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Sobering Up
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hi all, its been a while...
I had a life changing epiphany in therapy a few weeks, that the root of all my problems is drugs and alcohol. So I'm trying to give it all up. But its really really hard. I'm only 23 and my lifestyle revolves around partying and late nights. Last week I had a good week, I managed 3 whole sober days. This week I've managed none. My therapist is keen for me to try out AA but I'm not so sure...any one have any experiences/advice?
Thanks
I had a life changing epiphany in therapy a few weeks, that the root of all my problems is drugs and alcohol. So I'm trying to give it all up. But its really really hard. I'm only 23 and my lifestyle revolves around partying and late nights. Last week I had a good week, I managed 3 whole sober days. This week I've managed none. My therapist is keen for me to try out AA but I'm not so sure...any one have any experiences/advice?
Thanks
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Comments
What's that Human Traffic quote? "When the come-down outweighs the good times you know the party is over, man".
I think that the better approach is a special therapy, when you become disguised by drugs and alcohol. Then you don’t have cravings to consume them.
It's so positive to see that you're looking to make changes in your life around drugs and alcohol use.
It can be really tough to just give up everything in one go and may even be dangerous to do rather than cutting down over a period of time. TheSite.org's article on cutting down on drink offers some good tips for this:
http://www.thesite.org/drinkanddrugs/drinking/responsibledrinking/cuttingdownondrink
There's also one on staying off drugs:
http://www.thesite.org/drinkanddrugs/drugsafety/addiction/stayingoffdrugs
Check out the 'next steps' boxes on the right-hand side too.
One of the important things to consider when thinking about weaning yourself off drugs and alcohol is finding activities to replace the time you would spend drinking or taking drugs. Organisations like AA can help with this, but it can also be good to look to other local groups for inspiration or perhaps think about career/study/volunteer options based on your interests. www.do-it.org.uk may be a good place to start.
Keep posting and let us know how you're getting on. Sometimes it's just about finding that ongoing support to spur you on when times are tough. Try not to be hard on yourself if some days seem harder than others and remember that you've made a really positive decision to make this life change and it may take a little while to find the best ways forward in your specific circumstances.
I haven't given AA a chance yet, I'm so reluctant to for many reasons and have managed to get my drinking a bit more under control for now, dealing with other problems before I really tackle this one! I do CDT which has been really helpful in recognising when I want to launch into a bender.
I guess most of my reluctance to really get stuck in is to do with my age...I feel like I'm very young to be suggesting I'm already an alcoholic...I don't know.
But yes things have been better.
Thanks