Alcohol addiction, racing on Saturday. Seeking advice.

30+ years . . . that is insane.

I have just over one year. I relapsed after 12 years because I thought I was fine and stopped going to my meetings. I hit bottom pretty hard, but was lucky that I didn't completely destroy my life or those around me.

Good luck to you.

Very humbling.

Thank you for sharing your experience with me and caring enough to write.

booboomagoo wrote:

30+ years . . . that is insane.

I have just over one year. I relapsed after 12 years because I thought I was fine and stopped going to my meetings. I hit bottom pretty hard, but was lucky that I didn't completely destroy my life or those around me.

Good luck to you.

I didn't realize you had "inside knowledge" as well...

Do you think that having people close to you helped you recover from that relapse?

Run a cold turkey trot.

Sorry, couldn't help it. Good luck with your recovery.

Randy Oldman wrote:

Run a cold turkey trot.

Sorry, couldn't help it. Good luck with your recovery.

hehe

Thanks.

aLcorunner wrote:

booboomagoo wrote:

30+ years . . . that is insane.

I have just over one year. I relapsed after 12 years because I thought I was fine and stopped going to my meetings. I hit bottom pretty hard, but was lucky that I didn't completely destroy my life or those around me.

Good luck to you.

I didn't realize you had "inside knowledge" as well...

Do you think that having people close to you helped you recover from that relapse?

They were instrumental . . . my wife should have left me but didn't. My family was as supportive as they could be. I lost both my jobs and my health was failing, so I was very lucky to have any support.

I ended up going to a program with a bunch of other knuckleheads and it was a very good experience. Recovery groups are a close second for me because they don't judge you . . . chances are somebody is always more f'ed up than you.

booboomagoo wrote:

If you're going to bash a suggestion then at least make a position contribution by saying what these better options are.

Merely pointing out there are other options is a lot more than you did. You said go to AA, period. You seem familiar enough with it to know how drastic its methods are, but neglect to mention them. Why be offended when someone else does? What is there about AA that you don't want people to know?

AA requires members to be religious, to believe themselves helpless over addiction, and makes them dependent on its support-group effect, often for their entire lives. Members despair of success, staying "in recovery" but never actually getting there. Its methods are stone-age, started 80 years ago by members of a fringe religious cult. The closest thing to an expert among its founders was a doctor who believed alcoholism was an allergic reaction.

Since then, AA has become a pop-culture juggernaut, attracting desperate people and court-ordered drunk drivers in such numbers that its popularity passes for legitimacy. When people think of alcoholism, they think of AA. For some people - probably very few - its radical methods may be the only way. But that's last-resort stuff. It should not be the first recovery method mentioned.

0/10

Once again you fail to provide any positive contribution in the form of advice or options to seek help. You can only knock something that you clearly have no understanding of. No more troll food for you.

booboomagoo wrote:

They were instrumental . . . my wife should have left me but didn't. My family was as supportive as they could be. I lost both my jobs and my health was failing, so I was very lucky to have any support.

I ended up going to a program with a bunch of other knuckleheads and it was a very good experience. Recovery groups are a close second for me because they don't judge you . . . chances are somebody is always more f'ed up than you.

Once more, very helpful. And thank you for sharing such intimate and personal experiences.

aLcorunner wrote:

booboomagoo wrote:

They were instrumental . . . my wife should have left me but didn't. My family was as supportive as they could be. I lost both my jobs and my health was failing, so I was very lucky to have any support.

I ended up going to a program with a bunch of other knuckleheads and it was a very good experience. Recovery groups are a close second for me because they don't judge you . . . chances are somebody is always more f'ed up than you.

Once more, very helpful. And thank you for sharing such intimate and personal experiences.

I was in the same position as you not that long ago, so I know how hard it is to ask for help.... you are already on the right track.

You know nothing about what you are talking.

AA hasn't worked for me but maybe because of who I am. From my 3 months in AA/NA I know dozens of persons for whom it works.

