Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselling Thread

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I go to AA. It works, it can help you with socializing as well as a substance abuse problem. People at self-help groups are usually more than willing to help anyone someone with all their issues, not just the one the group is centered around.

And that's what I learned addiction usually is, usually someone is covering up their emotions or whatnot with some sort of substance so they don't have to deal with reality and pain. I could hook up with kids with Asperger's or even just dorky sort of kids before I went to AA, but I was such a self-centered a**hole as a result of all substances I consumed, that I didn't know how to interact with them properly and was rejected.

I'm still in recovery which is hard right now. I'm not trying to blame my drinking on Asperger's. However, I used that as a social crutch. I've been in and out of hospitals for suicide and domestic abuse. It only took me 2 years for alcohol to catch on me. If I have one drink then I'm gone. Can't control it, gotta have more. Been sober for over a year now and it feels weird. I'm actually feeling things for the first time good and bad. It's still something I'm struggling with. I don't know how to call some of the people up at my AA meetings.

I used Rational Recovery at first. It worked, but it only halted my drinking and drugging, temporarily too. I don't know anything about the other methods. So RR can quickly stop the abuse of drugs for a rational person who likes to analyze everything, but it doesn't take care of some of the core issues that result from a drug-addled brain (even when all the substances drained out, I still felt hollow on the inside and I wasn't taking care of myself and I ESPECIALLY wasn't socializing). 12-steps take care of more than just the booze, they take care of why you went to the booze in the first place and how you can better yourself.

Last edited by daveybaby on 01 Mar 2008, 11:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

That's great. Sometimes I don't think AA and self discipline work alone. Thankyou

Seems like a common problem for our crowd.

I went to AA years ago, just to listen. I quit drinking for prolly four years, until My Missus told me it was OK for me to drink. Now I can't hardly go a day without a dram.

I'm a recovering drug addice and alcoholic. I went through years of abuse. I'm two years (very close) clean and sober. It's been an experience that no other has come close to.

I got sober and clean through a 12 step program. Knowing that there were others out there that had gone through the same thing as I was immensely helpful.

I was killing myself slowly, and was tired of it. Being sober has been the greatest gift, to me and my children. I have learned so much about myself.

Anyone with questions...fire away. Because, there is a better way.

Just thought I'd rant here.

Haven't been going to AA meetings for a while. I keep thinking I can do this by myself but lately I think I've been over confident about it. My supporters were right. Lately it's been racing through my mind. I'm always alone and feel like I'll lose sanity over it. There's been many times of wanting to go to the liquor store to buy something that will for a short term ease my mind and issues. I feel like I've been nothing but a joke to life. I've been having nightmares about relapsing and going into hospitals and shelters again. I'm trying not to let these thoughts give me an excuse for my substance of choice. I don't wanna go back there again. I''ve never been able to succefully stay in contact with my sponsor and I was getting sick of some of the members telling me how reluctant I looked for being there. I think some of them think I'm being anti-social on purpose and I'm not. I'd give anything to be able to do these small chats that they enjoy. I've already told a few members about my crappy AS. Many of them had no idea what I was talking about so I never went into details b/c I'm still embarassed about it myself. I guess I should've made a big humilating deal about it since it may be part of why ppl misconstrue me so easily. I think I'm also substituting one addiction over the other....da da da da da. Life is sooooo hard to care about espeacially when I have to keep myself from lashing back at jerks who get nasty towards me for an obvious reason I don't know of. I even try to get on their good side and they still act like jackoffs. So, not the type of ppl I would wanna be around. It's like whatever I tell them goes from one ear out the other. They pretend they want help and then scream for the center of attention with more problems. So, good luck with them and their outcome. I'm also worried about a family member, she isn't doing well, she's getting worse. I hate it that my family members laugh at her b/c she's been acting strange from her condition. I don't know how to prepare myself for death. I've never had any death in the family. I'm also worried about another person who's been suicidal. I hope they don't do it and get the help that they deserve. Well still don't want to give up my freakn' ass sobriety over this crap. Oh woe is me.

OK, glad I got that outta my system.

Think I just need to keep up with my AA meetings. I've been feeling very selfish lately and into that ego mode again that got me in trouble many times before.

I'm still bad at stay connected with a sponsor.

i was never a drinker in my teens nor twenties
it started slowly when i quit the prior job 4 years ago
escalated to a daily thing when my cat died then another pet
then my fia...might seem shallow to other people but it really
hit me hard to lose all of them.
this year i have been sober since february, had 1 drink in april
and another in may but didn't progressed to anything...so far
i know i can overcome this. just have to focus.

I used to be a smoker, and quit a few times. I didn't smoke tobacco for around a year, but yesterday, I decided to smoke a few hash joints with tobacco, with the result, I'm fighting nicotine addiction today. I'm sooo tempted to run down and buy a pack. Any suggestions on not thinking about tobacco? I'm trying to keep myself busy watching wuxia and experimenting with joomla, but it's not helping much.

^ I don't know since mine were not tobacco but mind altering substances. What's joomla BTW? Don't they have nicotine or gum for tobacco for that?

As for any addictions meetings are good for that if you're willing to admit you have a problem of course that's......if you really do have a problem. You get extra support by other members who are dealing with the same issues. NA/AA meetings and rehabs. Although I wouldn't recommend rehabs unless you're trying to dry out since most ppl are forced into them.

Meetings are places ppl are willing to go for help and support and then eventually in return do the same thing.

I'm already off it. G ^^;;

They don't have nicotine gum here. Joomla is an open source content management system.

Hmmm..

*hugs*
AA meetings won't bite you know I get the ego thing, but be careful. Substance abuse is a really fickle thing - it'll bite you in the butt if you're not careful.

Thanx Ebec.

Something I'm still learning to deal with.

I have dealt with addiction in the past. I was really put-off by the idea of any kind of rehab or group therapy, since those kinds of social situations freak me out.

I recovered on my own, with a little medical help. I think this was really the best option for me. I think that joining some kind of group might have just led to more problems.

Different things work for different people - there is no solution that is universally effective. What does matter, in all cases, is whether or not you want to change your ways. As long as you are motivated to change, there is hope.