What Can Help Me To Stop Drinking Alcohol?

Young and Healthy in my Teens

40 years later SOBER and Healthy once more writing to help others.

"What can help me to stop drinking alcohol" was a question I asked myself time and time again, and I am very sure millions of alcoholics all over the world ask the same question to themselves.

The problem is that we the alcoholics continue to live in denial even though we want to stop drinking, and know we need to stop drinking, we are not strong enough, or have the willingness to change our life.

When anyone has had alcohol in his/her life for so long it is very hard to just say goodbye to something they love, and something they need in their everyday life.  If you don't drink alcohol you will never know the feeling of letting something go that is a huge part of an alcoholics life.

Getting back to what can help me to stop drinking alcohol.  Well, for me when I thought about stopping drinking once and for all these were the things that helped me to stop drinking alcohol.  I hope some of the statements I make here will help in you to return to a life of sobriety and leave your addiction to alcohol behind.

1. I sat down (being completely sober) and thought to myself, where is my life headed if I continued to drink and abuse alcohol?  The answer I came up with was I would have bad health and possibly death in my future due to the addiction to alcohol I had.
2. I looked at my parents, wife and my children and thought how I was not only hurting myself, but hurting the very ones that loved and cared for me. 
3. I knew my life was going nowhere fast except downhill to rock bottom.
4. I looked at all the money I spent on alcohol and deprived my family of things just to buy alcohol and support my addiction.
5. I looked in the mirror and saw a person that didn't look anything like the person I knew years ago.
6. My mental outlook on life was nothing but negative, and my physical appearance was horrible.
7. I didn't want to go into a Rehab. Center because I thought I could get sober on my own. (Going cold turkey is what I did , even though it really wasn't a safe way to get and stay sober and I would recommend other alcoholics to look into a Treatment Center to have the Professional help they would need to have a safe and healthy detox, and not do as I did.
8. I simply got sick and tired of being sick and tired, and knew deep down inside something had to be done to change my life and the lives that loved and cared for me.

I found out in the end there was only one thing that could help me to get and sober, and that was ME.  I was the only person that could help me.  You have to want sobriety so bad in your life you are willing to do anything to make it a reality.

In all honesty leaving my addiction to alcohol behind wasn't all that bad.  Sure it was hard in the beginning.  I thought I was going to go nuts without a drink in my hand, but as time went by everyday got easier, and as the days and weeks went by I began to get a real life back.

Today as I write this I have been clean and sober for over 5 years and I write every night in hope to help others that are suffering from an addiction to alcohol. Take MASSIVE ACTION to make sobriety be a part of your life once more.

Sober 2015 New Years Coming Soon - Will You Break ?

Well, in one week we will all be celebrating another New Years. The years fly by so fast, and for me, it will be one more sober New Years.

Sober 2015 New Years coming soon.  Will you break, or will you be strong enough to say no one more time?  For all of us alcoholics that used to drink like there was no tomorrow on New Years and in fact, everyday of the year, we need to stay strong and not let anyone or anything make us break and take that sip of alcohol no matter what day it is during the years and that includes New Years.

For me, if I took one sip of alcohol and got that taste on my tongue I would be doomed.  I truly think it would be the same for millions of alcoholics that have gotten clean and sober.

I am not about to take that chance and I would highly recommend anyone that has found his/her sobriety not to take that chance either.  It is truly NOT worth what the outcome would be.  If you happen to break, or as I call it, RELAPSE, YOU WILL NOT forgive yourself!

I can not imagine how I would feel if I took that drink on New Years, because that one drink will indeed lead to one more and then possibly all night of drinking, because you would probably think to yourself, "I drank already so what is the difference between one drink and many in the same night?" The damage is done!

For me, I would be so disappointed in myself, not to say how disappointed our family, spouses, children, etc. would feel after you and I have done so well with your sobriety over the years.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to drink and party away celebrating the New Years 2015, but I know I can not have one drink.  I know my body, and how I am, so why take that chance?

Please, if you feel the urge to drink while at a 2015 New Years party, STOP and think what you are about to do to yourself before you take that sip of alcohol. If you are strong enough the urge will pass!

So in ending, I want to wish everyone a Safe, Sober and Happy New Years.  And especially to all my Sober friends.  We live life everyday sober, and this New Years is NO different.  It is only another day of the year, with a title to it.  It is no different than all the other days of the year we live sober.

Think before you drink my friends!  Everyone of us SOBER men and ladies can have just as much fun on New Years, Sober, in fact, this will be my 5th Sober New Years and I have a blast at each one of them and I will have a blast this New Years 2015 and wake up the next morning remembering the evening, and with NO HANGOVER!

