I'm new....
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,445
Hi ashley 
you can read around and see what other people are doing to solve their problems.
You can also tell us a little more about what brings you here if you like - is it alcohol, or something else?
share as much or as little as you like - the support here is great
D
you can read around and see what other people are doing to solve their problems.
You can also tell us a little more about what brings you here if you like - is it alcohol, or something else?
share as much or as little as you like - the support here is great
D
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,569
Great to meet you, Ashley. I came here very wounded & never expected to actually quit forever. Thanks to the encouragement I found here I was able to get free.
Hope you'll stay with us - we all understand what you're going through.
Hope you'll stay with us - we all understand what you're going through.
Whatever your problem, you'll find lots of support and understanding here. 
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: NSW - Australia
Posts: 14,594
Welcome Ashley. Love your username too.
If it's alcohol Ashley, what exactly is happening?
Have you tried to stop on your own?
I've been sober for 2 years and it is sooo much better.
Lots of good people here. Hope you continue to post.
If it's alcohol Ashley, what exactly is happening?
Have you tried to stop on your own?
I've been sober for 2 years and it is sooo much better.
Lots of good people here. Hope you continue to post.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 5,171
Originally Posted by iamdeadgrateful 
Hi I'm Ashley. First post. Thought I'd give this a try. So what now?
What I'm getting at is based on your question, "What now?" There's not much there that tells us more than you don't know what to do (I've been there too). The simple answer is, you have to quit drinking. But for most of us, it can be more complicated than that, and that is when we have to address the how part of recovery. I won't get into that, because that's now what you asked, so I'll enlarge on quitting drinking. By that I mean for good. As much as we would have all wished we could drink like normal people, I've yet to meet an alcoholic who can do that. That fantasy is what we call "moderation", but the definition of an alcoholic is one who cannot moderate.
This is not a matter of poor self worth, lack of morality, or any of that other psychological stuff. Alcoholics are just different, and it appears to be in our body chemistry, something that is beyond our mental control. But those obsessive cravings you are probably experiencing that seem like desire will go away slowly and usually become manageable in a couple of weeks or a month. This is the beginning of recovery, and after that we need to learn some new management tools.
The first order of business is to decide if you are an alcoholic, one of those people I just described. If you are, your only solution is to give up drinking, because you will never learn to moderate. Maybe you can't decide if you are an alcoholic. I've been sober for 26 years, and I still wonder about that one myself sometimes. But if you suffer from drinking you can either moderate or quit (if you are a normie), but if you can't moderate, you are probably and alcoholic and have to quit... or alternatively just remain being a drunk.
That's how you start.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 411
Hi Ashley, welcome to SR.
What now?
Quit drinking (or using)
Heal the conditions that made you start in the first place
Help others that were in the same position as you
Sounds simple when it's put like that right? But for each of those steps there is an awful lot of work to do. Are you ready for that? If in fact you are ready, you couldnt be in a better place. The love and support you will get on here every step of the way is literally priceless. It IS simple...but it's not easy.
Stick around, read some posts. Keep posting yourself.
You can do it and everyone on here will help you.
What now?
Quit drinking (or using)
Heal the conditions that made you start in the first place
Help others that were in the same position as you
Sounds simple when it's put like that right? But for each of those steps there is an awful lot of work to do. Are you ready for that? If in fact you are ready, you couldnt be in a better place. The love and support you will get on here every step of the way is literally priceless. It IS simple...but it's not easy.
Stick around, read some posts. Keep posting yourself.
You can do it and everyone on here will help you.
Magsie
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 26,687
Welcome to SR Ashley 
When I decided to stop drinking and knew I couldn’t do it on my own I searched the internet and found this SR (SoberRecovery) site. I learnt how to stay sober by posting and reading posts from like minded people who ‘get’ me.
When I decided to stop drinking and knew I couldn’t do it on my own I searched the internet and found this SR (SoberRecovery) site. I learnt how to stay sober by posting and reading posts from like minded people who ‘get’ me.
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