Just wondering

Just wondering how everyone is today....like some of you I live with depression issues that I work through. Being someone who believes in minding my own business, doing my own thing, and not bothering anyone, can be good habits to have. They also can bring about loneliness. Loneliness to depression. And finally depression to despair. If one is not careful, back to the very addiction that helps deal with and relieve those feelings. Any one been there?

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Yes. I'm sorry if you are feeling lonely. I have been feeling the same lately and it's hard for me to reach out or show that vulnerability anywhere but here hidden behind a screen :pensive:. I'm not going back to my addiction but have you been able to tell someone in person in the past? I'm trying to think how and who…

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Hi Melissa, my answer is no. I haven't told others about how I feel. I'm not “close” enough to any one to confide in them. I haven't drank for 29 yr and 11 months. I deal with this problem and others the same way. By staying proactive, having a plan to get myself out of that mood . Such as finding things to do that make me happy. Or reminding myself what life was like when I was drinking not just for me but the people around me. By remembering how grateful I am to be where I'm at today. Just because you're sober for a long time it doesn't mean you won't experience the same kind of problems as someone who just stopped using/drinking . Problems just don't go away because you want them to. The difference is wisdom , gained through knowledge and experience. Not everybody's path on the road to sobriety is the same. What works for one may not work for another. I would recommend that if you had somebody to talk with that you should. Maybe someday I will. Until then, I did tell you . That is a start

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Has to be someone you can trust

I deal with isolation and loneliness too, depression, anxiety, ptsd.. The usual addict cocktail of mental illness.

I've made a lot of progress in the last 100 days, I need to keep reminding myself of that. But it's hard starting over in a new state, making all new friends, new job, new living situation, it can be easy just to isolate and start getting complacent and slack off on my program.

I've also been alone romantically for a long time, partly due to my drinking, and it gets maddening, because I'm still way too early in recovery to think about dating. I mean what do I have to offer at this stage of my recovery? Besides, most of my relationships end up being codependent, even my friendships, so it's hard for me to even know when I'm interacting in a healthy way. I think I probably have the emotional maturity of a teenager because that's when I started drinking.

Not sure if you guys have a sponsor but I call mine every day, and he's someone I can be totally open with about issues like this. Or sharing in meetings with total honesty. That always helps. But some nights I definitely just stay awake wondering what the fuck is the point.

I know that sounds really depressing! :joy: I'm not like that all the time. I've actually been kicking butt in recovery, and I'm proud of my personal growth. But everyone has ebbs and flows mentally and emotionally, and I know that feeling all too well.

It isn't perfect having to duck behind a screen for us to share about this, but it's definitely better than nothing. And I do feel better having talked about it here. I need to remind myself that this is just the beginning of my journey in recovery, and I deserve to take it easy and give myself a break.

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