autan

Every one has good days and bad days. You can have 1 day under your belt of 20 years and still want to drink.

It is important that we realise that it is acceptable, in fact desirable that we ask for help, before we submit ourselves to drinking again.

Help is always on offer, we just need to know how to access it, look up your local AA meetings and events, find out about talking therapies. Ge the normal of a reputable hypnotherapist. Get your Doctor on speed dial.

Find out the emergency services that you need, in case you have an off day.

Never be afraid to ask for help and to admit your struggling to cope, its a far better thing to get through a problem with help, than to hit the bottle and be back at day 1 again if were lucky.

Lusher

Absolutely! Much better than taking a step in the wrong direction, and falling back into bad habits.

Ruby2

I never asked for help my first time around, thinking I could just muscle through. I relapsed. This time around I did ask for help and made sure that if even felt that I was weakening I told someone. Talking about urges really gives them so much less power.

I've gotten further in sobriety this time by reaching out and sharing. I am also far less angry and uncomfortable in my own skin. It doesn't work that well unless you reach out before you drink.

Thanks Autan.

autan

Between June and July this year I was in a very dark place. I had been stopped drinking for several months, wasn't feeling great physically and emotionally and decided to go to the Doctors for help.

My Doctor was as helpful as a chocolate teapot and so I called the Samaritans and just had a chat with them. I explained I had a problem with drink, but remain sober. I talked through things that were bothering me and struggling to cope with life.

I received a very sympathetic ear and she told me, to go and get some ear plugs and to put them in for 24 hours. Turn off the TV (especially the news).
To buy a book and to read it from cover to cover.

Then to ring her back.

I did this word for word, action for action and I was transported from my life to a life in the book, when the book was finished and I returned to my life, I realised that every minute of every day, I am bombarded with advertising, news about war, news about christmas, the weather and a lot of rubbish. I turn my radio in the car and I am bombarded by music I don't like while I wait for a track I do like.

Modern life is difficult, but knowing the right skills and asking for help, is very smart.