Strength11

I am not sure what is going on with me lately. I feel like I have lost all hope to stay sober. I was almost 6 months sober and I started to drink last week. I thought I was on the right track but apparently not. I think it just hit me that I cannot do this on my own. I am having such a hard time asking for help. I feel like I need to do sobriety all on my own. I guess I feel like a weak person if I ask for help. Today I just feel lost and disappointed in myself that I relapsed. I just needed to vent and definitely not asking for sympathy. This was my own stupid decision.

tootsl1

Strength I feel for you, I quit around the same time, and recently have been tempted. I realised I needed to reach out to some very special friends here who made the difference. Asking for help is not a weakness, I give support every day here to friends, and do not believe them to be weak. If you were drowning would you ignore the lifebelt thrown you and try to make it to shore alone? You are back here now. Work on allowing yourself to lean on others, and use your six months experience to get right back on track.

misterritter

Ask for help. Would you not be willing and happy to give help if someone asked it of you?

ReadyAtLast

Don't be afraid to reach out.Maybe AA or some group therapy,counselling, F2F group sessions or 121. It's good to see you back here

SeekSobriety

I know the feeling, what helped me was to write down on paper why I want to stop drinking. I would keep that paper folded up in my pocket or taped to the door and anytime I would think about drinking I would refer to the note. We need to constantly remind our selves that no matter what drinking and using will not ultimatley bring us the relief we are desperatly searching for. What helped me was going to AA meetings, you don't even need to talk or anything, just check it out. What you will find is that there are thousands of people just like you suffering with alchohol addiction.

You can find a local free meeting by checking out Alcoholics Anonymous : HOW TO FIND A.A. MEETINGS

13unluckyforsom

You are for sure not weak - you managed 6 months sober! That's not something a weak person does.

Asking for help to get back on track and admitting u slipped up is being strong.

Stick around here you won't regret it.

Dee74

Hi strength

I've been lost there too - I was sober, and then I lost that sobriety - it was a kick to the stomach and it made me doubt that I could ever get sober.

Your addiction feeds off stuff like that - that's why it's really important to call in reinforcements - sometimes when you're in the middle of a pitch black sea you need someone on the shore to help guide you in, yeah?

it's not about weakness it's about being smart and using all the tools you have - if you want something you go for it, all out.

D

foolsgold66

I think you can do it somewhat on your own, but no man is an island. You still have to work some kind of plan to keep yourself reminded that you have a problem, which in a practical sense means contact with others that have the same problem.

Anna

Hi and Welcome,

It's not weak to ask for help and support when going through something like this. We all understand how really difficult this is.

We're here for you.

cardoon

Looks like you're already getting some help from the above replies. I think it's important that you don't work yourself up over the recent drinking and make a decision to get back on track with a focus on what you want to get out of being sober.

MythOfSisyphus

Sometimes we all need help. Whatever it takes is what it takes! There's no shame in needing a hand now and then.

Mentium

It is early days for me (day 8) and this is the third time of trying this year, so please take any comments with a pinch of salt. This time I have attended AA seriously for the first time - 4 meetings in a week. I am someone who has tended to dismiss them, in good part because I am an atheist.

However one of the things that has clicked is that AA helps you work on what they call one's 'character defects'. This is 1930s language, but it boils down to, in my view, exploring the reasons why one might be prone to diving into a bottle rather than approaching life head on. In other words confronting the reasons one drinks once one has stopped. They take the view that simply stopping may not be enough for many if they don't wish just to start again when the temptation is strong enough. I am still personally wavering about this, but it is beginning to make sense to me.

Perhaps for some of us, simply stopping is only the first step if we want to stay sober

hayley86

Hi Strength.You are not a weak person if you ask for help. Everyone needs help and support. I would not be at nearly 11 months sober without the support and help from my family, people on here and my doctor. I will take as much support from different places or people as i can find. I think having people on your side who want you to succeed at sobriety is really important. As you know, i have also been having a tough time trying to figure myself out and figure out how to deal with different aspects of my life sober. At nearly 11 months i am still learning everyday. Dealing with life sober is still new to me. Even now.

In those 6 months you were definitely on the right track because what you were doing was working. If you add in extra support by whatever means necessary hopefully that will be the thing you need to make sure you don't slip up next time. Please don't beat yourself up...you had six months and you can have that again and build on it. Be kind to yourself. It takes a lot of courage to come back and post here and i think you have that in bucket loads.