JoeRaisin wrote:

> Tim Bruening wrote:
> >
> > JoeRaisin wrote:
> >
> >> Tim Bruening wrote:
> >>> Tex wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> On Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:58:41 -0800, Tim Bruening
> >>>> <tsbrueni@pop.dcn.davis.ca.us> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> JoeRaisin wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> Tim Bruening wrote:
> >>>>>>> jimbo wrote:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> On Feb 2, 7:38 pm, Tim Bruening <tsbru...@pop.dcn.davis.ca.us> wrote:
> >>>>>>>>> What medications, if any, do you take to reduce your cravings for
> >>>>>>>>> alcohol?
> >>>>>>>> I've never taken a medication to reduce craving nor have I ever heard
> >>>>>>>> of one that works. Her best best would be to consult a physician.
> >>>>>>>> Jimbo
> >>>>>>> How then do you resist the urge to drink?
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>> I couldn't - at least not for very long. That was until I began working
> >>>>>> a program in AA.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> AA taught me to draw strength from my higher power in order to avoid
> >>>>>> that first drink. By staying sober for more than a few days to a few
> >>>>>> weeks at a time I continued working the steps and developed a new
> >>>>>> perspective on myself - a perspective that meant I could look at myself
> >>>>>> in the mirror without loathing. Once I became comfortable with who I
> >>>>>> was, avoiding the first drink became a lot less difficult.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I will offer to you a perspective you may not have considered. If your
> >>>>>> friend's wife is an alcoholic she is not drinking for the same reasons
> >>>>>> as you or most other social drinkers. Most people drink because they
> >>>>>> like the way it makes them feel, alcoholics drink because they don't
> >>>>>> like the way they feel when they are not drinking.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Slogans won't change that, nor will medications.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> If AA isn't her cup of tea, she could try Rational Recovery which
> >>>>>> utilizes "Addictive Voice Recognition Technique" in order to stave off
> >>>>>> cravings. The only caveat with RR is to try and avoid the anger that
> >>>>>> the program is darned near built upon. While reading the small book I
> >>>>>> get the impression that RR sobriety is more a case of staying sober 'at'
> >>>>>> AA rather than being sober to better one's life.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> In the end, however, it boils down to whether or not she 'wants' to quit
> >>>>>> drinking. If not, nothing you (or even your friend) can do to get her
> >>>>>> to stop.
> >>>>> After nearly losing her husband last week, I believe that she now wants to
> >>>>> quit. The problem is that she gets a strong craving for alcohol after a few
> >>>>> days. Often, her stepdad shows up and takes her to a bar to drink double
> >>>>> vodkas. I was hoping to find drugs to reduce that craving so that her will
> >>>>> power would be enough to resist the reduced craving.
> >>>> Sounds like she doesn't want to lose her husband which ain't
> >>>> necessarily the same as wanting to quit.
> >>> I believe that the threat of losing her husband got her attention and caused her
> >>> to make up her mind to quit.
> >>>
> >> Then all she has to do when her step dad shows up is say no.
> >>
> >> I can't speak to how an atheist works with the program since I am not
> >> one, but I can tell you that I know of many atheists who have stayed
> >> sober using AA.
> >>
> >> If she can avoid drinking for one day all she has to do is just string
> >> together a whole bunch of those days.
> >
> > I've suggested to her that she say every day "I will not drink TODAY!".
> >
>
> But have you offered her anything in place of what she is getting from
> the drinking?

I am giving her emotional support and encouragement, and I got her husband to return to
her and give her his love.

> Its tough to say, I know you are getting some sort of benefit from this
> and you feel as though you need it - but just stop.
>
> That is what AA offered me. When I was drunk I didn't feel inadequate
> to the challenge of day-to-day life. AA showed me a way of diminishing
> the negative self perception and helped me re-build my confidence.
>
> Check the promises...