The Path to Sober

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alcohol Is The Enemy
  • Start date Start date
A

Alcohol Is The Enemy

Guest
TLDR; I have concluded that my habits are putting me on a collision course with serious consequences and I did not have to look hard for the culprit. Drinking has got to go before I start making real problems for myself.

I do not drink daily and I do not ever drink by myself. Those are things I thought you had to do if you were an "alcoholic". I often go 7-10 days without drinking. The problem is when I do drink there is no off switch. Over time the severity of intoxication has worsened either because age is making me less tolerant or because I am drinking more. Maybe both. I cannot tell if I'm being honest. One thing I know for sure is that it is necessary to get in front of this issue before it creates irreversible problems. Health/career/relationships or legal. I do not need much of an imagination to see how this habit could blow up in any of those areas. In fact I think one of those areas already should have imploded and only by pure luck it has not. Because almost every week I keep putting alcohol in control and it keeps leading me to the same places. That has to stop.

I want to make clear that it has never impacted my flying except cancelling flights because I was hungover. When I fly I have been and always will be stone sober and alert.

I am a member of this site but will publish this anonymously for reasons that are obvious to everybody. I will post to this thread with progress. I wish I had more to share but I don't at this stage. It is early on and I am still discovering which options are available to me for treatment which will not decimate my flying hobby or make my medical prohibitively expensive or onerous to keep. But in the end if I cannot manage it without medical help or intervention I will do that because without well being I will not have flying anyways. If you have any personal experience with it yourself or with family or friends and have recommendations about things that have worked and things that haven't, I am all ears.

Humbled and a little embarrassed
-An alcoholic.
 
Good for you for facing up to it and admitting it. Alcoholism is a progressive disease so many of the truly tragic and life and death consequences are lurking ahead. It’s only a matter of time. That’s why they say the onky possible outcomes for an active alcoholic are jails, institutions or death. There are support groups for pilots in recovery. It’s a far better life sober than active. A life beyond your wildest dreams.
 
Steer clear of hims. I know a BUNCH of people who went that route for help and 99 percent wish they hadn’t.

That’s the ten percenters. The other 90 percent didn’t want (or need) help and are batting 100 percent unhappy about it.

Best to ya!
 
… said:
…. It is early on and I am still discovering which options are available to me for treatment which will not decimate my flying hobby or make my medical prohibitively expensive or onerous to keep…..
Click to expand...
Obviously, health comes first and in this case health is your sobriety journey. If flying is a hobby, do you require a medical or can you fly on BasicMed?
 
Thank you for your comments.

@TCABM
Flying is a hobby. BasicMed is on the table if I want to use it. I have not researched it much before, would it allow more flexibility in seeking treatment?

@robin ardoin
Thank you very much, I may take you up on that Robin. It's good to hear you flipped the off switch a final time and stuck with it.

@wellknow
Thanks. I'm also not a professional pilot. Hobby only. Congrats on staying the course since 92.

@MauleSkinner
At some point it becomes difficult to deceive yourself that you have it under control. That recognition is where I'm at and I recognize denial isn't a good path that will get me anywhere good.

@geneseib
Yes, I do think my friends care. But I think they have the same ugly habits as me. Misery likes company, even if it doesn't know it's miserable.
 
Some how you must avoid all the people you have been drinking with, without telling them why. This has been the key for several of my alcoholic friends.

Second, avoid places that serve such beverage, there are plenty of places to eat that do not have liquor licenses.

Fervent best wishes from here.
 
Alcohol Is The Enemy said:
TLDR; I have concluded that my habits are putting me on a collision course with serious consequences and I did not have to look hard for the culprit. Drinking has got to go before I start making real problems for myself.

