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How to Start

Old 12-09-2009, 06:06 PM
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How to Start

I know there's got to be a sticky around here somewhere for this but I was looking and couldn't find it so I'll ask anyway.

How do I start the recovery process? So far I'm 3 days sober. I've been reading some threads on here and I'm reading the big book a bit too. I also plan to go to my first NA meeting on Friday so hopefully that will be helpful as well.

The problem is I still feel really...shaky I guess? Like I'm so close to drinking/using again and going right back down the rabbit hole and I'm worried that I might not come back out you know? I've made a few half-assed attempts at quitting before and obviously they never worked out. It's like I can have all the motivation in the world to stay sober right now but you never know how I'm gonna feel an hour from now or a day from now or whatever.

Tomorrow is going to be very difficult since I finish my finals and I know there will be a big temptation to go drink to "celebrate". This weekend will probably be rough as well since it's my first sober weekend in a long time and I know all my friends will want to go out and drink now that exams are over. I'm going to be staying at home with my parents over the winter break so my plan for now is just to stay there all weekend so I won't be tempted.

I guess I'm just looking for some advice on how to stay strong and how to start the recovery process.

Thanks for the help!

Last edited by skroomadoom; 12-09-2009 at 06:23 PM.
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Old 12-09-2009, 06:15 PM
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Welcome to SR....and congratulations for having the courage to begin your sobriety!

Others will be along soon to give you the links you are looking for.

Glad you are here.
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Old 12-09-2009, 06:31 PM
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I think you started your recovery process when you admitted to yourself that you had to stop drinking cause it was making your life unmanageable. That's the first step in AA. Admitting you are powerless over alcohol. (And the third day sober much of the physical symptoms of withdrawal are gone.)

I would suggest reading everything you can about addiction. THere are some stickiies in the Alcoholism forum that have parts of books so you can decide if you want to read the whole book. But getting knowledge about addiction can help you recover.

AA and NA are good for face to face support. (there are also other groups that help you stay sober.) I wish you well on your first meeting this weekend. I hope you get a lot of good from it.

(((hugs)))
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Old 12-09-2009, 07:39 PM
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Congratulations and welcome.
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Old 12-09-2009, 08:03 PM
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Hi skroom

If I had a how to manual I'd publish it.

But it'd be pretty short

1. don't drink/use
2. use whatever support and tools are available to you to keep true to #1.

I found SR is a great support. There's nearly always someone around. Try to reach out before you find yourself driving to the liquor store.

Face to face support works well like that for most of the folk here too - there's always numbers to call and things like that. Don't wait til Friday to hit a meeting if you think you need support before then.

Cravings aren't fun but you can ride them out - apart from calling reinforcements, I remember I kept busy, kept active...some of us ate sweets, brushed our teeth...whatever works...

I also found it useful to 'play the tape through'...I'm an alcoholic so I'd think about where that first drink took me in the past and where it's likely to take me now.

I read a lot of my old posts too, and other peoples, to help keep me focused....

and make sure you're not simply reacting to other stuff when you feel a craving - the AAers have an acronym HALT (hungry, angry, lonely, and tired)...these can often be triggers - so try and avoid all four as much as possible.

and...stay in the day. We can't do anything about tomorrow, or yesterday for that matter.

All you have to worry about - all you should worry about - is today.

These are some of the tangible things that worked for me in early recovery, skroom.

I guess what I had most of all was a real desire to change - if you have that too, you're well on your way

D
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Old 12-10-2009, 04:16 AM
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skroomadoom boredom is a very dangerous thing in early sobriety, there is a TON of both AA and NA in Atlanta so I must ask this question:

If you have time to post here why have you not gone to an AA or NA meeting yet?

One thing I have never done is been bored in a meeting, yes on occasion one person may bore me sharing the same thing they have shared the last 10 times they shared, but talking with folks before the meeting, after the meeting, eating a late dinner or drinking coffee with folks that were at the meeting sure is not boring.

I will tell you this, the conversations I have had with recovering alcoholics have always been far more intriguing and not boring then the ones I used to have when I was drunk with a group of drunks.

