Luke | Māngere
“It’s quite awhile back now. I’d say around a month ago, and it was to do with financial woes.
I suppose, you know yourself, stress is caused by many different things. Even anxiety, and just general life situations. It could be losing loved ones, or loss of a job. I can only speak for myself, but stress drove me towards drinking, and I drunk alcohol for close to 30 years of my life. I’m in my 40s now, and yeah I’ve finally had enough.
I’m on a Bridge program for alcohol abuse. A lot of my alcohol use was caused through stressful situations. We do learn. We learn lots of different techniques and strategies to deal with stress, on our course, like self-talk. Positive self-talk and knowing how to put boundaries up when you’re using cognitive behavioural therapy, just within your mind. Knowing how to channel negative thoughts into positive ones, putting a boundary wall straight up, between the negative and positive thoughts, so you can just focus on positive. People tend to ruminate on negative thoughts too much within their minds, and it causes them to stress out, and then they make irrational decisions.
I’m on my seventh week of an eight week course, and I’ve been sober for 90 days now, and yeah it’s really good. I know that alcohol abuse is still prevalent in society. Since I’ve been sober I’ve actually noticed it more, because I was one of those people who was actively using in the community.
Stress really isn’t the only thing, though eh? You know, it can be mental illness. Though I don’t have any, any mental illness or anything. I just have quite an addictive nature.
Anyway, everyone thanks for hearing me out. For anyone who’s suffering from addiction, all the best, and you know there’s, there’s always a way out of it, and God bless you. Thank you.“
** NEED HELP WITH ADDICTION?**
The alcohol drug telephone helpline is only a call away. Call 0800 787 797 or text 8681 to speak with a trained counsellor24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
**FEELING STRESSED?**
Check out these resources from the Mental Health Foundation: Stress and how to Handle it and the Five ways to Wellbeing. Need to talk to someone? Free text or call 1737 anytime.
