How Do I Stop Using Drugs and Alcohol?
How do you stop using drugs and alcohol? Let’s break this question down into two really obvious camps right away:
1) People who can stop using drugs on their own
2) People who have tried to stop on their own, and cannot
This is an important distinction, and it represents our starting point. There are a number of people out there who get caught up with partying, drug use, heavy weekend drinking, or whatever–and many of those people do not actually have a problem. They might spend a weekend in jail over a DUI and figure out that they need to calm down and get their house back in order pretty quickly, and they can do so without any problem. There are people out there that fit this description, people who can stop using (or control their using) on their own. They might have gotten tripped up with drugs or alcohol, but they basically do not have a problem.
The other group of people do have a problem. A real problem. (This is the group I belong to, by the way). I could not stop on my own, and for a long time, I didn’t even want to try to. Then I went through a fairly long phase where I tried to control my using. I could manage to fool myself for a few days or even a few weeks that I had things under control, but eventually, I would always go back to being a full blown addict. Eventually I came to a point where I could no longer see myself continuing in my life–regardless of whether I continued using drugs and alcohol or not. I just felt like I could not continue on like I had been–drinking heavily and chasing all sorts of drugs, day in and day out….I just felt like it couldn’t go on anymore. This was my point of surrender.
At the same time, I felt like I could not possibly get clean and sober either. I had been to treatment centers before and I had been exposed to AA in the past but I felt like those things wouldn’t work for me. And even if they did help me get clean, I felt that I would just be miserable without being able to get drunk and high.
So I really felt trapped. But I did something that led me to where I am now. I asked for help. I asked for help and someone was there and they stayed with me until I could get into a treatment center. And once I was in the treatment center, I asked for more help, and the people at the treatment center set me up in a long term treatment center. Things fell into place and my life slowly got better and better and I’m still not sure of the exact process that occurred. I do know that in the beginning, I asked for help. Then I started following directions.
Now I’m leaving out a few details here, but I am now approaching 7 years of continuous sobriety, and I work at that treatment center where I first got clean. It’s difficult to describe the transformation that has become my life. This here is a detailed account of what worked for me and what didn’t, and this gives quite a bit of my story as well. This entire website explores my success in recovery, as I try to document and explain the process by which I transformed my life.
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rachael Says:
i have never done drugs, but i think everyone should try and stop using them and try and fight against drugs and stop using them
Michael Says:
I am one of those people who has a problem. My life is not going well, things didn’t go how I wanted it to with my girlfriend, and people are starting to dis-like me. But about four weeks ago, a drug dealer gave me something where my feelings went away. It feels so good though. The pills make me feel so much better, but people keep saying that it will ruin my life. But you know what! it makes me feel better! I yelled at my friend for trying to convince to stop using, but she said said, that it was the drugs that made me yell, and not me. But I don’t know what to do, you know? things have been so hard, and the drugs are the only thing that makes me feel better. But my friend told me to be carefull because I’m going in to high school, and if I get caught high, the teacher won’t hesitate to call the police. I don’t know what to do. Ever since my ex-girlfriend found out I’ve beem using, she told me never to contact her ever again, and that’s what makes me feel so, bad. But the pills make me feel good!!!
Patrick Says:
Hi there Michael
You sound pretty young. If I were you I would ask for help. Like maybe from a school counselor or something. Sure they will probably jump all over you, but if you don’t catch this problem now, it will get much, much worse as time goes on. Better to stop now.
Try to stop on your own. If you can’t, promise yourself you will ask for help. Set a deadline, like one week. If you haven’t stopped in one week then you will ask for help.
That is what I would do. You have too much life ahead of you to just throw it all away on this crap.
niah Says:
Heey,
Okai, im a girl who uses drugs, alot. How do i get off the drugs and stay clean? Im always high, there isnt a moent when im not high. I love drugs, but it all made me go insane, but i got and getting help about drugs but my school counselor doesnt work. So what should i do before i loose everything.?
Anonymous Says:
lol
Anonymous Says:
You should stop taking it
siyabonga Says:
that was a good story of how you quit drugs and i hope you will become a great inspiration to others.
Aisha Says:
It all starts by urself i was a drug user and i stop if you cant help urself then no one will is better to be drug free
anonymous Says:
im 17 and i always wanna be high no matter what im doing. before practice i smoke weed if i have it and as sad as this sounds, i even go to work high or even drunk and i work with kids which is terrible. i steal pills from my parents and just blow them whenever i wanna get high. its really all i think about and my friends are telling me to stop because it will just fuck my life up even more. my bestfriend is in rehab and wouldnt you think id listen to him? well i dont, i dont listen to anyone. im failing classes at school and im on medicine to help me focus in school..which i abuse also because it makes me feel high at times if i take enough of it. i even fucking smoke weed or get drunk by myself. i dont know if i have a problem or not or if this is just normal?
