I am here, finally, never thought i would be, baby steps taken.

[peeba7]

Greetings.

Fortunately this is such a common issue, there are a zillion resources..

Useful informative and helpful:

http://giveupdrinking.co.uk/index.php

My first wiki how, quite good:

http://www.wikihow.com/Quit-Drinking-Alcohol

and a funny one:

http://www.cracked.com/article_18824_5-things-nobody-tells-you-about-quitting-drinking.html

Quitting is easy, I've done it hundreds of times.

In fact I almost quit quitting.

Now where is that bottle, of water?

[peeba7]

Self assessment questionnaire:

http://giveupdrinking.co.uk/resources/50_Ways_Self_Assessment_Questionaire.pdf

20 questions, each scores from zero to five.

The maximum possible score is 60.

A score over 16 means you have a physical dependence on alcohol and will suffer withdrawal symptoms (e.g. shaking, sweating, anxiety, paranoia) if you do not have alcohol. You need professional help or advice to come off alcohol without adverse health problems.
31 or higher indicates ‘severe alcohol dependence’.
16 – 30 indicates ‘moderate dependence’.
16 or below usually indicates only mild physical dependency.

[Henry89]

Thanks! It helps to look at from the outside

[Johnniey]

Self assessment questionnaire:

http://giveupdrinking.co.uk/resources/50_Ways_Self_Assessment_Questionaire.pdf

20 questions, each scores from zero to five.

The maximum possible score is 60.

A score over 16 means you have a physical dependence on alcohol and will suffer withdrawal symptoms (e.g. shaking, sweating, anxiety, paranoia) if you do not have alcohol. You need professional help or advice to come off alcohol without adverse health problems.

31 or higher indicates ‘severe alcohol dependence’.

16 – 30 indicates ‘moderate dependence’.

16 or below usually indicates only mild physical dependency.

What was your score?

All the best in quitting for good, if that's what you want!

[Nearlynam]

I got 56. Maybe I wasn't that bad :-)

[big carl]

I got 56. Maybe I wasn't that bad :-)

Hang in there you have more room for your misery.

[peeba7]

 

Self assessment questionnaire:

http://giveupdrinking.co.uk/resources/50_Ways_Self_Assessment_Questionaire.pdf

20 questions, each scores from zero to five.

The maximum possible score is 60.

A score over 16 means you have a physical dependence on alcohol and will suffer withdrawal symptoms (e.g. shaking, sweating, anxiety, paranoia) if you do not have alcohol. You need professional help or advice to come off alcohol without adverse health problems.

31 or higher indicates ‘severe alcohol dependence’.

16 – 30 indicates ‘moderate dependence’.

16 or below usually indicates only mild physical dependency.

What was your score?

All the best in quitting for good, if that's what you want!

 

My score: TOO HIGH

That was months back.

Progress is being made but it is way too easy to get smug about stopping.

All it takes is one to start up again, followed by days or weeks of attempts to get back on the wagon.

[Sawan Chan 7]

It took me many many years of trying to quit myself until I realized I couldn't. I tried many many ways but te only one to work was AA.

I tried therapy, counselling, meditation, prayer,becoming a monk, going to the gym everyday, rational recovery, smart recovery, reading self-help books etc.

In the end the only thing that could help me was an other alcoholic. SImple! What a waste of 20 years!

Have you thought about AA?

[peeba7]

Great question! I went since I last posted.

Always great to be surrounded by others interested in improving themselves. However this is my take on AA and I have many and please correct me if I am wrong and there are always exceptions. They are happy and SMUG that they stopped drinking but they are not interested in taking it any further than that. Also there is no real discussion during the group meetings though I appreciate why on both accounts. Great group, great people, great idea, worked for untold thousands! I did not read the book but I did learn that the founder had his spiritual experience on belladonna and/or other mind drugs, very interesting.

This year I thought if I could just stop drinking everything will be fine, drinking was my only big problem. However it is really only a beginning.

Update, I am down to one beer a day maybe two if desperate, and no longer drink during the day or just to get by. I have little to no cravings for it which I can only attribute to some higher power, it is beyond me! I am also happy to report I no longer feel alcohol sick and like I am slowly but surely killing myself. If someone is desperate or in need of a sponsor like person to contact in time of need I make an open offer to help others in the ways I am able to.

