So you're tired, lost, upset, anguished, confused and addicted. What do you do next?

by John Carcerano
The first thing you do is call someone else who has recovered from alcoholism or drug addiction themselves. The plan of action they may have or the philosophy on life they hold may not be the same as yours but right now that does not matter. What they can offer you is solitude, guidance and refuge from using again. They are someone who has been there and suffered just like you have, but they have gotten well and they support you in that he/she wants the same for you. You cannot go near the people you hang with or the places you always hangout at. That is an instant environment for you to continue using. If there is no one you know that has achieved recovery with whom you can go visit then look up your nearest AA general service office. They are staffed 24 hours a day 7 days a week by a caring and understanding ex addict who will immediately contact someone from your local area to come pick you up and get to a meeting. If you dread the thought of a "meeting" or are not religious and do not want to participate in a "gospel hour" then don't worry, because there are no gospel hours held at AA/NA closed meetings. They are made up of men and women from all walks of life who have suffered just like you are suffering now. They won't judge you or say under their breath when walk in "oh God, here comes another loser"If you think they will then you are sadly mistaken. You must open your mind and let these wonderful people into your world, because they will show you their world of sobriety and a better calm. I was very lost and depressed, as my world came crashing down on me one day and I knew that I just had to quit drinking hard alcohol everyday around the clock. I was scared to go to that meeting but I was also destroyed and felt hopeless inside and knew no other way to turn my hell around. I jumped into that first meeting head first. When it was my turn to talk I just rocked back in my chair and gazed out not really looking anyone in the eyes and just spilled my trouble. I said it like it was. "I was in financial trouble and drinking everyday, morning noon and night, 2 to 4 half pints of hard liquor a day and living in a world where I felt depressed and hopeless. I just had to quit cause it is destroying me". I went numb as i spoke and really did not know what anyone could do for me just because I was spilling my pathetic guts of what a loser I felt I was. Well when that meeting ended, a school friend of mine whom I did not even know was there had handed me a list that was passed around the room which had the names and phone numbers of about 30 people on it. That list and the support it had brought me at my most vulnerable time became a life saver for me. I called those numbers every night for the first few weeks of recovery. If I had not had those numbers I would have gone out and got booze. I have had periods before, during and after I found recovery where times would get very trying, stressful and uncertain, and it was at these times I found the solace of others with my same addiction and recovery issues was a very welcome sight to calm my fluttering and anxiety ridden mind. Even if you are not very religious it also helps to stop into a church for the aura, love and kindness that can be found there. But when you feel your world is crashing in and you need to end your addiction, it;s important to surround yourself only with those who are in recovery from addiction, or stay home alone and talk on the phone with these people until the need to use or drink has subsided, until you tire and feel the need to go sleep. Remember that you can't use drugs or alcohol while you are sleeping and the thing to know is that you must just get through your day until night comes, then sleep time is safe time. If you are having trouble falling asleep then cut out all caffeine from your daily diet and try a gentle over the counter sedative if you must. But be very careful you do not become addicted to pills in order to sleep at night. When you are newly into your recovery the body can be very disrupted for at least the first several so agitation and sleeplessness will probably be an early issue for you. But once you are through the first few weeks of relieving your body from the constant onslaught of toxic chemicals, then as your body is readjusting, it will naturally become more serene and calmer. There are more issues to look out for as you eliminate the effects of drugs and alcohol on your mind and body. You will need to see if there are any underlying issues such as anxiety or depression that may have been one of the root causes to your vulnerability to become addicted in the first place. I don't want to confuse you here, so just take things one step at a time. The first year of your recovery will be one in which you get to re know yourself much better than you may have ever realized before. This is good. "A New Journey" hopes to be able to help guide you as you navigate from your world of addiction, into a new and wonderful world of sobriety and serenity. And it is indeed a wonderful thing, recovery.
:Remember this: When you need help quitting an addiction just reach out to someone in the addiction recovery field or an ex addict, you will be surprised at the help that is out there for you.