I do not drink daily and I do not ever drink by myself. Those are things I thought you had to do if you were an "alcoholic". I often go 7-10 days without drinking. The problem is when I do drink there is no off switch. Over time the severity of intoxication has worsened either because age is making me less tolerant or because I am drinking more. Maybe both. I cannot tell if I'm being honest. One thing I know for sure is that it is necessary to get in front of this issue before it creates irreversible problems. Health/career/relationships or legal. I do not need much of an imagination to see how this habit could blow up in any of those areas. In fact I think one of those areas already should have imploded and only by pure luck it has not. Because almost every week I keep putting alcohol in control and it keeps leading me to the same places. That has to stop.

I want to make clear that it has never impacted my flying except cancelling flights because I was hungover. When I fly I have been and always will be stone sober and alert.

I am a member of this site but will publish this anonymously for reasons that are obvious to everybody. I will post to this thread with progress. I wish I had more to share but I don't at this stage. It is early on and I am still discovering which options are available to me for treatment which will not decimate my flying hobby or make my medical prohibitively expensive or onerous to keep. But in the end if I cannot manage it without medical help or intervention I will do that because without well being I will not have flying anyways. If you have any personal experience with it yourself or with family or friends and have recommendations about things that have worked and things that haven't, I am all ears.

Humbled and a little embarrassed
-An alcoholic.
Click to expand...

Nothing to be embarrassed about. Takes courage and “rigorous honesty,” that which many do not have.

You’ve made the first step, literally!

On flying, any treatments like IOP or similar is an automatic admission that you are alcohol dependent, period. So you will have to do HIMS, pee tests, neuropsychological/psychological screenings and probably soberlink as well. FAA doesn’t care if you never flew drunk, you’ve admitted you have an addiction and they have to treat it as such.

As already indicated, if flying is a hobby, go BM or sport pilot.

Regardless, best of luck with sobriety!
 
OP, I wish you all the luck on your journey, and I hope you have good friends who you can be open with who will support you. I also hope that you will get professional treatment. Some people can just flip the switch and leave it off, but many cannot.

UTLonghorn_1979 said:
On flying, any treatments like IOP or similar is an automatic admission that you are alcohol dependent, period.
Click to expand...
The OP acknowledges he is an alcoholic, so that's a "yes" on 18.n. if he ever again fills out a Medxpress form.* And while Basic Med may work, it still requires an open discussion with his physician and Basic Med and Sport both require not having any conditions incompatible with safe flight.

Get well first.

*ETA: If you have the condition, you're required to report it, regardless of whether you think the FAA needs to know, or you've cured yourself, or whatever. The OP is doing the right thing by getting healthy. No one should want him to do the wrong thing by lying about it.
 
Alcohol Is The Enemy said:
Thank you for your comments.

@TCABM
Flying is a hobby. BasicMed is on the table if I want to use it. I have not researched it much before, would it allow more flexibility in seeking treatment?
Click to expand...
Generally, yes. BasicMed is between you and your physician, however there is a one-time SI if you have a diagnosis of substance dependence or, within the substance abuse last two years.

In either case, that usually comes to the FAA’s light thru a reportable DUI or suspended revoked license that resulted in attending an educational or rehabilitation program OR reporting counseling by a health professional for the same.

Programs like AA, on their own, is not required to be reported.

If that is the case, you need to have consult w/Doc Bruce on a way ahead since there is a couple of different paths that can be take . If you don’t have a reportable event, then the one time SI isn’t an issue for BasicMed.
 
Lindberg said:
The OP acknowledges he is an alcoholic, so that's a "yes" on 18.n. if he ever again fills out a Medxpress form.*
Click to expand...
18.n is about dependence, which OP doesn't have as they report going a days or weeks at a time without drinking.

Drug dependence is not addiction—and it matters - PMC

Accurately identifying persons with addiction is critically important for effectively targeting treatment and harm reduction interventions. Misdiagnosis of addictive disorders can lead to a cascade of negative outcomes, including stigma, ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The term “dependence” has traditionally been used to describe “physical dependence,” which refers to the adaptations that result in withdrawal symptoms when drugs, such as alcohol and heroin, are discontinued. Physical dependence is also observed with certain psychoactive medications, such as antidepressants and beta-blockers. However, the adaptations associated with drug withdrawal are distinct from the adaptations that result in addiction, which refers to the loss of control over the intense urges to take the drug even at the expense of adverse consequences

There is no benefit and much to lose by broadening the definition and offering more information than FAA asked for.

