Alcoholic, or is there another way?

Alcoholic, or is there another way?
“If you’re asking, you might be.” I’ve heard this, and probably what you might be thinking right?

I went to bed, I started with anxiety and panic, so I did my breathing exercise to calm myself. Back to sleep, flashbacks... I get out of bed a walk the empty house, and decide this isn’t working. So I started drinking, which leads to this post.

You all know what it is like and I’m just trying to make it. I’m not bad, I don’t hurt anyone, but I’ve been in this survival mode for so long.

Since I was 12, I have drank to numb myself. I feel feel untouchable, bigger than I am. I’ve always felt that I can summon the words to put me in a position of power and control. I feel free, still sad, but free.. It’s my routine, has been since a kid. Anytime I can do it without being a problem to anyone around me.

Always the day following I feel more vulnerable than I was the day before.

I don’t NEED to drink, but it’s more than a drink. I go until I’m ready to pass out. It offers me freedom from the hurt inside me. I can sleep without remembering going to sleep. On the others side of that coin my anger can peak, and I get super dark, to which I won’t get specific. It works.

I’ve always classified myself as a controlled alcoholic. This means if I abuse it, I no longer have an outlet.

As I go through therapy now, I question if what I’m doing is ok, because the effects of drinking and emotions are much more extreme. I can’t possibly deal with this without an outlet, I do have to work the next day.

There has to be another way, maybe I am an alcoholic? Can anyone relate? How do you deal?
 
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Medicating yourself with substances is interesting, isn't it? I never understood the relief people got from using various things until I started smoking pot. When I get high enough, I feel "normal" again - no symptoms, no anger, no fear. I just feel like myself without the PTSD. So now I have a medical marijuana card.

I'm certainly not qualified to be able to tell if you're an alcoholic or not. I think often to alcoholics, everyone who drinks to excess once in a while is an alcoholic. But if your drinking is causing more problems than it's solving, it might be good to cut down or stop for awhile. If you have a therapist, this might be another thing to discuss with them.
 
Many of us use something to chase the pain away, there's many ways we try to medicate ourselves. I've used acting out, food, etc. Self medicating is usually not healthy but it seemingly takes the edge off, even though it usually adds to our pain or problems in the long run. You already made the huge step to start therapy & are here too working through the issues, so you are doing good, it just takes more time than we want it to, to heal. Everybody is different but I remember it took me a year and a half till one day I realized that I actually felt good. Hopefully you are closer to that point than you think and hopefully when you get there you'll be able to not need the alcohol anymore. I do think your acknowledging that it is an issue and not in denial about it is a big step in the right direction. I would encourage you to keep on working through with the therapist and here, you might not see the light at the end of the tunnel from where you are right now, but I assure you it's there.
 
I agree with all the responses. However, like me with food, it isn't healthy and needs to be addressed somewhere along your Healing Journey. If not, now, then when you are ready. But it DOES need to be addressed.

Again, look at 12-step groups (that are safe for you). That may help in addition to therapy. I am doing both right now. It helps!
 
Thanks for your feedback... I fear sleep lately more, so I don’t slowly drink myself to a point, I line up a series of shots and plow into my bed. This is what I was doing just after making this post. I don’t ever drink on the week I have my kids back at home, so those times are really tough for me. But this is the controlled part of my drinking. I bike, kayak, hike, climb ... but the end of the day comes eventually.

When I get high enough, I feel "normal" again - no symptoms, no anger, no fear. I just feel like myself without the PTSD.
I should really try smoking, oils, or eatables. Drinking doesn’t really offer a middle ground.

@F.A., @NC-Survivor, I’ve been to AAA off an on, and that is what got me on this schedule of drinking. If decided if I abuse it, I can’t have this escape anymore. Alcoholism runs on my Dad’s side of the family, my Dad isn’t a drinker, but he was raised by a Severe Alcoholic, and is a fine example of how to win in life coming from that. I’m aware and remain aware when I sense it getting away from, which is why I posted last night.

@Ceremony What a journey thank you for sharing, and I’m happy that you’ve been sober all this time.

I learned what I needed, and certain steps are tricky. It can turn me off if there's too much religion, because my Jesus had nothing to do with it, and my faith never came close to helping me stop. I found no help with any church based considerations.
Well said, I feel the same way.

I have mentioned this to my Therapist, and we talked about it. One thing the hit me last night, maybe I’m preventing my healing by numbing myself? Maybe I’m supposed to have night terrors? Maybe flashbacks are ok? The other side of that, I feel if I don’t have an escape, as in the past overwhelming feelings cause me to get depressed, angry, suicidal thoughts. Being in therapy has opened up a floodgate, and writing has been the healthy, but sometimes I feel worse, which I also know is normal. “Worse before you get better.”