God Bless each and every person on Earth.  Be strong and say NO to Alcohol and Drugs.

The Beauty Of Life Without Being Addicted To Alcohol

Do You Have a Beautiful Life?

Life is so precious to all of us living here on earth. The problem is with many of us is that we just don't appreciate life in general. Many people turn to alcohol and drugs thinking that life would be wonderful being drunk or high.

We get into these addictions thinking, wow life is so great. Life seems so beautiful through the eyes of a drunk or a addict. They think things are brighter and better being drunk or high. They don't know that the beauty of life without being addicted to alcohol or drugs is a million times brighter and better than being addicted.

Many people think that being sober is a dull life, and how in the world can you have any fun in life being sober? I must say, that one point in my life I thought the same thing. I always wondered and looked at people that didn't drink alcohol and thought, "man their life must be dull and I am sure they don't have any fun being sober everyday of their life." Boy was I ever wrong thinking that. When I changed my life around and became clean and sober, I looked back at those words spoken so often and then said, "how can anyone enjoy this life we were given being drunk or high?"

How Things Changed

How things change in life and the thoughts of how life would be being drunk verses a clean and sober life.

Ask yourself sometime, are you living a quality life, and are you happy with your life or is there something you would like to change to make you life better.

If you are not content with the way your one and only life is, then how about doing something to change it. If you are one of those that has an addiction to drugs or alcohol stand your grounds and get sober. You will see how beautiful life is through the eyes of a sober person just as I did two years ago.

I have to tell you, surrendering to my addiction to alcohol was the best thing I could have ever done in my entire life and I truly mean that.

My life is so much calmer and things now go so much smoother then when I drank. I thought when I drank things went well, but that was the alcohol talking and not my mind. My life was a total mess thanks to my alcohol demons.

As I said in many hubs, you are the only one that can make your own life better. Your life is in your own hands and if you are not happy with the way you life is, then I would strongly suggest you make a move to change it, as I did.

I have no regrets of leaving my addiction to alcohol behind. Life is now beautiful and I can see the future being bigger and brighter.

Miracles do happen to those who believe in them.

A Life Changing Whisper

For a guy like myself that is somewhat hard of hearing, so I've been told by many of people. I certainly heard a life changing whisper from above one night.

It was one of the many drink alone nights in my garage, just me and a invisible friend named "Alcohol Demon". I'm not sure if that's the best way to describe this well know friend to many of us. I can come up with many other names for this so called life destroyer.

You know when you start to drink alcohol, you tend to feel a little better with each drink consumed until you get to the border line of being buzzed and feeling good, to all out being drunk. Once you cross over that fine line to being drunk, you really can't think straight or make any wise decisions, and if you try they don't make any sense whatsoever when you sobered up.

I actually only opened my first beer and was sober as could be, when I heard a calm and peaceful whisper in my head. It stopped me right in my tracks. I said to myself, "did I just hear what I thought I heard"?

The whisper came again and again of the same calm and soothing voice. There is voice in my head, and I think it is God, I said to myself. I set the beer down and just gave my undivided attention to this whisper that continued to repeat in my head. I felt a cool chill all over my body and my body seemed to be tingling all over. It was as if something, or should I say someone had entered my body and started to cleanse me of my fears, worries and my Addiction to Alcohol.

This night was the only night ever, that I truly had a quite and soothing conversation without speaking a word out loud.

If anyone does not BELIEVE then I must say, an experience such as I had will change your life forever and you will then BELIEVE for sure.

God will never let us down, you just need to believe in our creator and love him with all your heart and you will see just how your life will change.

The words that were spoken to me from above where giving me a fair warning of what my life was leading to if I didn't do something about it and change. The voice said "I Will Help You If You Want".. I'll tell you what, it was the most beautiful experience anyone could ever have in their life.

From that moment on I have not touch a single drop of alcohol and never will again. To be perfectly honest I do not even think of it anymore, as if I never drank alcohol in my life. It is truly remarkable of how your life can change within minutes.

If I had continued to tilt that can up and ignored his voice as if I didn't hear anything, I would not be clean and sober today.

He Will Help You and Change Your Life!!

Sobriety Rocks

Yes the voice, the voice that changed my life forever. I never knew how sobriety rocks because I haven't been sober for years. Yes I was sober with a huge hangover each morning and for the rest of the day sober also, but watch out when work was over and I got home.

The alcohol was flowing like I couldn't get enough of it fast enough. I am adding this part of this hub because I feel that I should continue to explain just how one single voice from up above can CHANGE YOUR LIFE like it did for me, but the big thing is that you as an alcoholic or drug addictMUST listen and obey that voice that is trying to save your life and all those lives you are associated with.

