elucubra

This post may be of help. Peer support is huge in recovery.

Here are a bunch of the tools that SMART Recovery uses.

Also, peer-support is HUGE for success. As a SMART facilitator I obviously recommend it, but if that is not your cup of tea, try to find a peer support organization that clicks with you.

DISCLAIMER: I’m a SMART Recovery volunteer, a meeting facilitator, among other things. Any info here will inevitably be colored by this.

I'm also BP, + ADD. Can 100% relate. Hypomania will not help. In my case, and in an astounding percentage of mental disorders, substance use disorders are used as seIf-medication.

If you futz-up, Naltrexone will not work. It works by blocking some receptors, and rewiring your brain, by removing the pleasure of drinking. If you drink without blocking, the brain gets confused while relearning. Read my comment above.

Abstinence + Behavioral retraining + peer support is what is durable for me.

As a SMART facilitator, I'm sorry that it didn't click with you. as for the availability, there are 1000's of meetings weekly, many online. Maybe you didn't find one that resonates with you. Every meeting has it's own "flavor"

Here is a guide to find ALL meetings, local and on-line. The finder is confusing.

As for Naltrexone. I did it and it worked, to the point of losing interest in drinking. The thing is that you MUST always take it before drinking. No exceptions. I got complacent, and started drinking without taking it, thinking I was "cured". Nope.

If you are taking the Naltrexone route, consider that you will have to take it before drinking, ALWAYS.

DISCLAIMER: I’m a SMART Recovery volunteer, a meeting facilitator, among other things. Any info here will inevitably be colored by this.

The concept of "Alcoholism" is debated in the addiction research community. It is a label to simplify labeling the problems component of your addiction problems. In SMART we don't label.

There is no good or safe amount of alcohol, however many people manage drinking in a non-problematic way, others do it problematically. It's considered alcohol use disorder when your health or lifestyle is compromised.

There are infinite ways to mismanage the use of substances.

The concept of disease or behavioral disorder is debated in the research community, but the behavioral focus is rapidly becoming the leading theory. The concept of substance use disorder as mainly a behavioral problem is becoming the norm.

Alcoholism as an illness is mainly espoused by non-professionals , like general physicians, social workers, and other non-specialists, as well as 12 step and other programs, which are based on tradition and don't follow scientific research.

The chances of success in recovery are multiplied if you attend peer support groups. . I obviously recommend SMART, but if that is not your thing, you have 12 step, like AA, Recovery Dharma, and others. You do you.

SMART doesn’t shame, doesn’t stigmatize, doesn’t do labels. We are people with an addiction management problem, not alcoholics, or drug addicts or whatever.

SMART is the leading science-based addiction peer self-support organization world wide. SMART is essentially run by volunteers and is a non-profit. Meetings are free and confidential, with thousands of online and face to face meetings. There are 1000's of meetings weekly world-wide.

SMART Recovery US website: https://smartrecovery.org/

There are others world wide. A web search with SMART Recovery (language/country) should give you the right result

https://smartrecoveryglobal.org/

has resources for countries without an established branch

Also, a link to a non-official Discord recovery server, (there are also other program rooms) that leans SMART, where 1000s of people with addiction issues hang out 24/7, as well as many experienced volunteers. We call it “the support group in your pocket”

There are publications, like the participant handbook, which are a paid, but very affordable resource, not required but very helpful. That said, most of the material is available free of charge on the website. The handbook simply provides a structured way to understand the concepts and tools.

Spirituality, like higher powers, is not needed, that is left to the individual.

The program is is based on self empowerment, behavioral training, how to learn to cope with what leads us to addictive behaviors.

The program is not strictly abstinence oriented. It’s about identifying goals, and help you achieve them. It supports therapy, professionally prescribed meds, it’s not adverse to moderation and harm reduction, as current addiction treatment research supports (but we recognize that if you have reached a mismanagement stage, sobriety will be much easier to maintain)

SMART doesn’t shame, doesn’t stigmatize, doesn’t do labels. We are people with an addiction management problem, not alcoholics, or drug addicts or whatever.

There are no steps. It’s a 4 point program. Points (or areas) can be approached individually or at the same time:

Build and maintain motivation
Cope with urges and cravings
Manage thoughts, feelings and behavior
Lead a balanced life

The program is oriented towards the addictive behaviors, and doesn’t focus on the substance or maladaptive behavior , but how to deal with it. It works for Alcohol, nicotine, drugs, and for things like porn addiction, eating disorders, gambling…

The program is considered one of multiple pathways to recovery, does not claim to be the only way. Many combine it with 12 step, or whatever helps them also.

I hope this helps. If anybody has any questions, please ask.

I'm mostly on board with this, but censorship is a dangerous road to go down. Where does it stop?

In Israel (outside the numbers may differ) about 80% support the war and genocide.

Sure. I simply point out that developing above ground rails much cheaper. I'm not criticizing. I'm all for nay kind of public transport, and electric car and moto sharing.

You mean that that is all the public transport in Toronto, combined?!

Agree. I work with an org that uses SharePoint, I don't. When they share docs with me, I can't directly transfer (or maybe I haven't found how) to One drive. I mean, they are both MS Cloud. Why?

Kind of misleading. That's metro+light rail. Above ground light rail is massively cheaper to build than subways.