Thank you for the dialogue.
 
Booze is good medicine why else would so many people use it? It's hard on the body though. I have used it on and off throughout my lifetime. It got to be finally like anything else or everything else. Always tapering off. Food smoking exersize you name it. Good for me bad for me it's all the same. Booze if you can do the hangovers is pretty good. You have to be tough though and the problem is, you can but your body will give out before you will if you're tough.

All the old guys that came home from the war my dads generation were WWII guys and you were expected to drink a lot and handle it.

Then I was a teen ager and the guys were coming home from Vietnam. I never heard about Korea. That was scary shit. Then it was the hippies and the veterans and everyone went from being a working drunk to whatever we were IDK. They were already saying how bad drugs were by then but I think it was too late .

But booze works. I thought it was starting to get to me and I stopped again. Never really sick just half sick most of the time. But drinking steadily keeps you sorta numb and about functional but not really. Like a lot of meds. It's comfortable though in the evening before bed to look forward to. Just even a few drinks now though and I don't feel well next day. I like feeling good better than going to bed half stiff lol.
 
@Toad, I can’t say that I experience the symptoms you describe.

Here’s a real life experience recently: I was driving down the road, I was reliving through a flashback several scenes of moments. What stressed me out is not only the memories, I don’t remember driving across town because it was so real and traumatic. That hangs with me all day, and there is no way in hell I’m getting any sleep. So I slam back shots within maybe 5 minutes. I wake in the morning feeling very rested, no dreams, no thoughts, just that I slept.

No this isn’t healthy, and like @MACH123 said, hard on the body.

I think my question still stands in my reply above - In with a T again, restarting dealing with the past with the goal to find solid ground, but... By shutting down my body, preventing myself from experiencing more flashbacks, more memories, dealing with anxiety and panic, which is part of the healing? Is that healing? Yes and No I feel.

Processing all this, I may have more than one problem, I just have not peeled back those layers, which is what I’m trying to do here.
 
@OnceInnocent You’re right, they should die with this, not me, and I’m trying to plow through it. Thank you for your words, and incredibly brave to share with your wife and daughter. I’m attempting to find the strength to unload, I don’t know that anyone wants to be around for that, and neither do I... I think. I’ve always dealt with this privately, spent so much time holding it down, I don’t know what to do with it all. I have a good therapist, I believe the writing is working, and I have this place (MS).

I can feel this rage boiling inside me and sadness I can’t begin to articulate, who wants to see that come out.

It’s like having a wheelbarrow overfilled with emotions, the rot has finally become too much to push around... So I dump it in the middle of the room, now it’s too much to deal with, and it is once again just easier to walk away. But I won’t, and like you said, I have to push through it and all should die with the perp. Just seems too easy for the Perp and that pisses me off!!!

Thank you for your works again OnceInnocent..
 
I think my question still stands in my reply above - In with a T again, restarting dealing with the past with the goal to find solid ground, but... By shutting down my body, preventing myself from experiencing more flashbacks, more memories, dealing with anxiety and panic, which is part of the healing? Is that healing? Yes and No I feel.

Processing all this, I may have more than one problem, I just have not peeled back those layers, which is what I’m trying to do here.

From what I'm hearing in therapy, the intention is to NOT re-traumatize me, but rather to build capacity for safety in the present moment. The residue of trauma definitely resides in our present lives, often triggered by current events. What therapy should do ideally, is help us regulate our emotions so we don't go into overwhelm. It is only after we've found safety and a sense of security that we can address past events... if that is necessary at all. We know the trauma happened years, even decades ago. We're not going to change the past nor change the characters in our lives who harmed us. In my case they're dead, so nothing is going to change with her. What I want is to have my life back TODAY and tomorrow. I understand how alcohol, food, drugs, sexual acting out can all change the channel so the troubling residue of the trauma doesn't grab me. But we all know none of those things take the trauma away. More often than not using whatever leads to shame, not healing. So if you need alcohol to keep yourself from doing serious self harm, go for it. But consider that to heal you will eventually need to find a way back to yourself, with kindness and compassion. It is possible to heal these jagged places in ourselves and those of us who found their way to this website can help each other along the way. We deserve nothing less. Good luck G.
 
Dear Gistin

You have to diagnose yourself. My first therapist was quite blunt. "Therapy won't do you any good if you don't
stop drinking." I was suicidal (Step in front of an 18 wheeler) so I went to AA. For me, I have been in therapy for the last
16 years. Before that off and on for 10 years (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). CBT is good for coping as an alternative to
booze. It did not help me heal. It did make me far more open to the emotions in my memories.

