Alcoholism

[NinaStar90]

Hi all,

I'm a regular poster on another thread, and on there I have spoken about my issues with alcohol a couple of times, and how I am trying hard to recover... I managed for 109 days last year and fell off when stress came into my life. Yet again I am at the stage where I am trying SO HARD to recover, but due to lack of NHS support (I can't do AA due to religious trauma) it's taking me a while to get certain treatments. I am currently talking to a worker, but referrals are taking a while.
I am not a physically addicted person, but I use alcohol to excess when I have stress in my life. I hate myself hugely after these periods, but it's the only way I can cope... also it hinders my coping (yes, I know).

Does anyone have any recommendations for coping mechanisms- IE not turning to a bottle when things go wrong?

 

[Happy35]

Not sure how helpful it will be for you as I don’t really drink alcohol at all, but when I am stressed I find that walking massively helps me as my mind switches off after I while and I feel more relaxed. There are other organisations such as Greenacres who can help with addictions if AA isn’t for you, along with many others. If you google addiction support then drop in cafes etc may be available and work better for you, I know someone who uses this support and goes somewhere most days on their way home from work

 

[Sunnydaze101]

Hiya. I’ll have a think and get back to you. It’s just great you’ve recognized it and want to do something about it. Maybe something to help with the stress and managing that, I get anxious and stressed and I use that rescu remedy spray to clam me down. Maybe writing down your stress factors and seeing how you can make change to remove them out of your life, hard if it’s money because so many people are feeling pinch right now.

 

[CocoLoco2]

Hey, are you into fitness at all? I need to get back into the gym but when I was younger if I was stressed one of the first things I’d do was hit the gym, listen to a bit of music whilst working out and it’d calm me down and make me feel good.
I’d also go walking with my headphones on, it can proper chill you out, you could listen to podcasts or your favourite music.

 

[PineappleQueen19]

You should be proud of yourself for the 109 days. That is a huge achievement.

I have been through something similar and what helped me was something called ‘morning pages’. It is essentially journaling for want of a better word but the key is you do it first thing in the morning while your brain is coming out of theta mode (so definitely before you use your phone for example). It allows you to work through mental & emotional blockages and get to the root of stress & anxiety. Don’t think too much about it, even if you write about how much you hate writing morning pages, keep going. Whatever occurs to you, just keep the pen flowing. Don’t read it over once you’re done or look back through previous pages. Just keep going.

I did one A4 page most mornings, nothing much happened for three months but then I started having revelations about so much stuff. It was remarkable. I first read about it in the artists way by Julia Cameron as a creativity technique. (If you Google ‘morning pages’ lots of articles will come up so no need to fork for the book if it’s not your thing.) It is very simple yet has been extraordinarily helpful for me so it could be a worth a try?
Very best wishes.

 

[Hibernia]

Hi all,

I'm a regular poster on another thread, and on there I have spoken about my issues with alcohol a couple of times, and how I am trying hard to recover... I managed for 109 days last year and fell off when stress came into my life. Yet again I am at the stage where I am trying SO HARD to recover, but due to lack of NHS support (I can't do AA due to religious trauma) it's taking me a while to get certain treatments. I am currently talking to a worker, but referrals are taking a while.
I am not a physically addicted person, but I use alcohol to excess when I have stress in my life. I hate myself hugely after these periods, but it's the only way I can cope... also it hinders my coping (yes, I know).

Does anyone have any recommendations for coping mechanisms- IE not turning to a bottle when things go wrong?

Hi don't know why I'm posting because I'm no help to you but I wanted to say i think I have a problem also. I don't know how to overcome it. I think its like smokers. Think of all the smokers who just quit. And that is massively physically and psychologically addictive. They can do it. We can do this. I don't think it's helpful to say I can't have a drink ever again. Maybe just I can't have a drink today

 

[Pip30]

Just wondering where in the country you are? There are lots of different charities/services outside of the nhs. I can direct you based on area as I work very closely to the services. Feel free to dm me if it’s easier!