You may think I am nuts, crazy or whatever you may think, but I know what I heard, and that voice was enough to stop me in my tracks and sit and listen what had to be said to me. It is your choice to believe me or not believe me, but I would never make up something such as this remarkable experience by any means.

If you know you have an addiction of any sort, I would recommend to reach out for help and listen to our creator. He will help you get that strength to stop drinking and using. All you have to do is to listen real hard and ask God to help you. Don't have anyone around you and just be quiet in a place that has no noise and just listen. If you believe in our God you will hear that voice. Speak to him silently in your mind and you will hear a response.

Living On The Edge Of Addiction

The Fine Line

Do you think you are living on the edge of addiction, or do you think that an addiction won't grab you and take you to a place you will never forget?

If you think you have a problem with drinking alcohol, how close do you think you are to being addicted to the alcohol and not being able to stop at that line of just drinking sociable to being addicted and abusive?

There is that fine line "in my opinion" of just drinking alcohol socially, to abusing alcohol to the point that you need it everyday of your life.

Which person do you think you are? The social drinker every once in a while or do you need it everyday of your life? I can tell you that in my case I started out drinking as an experiment with my friends and before you knew it I like it so much that I wanted it to be a part of my everyday life because of the feeling alcohol gave me. I am very sure there are thousands upon thousands of people that did the same thing and before you knew it you were addicted to the one thing that can and will ruin our lives.

Which Side of the Line Are You on ?

Do you know which side of the line you are on? Can you honestly say you don't have an addiction to alcohol, or are you living in a world of denial?

So many of us that drink alcohol think to ourselves we don't have an addiction to alcohol even though many people tell us we have a problem. I was the same way years ago thinking everyone was nuts thinking I have a alcohol problem. I clearly thought there was no problem at all, until one day I stopped and took a real hard look at my life and where my life was heading.

I saw that things were starting not to work out the way I thought they should when I was planning something to do or accomplish. I realized there was something wrong in my life , but still never wanted to admit it had to do with the alcohol I was drinking.

Now the problem was, what I was going to do about this so called addition to alcohol I had? You know, none of us that drink and abuse alcohol are stupid people by any means. Where all are smart enough to realize that we have a problem, but the thing is, we just don't want to admit it and get out of the denial we are living in. The reason is that the buzz and feeling that alcohol gives us make us feels so nice and we are the happiest person alive, (or are we). But in some case the alcohol makes others act like a mad man full of argue.and rage after they get enough alcohol into their system. Those are the ones that should never ever drink! They bring harm to them self and to innocent others as well.

Once you get out of denial and start to see the true life you were living is when you can start to make a change in your life from addiction to sobriety. Please never think sobriety is bad or something that will hurt you just because you remember all the fun times you had drinking alcohol and you wonder and think that sobriety is not fun and never will be. The is so untrue, because sobriety will indeed make you life and all those around you be the happiest time in your life.

So please think long and hard of what you are doing to your life if you cross over that fine line to addiction. Your body, and all those that love and care so much for you will be the happiest people in the world if you take that huge step backwardsfrom that line of addiction you are about to cross.

Never give up hope on yourself, and always remain positive in everything you do in life and that includes getting and staying sober. Remember, sobriety will never hurt or kill you, it's the addiction to alcohol that will shorten your life, and in time kill you if you don't have the strength and the willingness to give up drinking alcohol and live the life of sobriety that you deserve so much.

Believe me once you get a taste of living life sober you will wish you never started to abuse alcohol.

• Amazon.com: My Life Of Alcohol Addiction eBook: Peter Mark Bruno: Kindle Store

When Is Enough Enough When It Comes To Alcohol Addiction?

How Much Can Your Body Take ?

When someone has an addiction to alcohol, and they have been abusing alcohol for so many years, when is enough enough when it comes to an alcohol addiction?

When is it time to make a change in ones life, and get clean and sober before it is too late?

Alcohol addiction is a horrible thing. I know I was there for many years and to tell you the truth I thought I had NO problem whatsoever, even though so many people thought so different.

If your are addicted to alcohol and abuse alcohol to the point that you need it everyday of the week, you must have looked in the mirror and have seen the difference in yourself.

Did you, or do you see someone different staring back at you in that mirror? Are you afraid of what you see or you just don't care at all? Are you in denial and thinking you have no problem with the alcohol you drink each and everyday?

Are you the type of person that knows you have a addiction to alcohol but are to a shamed to ask for the help you need to get and stay sober?

Deep down inside you, you must know there is a huge problem with the life you lead. I knew that problem, but I was too embarrassed to ask or admit I needed help.

When do you think enough is enough when it comes to stopping drinking? Would it be when your body starts to shut down because of the abuse you put it through all the years of drinking alcohol?