I believe I could not do psychotherapy while I was drinking. So I have been sober for 27 years and tjat is as long as I drank (15 to42).

I still go to AA (I get angry and irritable if I don't have a meeting at least every third day.)

My desire was that I would stop having intrusive thoughts, but I o longer think that will happen. Some of the ore crazy
experiences still are not understood, but (I can remember their emotional content, and cope with it instead o numbing out o
or denying that it mattered.) As visitor said, "the troubling residue of trauma grabs you", it still happens but most dAYS
I CAN COPE WITH IT.

That much healing can work for you without drinking or other numbing actions.

May God grant you peace, his most precious gift.
 
@Visitor and @genedebs I hear what both of you are saying, I do and I appreciate it.

Stupid that is makes so much sense, in what you say. The flurry of emotions in me play against me so, and disorganized storm keep common sense at a standby... I am seriously fucking scared of how I feel inside, have felt all my life, held it in, and I don’t want to scare anyone off.

I think I’ve reduced this down to not having someone by my side to help me, hear me, distract me, love me, see me. I can’t burden my kids, I go to bed alone in my thoughts, face whatever the night brings, I have a job and people that count on me, I can’t be an inconvenience.

There is certainly no one yet that I feel like sharing what I’m going through, and if I did find someone, I fear they’d bug out and leave. Sure I have my T, and she is great. I have you all, to which I receive a lot from you all. I have started drinking a lot more since I had my recent breakdown back in November. When these feelings get to be too much, I switch to survivor mode, or really drink.

I did this part to myself, I live with this shame, and refused to really deal with it.
So this shit is just going to be really really hard!
 
Gistin - I,too, would tell myself that this is almost too much to deal with. I told myself that no one could handle what I held inside. I told myself that it may just be that no one truly cared. All of that, I discovered over time, is a lie. Someone at this site said : "If you can survive the abuse, you can survive the recovery". I've never forgotten that.
As for the drinking - it's a mind and mood altering substance. Yes, it can numb, but it also takes more than it gives. You say you've driven while under the influence - if I read it correctly - were your children in the car? Were there others out on the road with their loved ones in their vehicles driving along not knowing you were driving as you were?
As for finding someone to walk along with you in all of this - they're out there. Possibly even at AA. Possibly even at a group setting. When you do meet someone - take it slow. Don't meet "over drinks" - that would be counterproductive. Meet someplace public, and just be you. That may be difficult at first since you're still getting to know you, but give it time. If they're not what you're looking for, talk with someone else. Yes, it takes time. Yes, its a lot of searching and talking and numerous introductions. What good outcome isn't worth the effort?
I believe someone already outlined this for you and at the risk of repeating it, here I go : drinking to find sleep will not work eventually. Right now it gets you into a stupor and eventually your body shuts off and you drop off. But it's not a productive, natural sleep. It's forced because of the alcohol. It won't be restful and it won't get you better.
I would say, get to AA. If you don't like the one you go to, find another one. They're out there. Yes, its a lot of work. Yes, it is a lot of "handling life", but it's worth it.
 
Gistin,
I grew up with alcoholics so I avoid alcohol like the plague, except for rare exceptions but I can go years without a single drink. I have counseled clients with alcohol problems and it is very hard to overcome both the brain damage from alcohol at the same time that they are trying to work through their psychological issues. When a person quits alcohol, they can go into withdrawal which is like a rebound effect and the person gets more anxious and sleep is almost impossible at first, but once that stage is over, it is more clear to see how much of the symptoms are baseline and how much are from the alcohol or from the withdrawal. In other words, alcohol really complicates the diagnostic picture and the person needs to be treated for two problems, not just one. I can’t tell if you already crossed the line into being alcohol dependent but it looks to me that you could easily wind up there. In addition to AA, you might want to consult with a substance abuse specialist to see where you are and what needs to happen in order to get the best treatment possible.
 
I would second W's comment about AA. I've been part of OA for eleven years and the fellowship is wonderful. Yes, it has helped me clean up my food, but part of that has come about because of all the caring and support I feel from those in the fellowship. The nice thing about AA is there are meetings all over the place. None of this can do our healing work alone... hence this site... but also the support groups we turn to go help with issues related to our trauma. Most of us have turned to one substance or another to seek comfort, so taking advantage of the programs that focus on those issues can be helpful. They won't solve the underlying trauma challenges, but if we're not distracted by addictions, there is a greater chance we can do the serious work of healing ourselves. We're not alone...
 
