[Andy_B]

I labelled this a health thread, but really it's a health issue that also has spillover effects in the social and financial sides of my life.

I have several drug addictions.

I count tobacco and alcohol as drug addictions, but I'm addicted to stimulants (amphetamines, coke etc) too.

My problem with this whole thing isn't that it's ruining my health or draining my bank account (though it probably is).

It's moreso that it's just keeping me from functioning as well as a could be.

Quick example:

I'm a full-time freelancer. So, I'm responsible for drumming up my own work. Often, I'll go out and get drunk (say 3 nights a week), and when the inevitable hangover comes, I just feel too lazy to put serious effort into pitching. So, drinking has a direct negative effect on my income.

Anyone else here ever deal with this problem? Have any preferred strategies for getting it under control?

My thinking is that quitting smoking should be priority number one, because once that's out of the picture, drinking and doing stims become much less appealing.

Thoughts?

[kosko]

Sorry to hear about your struggles man. I have a really addictive personality so I don't fuck with drugs because I know I would be in a deep hole if I did. I still have other addictions such as sex and porn (some many say this is an "idea" addiction..but too much of anything is bad, blue balls for me is not the same as it is for you... I get hella hulk-ish and aggressive if I don't bust a nut). I've been around addicts and shit most my life so I get a feel of what they got to go through. My advice is DONT quit smoking first. As odd as it sounds you should use smoking as a bridge to fend off your other addictions. Your stress levels will be in the stratosphere and smoking addictions means a whole lot of others things not just simply the nicotine, the habit and routine of it is very much related to cigarette addiction also.

As far as stratgies. there are many and really all depend on your personality and tolerance. Some kats can do cold turkey, some need to go travel and put them selves in a totally different environment, some swap one addiction for another that isn't a money drainer or lethal (model cars anybody? My homie did just that.. then ended up getting bored of the cars and got clean.. weird.). Also there are traditional less potent drugs you use to ease yourself off. My aboriginal homies would use different grasses and teas to mellow themselves off to get off alcahol addiction. It would just take away the stress of withdrawal so you could still function. All of these are different options. Just make sure you have some solid support around be it family or friends whom will have your back and not judge you for the occasional mistake. Addiction is the hardest thing a human can beat, climbing everest is easier. But once you reach that goal its the most fulfilling thing you can ever experience.

[Blunt]

I would try getting rid of the alcohol first. The act of getting drunk releases your inhibitions which make you more likely to do lines, and then the hangover the next day can make your more likely to do stims to catch up. People generally smoke a lot more while drunk too.

I think if you don't go to the gym now, a good strategy would be to give up drinking, and during the time where you would go to a bar go to a gym and work out. As your body starts improving you'll feel a lot better about yourself and you won't want to pollute it as much with all that noise.

I agree with Kosko about the cigarettes. I would get rid of that last, nicotine withdrawal can be one of the worst. Green tea is good for detox and general health too.

Also, once you start getting rid of these things keep track of the money that you would have spent on it and use it for some kind of reward...a plane ticket, new threads, language lessons etc.

[Neo]

I used to smoke cigs and probably drink more than I should've. I rarely do either nowadays, after a few beers I'm done. What worked for me was a few step process.

1) Make yourself busy. Take on projects that require you to be completely focused and that you need all your wits for.

2) Stop hanging around with people who do drugs or drink all the time. I had some friends who would just come home from work and drink like 8 beers. If we were hanging out it was hard not to follow suit and drink a lot. Cut them off if they are not contributing to your life and bringing you down.

3) Start lifting weights and start an athletic hobby. Trust me, when you see how your performance suffers then you're messed up it will motivate you to stop. Very few people are able to perform well and smoke, drink, and do drugs in excess. It's variable though as some substances are worse than others. The athlete who smokes weed a few times a week and has one night where he gets drunk can probably perform near or at full capacity.

4) Corrolary to number 2 start hanging out with people who heavily into fitness, eventually it becomes your lifestyle.

[UgSlayer]

You ever try AA or NA?

[SkeletonJelly?]

When I'm addicted to anything doubt creeps in if I don't absolutely know I can control myself. The struggle of cold turkey and a re-evaluation/taking it from there is my preferred method.