[Nearlynam]

Are you an alcoholic? This is vital to know, IMHO.

[Nearlynam]

Great question! I went since I last posted.

Always great to be surrounded by others interested in improving themselves. However this is my take on AA and I have many and please correct me if I am wrong and there are always exceptions. They are happy and SMUG that they stopped drinking but they are not interested in taking it any further than that. Also there is no real discussion during the group meetings though I appreciate why on both accounts. Great group, great people, great idea, worked for untold thousands! I did not read the book but I did learn that the founder had his spiritual experience on belladonna and/or other mind drugs, very interesting.

This year I thought if I could just stop drinking everything will be fine, drinking was my only big problem. However it is really only a beginning.

Update, I am down to one beer a day maybe two if desperate, and no longer drink during the day or just to get by. I have little to no cravings for it which I can only attribute to some higher power, it is beyond me! I am also happy to report I no longer feel alcohol sick and like I am slowly but surely killing myself. If someone is desperate or in need of a sponsor like person to contact in time of need I make an open offer to help others in the ways I am able to.

You are correct, there are many different types of AA meeting, especially in Thailand. One thing that I find useful is remembering that this is a society of mentally ill people! We all recover at different rates. There are many nut jobs in AA.

I've never felt that they were smug.

I suggest reading the book. The founder was an alcoholic, pure and simple - not guru or saint.

I also strongly suggest that to help others quit booze, quit yourself first.

[Johnniey]

Great question! I went since I last posted.

Always great to be surrounded by others interested in improving themselves. However this is my take on AA and I have many and please correct me if I am wrong and there are always exceptions. They are happy and SMUG that they stopped drinking but they are not interested in taking it any further than that. Also there is no real discussion during the group meetings though I appreciate why on both accounts. Great group, great people, great idea, worked for untold thousands! I did not read the book but I did learn that the founder had his spiritual experience on belladonna and/or other mind drugs, very interesting.

This year I thought if I could just stop drinking everything will be fine, drinking was my only big problem. However it is really only a beginning.

Update, I am down to one beer a day maybe two if desperate, and no longer drink during the day or just to get by. I have little to no cravings for it which I can only attribute to some higher power, it is beyond me! I am also happy to report I no longer feel alcohol sick and like I am slowly but surely killing myself. If someone is desperate or in need of a sponsor like person to contact in time of need I make an open offer to help others in the ways I am able to.

I hope you told all these AAs that they had better quit going to AA because one of the founders had a spiritual experience on drugs!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/health/20drunk.html

Sounds like you are trying to take the AA method of helping another, thereby helping yourself. Good luck but I doubt you'll get many guys wanting to drink one or two beers a day with you as a mentor!

[peeba7]

Thanks for the article. Quite long, summary?

[Johnniey]

Hi peeba7

 

How's it going?

 

Johnniey

[cooked]

I wasn't sure whether I should start a new topic or maybe go the the pub and entertainment page. I started the thread

which went not only off topic but into orbit and rapidly ceased to be about my original question. As it turned out, cutting back isn't really possible in my case, there are too many exceptions and special occasions that come up regularly.

So anyway, here's the bad news: the business that I tried to set up back home wasn't going to work without a lot more investment of time and money, so I had to come to terms with the fact that my income wasn't going to support my drinking habits.

The good news was that while I was away my 9 years old granddaughter started texting me in English (previously I had had to use Google translate) about 10 times a day reassuring herself that I would be back in Thailand when I said I would be. My wife was doing the same thing. The decision happened by itself: stop drinking or you won't be looking after your family for very much longer. Not a dramatic road to Damascus thing, it just became obvious that the reason that I was trying to set up a new business was that I needed more drinking money.

 

So that was it, came home, emptied the fridge of beer and had my last beer on 23 May. I'm thinking that one reason I never really had a serious attempt at giving up was a fear of failure. Obviously, I am in a situation of not having failed yet, but I don't seem to have any of the dire symptoms that I have read about, apart from developing a craving for chocolate. Another aspect is that when I was doing business back home it was almost impossible to do a deal without drinking with the customer (including a vicar one time!) or buy anything to drink that was cheaper than beer in a pub. It just became a habit as well as an addiction.

