There is no shame in having a problem. Alcoholism is a disease and like any other disease you have to treat it to get better. There is no way to do it alone and you must beware of denial. There will be one day when you wake up and realize.... "I'm in trouble!"
Redditor u/JakeTheMan47 wanted to hear from those in recovery and how they got there by asking.... [Serious] Former Alcoholics of Reddit, what was the moment when you realized you needed to seek help?
Rest Well.
cdn.pixabay.comI remember talking with a good friend. She suggested that maybe I had a problem with alcohol.
I told her: "I don't have a problem, I just need to drink every night to relax and get to sleep."
She pointed out, plainly, "Dude, if you need to drink every night, you have a problem." I don't know why it never occurred to me, but her statement really opened my eyes. whomp1970
I See it Now.
I was in a state, getting blackout drunk every night, refusing to believe I had a problem. Getting angry at anyone who insinuated that I did. Distancing myself from people who did think I had a problem, isolating myself to hide my drinking etc. I even went to rehab as a way to save my job and get everyone off my back, and still refused to admit to myself that I had a problem. My plan was so stay the 6 weeks, and then go back to drinking again. I just wanted people to leave me the heck alone. I was there for about a week and a half living with 30 other addicts, when it hit me like a ton of bricks that I really was in the crap, and that I needed some serious help.
Unfortunately it's called rock bottom for a reason. Emotional pleading, logic and reason usually falls on deaf ears, and they have to come to the decision themselves that the pain of living is less than the pain of continuing on as they have been. homietheclown
15 Years Down.
Living in my car, my mother had told me just a few months before that she would no longer have any contact with me until I cleaned up, the rest of my family had dropped me long before. I was sitting in my car in a Walmart parking lot, I hadn't showered in weeks, I had no idea the last time I ate, and I was racking my brain trying to figure out how to get my next fix. I realized I didn't want to live like that anymore. I made the decision to drive with the last of my gas to a detox center and I haven't had a drop of anything since, that was almost 15 years ago. pickmeacoolname
Poor Kitty.
Saw my cat getting thinner because I haven't been feeding him because I was always drunk. noondayrind
Damn, that's actually pretty brave of you to admit here man. I hope all is well now. Arctlc
Get Smart.
GiphyI didn't seek help exactly I just listened to my drunk brain which had been pleading with me for 6 months to stop doing it to myself. Sober me was stubborn... but sober now 2 years.
When you realize drunk you is smarter than sober you... its time to stop. emmajensey
Lost in All!
Ending up dropping out of university, becoming nearly homeless, losing literally all my friends apart from one that I lived with, girlfriend left me, family moved away, I was spending £30-£50 a day on whiskey and cheap vodka, and became dangerously depressed.
Many moments should have been the wake up call but really it was the time I woke up covered in sick in my apartment when roommate was out of the country, I had a ripped plastic bag on my head, blood on my face, and smashed glass everywhere. I just thought about if I had died that night like planned what that would do to the roommate. Just imaging him having to tell my family screwed me up.
Good news. Haven't drank in 3 years. Just about to graduate, got new friends that I'm super close to, been with a girl for a year and will move in together in a few months, comfortable financially for my age, super close with family and sister is moving close so we can hang out more, but most importantly that roommate is still in my life and I told him of that night recently and we just held each other and cried and just said that we can't end up like that's again. We see each other as brothers and I have no doubt that this guy is the best person I've ever met! Kimo_Hare
No Reset.
After a few years of escalation, and then a series of hospitalizations within a few months, I was still trying to keep drinking in my life. I received a lot of pressure from family to go to AA/rehab/detox during this time but still couldn't imagine life without alcohol. I was basically at the tipping point between imminent death and a chance at living a few more years or maybe decades, and I still couldn't imagine a life without drinking.
Then late one night I fell again and made a lot of noise again and somehow that is when I realized there was only one viable option. I texted a family member that I would be willing to try to get a bed at a hospital to detox and luckily she held me to it that morning (like, three hours later).
The amazing thing is all the moments that should have made me realize it and how terrible my behavior was and how terrible I was. And even though I have been sober for over a year there is no reset button for much of that. GravesLight
The List.
I realized I needed help when I challenged myself not to drink for a few days and failed after 6 hours.
When I took a 2 hours long train ride at midnight from the place I've been staying to the closest open liquor store.
When I counted every empty bottle hidden in various places of my house so my family wouldn't see them (over 300 bottles). I-should-delete-this
Just can't Quit!
I used to drink a lot and do a lot of benzos and there were a lot of points where I should have had a realization and I didn't.
My brothers had an intervention for me, which did prompt some change but not enough. I tried to quit but you can't just quit benzos so I ended up seizing at work with a grand mal seizure.
I lost a lot of motivation after that and only when I realized that I wanted my ex-girlfriend back was the true motive. I couldn't have done it without a goal at the end. She definitely wouldn't take me back while I was still on stuff so that really made me quit.
She supported me through 10 -12 weeks of withdrawal and now we are living together happier than ever! I am almost 2 years off of all that crap and it feels so good.
Also, shameless plug for /r/benzorecovery if anyone needs help. SubatomicTitan
2/18/17....
GiphyThis actually just happened for me recently. Been sober since 2/18/17! I was just drinking more than I wanted to. I was drinking alone. I was coming home from the bar with friends and drinking more before bed. Spending way too much money on alcohol. Feeling like crap everyday. It's been tough but I feel great! Also I've lost about 20lbs which is a nice bonus. ShotList0
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
