Please make dua - struggling with alcohol and need advice
Assalamualaikum, I’m really desperate and didn’t know where else to turn. I’m struggling with alcohol and don’t know how to stop. I was born Muslim but grew up in a non-practicing home and only started taking Islam seriously a couple years ago. By that time I had already tried alcohol and I don’t want to call myself an addict, but I keep going back to it. It feels pathetic and I’m so ashamed that a bottle of something haram has so much control over me, but it does. I can’t tell my parents - not because they’d get angry, but because they wouldn’t take it seriously. A lot of my family drink, so they’d just say it’s part of being young. I can’t tell my doctor because I don’t want it on my medical record; I hope to work in healthcare. And I definitely can’t tell my friends because this side of me is a secret and many would (rightly) end the friendship. I’m posting because I hope someone who’s been through something similar can share how they overcame it without formal support. I’ve seen lots of advice but not much about beating this on your own. I’m past blaming my upbringing - I’m taking responsibility now - but that just makes it worse: I’m an adult who’ll face the consequences of my choices, and I feel like I’m displeasing Allah. I want to be better, but I’m stuck in this cycle: drinking to cope → feeling guilty and wanting to stop → realizing how low I’ve been → then slipping again. If anyone can share practical steps they used to break that cycle, duas that helped them, or simple accountability methods that don’t involve telling family or risking their career, I’d really appreciate it. JazakAllahu khair.