Welcome to SR, JCfmfree!
Realizing there's a problem is a huge first step, but in my case, it took me some work to be able to stop and stay stopped without being miserable.
I used prayer a lot also when I wanted to stop drinking, but not much happened until I took some action. In AA I heard, "faith without works is dead".
I eventually had to become willing to do things, to make changes in my life, and for me that included going back to AA meetings and practicing the 12 steps again and finding other ways to relieve stress and/or entertain myself.
Once I started actively doing these things, the prayer seemed to work to give me the strength to continue to do all that stuff I had been reluctant to do. Today I use prayer to help me stay on track and to expand my relationship with my Higher Power.
Stick with us and you'll get lots of information and support here!