My asthma and acid reflux (as well as occasional pukes in the garden) have all but disappeared. Miraculously, I have money left over at the end of the month also.

So from my point of view, and quoting from the Readers' Digest do it yourself philosophy pages, life is what you make it . Arguing about whether AA is the only way to go / out of the question is a completely unconstructive way of going about helping people with a problem. Many would rather die than give up alcohol; many just can't imagine life without their daily visit to the local watering hole or their daily dose. There is certainly no size fits all solution and the motivation must come from the sufferer himself. "Maybe I should give up drinking" isn't the way to go, you need to be sure of it.

The only people unhappy about my decision are the ones that were getting my empties to recuperate.

 

I'll let you know when I have a relapse.

[Minnie the Minx]

Good luck and hope it works out.

[Minnie the Minx]

I knew a guy who went to some temple in Thailand who had an alcohol dependency, maybe you could try that.

[manfredtillmann]

On 3/24/2016 at 4:22 PM, peeba7 said:

Self assessment questionnaire:

http://giveupdrinking.co.uk/resources/50_Ways_Self_Assessment_Questionaire.pdf

20 questions, each scores from zero to five.

The maximum possible score is 60.

A score over 16 means you have a physical dependence on alcohol and will suffer withdrawal symptoms (e.g. shaking, sweating, anxiety, paranoia) if you do not have alcohol. You need professional help or advice to come off alcohol without adverse health problems.
31 or higher indicates ‘severe alcohol dependence’.
16 – 30 indicates ‘moderate dependence’.
16 or below usually indicates only mild physical dependency.

so i score 5. but i know i am a full blown alcoholic. have been since being 12 years old with a 'drink nothing at all'  gap between 06/03/80 and 04/03/00 .

where does that get me?

this template is as much a failure as any other 'rule' classifying individuals as swarms. all us alcoholics have to find ways of dealing with our addiction. for some, it might be the total shut-off, for some it's in the timing, others can live successfully being drunk every day.

if you suffer from your alcohol habit, i wish you good luck and good success in living without from now on.

[Johnniey]

On 8/9/2016 at 1:34 PM, Minnie the Minx said:

I knew a guy who went to some temple in Thailand who had an alcohol dependency, maybe you could try that.

I guess it was Wat Tham Grabok in Saraburi. It has a high success rate. I also know a couple of guys who went there and stayed dry for many years.

[Mojomor]

It's not that simple. He has to rebuild his life, with friends who are also sober. AA is the best place to go, to achieve new friendships etc.

You, the OP need to attend AL Anon, where you will meet people like yourself. These people have seen it all. It is a very difficult road to travel, but love conquers all.

And Good Luck. We do feel for you!

[Johnniey]

17 hours ago, leslieinbangkok said:

my husband saw our doctor Dr Donna and she helped so much before organising for him to receive in-patient care and detox.

 

He is now completely sober and feeling better than he ever has! So thankful for the help that our doctor gave us

Doctors can help with the physical withdrawal from alcohol but if the patient is an alcoholic, they can't help. They just can't, and this is a big problem in Thailand as doctors have such huge egos that they won't accept this. 

If you're husband is a heavy drinker then he might be fine but if he is an alcoholic, and there is a word of a difference, he'll need some alternative help.

Good luck!

[ding]

Hope all is well. Hope you're a normie, really.

 

If not, you know what to do - luckily.

[12DrinkMore]

On 3/24/2016 at 4:22 PM, peeba7 said:

Self assessment questionnaire:

http://giveupdrinking.co.uk/resources/50_Ways_Self_Assessment_Questionaire.pdf

20 questions, each scores from zero to five.

The maximum possible score is 60.

A score over 16 means you have a physical dependence on alcohol and will suffer withdrawal symptoms (e.g. shaking, sweating, anxiety, paranoia) if you do not have alcohol. You need professional help or advice to come off alcohol without adverse health problems.
31 or higher indicates ‘severe alcohol dependence’.
16 – 30 indicates ‘moderate dependence’.
16 or below usually indicates only mild physical dependency.

