1st visit and post

[james88]

Hi, I heard about this forum from the book " The Last Escape". Tonight I am on a " have a last drink before I stop night" that Ive had hundreds of times before:). I work as a property landlord (not pub)and sometime taxi driver and therefore can take many days off. I can stop drinking for up to 2 or 3 months at a time, but once Ive had a drink, I drink at least every 2nd night for months. I just done 2 months without a drink and have now drank every night for about 3 weeks. Ive had 4 cans tonight, but wanted to join the forum and didnt want to put it off again. I feel that I dont have half the drink problem thas#t some people have but want to stop drinking for the past 10 years or so but cant seem to. Could anyone post a link to some good threads or advice to start with. Thanks.

[Kayvee]

Welcome, James. You have come to a really good place.

The problem all of us have with alcohol is a spectrum, and it is cumulative. You might not have half the problem that some people have, but I suspect you are on the way. You don't have end up spewing in the gutter to know that you have a problem with it. The only criterion is that you are unhappy with your relationship with alcohol.

There is heaps and heaps of advice around here. My first advice is to start a journal in the diaries section and tell your story. Then read other diaries. Just dip in, from the first post, then to the middle and last posts.

There is so much advice and support here. You are not alone. Welcome, again.

[james88]

Thanks Kayvee. I will have a look at the diary thread. When doing the taxi driving I see the worse side of alcohol. yet still cant seem to stop it myself. And at 45 I feel I need to stop drinking. Sorry, starting to unload/rant . Thanks again.

[buckshot]

Hey James,
I am 44 and struggling with stopping too. My longest so far is 3 weeks a year ago and just the past few weeks I made it 2 weeks without a drink and then drank. Just trying to quit or keep from not drinking tonight. When you say you see the worst of it driving a cab, what do you mean?

Buckshot

[Rich]

Thanks Kayvee. I will have a look at the diary thread. When doing the taxi driving I see the worse side of alcohol. yet still cant seem to stop it myself. And at 45 I feel I need to stop drinking. Sorry, starting to unload/rant . Thanks again. Make a promise to yourself to live the next half of your life sober. Thats what I did and I enjoy the hell out of it

[james88]

Hey James,
When you say you see the worst of it driving a cab, what do you mean?
Buckshot
Hi Buckshot, thanks for the reply.
There are so many things that should make all cab drivers stop drinking.
The people who only leave the house to get a taxi to the shops for alcohol. The most recent was a guy who had 4 cases (12 cans) of asda lager ( a uk supermarket) that he said was £2.90 a case and although they are only 3% alcohol volume he gets drunk on 12 a day(his words). That was him going to stay in the house for 4 days. He hadnt bought any food. Most embarrasing is that I was asking him because it would have saved me money from buying 18 fosters at £8 or 15 for £7.
Ive had many females pee the seat because they were so drunk.
I would guesstimate that 6 out od 10 couples have fallen out/ arguing on the way home from a night out. Coincidentally I ran some of them on the way for a night out and they were happy. but afetr excess drink they are "warring".
And every weekend the city centre( glasgow) is like a war zone. Not so much fighting, but falling over, abuse, arguing over whos taxi it is etc. Its really an eye opener and I now try to avoid nights because of the hassle.

[Smurfette]

Sounds like it could be a reality show. "Alcoholism: A Cab Driver's Tale".

Welcome James!!

[james88]

Make a promise to yourself to live the next half of your life sober. Thats what I did and I enjoy the hell out of it

Thanks Rich. That strikes a chord. I had a big accident driving a taxi in 2006. I wasnt badly injured but could have been killed if the other car struck at a different point. Also my chest pains a few weeks later was put down to a heart problem. I thought "I have worked really hard all these years and am exactly half way to retirement" for what. I sold my house and went abroad for 4 months. Long story short, the chest pains turned out to be a seat belt injury. On the negative side, I drank like a lord for those 4 months. So I should use the same thoughts that you say " got half my life to enjoy to the full sober" and remember most of it :). Thanks.

[Kayvee]

Every time I pick up the newspaper I see the havoc wrought by alcohol. There are two big stories right now in our news. One concerns a woman who was overcome by road rage, and deliberately mowed down (and killed) a 21 year old man. The other is a politician whose wife is known for her abusive tantrums. There was an episode in a restaurant recently where further service of alcohol to her was refused, and the resulting rage has been front page news.

There are plenty more stories like that. You must really see the worst of it. Good on you for quitting. Any time you might think about drinking again you have no further to look than the back seat of your taxi.

[james88]

Sounds like it could be a reality show. "Alcoholism: A Cab Driver's Tale".

Welcome James!!
Thanks for the welcome Smurfette.
I would have thought there would be a lot of cab drivers on here? I know many work dayshift and are morroculous by 7pm ( they finish 6pm). My father had few taxis in a different town. Anyway one night a driver he knew phoned to say that one of my dads drivers has fallen face first into the coal fire in the pub. He picked himself up and went out and drove away in my dads taxi:).

[Rich]

You can do it all with this site. Try to post a few times a day and do not drink no matter what. I am going on 4 years now. If I can do it anyone can. I was buying a case of beer a day

[james88]

You can do it all with this site. Try to post a few times a day and do not drink no matter what. I am going on 4 years now. If I can do it anyone can. I was buying a case of beer a day

What was the spur to make you quit? With smoking, I just kept trying to give up. After maybe tens or hundreds of attempts it worked. Its not been the same with alcohol. I have always hoped that I could still drink "occasionally" but am starting to realise that its maybe not possible. I would miss a drunken night at a gig. Gigs arent the same sober. Or are many nights out in the uk.

[John]

I have always hoped that I could still drink "occasionally" but am starting to realise that its maybe not possible.

Hmmm...a very familiar story for many here. You asked if there were some good threads that one could point out to you. There are soooo many good threads in the diary, blogs, and resources sections that it wouldn't be right to point to a few.

I think if you poke around, you'll find alot of stories that hit home for you.

Welcome.