I’m an alcoholic. I’ve tried to fix this problem on my own. I’ve tried going to meetings. I attended my first meeting February of 2017. My longest sober time was 29 days. Idk what else to do. I feel like I need rehab but I have 3 kids and am the main source of income so an inpatient rehab is out of the question. I feel like a simple no is the answer. I dont know why I haven’t been able to do just that. But I dont want this life anymore. I really dont. I dont know why i feel so stuck or how to get out of the thought of feeling so stuck. I typically start drinking around 10am everyday. For the past roughly 5-6 years. I’ve taken days of and breaks in between. Longest being 29 days but I’ve had times where I’ve taken weeks off. But lately it’s been daily and I cant get out of it. I feel like I’ve made it such a part of my daily routine and I’ve been so good at hiding it it’s so hard to get away. I hope someone sees this that can understand and relate and just give me some kind of direction. Thank you so much in advance
How often did you go to a meeting? I think you have to go to meetings on a regular bassis. If you can’t go to them often you could try meetings online. Here’s one:
https://www.smartrecovery.org/smart-recovery-toolbox/smart-recovery-online/
And you have to change things, like you said drinking is part of your daily routine. So you have to break that habit yourself. Strip your house from all alcohol, avoid alcohol related events, do something different at 10am and fill your fridge with comfy food and alc free drinks. Maybe you can go to the gym between 20.00 and 22.00 ?
Or go to that meeting?
Go for it!!
I appreciate that. I dont go to meetings that often. Once a week. At most I’m gonna look into that now. It’s hard cuz its gotta be all on me. At my job a lot of people drink starting early in the am. So it’s kind of always around me. It’s not allowed at work but its definitely tolerated. That’s where it makes it hard
I understand that being around people who are drinking can be a massive trigger. But if u r not aloud to drink in work is there anyway you can avoid the people who drink ? I agree with @SoberWalker if u r gonna go to meetings getting stuck right into them go to as many as u can and build a soba network around yourself. Once u start to get more soba days the better u will feel and then your get stronger to say no to drinking. Keep reading and reaching out on here were all here to help eachother through our recovery x good luck x
I totally relate to this horrible destructive cycle that seems to be impossible to break.
I’ve had a diagnosed OCD condition for over 45 years with occasional long spells of freedom (over a year once) but then the old beast rears its ugly head and I find myself sick again.
I have managed to keep alco-free for 200 days now which is some achievement, but this OCD is very self destructive.
I hope you find some relief - you know you have friends here who do understand something of what you’re going through, much more probably than your own family and friends.
Peace to you.
Sorry I think I miss read that about drinking in work ! I get u want to sort yourself out I was the same i wanted to go rehab but couldn’t afford to and got my daughter to look after but once I started working my recovery through the 12steps things got better for me. I hope u find the help u need x
I’m not going to hold your hand !! All I’m hearing are excuses!! (No offense). You can find time to drink at ANY TIME of the morning. Then you can find time to be at a MEETING at the same time!!! 1st and Foremost… Get the Booze out of the House! ( You always found time to go get it). Get your BEST FRIEND!!! Have him or her help you with these beginning processes. It will be Hard. But Soooo Worth IT!!! Don’t be upset with me. Im just trying to help!!!
Thank you for all your advice. I am just asking for advice on what other people have done in a similar situation. I’m not looking for anyone to hold my hand. I can find time to drink cuz like I said it’s a thing everyone does at work. So that’s why I can find time to drink. Because it’s available at work. I can drink and get paid I cannot leave work and get paid to go to a meeting. I am an ironworker and work 40 plus hours a week. My best friend is a worse drunk then me. That is why I’m in this predicament and dont know where to go
I guess it’s just something that needs to be done on my own. Sorry
@DowntroddenGoat works ungodly hours a week and still hits at least 5 meetings a week. Maybe he can help with the logistical side of squeezing meetings in to a work week. I know for me I have a full time job (one hour commute each way), 2 babies at home, a wife who works overnights, and still manage 3 or more meetings a week. It really just depends where your priorities are. My priority is sobriety. And if I focus on sobriety, the rest of my life gets better. But if I stop making sobriety my priority the rest of my life will suffer.
I’m not saying it’s not my priority. And I’m not saying I cant make time for more meetings. I can. I’m saying I struggle cuz it’s so available while I’m at work. So having a majority of guys drinking around me freely at work makes it hard for me to not be around it. Not drinking at home is easier. Not drinking at work is hard. I cant go to meetings at work and Its hard to avoid it at work. There’s where I need advice from someone that’s been ther
I lived in a drug house the first 4 months of my sobriety. Sure, watching people use my DOC all day wasn’t a good idea and probably made it harder, but it was either there or a homeless shelter at the time. Sometimes it’s not easy to change people, places and things, so I damn sure better work on not picking up that first one. Or you can always switch jobs.
I cant really switch jobs. For pay reasons. I do agree. It’s not taking the first one. I feel like that first step is huge just that first time and telling your friends what’s going on and having there support it gets easier. I’ve been on a long binge and I’m just struggling to get out of it
Mate seriously. You just gotta say no to yourself. Doesn’t matter what everyone around you is doing. If you really want to stop them you would no matter what.
Blaming other people is just another addict excuse.
I’m not saying it’s easy, but you can’t come on here and complain that it’s everyone else.
It’s you saying no.
And if sobriety is really important, maybe it’s more important than your job.
I can’t relate but however my father was an alcoholic when i was growing up and he tried the rehab and everything. He said the thing that helped him was he got a small part-time job at a mom and pap place where he only worked for a couple hours a night. He was able to get his scedhule so right after his full time job he’d have to go straight there and even though it was only for 2 hours a night by the time he got home he would be to tired to drink. That was 14 years ago and now he’s not as tired when he comes home but he doesn’t drink still because he broke the habbit.
@Geoagain I’m not blaming anyone your missing the point. I am asking for peoples advice that’s been in my situation. And how they coped with being in these surroundings.
Thank you @DanielleD finding a part time job or even a committed hobby or volunteer thing somethingt keep me busy is a good thought
I feel like once I get through a week or two the mental stuff gets easier it’s just getting there
How long have you been sober using that method? And I mean completely sober.
I know all about it. We’ve had a few people here come sing it’s praises before. Not a single one has remained sober. Naltrexone does work for cravings, but you don’t need to keep drinking to get the benefits of the medication. I was on naltrexone for 6 or 7 months. It’s much more effective when coupled with some type of alcohol counseling.