Hi, im new
 

Posted in the newcomers forum but I really don't want suggestions of AA. Have tried it, but don't like it. I guess I'm looking for a miracle solution that doesn't exist. Interested to know how people got sober without a "spiritual solution".

Hi Claire,
I got the alcohol out of our house, refused to even look at the stuff in the shops. Didn't go near my triggers, no pubs and kept busy. One big help was telling my wife and close friends I was quitting.

Welcome to SR!

Plus, a bonus welcome to the Secular Connections forum! :a122:

There are a number of posts permanently 'stickied' to the top of this section. I recommend reading through those. Tons of great information in them.

Best of Luck on Your Journey! :ring

Whatever method you end up picking, work it. Work it has hard as you worked your drinking and maybe you will have some success.

And accept the drinking is done. Truly done. Or else you aren't.

Question everything, try not fall prey to credulity.
Have heathy skepticism and ask questions, ask for evidence.
Look to be responsible but try not blame.
,

Guys
this forum is for discussion of secular methods of recovery.

It's not for discussions about AA, why it didn't work for you, or what you don't like about it.

I have removed posts that discussed AA at length.

HopefulinAus - are you out there? :)

D

well, i went to my gp and discussed my addiction and was referred to a clinic. I now have the support of a psychiatrist, psychologist and psychiatric nurse, who is my case holder. So far, i have been put on medication for my bipolar II, depression and anxiety and i am receiving cbt to deal with my behaviours and thinking.
Maybe if you went to see a medical professional about your addiction, you would be given alternative routes to treatment?
There are so many different programs available, i have been reading myself silly over the last week or so and i have learned a lot and have found some great tools that i now have to learn to apply to real life.
I found writing things down and keeping logs has helped me a lot, you can use all sorts of tools that come from cbt on your road to recovery. I like to do my ABCs (activating situation, (irrational) Belief, Consequence, then you look at your B and see how you can turn that into a more productive, positive way to deal with a given situations/thought/emotions. Another great tool for me is the cost/benefit analysis. What is the benefit of me taking those pills? What is the "cost" or negative side to me taking those pills? By the time ive written those out, the urge has usually gone and i have another little step on my ladder to staying and being off the pills.

Great stuff, what surprised me the most was how much irrational belief I have and even create as life goes on. So those tools help me in daily living not just my addiction. One of the biggest keys for me was honesty and working with reality, for a long time I tried to imagine or create a ideal life based on using CBT tools and never realized I was replacing old irrational beliefs with new ones sometimes based on an expectation that was impossible to live up to. I really like what you said about actually doing the activity of the ABC,s and Cost/benefit analysis (writing it down) once I committed to the activity and saw it through I would surprise my self with urges just kind of coming and going like passing traffic.

Lifering. Lucky I have a lot of f2f meetings available. Next month I'll have a full year at my new way of being. Choosing long-term abstinence is a courageous act of will, choice, and personal power for me. Religion, chanting, handholding, thinly-veiled moralism, they don't work for me. Also, the disease model of addiction is bunkum.

-DrS