Problems with Alcohol

LegacyUser

Hi guys, in the past while iv realised i have a serious problem with alcohol. It more or less started in college, I fell out with a few people I cared about ( did stupid things when i was drunk ) and got a little depressed. It was not uncommon for me to be binge drinking 4 or 5 times a week during the year, I did nothing all year just drank and smoked weed alot, failing exams miserably ( was living away from home )

Since moving back home 4 few years ago i managed to somewhat get my act together. I completed a degree with took alot of hard work and numerous summer work placements. In one of the earlier work placements I was drinking almost every night alone 6/8 cans, and waking up shattered every morning. Somehow I only missed one day in 6 months.

After that I managed to cut down my drinking a good bit, last summer I was working for 7 months on a placement and never drank from sunday to friday, but ironically I was feeling ill/sick/insomnia/aniexty problems during the week and had trouble interacting daily with staff due to feeling unwell/tireness. I dont think the quality of my work was really affected though, Im extremly technially minded. I did get on very well with a fistful of people there though.

Since september or so iv been drinking heavily again, maybe 3 or 4 nights a week, sometimes up to 12 cans of lager. Iv also noticed iv began to hide beer cans/beer im buying so people in the house think im only drinking a 6 pack. This has really hit home with me lately. Id say the longest iv went in the past 3/4 years without having at least a 6 pack is probably 5 or 6 days. Another problem is im not happy where im living, alot of my old friends are gone, and the ones left are people I fell out with years and years ago, which was also due to drinking. This creates alot of aniexty problems for me, I went to the hospital a few years ago with chest pain etc, and was told it was aniexty related ( had every test under the sun done )

The thing is, I want to quit or at least cut down hugely, even to cut down to a 6 pack on a friday/saturday would be great for me. Normally I can quit for 4/5 days, and phsyically I feel very strange, and mentally exhausted at night. Sometimes When I quit I feel fine, really good and a match or something comes on the telly and I decide to buy 8 beers and forget why I quit in the first place.

Theres other issues too, my Dad, mother and sister are ill, and theres alot of pressure in the house over the past while, I think the alcohol offers somewhat of a release from that.

I smoke pretty heavily too, around 15 a day. Im still in my earlyish twenties so I figure now is the time for change. I dont think im depressed, as I have keen interests in alot of things, but living in this area has a cloud of insane aniexty over me.

I randomly go on nights out with a few guys I trust, the funny thing is I dont trust myself.

Not looking for medical advice about quitting, just wondering how did ex-problem drinkers deal with quitting.


Thanks