Staying in recovery but not actually getting there?

If they are not drinking and that helps them and the ones close to them without harming anyone, what on Earth are you talking about?

Why all the negativity?

"When people think of alcoholism, they think of AA."

I don't. You do? I think you are ill-informed.

"For some people - probably very few - its radical methods may be the only way. But that's last-resort stuff."

For many people it works.

For many more it doesn't. (you want sources? ask for them)

It's still worthwhile for those who make it that way.

"AA requires members to be religious"

Not true.

Anyway, I don't know why am bothering replying to you.

I said trolls would be welcome but you are more than a troll and you have been for a long time. You are trying to mess with people's lives.

This time it is not running-related but still, please don't share your ignorance with people talking about a very delicate subject.

Sober a while wrote:

I am also an alcoholic and long time runner. You've gotten some good advice - and some less good - so far.

I haven't had a drink in 30+ years. What worked for me was (and is) AA.

You have been sober more than 30 years, but still consider yourself an alcoholic? In what sense did that "work?"

Sounds more like you were thoroughly convinced that you could never be cured of addiction. That one drink would grab you and turn you right back into a drunk and you'd be helpless to stop. Who could make you think like that - you, or AA?

You're the poster boy for an AA lifer, still looking over your shoulder after 30 years because you chose to believe in [insert name of higher power] instead of yourself. Who wants to end up like you? Why are you telling them they should? It's not a good result and should be a last resort only.

It's working for him, so leave him alone.

aLcorunner wrote:

You know nothing about what you are talking.

You're mistaken. Don't confuse not hearing what you want to hear with being trolled.

Abstinence is not recovery. Going 30 years without a drink is not success. Success is getting back to normal - you can have a drink or two just like any other non-alcoholic, without becoming addicted.

You will hear again and again that that's impossible, or be encouraged to come to that conclusion yourself. It's a myth. It may be true for some people, but far from all, and if you assume it does it may affect you the rest of your life.

people talking about a very delicate subject.

ok, who's trolling now? I'm sure you know this is no forum for delicate subjects. You'd have gone to pinterest or something.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Abstinence is not recovery. Going 30 years without a drink is not success.

With all due respect, sir. From someone who attempted suicide because of alcohol, 30 years without a drink may be what most would call success.

If you don't agree with it, fair enough, I respect that. But then, please, respect the fact that "success" may have a different meaning for others than it has for you.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Sober a while wrote:

I am also an alcoholic and long time runner. You've gotten some good advice - and some less good - so far.

I haven't had a drink in 30+ years. What worked for me was (and is) AA.

You have been sober more than 30 years, but still consider yourself an alcoholic? In what sense did that "work?"

In the sense he/she probably has a pretty high-functioning life compared to the drinking days.

That's okay. Try to learn not to judge that.

I would argue there are likely plenty of people in recovery who really could just have one of their drug of choice, but why tempt fate like that? The person typically doesn't want to revisit that time, so why spend any energy on it at all?

No reason to call out AA, but BW is right about exploring multiple options. Talk to your primary doctor. Be brutally honest with him. He (she?) can suggest counseling and other options available in your specific community. Really, this message board is great, but I can't remember the last time someone here said he/she was an MD, and alcoholism is a serious medical condition.

OP, if you've been dealing with alcoholism and running for as long as you say, you probably already know better than any of us how to get yourself though the race.

Good luck Saturday and -- more importantly -- beyond.

There are drugs you can take that help with withdrawal, which would probably also help with your race. Lorazepam and diazepam are the ones I know of. Careful with going cold turkey; every time you do it you increase the chance that you'll have serious withdrawals later on down the road (look up kindling if you don't know about this). It also causes brain damage.

^ Sammy Wanjiru is dead. That's a horrible example.

Separately, best of luck with your recovery. And best of luck with your race. I hope you'll update the boards this weekend.