Would it be time to say goodbye to your addiction to alcohol when a Doctor tells you your liver is shot and there is no repairing it now.

Would those words be enough to say, "I am going to get sober and stop drinking alcohol." I would certainly hope so.

I realize that trying to break the horrible habit of drinking and abusing alcohol is a huge task. I know I was there back in October of 2009 when I said enough was enough and I needed to stop drinking alcohol forever.

When Is the Time to Stop Drinking Forever?

If you are an alcoholic, and know you have a problem, then what measures should you take in order to change your life around for the better and start living the clean life?

• First off, you must get out of the denial you are living in and realize you need to stop drinking and get sober.
• You need to look into that mirror and see who is looking back at you. Are you happy with who is looking at you, or are you a shamed of what you have become because of an avoidable alcohol addiction.
• Are you proud to say you are an alcoholic or are you embarrassed to even mention it to anyone?
• Do you like the way your body has changed over the years of drinking, such as weight gain or weight loss?
• Do you hide from those that do not drink alcohol and drink alone?
• Are you happy with your family life, such as your spouse, children, parents and friends?
• Are those people fed up with you and your addiction to alcohol?
• Are your family and friends beginning to stay distant from you because of you addiction?

I can go on and on, but you get what I am saying, I hope. You need to sit down and take a good hard look at your life and the lives of those that love and care for you.

You have to want sobriety for yourself and not be forced into living a clean and sober life, because I have found that if you don't want sobriety in your life, no person or place will make that happen without the will and pure determination of the alcoholic.

You need to help yourself before any place or person can help you. You have to have it in your heart and soul that you want a better life for yourself and your family, and until you want it for yourself, things will be a bit rough getting and staying sober.

I am not a Doctor or a Therapist, but through my experience of drinking alcohol I know if you don't want to change your life, then recovery is in the distant future until you are 110 % ready to change and get sober on your terms and not someone that is forcing you to get sober.

I did it and so can you my friends. With the willingness, determination and huge desire to make your life right, you can and will get and stay sober.

Once you take that first step towards sobriety, never let anyone or anything get in your way or try to stop your road to recovery. There will be lots of things that may happen in your life as they happened in my life once I got sober, BUT never let it get to you to the point of picking up that drink to drown your problems and sorrows.

If so, it will be the worst mistake of your life and believe me, you will be so disappointed in yourself by letting the demons take control of your body again.

Be STRONG and stand up to the addiction to alcohol that could of, or did ruin your life once before. Believe and you will achieve sobriety my friends!!

Get Yourself Sober Than Help Others Do The Same

Back in 2009 I said to myself, " Mark lets get yourself sober and help others do the same" and that is exactly what I have done since October of 2009.

I write just about every night either here on this blog, or my Clean Life blog, and then HubPages in which I have over 440 hubs written on alcohol abuse, sobriety, ways to get sober, positive attitudes and much more.

I love writing on alcohol addiction and ways that I found that helped me get and stay sober for almost 5 years now.  Writing is really a great help keeping me sober.  Everything I write, I have in my mind as I write them, and that is, "this one article I am writing just might help a person somewhere in the world to get and stay sober."

I can't stress enough in my writing just how sobriety has changed my life, and the lives around me, such as my wife, children and Grandchildren.  I literally put them through pure hell with my alcohol abuse and never wanting to do anything with them unless I had a drink in my hand.

When I look back in time I feel so ashamed and weak. I was too weak to fight my inner demons that ran my life and other lives for so many years.  It truly makes me sick in my stomach now knowing that I put my family and friends behind my addiction to alcohol.

Well, as I write today I am sober and the past is the past and I only now look for much better things to come in my life and the lives that surround me.

If you have recently got sober then I commend you to the highest level in life.  Now your job, as is my job, is to remain sober forever, and start to help those that are suffering from an addiction as we were in the past.  It is so rewarding to know you have helped someone to make up their minds to stop drinking.

It truly wasn't that hard to quit drinking once I made up my mind and got out of the denial I lived in for so many years.  Once I admitted I truly had an alcohol problem, and was willing to surrender once and for all, the rest fell right in place.

Mine you, when you stop drinking, you have to give sobriety 110%.  There can not be any thing such as what I used to say, and that is this:

• I will only drink on weekends.
• I will only drink on Holidays and special occasions.
• I will only drink on the days I have off from work.

If you are ready to get sober, and you have abused alcohol, then the above will NOT work!  It didn't work for me at all and I had tried those methods many times and failed each and every time I tried.

You are only fooling yourself when you try to do as the above states.  Sobriety (LONG TERM SOBRIETY) is all or nothing my friends.