needhelppleaz

So I am a 24 year old student who has been unable to get a job, had my girlfriend leave me in the middle of a Mexican vacation and then had a depression episode. I drank previously but never so much that it was a problem. Once these things happened my drinking became a huge problem to the point I was drinking five times a week and usually blacking out. I have recently decided to try to quit drinking, but by this time I am addicted and unsure of where to go to get help. Any ideas on the first step besides rehab?

eJoshua

Welcome to SR!

Well the good news is you've made the first step: deciding you want to quit. The second thing I'll say is take a cue from Yoda: there is no "try". Quit drinking, don't try to.

Anyways, there are a lot of ways you can go. I did do rehab myself, but if you're vehemently opposed to it I would recommend getting involved in a recovery program. You'll need to do it eventually if you are serious about quitting. Edit: Most people need to, I should say Many people check out AA, and that can be a nice option because there are so many AA meetings around.

Check out this website:
AA Northern Colorado Intergroup

They have meetings listed in your area, as well as a 24 hour staffed phone line you can call for help, advice or suggestions on where to find a meeting. Just go and listen. Going there will be the hardest thing to do, but most people really like it once they get in the door.

I would seriously recommend checking out several meetings before making a decision. AA meetings really vary in the type of people that attend, the number, the group dynamics, etc. I hated the first several meetings I went to until I discovered a group that is comprised of mostly college students.

Don't fall into the trap that I did for years and try to justify your drinking. I was probably about 22 when I realized I may have a problem but I justified it for a long time because I thought I was too young to have a problem, or because I thought that's just what people my age did, or because of my social circle. The reality of the matter is addiction is addiction, no matter how old you are or who you hang out with.

Anyways, there are other support group options besides AA, but I don't know much about them so I'll leave that to somebody else.

Good luck to you! Again, welcome. We are always here to give support when you need it.

-Josh

JennaRose

Well its good that its something u want to do voluntarily- I am in the same boat. I am currently detoxing from alcohol/marijuana/xanax.

I started drinking heavily to deal with some stuff and it turned into a huge problem. I was seeing a counselor and he referred me to an outpatient rehab. I really like it. I go to group meetings three days a week have one-onone meetings once a week and try to go to AA as much as possible. You should look up AA meetings in your area but i do suggest an outpatient rehab-

AA meetings are wonderful. I was scared/nervous/unsure at first juts showing up to one but quickly learned that i was being very silly and these people are all the most kind people i have ever met.

I am currently detoxing from xanax which is much more painful than the detox from alcohol. i too was drinking and blacking out on average 5x weekly. So I do know what you are facing. Ill be on here a lot if u ever need/want to chat.

eJoshua

Also, you can read the Big Book of AA, which tells you all about it, for free here:
Big Book Online Fourth Edition

Check out the first few chapters and see if any of it sounds familiar or resonates with you.

Terminally Unique

There is always the option of self-recovery - you can check my profile for book recommendations on this. The majority of people will not need medical detox, but those who do need it, really need it, as alcohol withdrawal can be fatal. You can ask your doctor to provide you with an outpatient detox regimen for this, or you can use your local city/county detox center.

Taking5

Cam you explain this? I am not sure there are such places, at least in the USA.

Dee74

Hi and welcome needhelppleaz

I think seeing a Dr or some kind of medical professional is always a good first step - detox can be problematic for some of us, and it's imossible to foresee that beforehand.
It's best to be safe

Support is also important as well - you'll find a lot of that here, but a lot of our members find face to face support useful as well.

Here's some links to most of the main recovery players
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...formation.html

D

Spawn

aa ?

Reset

I didn't go the AA route but I did see a psychologist who specializes in addiction a few times before and after quitting. It helped.

Symmetry

SR was my first step 7 days ago. Have you considered going to your doctor?

Anna

I stopped drinking on my own, with the help of a few good books. I don't think it's about what recovery program you use or not, but about your motivation. I was very motivated to stop drinking and get my life on track.

SR is a great source of inspiration and information.

A good therapist could help, your dr might have good advice for you too. Do whatever you have to do to get sober.

Tosh

The beauty of AA is that it's generally readily available just about everywhere. Even in my small town in Wales (UK) we have two meetings per week, and if you've got a car, literally within a half hour drive you've access to about 100 meetings per week (there's a large city not far).

My suggestion is AA. It costs nothing.

needhelppleaz

Thank you so much everyone for your advice. I have decided to start attending meetings near the university and reaching out to what friends and family I have left after destroying my life through drinking. I really appreciate that amount of wisdom found on this site and feel it is a tremendous asset.

Terminally Unique

Some jurisdictions offer low-cost or free tax-funded detoxification centers. It is often where people end up when they cannot afford rehab. Dane County's detox center is one such example:

Scene at detox center is no party - JSOnline

Funding problems could cause county detox center to scale back services

topspin

NHP,
Congrats on your awareness of the problem, and your decision to find a solution .

I found that ACTION, whatever path (or paths) you choose, is key and throw your whole self into it early.

Ambivelance and half hearted approaches may not get long-term results.

Do "whatever it takes" to give yourself the gift of early success.

SR has been an incredible source of primary , or secondary support.