Think about it, how many times have you told the same joke or story while drinking?

How many times have you laughed at the exact same stupid joke another drunk tells every time the 2 of you are together?
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Old 12-10-2009, 05:41 AM
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welcome Skroom .. the guys are rite .. dont wait till tomarrow when you can do it today ! todays meeting could save you from drinkin tomarrow .. there great people with great share of hope and experience .. give it a go...

Were glad you here .. we do have a chatroom as well stop in and say hi .... ~ Endzy~
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Old 12-10-2009, 05:45 AM
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Thanks for all the ideas guys! You're probably right about going to a meeting -- I might see if I can find one tonight. I've been keeping busy with finals this week but I'm going to be done today and I know I will be really tempted afterwards.

Does it matter whether I go to AA or NA? My main problem is with drugs (specifically opiates) but whenever I drink it always seems to lead me back there, so I guess maybe I qualify as an alcoholic too?
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Old 12-10-2009, 05:58 AM
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which ever works for you ... you mite find that or or the other helps you more .. and then maybe both will work for you .. which ever you choose , it sure cant hurt , it can only help you find you way to a path of recovery !
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Old 12-10-2009, 06:07 AM
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Hi and welcome! You've come to the right place.
As for asking advise on how to start your sobriety: You've already started by coming here and by planning ahead of temptation.
See if meetings are right for you, do stay with your parents when you would be out drinking and as for your exams, celebrate by all means, just don't include the drinking/using. Anything but....... Good luck for your exams and staying sober.
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Old 12-10-2009, 06:12 AM
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Does it matter whether I go to AA or NA?
Well this is just my opinion and not my experience so take it for what it is worth, if alcohol leads you to opiates then why not start out with AA or of course do both. There are no rules in AA, nor AA I believe, so going to both should be honkie dorie.

The only requirement for membership in AA is the desire to stop drinking so there will be no problem there at all.

I know quite a few folks in AA that are like you and easily identify them selfs as alcoholics.

I have heard it said in the rooms many times that it is not how much one drinks, how long one has drank, nor how often they drink that determines if one is an alcoholic or not, what determines that is what happens to one when they drink.

Using that as a definition, if drinking leads you to opiates you qualify.
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Old 12-10-2009, 06:59 AM
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Hi again.....

The only time I did drugs was after I had been drinking.
If there were no drugs around I still drank.
I never crabed drugs...but I sure did alcohol.
I gave up drugs without a problem.
Quitting alcohol was the hardest thing I ever did.

Yes...I'm an alcoholic No .... I am not a druggie
Now I am an AA recovered alcoholic....

Because I've been following your shares here on SR
I suggest you....attend both AA and NA for awhile.
Both are based on abstinance and how to recover
by l following the 12 Steps.

Thanks for asking...Yes! recovery is different than sobriety.
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Old 12-10-2009, 07:07 AM
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Originally Posted by least View Post
...you had to stop drinking cause it was making your life unmanageable.
Here is something to consider, least, for you and the original poster. Is it drinking that is making my life unmanageable? If so, then my solution is to not drink.

But what if it is the fact that I'm powerless not to drink? Now I enter a whole new level of unmanageability. I can't drink, because I know where it leads (I have an allergy and my off switch is broken), and I can't keep from drinking.

Now I've got a dilemma that the Big Book talks about. Lack of power. I have to have that power to not drink, but I don't have that power. Now I'm screwed big time.

The rest of the steps lead out from that point.
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Old 12-10-2009, 07:10 AM
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Well, I'm new at this too...but so far the one day at a time philosophy has been helping me. I also got some medication from my doctor to help with the shakiness you refer to. Keep posting. I wish you strength and success.
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Old 12-10-2009, 11:56 AM
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Everyone's already offered you all the good advice I could think of and so I will just say -

Welcome to SR!!
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Old 12-10-2009, 03:02 PM
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Thanks for all the advice guys I'm so glad I found this forum it has really been a great help to me! After I finished my exams today I got the craving to use real bad and I almost did but instead I came home and exercised and hopped on here and the craving is much, much less.
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