Depression and Booze

Does anyone here drink to smother their depression?  I had trouble for 4 years with addiction, im recovering now.  What a long hard road this illness is

 

Hi Tears,

I just wanted to welcome you to the depression forum. I agree with Shy and Hoping. Getting that alcohol buzz is only a temporary solution and actually being it is a depressant, it just makes things worse. I hope that you can find a better solution to your depression.

We are here for you, so write anytime. There are a lot of us who have been in the same boat as you, so we understand.

Good luck, keep posting.
hugs, Karen...

I drank away my depression for a solid 17 years until a couple of weeks ago. Being able to finally talk to my wife about my depression and childhood trauma after 14 years of keeping silent I felt a weight lifted and no longer had the urge to drown myself in alcohol. I know I was never an alcoholic but it sure felt like it sometimes.

Hi Tears,

             I hid my depression and childhood traumas for 20 years, for me alcohol was the only thing to kill the pain and bad memories, but i foundout the hard way that the drink eventually costs you everyrthing you love.

             I'ts a hard lesson to learn, but i am learning, i havent had a drink for just on 2 years now and with help i'm slowly getting through my problems. The forums here are an awsome way to start the process, even though the first step is always the hardest it does get alot easier step by step.

             I'm always here if you need any support or advice, along with everyone else here as well. Don't be scared to reach out..

    HUGS to ALL..

I have had awful marital problems for years now. To just withstand the toxicity I turned to too much drinking. I never did become an addict but I did get into the dark hole. I can empathize with the numbing of the nerves, but in the end it made no contribution to fixing things.

Jim

I drank to smother my own depression for about 10 years -- until I got a DUI. The road is very hard at first but please keep in mind that is the conditioning of your past and society. Drinking relieves inhibitions and is a great social lubricant... when you quit, it is natural to feel a bit depersonalized. There is a process of getting to know one's self again.

To share my own experience, when I quit, I started going to sleep earlier and getting up earlier. The key was exercise -- as long as I could go running/biking, I was fine. It was lonely for a while and then I noticed something. There is an entire world of people that do not drink. I went to the same coffeeshops and cafes I used to however because I had shifted my entire life up 2-3 hours each day, there were new people. Healthy people. Who didn't drink.

Something else happened. As I struggled and fought and was lonely and sad, friends started reaching out to me. I didn't initially see the improvement in myself but they did. And it inspired several of them to drink less. Then I had more to do.

Long story short: keep at it. It's worth it. There are some lonely times. Times when you see people going out and may question yourself, 'I feel fine. I can go and have 1.' If you can, great. If not. Stay home. Go to bed. Take a bath. Sign up for a marathon. Do whatever you have to do to quit drinking compulsively. Maybe someday you can drink socially. Maybe not.

Through a lot of research and soul-searching, depression often comes from focusing too greatly on the self. Find a greater purpose and chase it. There is a saying in Yoga, do your practice and all things are coming.

Do your practice and all things are coming. You are not alone. It is a long road now but it gets shorter with each step. And remember, the world loves you and needs you.

FeelingGood said...
I drank to smother my own depression for about 10 years -- until I got a DUI. The road is very hard at first but please keep in mind that is the conditioning of your past and society. Drinking relieves inhibitions and is a great social lubricant... when you quit, it is natural to feel a bit depersonalized. There is a process of getting to know one's self again.

To share my own experience, when I quit, I started going to sleep earlier and getting up earlier. The key was exercise -- as long as I could go running/biking, I was fine. It was lonely for a while and then I noticed something. There is an entire world of people that do not drink. I went to the same coffeeshops and cafes I used to however because I had shifted my entire life up 2-3 hours each day, there were new people. Healthy people. Who didn't drink.

Something else happened. As I struggled and fought and was lonely and sad, friends started reaching out to me. I didn't initially see the improvement in myself but they did. And it inspired several of them to drink less. Then I had more to do.

Long story short: keep at it. It's worth it. There are some lonely times. Times when you see people going out and may question yourself, 'I feel fine. I can go and have 1.' If you can, great. If not. Stay home. Go to bed. Take a bath. Sign up for a marathon. Do whatever you have to do to quit drinking compulsively. Maybe someday you can drink socially. Maybe not.

Through a lot of research and soul-searching, depression often comes from focusing too greatly on the self. Find a greater purpose and chase it. There is a saying in Yoga, do your practice and all things are coming.

Do your practice and all things are coming. You are not alone. It is a long road now but it gets shorter with each step. And remember, the world loves you and needs you.

Thank you for sharing and posting these words. Very inspirational to me. It is stuff that I already know but to hear it said as well as you put it makes a difference.