Further, the form specifically refers to "diagnosed" with.

18.n. Substance dependence or failed a drug test ever; or substance abuse or use of illegal substance in the last 2 years.
For example: Select Yes if you have been diagnosed and/or treated in an inpatient or outpatient setting for substance use. Select Yes if you ever had a diagnosis of substance use disorder. Select Yes for any and all positive drug tests whether administered at the federal, state, or local level, or by a private employer. For a detailed description of substance, substance dependence, substance abuse, and drug and alcohol testing, refer to 14 CFR §67.107, §67.207, and §67.307, paragraphs (a)(4) and (b).
18.o. Alcohol dependence or abuse
For example: Select Yes if you have been diagnosed and/or treated in an inpatient or outpatient setting for misuse of alcohol. Select Yes if you ever had a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder. Select Yes for any and all positive alcohol tests whether administered at the federal, state, or local level, or by a private employer. For a detailed description of substance, substance dependence, substance abuse, and drug and alcohol testing, refer to 14 CFR §67.107, §67.207, and §67.307, paragraphs (a)(4) and (b).

Ignoring "dependence", they might qualify for 18.o and I would be very careful to avoid a diagnosis in that case. There is no reason a sobriety plan for someone who goes days or weeks without drinking needs to include a diagnosis and outpatient treatment and, again, good reasons to avoid paths that the FAA has vilified.

Unrelated to the FAA: AA is a cult. Avoid it. It has a terrible success rate and there are much better options just a google away.

Don't game the FAA. And don't game sobriety.

Just saying, that there seems to be a path to retaining both aviation and sobriety so why not take it.
 
Last edited:
to: 172 and you: Actually, FAA's def of dependence is "ever in your life", and as he writes "often goes 7-10 days wthout drinking" means he restarts. Think about what that means.

I'd suggest that the OP engage a HIMS AME and get on a "prove you're sober" testing program to FAA stds.
To Tools: Contain your bitterness. We be using HIMS ASSETS but not the HIMS program for 3rd class. This man (OP) has seen the light. He just needs to journey to the light...

 
Last edited:
There is a path to both. Work a genuine program of recovery. In fact the requirements to continue in aviation can only support the journey to sobriety and provide added motivation. “AA is a cult”. you mean like one that takes all your money? or forces you to have sex with the guru? or drink cyanide laced kool aid. that kind of cult? A very silly description in my opinion. Choose life. Choose recovery.
 
bbchien said:
to: 172 and you: Actually, FAA's def of dependence is "ever in your life", and as he writes "often goes 7-10 days wthout drinking" means he restarts. Think about what that means.
Click to expand...
Yeah, looks like the FAA is using a different definition of dependence, one that includes the medical definition of addiction. At an absolute minimum the bolded section.

“Substance dependence” means a condition in which a person is dependent on a substance, other than tobacco or ordinary xanthine-containing (e.g., caffeine) beverages, as evidenced by—
(A) Increased tolerance;
(B) Manifestation of withdrawal symptoms;
(C) Impaired control of use; or
(D) Continued use despite damage to physical health or impairment of social, personal, or occupational functioning.
 
wellknow said:
“AA is a cult”. you mean like one that takes all your money? or forces you to have sex with the guru? or drink cyanide laced kool aid. that kind of cult?
Click to expand...
One that replaces one addiction with another and knocks a person down to do it. Absolutely classic cult moves.

wellknow said:
A very silly description in my opinion. Choose life. Choose recovery.
Click to expand...
Choosing recovery not only doesn't have to include joining a cult, the non-cult recovery options are also more effective. Double win.
 
