what to do

[Shamefuldrinker]

I have a long history of recreational drug use, I never drank- I started smoking weed when i was 12 and moved on to mdma, ketamine, heroin/opiates, coke acid, mushrooms and some other stuff. Was addicted to both coke and heroin at diff points but moderated my use, i only use drugs about three times a year now, but I have been drinking heavily for the past 3 years, now i black out fairly oftn, occasionally I piss the bed, or someones couch. I think I need to stop drinking but my friends and partner say i just need to moderate....

[Turnagain]

what to do

Hi and welcome new friend....

I have a habit of renaming folks who come here with painful nicknames - you're reaching out for help and hope and that's what you're going to get. So do you mind if I call you HopefulThinker? It really is too bad that addiction carries the stigma of shame. It's a mighty barrier that often prevents people from getting the help they need.

Here's the medium answer to the situation: Dealing with addiction of any kind isn't a matter of being morally flawed, weak-willed, cursed with bad genes or an 'addictive personality' or just being in the grip of a bad habit. Addiction is the predictable and inevitable result of verifiable adaptations that our bodies make to adjust to having a toxic substance in the system.

Plain and simple, alcohol is a toxin. It impacts every organ in the body. By the time, people reach the point where they are googling for help about their drinking...well....the command center - the brain -has already been severely impacted by alcohol abuse. Neurotransmitters and their receptors are altered, tolerance is generally present and the depressive effects of alcohol - a depressant- becomes obvious and encompassing.

The good news is that you do not have to live in shame or in bondage to alcohol or any other addiction for that matter. And the answer is simple, but not necessarily easy - at least at first: You can't put the toxin in your body. Ever.

People around here have different opinions....but that is what they are - opinions. I was able to get free of addiction once I understood the facts - the scientific evidence - about the cause and effect of alcohol in the human body.

Healing is a process and does not happen overnight, but it is attainable. The freedom is amazing. When I was heading deep in the hole and was driven by the need - the overwhelming compulsion - to drink, I could not imagine life (as miserable as it was) without alcohol. Now, I cannot imagine even wanting to drink. It's repulsive.

Your healing has already started. By looking for help, knowledge and resources, you have taken a big step in the process.

There is a lot of support over in the Newbies Nest thread (click on the name to go there.) Everybody there was new at one point, so just dive in and start posting and reading. For future reference, the Nest is under the JUST STARTING OUT thread.

There is also the TOOLBOX which has a lot of practical tips for getting through the various phases of healing. The toolbox is a Sticky nestled in the MONTHLY ABSTINENCE thread.

I'm glad you found your way here....HopefulThinker...Please let us know how you are doing....