things have got really bad lately. its got to the point where i carry round a bit of alcohol just incase i have a breakdown or somthing. does anyone have any advice so that i can find another way to cope
My first reactions is.... d*mn...
My second reaction is... I found my last drink when I was caught hiding a bottle after my last promise not to drink anymore and confessed, with the revelation of a divorce immediately afterwords, (she has the paperwork but hasn't filed yet, there is a chance).
So... what will be your last excuse to drink? There are tons of tools for coping, handling, understanding, working through life.
Tools include meeting new people in AA or other support groups, therapy to understand why and how you respond to life with alcohol, self-help books to work through the stuff on your own, distractive hobbies and actions when you are stressed, relaxation techniques when stressed, drinking water and being healthier when stressed.
The bottom line is; Alcohol does not fix a thing.
We are here for support if you have questions, thoughts, ideas, wishes, dreams... anything is better than picking up a bottle...
And, I can't promise too much yet, I a week into my sobriety, but I am not drinking again. I am attending AA meetings. I am pursueing counseling. I am going to be a better person than I was.
~Craig
@random68 thanks for the help. tbh ive never really been able to find ways to cope that are good but imma try. hope things go well for you and thanks.
-Hope
Have u tried AA X
@Eddie1970 no but ive decided to look into it
my wifes name is Hope as well...
Try or do. jump in and discover it all. Get soaking wet. READ and EDUCATE yourself about addictions like smoking and alcohol. What do you need to be aware of when you quit? In my quit smoking group we talk about the three legged stool of addiction. If you remove one of the legs it is no longer a working stool. 1.Mental addiction 2. Habits of Addiction 3. Physical addiction. Removing one those is the beginning of short circuiting addictive behaviors. And that where learning/choosing new and different coping skills comes in.
I am currently hurting so very much, not withdrawal, but a hard days work. I used alcohol to numb that pain and reward with a buzz. I can't now. Today I've thinking on that... not quite a crave for drink, but pretty close to it. I have to analyze my thoughts and feelings, I need to inventory what is going on with my body, I need to be proactive and not accept the alcohol solution by creating another kind of solution...like motrin, dinner, and posting in recovery sites. Then I will sleep. No drinking being done tonight.
Hope... You can make sobriety yours... it takes a lot of work. My first recovery thing happened 15+yrs ago...and as a guide to work through stuff I used a work book by Patrick Carnes, called, A Gentle Path Through The Twelve Steps. If you don't know much about the AA 12steps and/or don't have a group to meet with yet, you could get this or a workbook like it to aid the change you want to make in your thinking.
Peace to you,
~Craig
@random68 thankyou so much for the advice, currently looking into AA bc i do want to become less dependent on alcohol. its just so hard. so thanks forthe advice. hope things go well for you
-Hope