I need help kicking an alcohol habit

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I've tried getting help from charities but because the people working there didn't "get me" I didn't like it. So whenever I feel like drinking I might post a message here and if anyone replies that would help just to keep me going. Last night I managed not to drink and I'm happy about that. I wanted to quite a lot.

I'm in $1300 of debt to my mother and I hate being in debt. I am going to pay her back but it's getting me depressed. I need to buy lots of things for an apartment I've just moved into but I made a few bad spending decisions. So at the moment the temptation to drink and forget it all is there. Even though that would be terrible because I would be spending so much more money.

Currently in rehab.
Only 4 days left of program.
If you don't drink, I won't.
Deal?

It's a deal. Thanks for the support Raleigh, you're a great guy.

Instead of drinking, do your art.

I'll be coming up on two years in september. Substitution is your friend. You can't expect to just stop this sort of thing without putting something in its place that fulfills the same sort of need you drank for. Know why you do it, and then work on substituting something healthy that matches up I think helps.

Raleigh, keep me updated on how you do.

kortie, that's one idea, a pretty good one.

C2V, yeah, I need to find another buzz. The alcohol got me kind of high. Tonight because it was a Saturday I was sorely tempted to drink again so instead I went to a buffet restaurant. I only had sliced turkey and a mountain of vegetables and gravy. It was quite healthy but it did give me something big to enjoy.

I need to quit too, in order to attend this psychosocial rehab program my therapist wants me to enroll in. I almost got in, but when it came to light that I had a drinking problem, they told me I had to go through detox and alcohol rehab before that. Given the speed of Canadian healthcare, it's gonna take a while to get into those programs. Until then, I'll just keep drinkin'.

Now, they tell me that I could skip the detox if I spent a week or so sober, but how the hell am I supposed to do that? I'm an addict, and booze and pills (mostly benedryl and phenibut, nothing illegal) are my crutch.

I don't actually want to be sober after I'm done though. It'd be nice to take a break, and who knows, maybe once I'm done with all this s**t I won't see the need to drink or dope myself up on pills, but I don't really want to quit drinking. Drinking is one of my main hobbies.

Hope you are doing ok.
I've had a bit of a hospital stay which cut short my rehab but I'm doing ok.
There were some great talks by Marisa Peer which you can listen to on YouTube.
This one has some interesting points on addiction:

I don't drink or do any other substances. My philosophy on situational emotional pain is eastern in some respects. My view is that it is something that should be felt, and explored, and through that process, we learn that it's something that is transient and that we can cope with.

Concerning your apartment, as long as you have a place to sit, a place to sleep, a refrigerator, a few food preparation items, and personal care things such as towels, toiletries, and the likes, other things like couches, coffee tables, and items of decor can wait.

Concerning the debt, why don't you set a minimum payment for yourself, even if it's a very small one, because that gives you a clear timeline of your debt repayment. For example, you might resolve to pay $50 a month but perhaps you find that for one reason or another, you can't do this consistently, if you sent a minimum payment for yourself of $15, or even $5 per month, you, you know you get closer to paying the debt off every month. You know that however long it takes, there is a point where you will have paid it off.

What about Anonime Acoholicer Association? Try to find it in your city and go there. Anyway, the rehabilitation center

Would you be interested in AA on-line?

http://ptsdinfo.net/anxiety_management_alcohol.html

I hope you're doing well! It's tough kicking the habit, especially if it's become a part of a routine when you're on the spectrum. I went to therapy and counseling for it, but the practice I went to allowed a model for rational recovery, alongside the one adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). I was more drawn to the rational model (big surprise?).

I realized the biggest thing that helped me was to do something mentally stimulating (not watching television; hell, even video games worked better for me), such as reading something thought provoking, or drawing. Exercise worked well, and meditation too (to help when I was stressed with so many external stimuli).

One thing I remembered too, is HALT: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired -- these are all times in which we're more triggered to drink. Try to fix that with good, health food; a good nights rest, and continuous social contact. I think one thing that helped me as well, is figuring out why I was drinking in the first place. What was so hard for me to deal with in life? What bullet holes were so deep, that I felt alcohol would fix it? Only you know the applicable answer with yourself. Write about it, be open minded, and get a second opinion when you can from counselors, or peers if you would like. Just also be sure to not be so hard on yourself if you slip up -- we're human, we all make mistakes. Just don't give up, and remember that you're never alone.