Merriam Webster def #5 fits to a tee… they all do actually, but this one especially:

IMG_7517.png


Glad to see you don’t recommend a “hims program” doc. Compare major airlines’ hims programs to us state dept and United Nations’ definitions of human trafficking… also a very good fit.

At its most benign, it’s an administrative program and people keep preaching it’s NOT TREATMENT. Then WHY would you do it especially NOW? Go get REAL TREATED, because I almost guarantee you ain’t gonna feel administrated as you are FORCIBLY TREATED against your will possibly.

Hardly bitterness, just A LOT of observation. People speak freely with me, they don’t do that with their hims “team”.

If you want to offend an honest man, tell him a lie. If you want to offend a dishonest man, tell him the truth. Marcus Aurelius. I can see we’re both offended…
 
172andyou said:
18.n is about dependence, which OP doesn't have as they report going a days or weeks at a time without drinking.

Drug dependence is not addiction—and it matters - PMC

Accurately identifying persons with addiction is critically important for effectively targeting treatment and harm reduction interventions. Misdiagnosis of addictive disorders can lead to a cascade of negative outcomes, including stigma, ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The term “dependence” has traditionally been used to describe “physical dependence,” which refers to the adaptations that result in withdrawal symptoms when drugs, such as alcohol and heroin, are discontinued. Physical dependence is also observed with certain psychoactive medications, such as antidepressants and beta-blockers. However, the adaptations associated with drug withdrawal are distinct from the adaptations that result in addiction, which refers to the loss of control over the intense urges to take the drug even at the expense of adverse consequences

There is no benefit and much to lose by broadening the definition and offering more information than FAA asked for.

Further, the form specifically refers to "diagnosed" with.

18.n. Substance dependence or failed a drug test ever; or substance abuse or use of illegal substance in the last 2 years.
For example: Select Yes if you have been diagnosed and/or treated in an inpatient or outpatient setting for substance use. Select Yes if you ever had a diagnosis of substance use disorder. Select Yes for any and all positive drug tests whether administered at the federal, state, or local level, or by a private employer. For a detailed description of substance, substance dependence, substance abuse, and drug and alcohol testing, refer to 14 CFR §67.107, §67.207, and §67.307, paragraphs (a)(4) and (b).
18.o. Alcohol dependence or abuse
For example: Select Yes if you have been diagnosed and/or treated in an inpatient or outpatient setting for misuse of alcohol. Select Yes if you ever had a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder. Select Yes for any and all positive alcohol tests whether administered at the federal, state, or local level, or by a private employer. For a detailed description of substance, substance dependence, substance abuse, and drug and alcohol testing, refer to 14 CFR §67.107, §67.207, and §67.307, paragraphs (a)(4) and (b).

Ignoring "dependence", they might qualify for 18.o and I would be very careful to avoid a diagnosis in that case. There is no reason a sobriety plan for someone who goes days or weeks without drinking needs to include a diagnosis and outpatient treatment and, again, good reasons to avoid paths that the FAA has vilified.

Unrelated to the FAA: AA is a cult. Avoid it. It has a terrible success rate and there are much better options just a google away.

Don't game the FAA. And don't game sobriety.

Just saying, that there seems to be a path to retaining both aviation and sobriety so why not take it.
Click to expand...
18.n. covers substances and 18.o. is specific to alcohol. Both cover "dependence" ever. I don't know why you'd ignore dependence. And while the examples focus on getting caught, the actual question isn't so limited. You must disclose conditions you've ever "had," even if you weren't caught or diagnosed.
 
Lindberg said:
18.n. covers substances and 18.o. is specific to alcohol. Both cover "dependence" ever. I don't know why you'd ignore dependence. And while the examples focus on getting caught, the actual question isn't so limited. You must disclose conditions you've ever "had," even if you weren't caught or diagnosed.
Click to expand...
I ignored dependence because OP doesn't match the medical definition. Doc caused me to review the FAA definition and I see that they have combined dependence and addiction in theirs. So the gap was simply one of definitions.

