RE 112: Can I Successfully Cut Down or Control My Drinking?

Today we have Heath, with 40 days since his last drink. Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE. *****Please review the RE podcast in iTunes***** Can we taper off alcohol? It is nearly impossible to cut back on alcohol because it is so addictive. Our own addictive mind lies to us and tells us that we can cut back. In all of the interviews done on the Recovery Elevator podcast, there has not been 1 interviewee who claimed they were able to moderate. If you have, send a message to [email protected]. Paul would love to interview you! What happens when we try to taper down our alcohol consumption? Each day gets more painful than the last as we try to limit our drinks. We often try to implement rules to control ourselves but these never last. The question to ask yourself is, "Where does alcohol stand on your priority list?" SHOW NOTES [10:00] Paul Introduces Heath. Heath – I am 40 days sober, live in Atlanta and am 41 years old. I enjoy running, working out and spending time with my 9 year old daughter. [11:14] When did you realize that you had a problem? Heath – I knew that I had a problem all of my life. The last few years I have been trying to get sober. I finally wanted to get sober for myself. [12:19] Did you ever put any rules in place? Heath – I could not drink around my wife so I needed to keep my drinking limited to 9-5. I would occasionally go without drinking for a few weeks. Being self-employed made it difficult to remain sober. I turned to marijuana and Xanax to try and get through the day. Once the Xanax ran out, I went back to drinking. [16:19] Did you hit a rock bottom? Heath – I had multiple accidents where I totaled cars but this time nothing big actually happened. I thought to myself that either I have to deal with this now or deal with it later. [17:31] How did you do it? Heath – I kept very busy the first week of sobriety. Exercise was super important and I started running every day. I also go to SMART meetings. I want to be prepared once the pink cloud dissipates. When I go to SMART meetings, I try to look for similarities. When I see that someone has relapsed, I immediately think that I do not want that to be me. [24:23] How have your relationships changed? Heath – I no longer carry any guilt. My wife is still skeptical that I have quit for good but my daughter is super thrilled that I am sober. [25:30] How have your cravings been? Heath – When I first got a craving I raced right to the gym. 45 minutes on the elliptical machine stopped that craving. Exercise releases the endorphins I need. [27:36] What have you learned about yourself? Heath – I am not as anxious as I thought I was. Once I got off the booze and Xanax, I was more relaxed than I had been before. [30:00] What have you accomplished in sobriety? Heath – I still feel very humble in sobriety. I am looking forward to getting my relationship back with my wife and possibly starting to save some money. [ ] Rapid Fire Round What was your worst memory from drinking? seeing the disappointment in my wife's eyes Did you ever have an "oh-shit" moment? Continuous moments!! What's your plan moving forward? SMART meetings, exercise What's your favorite resource in recovery? SMART meetings and exercise What's the best advice you've ever received (on sobriety)? Your drinking problem is never going to go away. You are going to have to deal with it. What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? do not give up trying, your chances of recovering go up the more you try You might be an alcoholic if….you use a sobriety app to keep you sober Resources: Sobriety Tracker iTunes Sobriety Tracker Android Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to [email protected]= "We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"