Addiction out of control

somuj

Is there any place I can just sign myself into? In serious need of help.

Drinking at work. Get drink in the morning. Let it go out me by the evening so can drive home. Go to the gym after work on my bike so my partner doesent know. Get drink on the way home from gym.

Half a bottle of spirits each time.

Waiting list everywhere I check?

Big Bag of Chips

Have you been to your GP? That should be your first step. There are many places around the country, but as you say many of these will have waiting lists.

There are community based groups that might be a help to you while you wait. Counselling and groups etc. Go to your GP first. Get the ball rolling and get your name down somewhere.

thatshowthelightgetsin

As the success rate in addiction treatment centres is generally low, you might be significantly better changing your environment entirely for a month, and getting your gp to sign you off work.

To kickstart your new life, you could walk one or more of the twelve caminos de Santiago (It costs about €15 per day, including accommodation), or any of many other long walks on the planet. You will be away from you old routine, temptations and social network and be changing your body, mind and energy levels with the daily 20km-40km walks. You'll come back so alive and aware of your alcohol-free life and its benefits.

When home, ensure there's no alcohol in your home - give it to friends if you don't wish to throw it out. Crucially, you need to create a new structure and replacement routines. Get busy with some project/routine. Avoid for as long as necessary going out to all places with alcohol and instead meet friends for walks, in a café etc.

As the days pass, you will find you don't miss alcohol. It fades as you change the structure and routine of your days. After 6 months, a year or whatever you'll find you feel no temptation if you're in a pub/environment with alcohol. You're probably just not interested in being there or, rather, you can think of many other places you'd prefer to be.

jj880

As the days pass, you will find you don't miss alcohol. It fades as you change the structure and routine of your days. After 6 months, a year or whatever you'll find you feel no temptation if you're in a pub/environment with alcohol. You're probably just not interested in being there or, rather, you can think of many other places you'd prefer to be.

This is definitely true. Im 9 months off alcohol now and the last place I would like to be is in a bar or nightclub. I dont think about alcohol at all.

Maybe thats not much help to you right now in this moment @somuj but I think its important to know that if you get the help to get off alcohol it gets easier to stay off it the longer you stay alcohol free. Good luck.

kerryjack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121162068#Comment_121162068

Excellent advice, I see so many local lads around here that drink every night of the week and a lot of it is down to pure boredom and stuck in a bad rut and routine, keep busy and change things around. best of luck to you.

Bobtheman

Some of the advice here is a bit simplistic.

I'm not denying that changing the environment can help but statistics show that most people trying to be sober will fail. Doesn't mean it's not worth a shot as booze is something we could all give up but it's not preparing a person for alcohol withdrawal The physical withdrawal . Even when past that there is a big psychlogical tug back to it.. You need medical help for both the physical and mental side

Though I know people who did it all on their own it's not advisable for most people.

The ground has to be prepared

You need to talk to an addiction counselor. Most local towns have a team. It's not impossible to get an appointment.

You are the stage where a change of scenery won't make that much of a difference as booze is everywhere.

I would go to my GP. He or she would know local services.

You need to buy a book alcholol explained by William Porter. It simply explains the addiction.

Let me know how you get on with the GP and book (which is short) let us know where you are

I have other suggestions if the above doesn't work.

TedSheeran

Sometimes people can mistake their experience of being in a habit of taking too much drink with an actual addiction.

There is no comparison between the two.

There is no way that an actual addiction will be cured by walking the camino.

Addiction is driven by a deep psychological need for obliteration of very uncomfortable feelings. You could walk the camino for a year but when pressure comes on, you will reach for the thing that you know will obliterate those painful feelings.

@OP, fair play for posting this. There is a difficult road ahead of you, but you can get through this.

It starts with your GP. It will also be necessary to tell your partner.

Find an AA meeting in your locality (or not in your locality depending on what suits you).

Get a sponsor at the meeting.

There is a better life on the other side of this, but it will require you to get a very good understanding of yourself and why you are drinking.

ghostfacekilla

I am an alcoholic and drank heavily for 18yrs. I went to alcoholics anonymous, asked someone to take me through their 12 step program and thankfully havn't had a drink in 8yrs as a result. Going to AA meetings without engaging fully in their program won't keep you sober, I tried that and it didn't work. The steps do. Treatment centers have a terrible success rate, everywhere in the world. They only physically detox you, and advise you to go to AA meetings. <snip>

https://www.alcoholicsanonymous.ie/find-meeting/

Beatty69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121162068#Comment_121162068

Honestly, with all due respect, from someone with experience of this, you don't give up alcohol at the level the OP is at and go walk the Camino, your body and/or mind simply wouldn't survive it!

