Is there anything i can do BESIDES alcoholics anonymous?!
Is there anything i can do BESIDES alcoholics anonymous?
i've been to AA but it just made me feel worse because someone would bring up something at every meeting that really bothered me and i would leave crying every time.
i REALLY have to stop. it got me in trouble with school and my parents are gonna find out and i just really need to stop.
and i do anything i can get my hands on. booze, weed, loritab, codeine, ANYTHING
are there any support groups besides AA...or NA because there are none of those around here. i'm in south florida...so is there anything you can recommend?
oh and if you don't have anything of substance to say please don't bother answering.
2 months ago
i should mention that both my parents and both my brothers are alcoholics. they have no idea what is wrong with me and don't approve of me taking medication for depression.
Answers:
2 months ago
i should mention that both my parents and both my brothers are alcoholics. they have no idea what is wrong with me and don't approve of me taking medication for depression.
You're not alone in your feelings about AA/NA. Many people end up worse for having been in the program. AA and NA are guilt-based programs and can be dangerous if you're suffering from depression.
From the description, you're a teenager; most people who abuse alcohol and drugs during their high school to college years quit or learn to moderate on their own.
"One recent study found that 80% of all alcoholics who recover for a year or more do so on their own, some after being unsuccessfully treated. When a group of these self-treated alcoholics was interviewed, 57% said they simply decided that alcohol was bad for them. Twenty-nine percent said health problems, frightening experiences, accidents, or blackouts persuaded them to quit. Others used such phrases as "Things were building up" or "I was sick and tired of it." Support from a husband or wife was important in sustaining the resolution.
Treatment of Drug Abuse and Addiction -- Part III, The Harvard Mental Health Letter, Volume 12, Number 4, October 1995, page 3."
I suffered from depression since I was a teenager and got lost in drugs and alcohol for over 25 years. It wasn't until I got help for the depression that I was finally able to stop. (I was in Miami during that time, hopefully mental health care in Florida has improved since I left.) To find out what's available, try contacting your local NAMI office:
http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section...
Hope this helps...
Just stop.
You are giving into your weaknesses, taking the easy way out. Take a look at why you have to drink/do drugs. What is the underlying problem? What caused you to go down that path and what can you do to help yourself stop the fall. The answers you seek are inside you, not at the bottom of an empty bottle.
I would just like to thank everyone for the thumbs down. However, if you check out the profile for the person who asked this question and look at the questions she has posted you will see there is an under lying problem that has caused her self destructive behaviour. It is that which needs to be addressed.
AA is supposed to bring stuff up. That's the point. I'm guessing you are young so it would be hard to be in an adult setting such as that. It is very commendable that you are willing to fix your problem. Not to be mean, but you have a problem, and it will be hard and painful to deal with it. If AA was a walk in the park, then everyone would go there and get help, but it's not. That is the nature of fighting an addiction. Go to the meetings, speak up about your own experiences. There are people there that were probably like you 10, 20, 30 years ago, and they can motivate you to fix yourself now instead of ending up like they have.
I wish you the best of luck, and hope you take this advice.
I know that breaking bad habits is extremely difficult, and I've seen friends through breaking addictions, and I have to tell you that I really think you may want to consider involving your parents. Unless you have really dim and uncaring parents, they probably already know that something is wrong with you and would much rather hear it from you and help you overcome than find out later that you had so many problems. If you really can't imagine them helping you out, maybe consider other people you can count on - one thing is for certain, there are VERY few people that can quit narcotics or alcohol without any support.
As for AA and NA, most programs are going to be based on the same principles and the things that bothered you are going to keep bothering you in other programs. You do need to get into some kind of counseling, however, and you do need to find one that you're comfortable enough to stick with. I'm not sure where in Southern Florida you are, but I know that most large-city churches and smaller colleges will post support group information on their bulletin boards or websites, and that may be a place to start. I included a couple of links with other options, but I have to say that I also want to applaud you - I checked some of your other questions, and it sounds like you're ready to take responsibility for yourself and your problems. That's a huge first step, and even if you stay on that step for a little bit, you're not going to talk yourself into thinking that substance abuse is OK anymore, it sounds like.
Good luck - best wishes.
speak with your doctor they do have a medication that will not allow you to drink if you do drink while on this medicine you will become very ill within a couple of swigs of booze, by the way your doctor can not tell your parents any personal info
Honestly, you really should sit down with your parents and tell them you have a problem. They will get you the help you need. You cannot do this alone, you need your family or somebody to help you get through this. There are so many kids that have the same problem as you do. You're not alone. Let somebody know and get the proper help. Good luck sweetie. If you need somebody to talk to, you can send me a message.
Quit cold turkey! It is difficult, but if you have people that will support you, it works. Stay away from the people that influence you.
There are many different support groups, but they may all be the same as AA-
Alcoholics Anonymous
LifeRing Secular Recovery
Rational Recovery
Smart Recovery
Al-Anon/Alateen
Women For Sobriety
Also there this place- http://www.moderation.org/
Hope this helps and best of luck!
Ex- crack head in south florida and there are plenty of meetings to find here. And if you leave crying from the meetings then maybe you should look into your own issues and start working through them to stop drinking. Are you crying because of issues that are hitting close to you in the meetings? Get a sponsor at one of the meetings and stick with the program! Sounds like you come from a long line of addicts..is drinking and pills the only addictions you have? Probably not..either way about it you need to get help NOW!! Or you may wind up dead.