Healing from alcohol addiction

H.-P. W. (54) Bielefeld (Germany)

In the year 1993 I began to regularly drink up to five litres of beer a day on weekends. I would really "hang one on", that is, I would get drunk. Back then I would hardly drink at all during the week-only on weekends-and I felt I had it well under control. That changed in 1996. I set my alcohol consumption at one and a half or two litres a day and didn’t get drunk anymore. I had become used to it. I was really drunk for the last time in 1996.

I drank practically no "hard stuff", just some additional wine now and then. For about seven years I drank this quantity (one and a half to two litres of beer) in the evenings. Sometimes I even drank less, but there had to be alcohol! The next day I always felt very bad. I would be irritable, nervous and melancholic. This mood would continue on into the afternoon.

This alcohol consumption was really hard on me. I was trying to fight off depression with it, but in vain. I needed the one and a half litres to reduce stress. After drinking that amount I would become calmer inside. Always on the way home in my car I would already be looking forward to the first beer. At home I would then go straight to the refrigerator and take out the first beer of the evening.

I knew from the beginning that I was drinking too much alcohol and was dependent and also tried to give up drinking. But I didn’t manage it. I didn’t have any problems as a result of it at work or socially, but it disturbed me a lot personally because I had more weight problems and suffered from the sorrowful moods already mentioned above. The quality of my life wasn’t good.

I want to become completely well again

I learned of the Bruno Gröning in May 2002 from a girlfriend and was introduced to the teaching of Bruno Gröning on November 5, 2002. After the introduction at first I went on drinking one and a half to two litres of beer daily. Sometimes I would also drink more and contrary to my usual habit would not only drink in the evening but also already in the afternoon. I would also suddenly feel nauseous but wouldn’t have to vomit. This nausea would last about ten minutes and then I would feel better again. At the time I was keeping a diary about the gradual improvement of my problem. For example I noted for December 14, 2002 that I drank two or three litres of beer on that day. At that time I felt very nauseous in the evening along with unrest, frequent bowel movements and chills. That evening I finally wept, which I previously hadn’t been able to do anymore. In the following period I frequently had Regelungen in the form of nausea, itchiness on my legs and belly at night and felt an unpleasant tingling. At night I had a strong thirst for mineral water. I did einstellen every day and kept telling myself, "I don’t want that anymore; I want to become completely well again."

There is no more yearning

And then the day came when suddenly from one day to the next I was rid of the need to drink alcohol. Here in retrospect is the excerpt from my diary: "On Wednesday July 23, 2003 I was still drinking quite a bit of alcohol, more than usual, and began already during the day. Was very sad the whole day, then the next day spoke a long time on the telephone with a woman from the Bruno Gröning Circle of Friends". I complained a lot and kept saying, "I don’t want this damned alcohol any more." Suddenly I had to break off the conversation due to severe Regelungen. I was forced by a very severe nausea. That lasted for about ten minutes. But I didn’t have to vomit.

I hadn’t had this nausea earlier but since that day I have never drunk a drop of alcohol and also haven’t had the desire to do so any longer. I had none of the feared withdrawal symptoms. July 24, 2003 was my first day without alcohol. I only sweated profusely for about five minutes. At first I was afraid to go into a restaurant or cafe. Today I can watch beer being drunk in a pub without having a desire for it. I don’t like it anymore. There is no more yearning.

Psychologist’s comment:

From 1993 and without any special reason, Mr. W. started drinking up to five liters of beer daily on weekends. Through the process of habituation, the alcohol abuse turned into alcohol dependency from 1996 on. By then, his daily consumption had reached one and a half to two liters of beer, which Mr. W stated reduced depression and stress.

Eight months after being introduced into the teaching of Bruno Gröning, the craving for alcohol was suddenly gone from one day to the next. This happened without any of the withdrawal symptoms which would normally be expected after an alcohol dependency of over 10 years. Parallel to this was a remission of the depressive moods that Mr. W. suffered as well. From a psychological point of view, this course of healing is very unusual.

U. E., Psychologist