I do have the same question as @Salty about self diagnosis.
 
172andyou said:
I ignored dependence because OP doesn't match the medical definition. Doc caused me to review the FAA definition and I see that they have combined dependence and addiction in theirs. So the gap was simply one of definitions.

I do have the same question as @Salty about self diagnosis.
Click to expand...
A diagnosis is one path to required disclosure under question 18, but having a condition is another.
 
I think the OP has decided that he is ON THE WAY to BECOMING an out of control alcoholic.

If he succeeds in stopping, he is not now an alcoholic, he is still in control.

Having drinks with your buddies is social. Drinking every day at home, is across the line.

He is still on the good side of that invisible line.

As I posted above, I have several friends who made that change successfully. Some with AA, some with their real friends and family.

Going on a "Prove you are sober" plan that meets FAA standards seems a good idea too, as an added pressure to stay completely off all alcohol.

Life can be great without alcohol, and you have so much more spending money for other things!
 
Lindberg said:
A diagnosis is one path to required disclosure under question 18, but having a condition is another.
Click to expand...
Walk me through that. I see diagnosis, failed tests and treatment as being requirements for each of the various sentences. Which clause is simply having the condition?
 
When I had to cancel things I wanted to do because I was hungover, I decided to stop drinking. I don't feel like I had a problem, and as I drank less and got older the hangovers became easier to get. Eventually even a single beer could be enough to make me miss my morning workout due to a headache. I decided I'd rather do my morning workout than have that evening beer, and that was the end of my drinking. There was no grand announcement, no fanfare. Just a conscious decision to not have a drink in the evening so I could enjoy the next morning. I don't even know how long it took for people to notice.

Eventually you'll find friends with similar interests outside of drinking, and the friends you only drink with won't find you fun anymore. You can even revel in the idea of being the designated driver.

Avoid getting the FAA involved unless you are forced.
 
geezer said:
Going on a "Prove you are sober" plan that meets FAA standards seems a good idea too…
Click to expand...

Nobody knows what “to the satisfaction of the FAS” means. Including the NTSB or ALJs…

There’s a number of cases showing that. So how do you?

Could be answered by “monitoring”, which is just money, and not useful if they decide that want something else they didn’t tell you about.

Ignore EVERYTHING FAA, get well, re-engage at that point. Pee in a bottle, can’t hurt… unless you get a false positive, now you have a history of relapse! It’s a double edged sword.
 
iu
 
Hmmm, I would have trouble defining this as clearly established dependence based solely on what the OP posted. I mean, if you were to interpret self opined "impaired control of use" as the only clear and determining diagnostic criteria for dependence, then most college men and women would have to self report dependence and alcoholism.

Certainly that is a concern here, but I think the OP needs a clear diagnostic assessment from an independent entity, HIMS or otherwise. Generally, a patient is not the most qualified person to determine whether he has a dependence or alcohol problem. He himself says, "I cannot tell if I'm being honest." (I know, I'm taking his words out of context, but the point is still valid.) We don't know from his post...

We can certainly call him a binge drinker, on the road to dependence and alcoholism. But is he dependent or an alcoholic yet? Again, I don't think there is enough information to say. You can have a "problem" with alcohol, stop, and not have ever been truly dependent or alcoholic. Or, all those college frat boys have been lying on their medXpress app...

Say a person has a strong family history of alcoholism, starts social drinking at 18, notices he gets bulletproof every time he drinks and, initially drinks more than he thinks is right and healthy, but fairly quickly decides to stop drinking without incurring any major consequences. Fast forward 5 years. Hasn't and doesn't drink. He's filling out a medxpress application. Does he self certify he is an alcoholic or had a prior dependence issue?

OTOH if he's been binge drinking for 20 years, and had to cancel numerous flights and other engagements because of the severity of his hangovers, well...

