Plz help
 

I have been sober on my own for 8 months , last year . I tried my best to remain sober for lifetime but due to some professional issues i started having thoughts that drinking will help me get better of my problems. I tried hard but lost to this craziness . And i had a relapse during January this year and that relapse has now developed into a full grown drinking habit .

I am a bachelor and live with my college friends who engage into drinking at least 3 -4 times a week . I really want to stop drinking but am not able to understand how to do that without joining AA like organizations. I motivate myself everyday by looking at recovery forums , stories and all , but as soon as i come back from my office in the evening , i start feeling bored and then decide to drink . please advice me on what shd i do now ?

Welcome prab. You should have at least a rough plan. Are you physically dependent on alcohol? If so, you should have a medical detox so that you can withdrawal with some safety. According to a site that came up with a Google search, there are AA meetings in New Delhi, would you be interested in AA?

You may want to check out the Newcomers forum and commit to the "Class of September" thread. That particular thread contains posts by people who have committed to quitting this month. The posters to the thread support and encourage each other. It's a good start.

There are also online meetings of AA. There are also other recovery methods such as SMART and AVRT (Google those terms for more info).

Most of all keep posting and reading here; SR is a wealth of information and encouragement.

I agree: We have so many avenues to choose from. There are traditional outlets, like A.A. -which I have to say works for me, to more alternative methods like A.V.R.T, S.M.A.R.T. or even online forums like S.R. All it really takes is a commitment, a plan of action, and of course some much needed willpower. From there, it's a learning process. I hope you make that commitment.

Why the hesitation about going to AA? There is a reason that this organization has been around for so many years. I know that there is debate over which form of treatment works best, but at this stage of your drinking, you need to take the baby step of trying one meeting out. It's not a bunch of old men, smoking and grumbling. There are lots of different kinds of meetings. There is one near me that is for people who use music to share, and its almost all young people (mainly college age guys) with guitars, and its just amazing. There are meetings with artists, young moms, singles. For years I went to a meeting after dropping off my boys at school at 8am on the beach. We brought beach chairs, coffee, food. I loved that meeting, especially during the winter, when the ocean is so beautiful.

There are so many gifts at these meetings. Hearing others share. Learning new things that help the process. Meeting people who are going through the same thing. And it's free, and they are held everywhere. Why not give up one hour of your life, trying something that has the potential to push you in the right direction? I hope you just think about it.

I understand what you are saying. 5:00 after work was my time to start drinking. I started drinking tons of water and lime at 4:30 and made sure I had it to drink on the way home and at home. That helped a lot. Now the 5:00 craving doesn't happen to often.

Hi prab, welcome. Go somewhere else. Break the routine. Find a new hobby. Best wishes.

It definitely sounds to me like you need to break your routine. Do something else after work besides go home and drink with your roommates. A lot of people have the problem you are having when they continue to live with their college buddies. It sounds like you are ready to move on to a different lifestyle.