 

Question 16.

 

Quote

16. During a heavy drinking period, I drink more than 2 bottles of spirits per day (or 8 bottles of wine or 30 pints of beer).

 

If I did that, all those questions about how I feel after waking up in the morning would be irrelevant.

 

But seriously, are there people that can drink 30 pints of beer a DAY?

[SaintLouisBlues]

1 minute ago, 12DrinkMore said:

But seriously, are there people that can drink 30 pints of beer a DAY?

Not that long ago in many parts of the 1st World beer was the staple drink as clean drinking water was almost unobtainable in large cities

[12DrinkMore]

Just now, SaintLouisBlues said:

Not that long ago in many parts of the 1st World beer was the staple drink as clean drinking water was almost unobtainable in large cities

 

I can't imagine even drinking 30 pints of water a day.

[Johnniey]

On 26/11/2016 at 8:10 AM, 12DrinkMore said:

 

Question 16.

 

 

If I did that, all those questions about how I feel after waking up in the morning would be irrelevant.

 

But seriously, are there people that can drink 30 pints of beer a DAY?

I certainly could but it got easier to drink whisky. 

My daily intake was 2 large bottles of Whiskey plus about 5 large bottles of Chang beer, when it was stronger than it is today.

[12DrinkMore]

15 hours ago, Johnniey said:

I certainly could but it got easier to drink whisky. 

My daily intake was 2 large bottles of Whiskey plus about 5 large bottles of Chang beer, when it was stronger than it is today.

 

I remember those days of the dreaded Changover.

 

Nobody mentions it anymore.

[Get Real]

Top of the list. 60 points! Not bad for a moderate drinker.

[chrisinth]

Forgive the intrusion on this thread, but I thought that I had to make a couple of comments on the questionaire that was presented earlier,

 

http://giveupdrinking.co.uk/resources/50_Ways_Self_Assessment_Questionaire.pdf  

 

The actual title of the questionaire itself, IMO is also wrong (Am I physically dependent on alcohol?) when the questions are directed at specific 'heavy drinking periods' without giving intervals between the sessions. Someone answering this could have one or two blowouts a year, feel like death the morning after, but that doesn't necessarily mean he is dependent on alcohol because he had a high score because of seldom drinking.

 

For fun, I went back to when I was drinking and truthfully answered the questions presented. My total was 12. However, the 12 points I 'scored' comprised of repetition answers from questions 13 - 15 as below:

 

13. During a heavy drinking period, I drink more than a
quarter of a bottle of spirits per day (4 doubles or 1
bottle of wine or 4 pints of beer).
ALMOST NEVER SOMETIMES OFTEN
 NEARLY ALWAYS 
 
 14. During a heavy drinking period, I drink more than half
a bottle of spirits per day (or 2 bottles of wine or 8
pints of beer).
ALMOST NEVER SOMETIMES OFTEN
 NEARLY ALWAYS
 
15. During a heavy drinking period, I drink more than one
bottle of spirits per day (or 4 bottles of wine or 15
pints of beer).
ALMOST NEVER SOMETIMES OFTEN
 NEARLY ALWAYS 

 

Surly if the answer to question 15 was nearly always then the answers to 13 & 14 must be the same? Or have I got this wrong?

 

The reason I am rubbishing this is the very fact that I only scored 12; take the replies for questions 13 & 14 out and that leaves 6!

 

In my day, during my 25+ year party, I drank whenever I could, which was everyday except when restricted by operational commitments. This made it a 'binge' party which is likely the worst sort, as you subconsciously try and make up for the missed days into the binge. I never suffered from DT's, was never scared when waking up or had sweat related issues (hence the low score in the questionaire). Guessing, I probably was between 10 and 15 pints a night on average.

 

I have been dry now for almost 18 years, done with only the support from the missus. This isn't bragging, just saying it can be done. The intrusion into this thread is just to warn people not to trust these types of self-help questionaires as everyone is different, and unless there is something I am blatantly missing, there is something really flawed in the one in the above link.

 

Best Regards to one and all who are trying to kick it...............................