not an every single night use drug.
I do miss the silliness of being drunk now, but I totally accept that personally I have blown my own relationship with the drug.
The good thing though is that all friends forget I'm sober when they are drunk, so I still have the same fun, coz happy drunk friends are exceptionally funny, but I just KNOW I can never ever trust myself having a single drink again...coz I'd wake up the next day and be right back on it!

I've said to all my mates though if I ever get some incurable cancer or something I'm definitely definitely going out steaming blind drunk to finish myself off!!🤣

Congrats!

I have been sober 1 year, 9 months and 7 days.

I was the same as you, at least a liter of vodka a day...don't know what it is, but most in recovery I have met ended with vodka.

I did 5 days of detox and the rest on my own. When you are done, you are done. I have not looked back.

Professionally, I am doing the best I ever have.

If you struggle, my DM is open.

And that goes for any of you struggling with alcohol. I will help you how I can.

And since we are CTs, remember:

TPTB don't have to kill you if you are killing yourself.

a reply to: Athetos
Oh thank you for sharing as well!
I personally couldn't leave the 'drinking culture' coz I'd basically have zero friends all of a sudden!
And I do genuinely love ALL the silliness of friendly happy drunks, just when they turn morose and melancholy late in the night I just make my tiredness excuses and leave before the fighting starts!🤣

Yup it’s hard finding yourself with no friends, but I made more with time and I actually came to realize that the friends from my old life were never actually my friends just other codependent addicts I used them they used me and we all used together. After I become sober we had nothing in common, no more need to meet I had nothing to give them and they had nothing I wanted.

Thats just my experience not saying it as any kind of absolute truth just what I had to do.

a reply to: angeltone

a reply to: theatreboy
Oh thanks fella!
It's been 28 months now though and I've purposely put myself in every drinking environment I can to test myself.
Zero temptations at all, from mates homes, to pubs, nightclubs, even raves lol, I think I was just lucky the withdrawals were so horrific to me, that I'll never ever be tempted again.... unless I get some incurable cancer or something coz I'll go out absolutely steaming drunk then definitely!🤣

a reply to: Silcone Synapse
Omg mate I'm a former 90's raver, I saw the hypocrisy of drug legislation way back then.
I was scoring coke and MDMA for junior government ministers while on detachment in London, just so I'd be the fall guy if anyone was getting caught!🤣
MDMA remains my favourite drug, and I was dancing at a few places last summer, cops were laughing when they told me they don't give a # about drugs, coz thousands of people dancing at a licensed event had zero violence solely because nobody was drunk!
One cop said he'd rather work a festival site than ANY high street on a weekend!🤣

a reply to: Brassmonkey

One is too many, a thousand is not enough.

a reply to: Brassmonkey


Ummm...I'm not a believer in addiction...I'm a believer in conviction...

One thing I noticed about every person I've met that has this issue...is that they absolutely love their negative descriptors when defining their inability to stop using their personal choice of habitual intoxicant...

It's always...I can't quit...I can't stop...then...having convinced themselves that they...can't...they don't...

Their personal conviction formed from all of the negative modifiers they use to define their behavior...is what keeps them locked in their depressive cycles...

It all boils down to personal choice...and personal responsibility...choosing to use is a decision..choosing to tell oneself just how much they can't accomplish...is a decision...

This from a man who makes his own ethanol...and has gallons in the house at any given time...yet chooses to have a drink or two...or chooses not to...all because I never tell myself I need to...and because I don't desire to...and I don't use it to get high or drunk...but because I love the flavor and the science involved in the process...

That's also why I make my own hamburger and sausage...and pemmican and spam and jerky and mixed nut butter and cheese...and butter...and preserves...etc...

Both my parents were alcoholics BTW...and I had my fill of Ala teen and AA where the flavor of the day was always rehashing all the pain and grief and reminiscing on all those drunk days and nights...never once growing beyond...always falling over the crutch of responsibilities lack as responsibility was lain in the lap of...disease...which only provided easy excuse to hand over the failure of self indulgence to some...other...

