Posted by lorily on July 28, 2004, at 10:45:49
In reply to Re: Effexor and Alcoholism » lorily, posted by pablo1 on July 28, 2004, at 9:48:24
Pablo, do you have any other outlets that give you a "feel good"?
When I was depressed and drank for it, it was to get numb because I was sooooo sick of feeling the way I was. At that time I wasn't taking ADs. It never turned off the pain, just got me deeper. I drank for so many different so-called reasons, it's hard to exxplain.
I know what you're saying about the AA thing. But, that's the individual, not the program of AA. True AA is following the principles as outlined in the book, Alcoholics Anonymous. The fellowship is a great thing for some, many get so involved they use it as their drink or drug. They really make it their life and for some in the beginning-it works for them. When I was unemployable, 20 thousand meetings back to back was safer for me than sitting home poisoning myself. I go to 1 or 2 meetings a week, have people in the program I talk with and my life is good. I've worked the steps as outlined in the book and it has freed me, after years of making fun of those "big-book thumpers" it really does work. You work the steps to take a look at yourself, get rid of your resentments, stop carrying around all that self-inflicted pain, and get the heck on with your life. I'm not an extremist with AA, but I live by the principles of the program. The book was written back in 1935 because Bill Wilson saw what people were doing with the message. They were turning all the principles to fit their own needs et cetera and spreading the word incorrectly. So, the book was written as a concrete text to show how it works. I recently read someone's quote about success rate of people using the book compared with people using the fellowship, which maybe your friend is doing--is a great difference. Either way, your friend is sober and living the life he chooses without dependancy and destruction by a bottle.
If you want to stop drinking, take a good look at why you drink, why you feel you can't stop and take steps to change that. It's a very simple beginning. I wish I could get high the way I used to--it was fun. Then it turned to utter hell and I don't wish that on my worst enemy (which I really don't have any, but you know what I mean--maybe if someone killed someone I loved, something like that I'd wish something like that.)
Sure a drink or two to reduce anxiety for normal people is one thing, not 4-5 or more every single night when you're taking meds. or not.
Good luck Pablo, I hope you get your answers.
poster:lorily
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040724/msgs/371620.html