Any reformed drinkers here?!
Answers: Any problem drinkers? What made you quit, and how did you do it? Plus, how is your life different now that your sober?? Thanks..
I finally got help for the depression that for 20 years caused me to keep going back to drinking every time I stopped.
That was in 2001, it quickly became a non-issue. Today I work in the mental health industry and see people who have both mental health and substance abuse issues; I try to guide them into appropriate treatment.
In 2004, I tracked down a former flame (via the internet) that I had lost due to alcoholism and depression in 1992. We were married in 2005. My life rocks.
"Another estimate is that at least 50% of alcoholics eventually free themselves although only 10% are ever treated. One recent study found that 80% of all alcoholics who recover for a year or more do so on their own, some after being unsuccessfully treated. When a group of these self-treated alcoholics was interviewed, 57% said they simply decided that alcohol was bad for them. Twenty-nine percent said health problems, frightening experiences, accidents, or blackouts persuaded them to quit. Others used such phrases as "Things were building up" or "I was sick and tired of it." Support from a husband or wife was important in sustaining the resolution."
Treatment of Drug Abuse and Addiction -- Part III, The Harvard Mental Health Letter, October 1995.
Having a family made me quit. I save tons of money now, lost a bunch of weight, and no longer have hangovers.
I'm a reformed drinker of a different kind. I drink in moderation because I am a Christian and now only drink good beer. Find me at http://reformeddrinker.blogspot.com