Hi
I'm in the UK too.
I also sometimes work from home and my job can be stressful.
I am coming up to 500 days sober, mostly with the help of this website.
Whether you do go to rehab, try AA, take medication, it ultimately comes down to you doing it yourself.
You (or I) could go to the best rehab available, learn the best tips and tools to stop drinking, but when you leave its still all up to you.
I paid for a very expensive private addictions counsellor not available on the NHS.
We would talk and talk and talk for hours about 'why' I drank.
£4,000 later it was starting to become apparent that I drank because I liked getting drunk.
There was no special reason, no deep seated psychological flaw. I just liked booze too much!
If my bus was late I would drink. If my bus was early I would drink. If I had run out of milk I would drink. If I missed Eastenders i would drink. I would drink just to celebrate the fact it was tuesday!
For me I had to change a lot of my behaviours.
So instead of sat slumped on the sofa after my child has gone to bed with endless TV and endless wine, I had to do something else.
At first it was a challenge. 10 years plus I had, had this routine.
I got off the sofa, smashed my favourite glass and did other things.
I did anything went or long drives, early nights, went shopping, sorted junk out for car boots, finished of stuff in the garden and house, exercised. Cooked meals for the freezer. Anything.
I can now honestly say sitting on the sofa for hours and hours drinking on an evening would seem weird. Like a waste of time. It is so freeing when you can drive or go wherever you want because you are not imprisoned by drink.
I also came here for many hours a day.
I read and learnt all I could about alcoholism and addiction.
I learnt how bad it can get. That it is progressive.
I learnt about AVRT and addictive voices and some of the common thinking patterns problem drinker like me has.
I went to some AA meetings and I will be forever grateful to the people there that shared their stories, many quite painful, to stop me from reaching a rock bottom like theirs.
I instantly thought from your post that you could stop off at a meeting on your way home from work.
Another tip might be to stay at work rather than go home, then that removes the freedom/ability to drink.
I take anti-depressants and I have found that since I stopped drinking my anxiety has become less.
I finally think my tablets are working since I stopped cancelling out their effectiveness with my self medicating with alcohol.
I don't wake up at four am every morning, my heart pounding, wanting to die anymore.
My life is a lot more peaceful.
Another tip that I think helped me was to stay in the now, don't think too far ahead.
Don't think about birthdays or christmas, or holidays. Or what your mates will say or your family.
Think just for today I will not have a drink. Tomorrow I will see how I feel. But today I am not drinking.
This statement could describe my drinking career;
'I have regretted drinking many, many times. I have never ever regretted not drinking'
My best to you
xx