OP, try an organisation called Lifering, it's an alternative to AA at least. I agree with previous posters, rehab centres aren't always the answer. A lot of them insist on you being 2 weeks dry before going in anyway which for some people is not possible in their current situation.

I also agree your GP is your first port of call, but it all depends on the GP, some will be well up on these things, some will just tell you to pull yourself together.

If you're GP is no use, look for a private counsellor but make sure you get a professional one with qualifications and recommendations if possible.

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121156696#Comment_121156696

Not necessarily ime

There's insurance implications if you go through GP

Whereas you can access rehab directly and it's confidential

It's something to be aware of ime

TedSheeran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121263438#Comment_121263438

What insurance implications with your GP? Information you supply to your GP is confidential.

In the long term, addictions thrive in secrecy. Limiting your treatment options in order to maintain secrecy is not a great start.

You are in a battle OP, while your motivation is good, take every step you can to address this.

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121265157#Comment_121265157

You have to declare on life , health, car etc that you've been in rehab

They can ask for your "health info" in the event of a claim

If you don't sign the consent they will cancel

and refuse to pay

Getting to your GP is a priority. This week. Monday morning!

Sorry to the poster above but advising someone who is obviously an alcoholic to go do a Camino at the drop of a hat isn’t the best advice and reckless IMO. What happens when OP starts detoxing in a country they don’t know or speak the language on the road? This is a medical issue and walking the Camino is not going to solve alcoholism. OP can find themselves when recovering.

OP you are in serious trouble from the sounds of it. You need to speak to your wife. Pack small bag and have it ready to go if your GP can get you in somewhere and let the professionals take charge from here. If you could quit or stop, I imagine you would of already. You are obviously calling out for help if you’re posting here.

Tell your wife. Go with her to the GP. Lay it out open and honestly. Accept the help and a rehab place if offered. Get medically signed off from work indefinitely. The GP doesn’t have to put the real reason on it if you don’t want them to. Medically unfit for work is usually sufficient.

Speak to your wife today. Be honest. Get help.

ghostfacekilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121276510#Comment_121276510

I have been involved in AA on a national (Scandinavian based), regional and continental level with organising and attending 12 step conventions for as long as I've been sober and have gotten to know many members throughout the world in that time so I'll draw a little on what I've learned. The success rate in AA is low, and there is a theory I agree with as to why. The recorded estimate of success of AA in it's early decades was in the 90% bracket, and it has now fallen to what it has, which is probably barely in the double digits. The 12 step program is not an easy fix, and requires actions that are often very uncomfortable and inconvenient for the modern human. In the 1920's, AA was populated by very low bottom drunks only, and were desperate enough to go through with the program. A lot of people who attend AA today choose not to complete or even start the program and instead stick to attending meetings believing or hoping that is the solution AA offers, and the difference being that many did not have any great consequences related to their intake of alcohol compared to a century ago. The other important factor is AA meetings pre 1970's were solely focused on the solution of what worked for previously recovered alcoholics since it's inception. The detox/rehab boom in the U.S. in the 70's as a result of heroin coming from Vietnam, Cocaine from South America etc exploding around that time had a catastrophic effect on the topics of discussion in AA meetings, which in time resembled group therapy meetings and people moaning about how their day went as opposed to somewhere a newcomer could come and hear what people did to get well, which was the 12 steps.

On some visits back to Dublin, 'Back to Basics' themed AA groups have grown in popularity and seem to be having great success in getting and keeping people sober. They're groups who have gone back to the formats and focuses of AA groups pre-1970's.

In Sweden, Cocaine Anonymous which is only two decades old here is beginning to overtake AA in popularity. They use the AA literature, and steps and use the 'back to basics' model and seem to have an incredible success rate and cater to alcoholics or drug addicts of any substance. The fellowship's groups seem to be mushrooming all over Ireland also.

In my view, I have no tribalism or favouritism as to what someone should do in order to get sober. Whatever works for any individual is probably the best approach. Thankfully, as a friend of mine remarks, 'there are many paths up Mount Fuji'.

HildaOgdenx

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Thanks

Hilda

left_hander

OP - I have heard great things about Cuan Mhuire for addiction treatment. I don't know if you need a GP referral but start with a call anyway.

You might find you've to try a combination of things (and indeed some of the proposals above, some will suit you some won't) to find what works for you.

I can't say I have personal experience with alcoholism but I do have a friend who I wish would take the first step you have - admitting the problem. You've made that brave first step, so keep it going.

Talk to GP next who might be the best place to start.

Can't offer much more help other than to wish you the best of luck with it.