What is certain is that he should never drink again. At all. And, see a professional for an independent opinion and let the chips fall where they may. If he continues to drink knowing what he knows, then he should give up flying.
 
172andyou said:
One that replaces one addiction with another and knocks a person down to do it. Absolutely classic cult moves.


Choosing recovery not only doesn't have to include joining a cult, the non-cult recovery options are also more effective. Double win.
Click to expand...
AA is one of the most effective programs ever discovered. Before AA no one recovered from alcoholism. They went into sanitariums and died there. AA certainly has a spiritual component although there are non spiritual groups. There are other options including things like rational recovery. Medical science is making progress on medications that are effective including the new glp meds.
When u say it’s a cult that implies following a demented leader down a path to destruction. AA, rather is a self help that relies. not on a leader but on the support of other members practicing a program who go to great lengths to support each other.
I understand that it is not for you and that you have strong opinions. But it’s irresponsible to globalize your experience to everyone. It is far and away the most effective treatment for alcoholism. You cite no statistics or objective relevance to your claims.
The problem in your dogmatic approach is that you try to impose your biases on other people whose lives careers marriages and families might be saved by the program.
 
Alcohol Is The Enemy said:
TLDR; I have concluded that my habits are putting me on a collision course with serious consequences and I did not have to look hard for the culprit. Drinking has got to go before I start making real problems for myself.

I do not drink daily and I do not ever drink by myself. Those are things I thought you had to do if you were an "alcoholic". I often go 7-10 days without drinking. The problem is when I do drink there is no off switch. Over time the severity of intoxication has worsened either because age is making me less tolerant or because I am drinking more. Maybe both. I cannot tell if I'm being honest. One thing I know for sure is that it is necessary to get in front of this issue before it creates irreversible problems. Health/career/relationships or legal. I do not need much of an imagination to see how this habit could blow up in any of those areas. In fact I think one of those areas already should have imploded and only by pure luck it has not. Because almost every week I keep putting alcohol in control and it keeps leading me to the same places. That has to stop.

I want to make clear that it has never impacted my flying except cancelling flights because I was hungover. When I fly I have been and always will be stone sober and alert.

I am a member of this site but will publish this anonymously for reasons that are obvious to everybody. I will post to this thread with progress. I wish I had more to share but I don't at this stage. It is early on and I am still discovering which options are available to me for treatment which will not decimate my flying hobby or make my medical prohibitively expensive or onerous to keep. But in the end if I cannot manage it without medical help or intervention I will do that because without well being I will not have flying anyways. If you have any personal experience with it yourself or with family or friends and have recommendations about things that have worked and things that haven't, I am all ears.

Humbled and a little embarrassed
-An alcoholic.
Click to expand...
Sober for 13 months, allow me to share a few things.

There is nothing you can do to help someone who doesn’t want to stop; there’s nothing you can do to stop someone who does.

Quitting drinking doesn’t take one big decision, it takes 1,000 little ones.

Lastly, in my experience the only way to succeed is with a change of heart and a change of spirit. It’s not about willpower and grinding it out. You need help. And His help is free.

My best to you. You CAN do this.
 
wellknow said:
AA is one of the most effective programs ever discovered.
Click to expand...
AA has a success rate of 5-10%.

It's awful.

The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and the Rehab Industry - Kindle edition by Dodes, Lance, Dodes, Zachary. Health, Fitness & Dieting Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and the Rehab Industry - Kindle edition by Dodes, Lance, Dodes, Zachary. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Sober...
www.amazon.com
 
mryan75 said:
Sober for 13 months, allow me to share a few things.

There is nothing you can do to help someone who doesn’t want to stop; there’s nothing you can do to stop someone who does.

Quitting drinking doesn’t take one big decision, it takes 1,000 little ones.

Lastly, in my experience the only way to succeed is with a change of heart and a change of spirit. It’s not about willpower and grinding it out. You need help. And His help is free.