Aaron Says:
Hey everyone. I have 2 days clean today and I’m 20 years old. I’ve been to six-28 day rehabs, 1 half way house, 1 long term program for 11 months and 2 jail sentences(one was for 4 months and the other for 2 and a half months). I’m 20 years old and thats a lot of time i’ve spent institutionalized expecially at my age. I started smoking weed and drinking at 12 years old and it progressed over time. I started smoking crack at 17 and shooting heroin at 18. I truly believe that drug use like mine and others is due to self esteem and self worth. I just lost my job this past monday because i was smoking crack and shooting heroin in and out of the bathroom at my job. Drugs have completely controlled my life. For the people who are young and think they might have a problem believe me it gets so much worse. You dont have to go through what i went through. I have been in and out of NA and AA meetings and Rehabs and Jails. It’s not fun. Today I’m finally choosing I cant fucking live like this anymore. I want to have a life and I’m sick of being controlled by drugs. I truly believe it’s cause i think im not worth anything. Once i start doing things for myself and stop being a people pleaser i believe i then will have a chance at staying clean. I hope i inspire someone or somebody reads this. God Bless everyone and pray for me.
echo99 Says:
Being aware that you have a problem is always the first step. Then understand why you have that problem (why you take drugs), like how Aaron discovered why he did. Then accept that you have a problem in that area, like, if i were to use Aarons’ story, his substance abuse was due to his lack of self-esteem and self-worth. Accept that you have a problem with drugs and your lack of self-esteem and self-worth. Ask for help from your family and friends. If you can, go to a drug counselor or psychotherapist, then go. School counselors are not specifically trained to handle addiction in detail (at least where I am from). Overcoming your addiction takes a lot of effort, will power, social support, courage and knowledge. To all of you who are still under the influence, I hope that all of you will do your best to get better. Will pray for all of you. God Bless!
Wayne Says:
Hi all
I have read many stories on this site and find numerous similarities with situations in my life. I started using drugs at the age of 22 after I left the army. It has been five years on, and the story continues. It’s always the same story. Go out, get drunk in a pub or a club, phone my dealer and snort coke till the early hours of the morning. This has become a social problem for me as I no longer know how to conduct my social life in any other “normal” way. It is so stupid! I am currently doing my Maters degree in International Politics and the previous semester I finished second in my class out of 60 students. No one in my class use to suspect me of doing drugs, however, until recently I started doing coke with fellow classmates and even did it with a professor’s son! I can’t seem to shrug the drug and alcohol yoke. I have a beautiful girlfriend, great family, and fantastic friends, but my drug use continues.
I really want to change, I have tried so many times but my attempts seem futile as I so often fall into the same cycle again and then the self loathing begins. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out that alcohol is the catalyst to my addiction problems. However, I often make the excuse that life is so boring without big parties and getting high, as well as a constant over functioning brain problem that leads to sleepless nights and constant streaming of theoretical thoughts. As I write this I am recovering from a long weekend binge. I want to stop, I really do, but my inner voice has no control at times and inevitably leads to another irresponsible party.
P.I.B. Says:
I have been smoking weed since I was 13 and the only time I stopped was when I went to state jail for 8 months. Before I went to jail I tried acid, ex, and xanax .The reason I went to jail was because I was addicted to xanax. I never got to graduate high school because I was in prison. When I got out I got my GED and also an associate’s degree. The only thing is I snort coke and I can’t seem to leave it alone. I split up with my girl friend, got laid off and I feel like I’m at a point in my life where I have hit rock bottom. I know I have the will power to stop but I feel so alone in life that I rather get high than deal with all these problems. I know that I started to use drugs because I have a low self-esteem and wanted to be cool. That was childish of me but that mistake I made by start using drugs made my life more difficult than it really had to be. But I have faith in god that I’m going to stop and get my life strait.
R.A.B Says:
i have used drugs and booze since i was 13. i am now 19, kick out of home, school, collage, and now by friends.
so far i have been lucky in my indulgence but recently its all getting worse, people used to tell me how nice, funny and great to be around i was, now people dont talk to me, my friends have all gone leaving there own lifes, and im left here…..in a friends house…until tomoz….then i have no where to go….and the worse part is that last night i went out and got messy, very messy, as usual, wen i should have been sorting my f##king life out!! u say ask for help! i dont have time to ask for help! i hav to spend all my time finding places to stay, food to eat, i have to survive! help! yes please