Had a stroke in July due to blood pressure

[peter mcneil]

Thank you. Starting my day 3, 5 AM EST no booze. Could not sleep for shit but actually feel pretty good considering the situaiton. Not alcohol foggy like most days i get up. I think my body is so used to "going to sleep" with alcohol and is super confused why I am trying to sleep naturally. I definitely feel on edge right now and just overall pissed off. It really is similar to when I quit smoking cigarettes. I can already tell today is going to be hard to focus which is going to be rough because i need to get a lot done.

Funny , as all the talk about sugar. Last night, had crazy craving for sugar which I never . Had a Coke and was best thing ever. Probably havent had a full soda in 5 years. SO there is something to probably be said for my the alcohol wrecking havoc on my blood sugar.

Anyway, I am sticking with this even if i end up in the ER. I got two doctors I can call and one is going to come over tonight to check on me. Even offered to bring IV with vitamins and stuff to help. Ironically, all the doctors i know are also the biggest alcoholics i know.

I think that is one of the things that probably stops a lot of alcoholics from giving up the drinking is that you can actually die from withdrawals. When the going gets tough with quitting smoking , or even heroine, at least you know you arent going to die. With alcohol , when you feel like shit, i think it is much easier to panic because of how bad it can get. Thus you start drinking again.

funny you mention sugar. i gave up booze for 6 months this year and changed diet to try and lose weight to get rid of this lethargic feeling I had (welcome to middle age). In any event I eased off the no drinking after 6 months and I can take it or leave it, but the biggest issue has been curbing this never ending sweet tooth craving that won't seem to go away. very frustrating, but leave sweets out and I am like an animal after them. I try and keep away from them, but its hard with kids and once I see them its game on. sort of pathetic I can't have better self control.

Exact same thing I went through after quitting. Guys like us who gravitate to excessive behaviours will always fight some battles. I literally have no free will when it comes to sugar. At movies I'll demolish a large bag of nibs during the previews.

From the research I've done guys like you and me get a larger than average beta endorphin rush when we indulge in alcohol, sugar, sex, gambling and anything that gives instant pleasure. The good news is that I also get that rush from healthy things. Work and money, family time, hiking, camping, exercise and sports.

What works for me is to simply stay away from sugar, moderation isn't in my DNA. My kids hide their treats on me in the house, sounds pathetic but they think it's funny. I indulge once a week but otherwise my wife is a magnificent zero sugar chef, we rarely eat out and when we do I tend to make good choices. Your body needs to adapt to a new energy source. If you can grind out a full week with no sugar you'll drop the sweet tooth cravings although I think the neuropathways that lead us to sugar are a longer term battle.