Gistin - I,too, would tell myself that this is almost too much to deal with. I told myself that no one could handle what I held inside. I told myself that it may just be that no one truly cared. All of that, I discovered over time, is a lie. Someone at this site said : "If you can survive the abuse, you can survive the recovery". I've never forgotten that.
As for the drinking - it's a mind and mood altering substance. Yes, it can numb, but it also takes more than it gives. You say you've driven while under the influence - if I read it correctly - were your children in the car? Were there others out on the road with their loved ones in their vehicles driving along not knowing you were driving as you were?
As for finding someone to walk along with you in all of this - they're out there. Possibly even at AA. Possibly even at a group setting. When you do meet someone - take it slow. Don't meet "over drinks" - that would be counterproductive. Meet someplace public, and just be you. That may be difficult at first since you're still getting to know you, but give it time. If they're not what you're looking for, talk with someone else. Yes, it takes time. Yes, its a lot of searching and talking and numerous introductions. What good outcome isn't worth the effort?
I believe someone already outlined this for you and at the risk of repeating it, here I go : drinking to find sleep will not work eventually. Right now it gets you into a stupor and eventually your body shuts off and you drop off. But it's not a productive, natural sleep. It's forced because of the alcohol. It won't be restful and it won't get you better.
I would say, get to AA. If you don't like the one you go to, find another one. They're out there. Yes, its a lot of work. Yes, it is a lot of "handling life", but it's worth it.

First, I can’t find where I may have wrote that, typo, but I’ve never drove drunk with my kids. I don’t get drunk in front of my kids, won’t do that. I protect them, keep them a million miles away from knowing my pain, they deserve a good childhood. If I’m going out to drink on my own, I Uber.

But you know now that I write this... What will it be like when my kids leave? What distraction might unfold?
This is why I suppose I must overcome this... I’m learning this will not be a fast process.

I won’t give up drinking, but I need it not to become a problem and the theme I’m hearing is going to a support group. I am going to see what I can get to help me sleep. Last night was my third night without anything to drink before bed, again I woke in a panic at 2:40 AM, I was sweating, and I’d been clenching my teeth pretty hard. 2:40 AM. All I remember is some kissing and breath. Took me a few hours to get back to sleep.

These have happened forever, but never used to happen this often, and usually a few days, maybe a week. Then it would be months before any flashbacks, night terrors... Logically I suppose therapy is unlocking stuff. So, I’m likely at war with my brain that has had a taste of healing, but I shut it down because another part of me says NO!

@WG, I appreciate your insight and help, thank you.
I will hold on to this forever "If you can survive the abuse, you can survive the recovery".
 
I can’t tell if you already crossed the line into being alcohol dependent but it looks to me that you could easily wind up there. In addition to AA, you might want to consult with a substance abuse specialist to see where you are and what needs to happen in order to get the best treatment possible.
Not there yet, but I’m putting something I’ve used very controlled at risk. I went to AA before when I was younger learning about my Grandfather, and while my Dad is not an Alcoholic, I learned the tendencies are known to skip a generation. That would be me. In knowing how Alcohol made me feel in cycles of pain, I was determined not to let it get away from me. I have always been able to stop, except once in my life. I have kids I’m raising, I won’t do that to them.

I’m facing the wreckage that has kept me from being who I could have been before my life was changed. I’m diving into learning how to manage these feelings, trying to reprogram my mind to fight the fight, not run. I meditated last night, put myself in a good space of peace. Night still wasn’t good, but it’s part of the programming. Maybe something I can get from AA, because that is ultimately what they are trying to do I think...

Thank you @PRFL
 
Sorry if I misquoted or misunderstood. Something I will ask is, how are you if you can't drink? Has it interfered with carrying out your responsibilities at work or with your family? Do you need a few before you go someplace that will require socializing with others? How much do you drink and how often? How are in in the morning - do you need a drink to get started for the day? You will need to be asking yourself those questions.
You were right on the money when you said that you need to "reprogram your mind to fight the fight and not run" - I would venture that part of that reprogramming will be stopping the alcohol. You will need to think clearly and depend on your memory to recall grounding techniques - and you can't do that in the fog that drinking brings.
What you - and every human has - are neuropathways. They're the 'highways of habits' in our brain so to speak. We all do certain things in a certain way at a certain time of day - its just how we operate. When those pathways get disrupted or change outside of us occurs, we get off-balance or off track. Sometimes if its a traumatic event, we get into an emotional and sometimes physiological fog. Sometimes that fog happens when we abruptly stop a mind or mood altering substance - people who are on mental health meds and either go up or down on the dose have this happen. It's natural since the changes aren't easily done - yet we adapt in time.
This is a most difficult thing to do - recover. We in here who don't use or drink still are moving through the changes that dealing with CSA brings. You're doing the right thing - flashbacks, night terrors, awful dreams and all. It's tough..........but so are you. You can do it.
 
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