[sheesh]

You'll feel the effect of smoking in 20-30 years ( shortness of breath, cough, high risk of lung cancer, impotence).

Doing other stuff such as alcohol, cocaine etc. can ruin your life short term: job loss, friends, relationships, depression.

So what do you want to get rid off primarily ? Hint: it's not the cigarettes.

With that many addictions, you won't make it on your own, you'll need professional help.

[HiFlo]

If it's affecting your career, it is a serious addiction.

Unfortunately for you, these aren't things you can just "scale back" and use time to time because whenever you use you're going to relapse. You really have to go sober. As someone else wrote above, cut alcohol first, because alcohol is more likely than not the gateway to cocaine usage, etc.

You should look at AA/NA. Resolve to go to 10 meetings. It doesn't help everyone, but its a good place to start.

[cozos]

Anyone have experience with Electronic Cigarettes

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012...ou-got-em/

[Mujeriego]

E-cigs suck. They taste like shit and leave a funky aftertaste.

[Keyser Söze]

It depends how deep you are into the addiction, but in patient treatment or a sober living coach could help you bridge the gap into sobriety. Such programs in the USA can be significantly expensive, but as you are a full time freelancer you could geo arbitrage and find something more affordable in a different country.

Also, what's helped me greatly with controlling and then eliminating my abuse of drugs/alcohol was to try a very simple trick: if I wanted a drink or a line or cig or whatever, I would tell myself wait ten minutes, and if you still want it, you can have it.

The key here is to get past the animal instinct/desire/"itch" that creates the impulse to consume. It really is amazing how well this works.

[Cooze Hound]

Not sure if this will help but here goes.

I was a big drinker. For the past 10 years I have always had to have at least 4 drinks a night to just chill out. Over the past year, I have had at least 8-12 drinks a day sometimes as early as 8:30am on the weekends. Not beer, but whiskey and gin. I began to loose control. I was behaving like animal, emabrassing myself in front of my friends, my family, spitting no sense to girls, acting like a douche at work functions that involved drinking, overall I had become a shadow of my former self and it got worse. I would drive drunk, get in fist fights with my step dad, swear in front of little kids, and spend money like a fool just to name a few. One day my sister called me and said I was out of control and that until I stopped drinking she would not allow me around my niece and nephew. My aunt also told me should would not allow me around my cousins who are 19 and 22. I was told I am not welcome in my familes beach home. I have been wanting to quit and I needed a push

A week ago today, I emptied my liquor cabinet and dumped all my shit down the sink. No more gin and tonics, no more whiskey and club soda, I decided it was time to give it all up. I will not lie and say it has been easy because it has certainly not. I have been craving a drink, especially the first couple days. The first two nights I could not sleep and my stomach has been up set. One night I awoke to find shit in my boxers. My body was not used to the drastic change but I was and I am determined to beat this. I know I can never drink again, and its sad because I loved my drinks. But I am keeping busy. Concentrating on different outlets and looking to beat this.

So, to the orginal poster, I do not know if this helps, but I think if I can do it anyone can. I wish you the best of luck on your like to sobriety and just think how much tighter your game will be when you are in complete control of yourself.

[scotian]

I've quit smoking cigs and cut down a lot on the boozing by smoking lots of dope, I'm sure this isn't the answer that you're looking for, but it worked for me. Unfortunately I can't smoke cheeba now and I'm back to smoking like a chimney but the booze thing is definitely under control.

[dulst]

I managed to quit smoking cigs by smoking a lot of weed. Over here we tend to put tobacco in our joints to help them burn, so for a few weeks I smoked weed a lot, this gave me my nicotine fix, then gradually reduced the frequency of weed smoking til it was back to my normal level.

That said, this is probably a bad idea if you have an addictive personality.

[babelfish669]

You might find this book interesting: "Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself" The guy went from being a hardcore addict, to an overweight/out of shape food addict, to running the ultraman world championship (like an ironman but 320 miles.) Ignore the self-promos in the book and it might give you some ideas.

Watching people with coke & alcohol problems (most of the NYC population), the only ones that seem to have any success with it just disappear. That means new job & no contact with old friends. Depending on what industry your in, this could have an even more negative effect on your finances.