My best to you. You CAN do this.
Click to expand...
Fact! In my experience, if they are ready (what we call a well whooped arse), everything works, if they are not ready, nothing works.
 
172andyou said:
Walk me through that. I see diagnosis, failed tests and treatment as being requirements for each of the various sentences. Which clause is simply having the condition?
Click to expand...
It's in the question and the instructions:

18. MEDICAL HISTORY – Each item under this heading must be checked either “yes” or “no.” You must answer “yes” for every condition you have ever been diagnosed with, had, or presently have and describe the condition and approximate date in the EXPLANATIONS block.
 
I appreciate all of the thoughts and opinions.

I know some people find AA controversial. Its not my first pick but I know two people, a relative and a close friend who have been in the program and it's helped them immensely. One has been sober 40y, the other for 6. Both were completely debilitated alcoholics. I am not above giving it a shot and seeing if it fits.

172andyou said:
AA has a success rate of 5-10%.

It's awful.

The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and the Rehab Industry - Kindle edition by Dodes, Lance, Dodes, Zachary. Health, Fitness & Dieting Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and the Rehab Industry - Kindle edition by Dodes, Lance, Dodes, Zachary. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Sober...
www.amazon.com
Click to expand...
Perhaps that might be due to the fact that the barrier to enter is so low? Can't anyone show up and participate? Paid programs and counseling have a money barrier to entry. I'm honestly not sure.

Mark K said:
.What is certain is that he should never drink again. At all. And, see a professional for an independent opinion and let the chips fall where they may. If he continues to drink knowing what he knows, then he should give up flying.
Click to expand...
I agree with nearly everything you wrote. I'm prepared to seek professional input if I stumble on my own. I have never made a conscious effort to stop before so I will first see how strong my discipline is, I believe I have it in me to stop given what I know is at stake. I will use a professional if I fall flat. To start I'd like to rely on friends and family, and to take myself out of situations where I will be inclined to have a drink. The whole "if you don't have a first drink you can't have a 10th" type mindset.
mryan75 said:
Sober for 13 months, allow me to share a few things.

There is nothing you can do to help someone who doesn’t want to stop; there’s nothing you can do to stop someone who does.

Quitting drinking doesn’t take one big decision, it takes 1,000 little ones.

Lastly, in my experience the only way to succeed is with a change of heart and a change of spirit. It’s not about willpower and grinding it out. You need help. And His help is free.

My best to you. You CAN do this.
Click to expand...
I appreciate that. Really.
MonkeyClaw said:
When I had to cancel things I wanted to do because I was hungover, I decided to stop drinking. I don't feel like I had a problem, and as I drank less and got older the hangovers became easier to get. Eventually even a single beer could be enough to make me miss my morning workout due to a headache. I decided I'd rather do my morning workout than have that evening beer, and that was the end of my drinking. There was no grand announcement, no fanfare. Just a conscious decision to not have a drink in the evening so I could enjoy the next morning. I don't even know how long it took for people to notice.

Eventually you'll find friends with similar interests outside of drinking, and the friends you only drink with won't find you fun anymore. You can even revel in the idea of being the designated driver.

Avoid getting the FAA involved unless you are forced.
Click to expand...
I wish I'd had the foresight to stop the first time a hangover inconvenienced me. I took the harder road. I'm glad your path has worked out well.


bbchien said:
I'd suggest that the OP engage a HIMS AME and get on a "prove you're sober" testing program to FAA stds.
Click to expand...
This is something I will research. If I understood your post about HIMS assets versus HIMS program, would this be a voluntary type thing that doesn't immediately impact my medical? Or do I have to go on record with the AME as saying there is an issue and put that on my file?


At the end of the day I'm going to do whatever has to be done. This will take precedence over my flying, but I want to at least give myself a chance to sort it out on my own before I voluntarily make life a whole lot more complicated with the FAA. If that becomes necessary I'll do it.
 
Back
Top