Dealing with addiction

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LulzSect

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I keep repeating the same patterns no matter what I do. I don't know how to stop this.
 

iannis

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Depends on what kind of addiction. Nicotine? Caffiene? Internet? Food? Co-dependancy?

Not every addiction is amenable to "power through it". If you start shooting heroin, there's only two ways you're ever going to stop. Either you're going to get professional help, or you're going to die.

In rough terms all approaches start the same. You have to make a willful push to break the pattern. That's hard, but it's easier than continuing a willful vigilance to not relapse.

For something like smoking those first three days are chemical withdrawl. After that it's all psychological. Those first three days you will REALLY want a smoke, and you have to deny yourself. But then in the following weeks you'll still REALLY want a smoke. You'll just want it less often. And every time you want one you will have to exert the same disipline that you exerted in the first three days. It never gets easier it just gets less frequent.

Replacing addictions is also a strategy. If it's the internet and you find yourself at the end of the day saying, "God damn it, I spent 6 hours on this stupid bullshit. AGAIN". And you're doing that every day. Well, you've got to change the patterns of your life. It's filling a need, you need to find out what that need is and design a way to fill it another way.

It's too easy to say "it all comes down to discipline". It mostly does come down to discipline, but it's a statement that is both true and not useful.
 
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Kiroy

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Put a rubber band on your wrist and when you feel like posting a stupid banana pick snap the rubber band instead.
 
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Screamfeeder

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I keep repeating the same patterns no matter what I do. I don't know how to stop this.
As a smoker and high-functioning alcoholic(some here would say otherwise) it really will come down to me having my priorities being forced on me.

Right now I have no actual downside. I'm not going around stealing money or driving drunk. I don't get violent or shit the bed. I barely get a hangover (keep hydrated bro). Honestly the biggest downside to my drinking is just behaving like an ass on the internet and the casual puke now and again (talking like Rick essentially).

It's going to take a rock-bottom like situation to force me to face and realize it's a problem. iannis had some great advice but again, it depends on what the addiction is and how it is effecting you.
 
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LulzSect

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I have an alcohol and drug problem. I can't seem to stay sober more than two weeks at a time. I'm reaching out to you strangers for advice.
 

Screamfeeder

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I have an alcohol and drug problem. I can't seem to stay sober more than two weeks at a time. I'm reaching out to you strangers for advice.
iannis did offer some great advice. A lot of times the chemical addiction is only a part of it. If you are using those moments of being "fucked up" to either hide, disguise or otherwise ignore another aspect of your life you don't like, it might be worthwhile to talk with a therapist about any other issues going on. I just like being drunk everyday. Still a problem however.

Depending on your level of addiction or sincere desire to get better, it really might help to talk with a professional.
 
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LulzSect

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Well. My ex got me into cocaine. We have been broken up for a few years now. I think I'm still fucked up about it and stuck in this cycle where, "oh this time will be different", "what's the worst that can happen", "live a little", <insert excuse to use here>

I probably do need to talk to a professional. The most success I had with sobriety was in out-patient rehab in 2015. (2 months)

Thank you for the advice iannis iannis Screamfeeder Screamfeeder . I am coming down now which is probably why I'm feeling so emotional right now. I just hate feeling like this, but I never seem to remember the shitty times everytime I go and use. Sucks.
 

zzeris

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In seriousness, habits, activities, and behaviors attached to the habit make it hard to stop. If you work around smokers, it is incredibly hard to not take a break with your fellows.Yeah, with coke get a pro to get you out of your cycle.

Scream, how red does your face get every time you drink? I have a friend and we can literally watch his BP go up while drinking with the guys.
 

LulzSect

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zzeris zzeris Exactly. I went to a comedy show in Brooklyn which just so happened to be held in a fucking distillery. Cue the "oh let's have one drink", fast forward to running around midtown coked up doing crazy shit.

The hardest part on staying sober is feeling like I can't do anything because everything in this fucking city, fuck that, everywhere seems to revolve around drinking. This is my struggle.
 

Kithani

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I would think no matter what you do part of the long term solution would be to not run in circles/situations where Cocaine is around. Maybe that isn't realistic in NYC, I dunno, maybe time to reevaluate your friends/hobbies?
 

zzeris

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zzeris zzeris Exactly. I went to a comedy show in Brooklyn which just so happened to be held in a fucking distillery. Cue the "oh let's have one drink", fast forward to running around midtown coked up doing crazy shit.

The hardest part on staying sober is feeling like I can't do anything because everything in this fucking city, fuck that, everywhere seems to revolve around drinking. This is my struggle.

Hell, a lot of the country revolves around that and I know once you have a drink, it's hard not to upgrade especially after the mind begins to slow down. It's definitely hard in NYC. That place is a party lover's dream. You definitely need some professional help in that place.
 

Screamfeeder

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zzeris zzeris The hardest part on staying sober is feeling like I can't do anything because everything in this fucking city, fuck that, everywhere seems to revolve around drinking. This is my struggle.
Yeah and sometimes it might require an entire change in lifestyle. Cutting certain people out (or seeing them in a different dynamic than just going out partying). I fucking LOVE coke and know for a fact that if I went down that path I would be doing it almost as much as I drink. I had to remove certain people from my activities to keep that in check and to be honest, it made me enjoy coke a lot more because of the "specialness" of it when I do do it.

Scream, how red does your face get every time you drink? I have a friend and we can literally watch his BP go up while drinking with the guys.
Not at all actually. No gin blossoms or discoloration. Even when I'm super tanked. I have talked with a few friends and for the most part they have a hard time telling when I am drunk or sober unless I am SUPER drunk because I get Ron Swanson giggly.
 
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Kiroy

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I guess I owe an apology if this is serious thread.

I drink heavily probably twice a week but I'm pretty lucky in that I just chill, shitpost, play games and watch movies until I eventually get tired and go to bed. My wife is the same way. I never ever drink heavily in public (like when we go to a bar with friends) because I just don't feel safe being drunk not in my house or at a close friends house.

I've got buddies and a dad who drank himself to death that are sort of like you, they have a drink and it just makes them want be out and about while continuing to drink, which obviously leads to other bad choices like drugs and doing / say dumb shit. If you fall in this category you should probably get whatever help it takes to stop drinking and realize you're in the category of people who can't drink. Think if it like crones disease or something, can't eat certain things, cept for you it's booze.
 
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