Too much of..."the devil made me do it"...and not enough of..."the lord helps those...who help themselves"...

Which merely means..."get off your duff and stop making excuses"...


That's my opinion...borne through the eye of logic...and observation...









YouSir

I'm finally committing to the realization I'm a alcoholic - I can down a 5th of jack and walk straight and want more- It's weird I've quit multi times once my weight was 270 I quit drinking for 6 months and dropped down to 210 . This will be my 3rd time quitting 1-18 my BD I've been drinking since I was able to get a hold of it , I'm 54 now and afraid whatever damage is done - Granted I only drink a few beers and a bottle of wine a night now -

It's ruff I had a limo driver almost beat my ass one night didn't understand it at the time but he said "If I take one drink i'll drink the bottle"

I Understand him now .

But the thing is I've never had withdraws that were not Stress or anxiety 'This pissed me off today I need a drink" But I guess we can come up with excuses all day long .

Good job my Friend !

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

My problem is different.

I cant go completely without it, i'll feel anxious and edgy, maybe even slightly twitchy. It also thins the blood like aspirin for example, and i'll worry that im so used to having that effect that going without might cause a problem. You know, stupid things to worry about.

However, I never have more than 3 standard drinks in my system, usually 2 because I honestly don't like the way it feels, it's hard to understand why people chase that. I'll genuinely feel pretty crappy on too much, and also after too much, but also feel crappy with none.

So I drink everyday, but very spread out. I'll have 2 standard drinks with lunch, maybe 1 more in the late afternoon, 2 in the late evening, and 2 later at night closer to bed time. I avoid the weight gain by mixing it with diet soda instead of regular soda. Just 2 shots of basic rum in some soda. Don't really care for beers or wine daily. For something different its nice.

I come from a long line of alcoholics, and they helped mold me into the person I am today. I vowed I wouldn't drink while raising children, and would not allow alcohol in my home around them-especially during the holidays. Interestingly, all but one of my four kids have become alcoholics.

I had two younger siblings with FAS-both very low functioning. Both turned to alcohol.

I wish anyone dealing with addiction much strength and the very best outcome possible.

Tough subject.

The first time I quit I never knew that withdrawal could potentially be fatal, I never even researched it I just stopped and was totally fine. That lasted for two years and I started to feel like I could take on the world.

Alas, I went back to my old ways and spent another three years drinking until, one day, I decided I'd had enough again.

This time around it wasn't so easy and frankly was pretty terrifying. I truly believe we have a finite number of chances when
it comes to alcohol addiction. Every time you quit is exponentially harder than the last, I think it's known as 'kindling'.

I don't have much to add to your conspiracy theory but I just wanted to congratulate you and wish you all the best for the future.

a reply to: angeltone
Alcohol withdrawal can kill you easily. If you go to the hospital they usually give you a small supply of Xanax or something to pretty much keep you from dying while you detox. That's it the rest is just therapy. Bunch of weird drugs suggested for alcohol addiction. Once an addict always an addict is a myth. You will heal overtime. Focus on your health.

a reply to: Athetos
Fantastic! I, like you, did the same thing. It was like shedding an old skin. It was obvious I had to go scorched earth
on the situation or I would be dragged back into the same lifestyle. Gone went my so called drinking buddies, as quite frankly that was all that they were when push came to shove.

Funny how the phone calls stopped when they found out I'd quit lol

Congratulations on your new found life, you've earned it!

a reply to: angeltone

All I got from this is that if I give up drinking I get a swollen testicle.

I drink too much, glad you came out the other side.

Edit here after reading comments.

This is a big problem that I personally have, instead of looking at what it is, I make a joke about it.

After being used to a long term alcohol addiction I find the solution worse than the problem. That is the problem in itself.

Hats off to you though mate.

So you had to ditch all the people around you too then with that lifestyle?