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Alcohol
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Hi everyone.
I was just wondering if anyone else had the same issue as me. The thing is, I need alcohol to feel like other people, such as feeling happy, motivated, being empathetic, making plans, thinking about goals etc, literally everything. I used to be depressed but I'm not now as I take antidepressants which has totally turned my life around, so I don't drink because I'm depressed. I don't know how to feel this good and motivated and like everyone else without drinking. Has anyone had this issue and how do I feel good like everyone else naturally?? I stress though, I am no longer depressed, so this is not the issue.
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Hi Starre,🙂
Welcome to the forum, as an occasional drinker, I don't have relevant experience on this issue so sorry I couldn't talk much about it. I think some people on here may have some similar stories.
I'm glad that you have made progress on the depression issues and you don't indulge in drinking for the depression. From what you described, it sounds like you need alcohol to have a sense of accomplishment that you like the effect produced by alcohol. It is possible that if one keeps using alcohol as a coping skill, the other alternative would fade away: they may not be physically addicted to alcohol but maybe psychologically dependent on it. For you, this may get in the way of your overcoming depression. I would recommend you to visit GPs.
Feel free to share more about your opinion and feelings about drinking, we are here to listen🙂
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Hey Starre,
Welcome to the forums! It's great to hear you were able to turn your life around with the help of anti-depressants, as it sounds like you were really struggling with depression before. That said, I'm sorry to hear you are having this issue with alcohol, as it sounds quite disempowering. I understand you feel like you need alcohol to feel happy and do a lot of the things you want to do in life. Is there any more you'd like to say about that? I mean, what happens if you don't have alcohol?
James
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Hello Starc, a good thread because this could be the greatest worry when people stop drinking alcohol, they have to adjust to life without the euphoria from drinking which will happen, but it may take people different times, depending on how much they usually drink.
You will notice a difference if you are trying to show some happiness motivation, being empathetic, making plans, thinking about goals etc when you are with the people you usually drink with, and you're not, because people drinking do things or make decisions differently to those who aren't drinking and a person who is sober can see the answers clearly.
When the people who have drunk, sober up, realise that how you feel is the best alternative. this will begin to make you feel more comfortable.
It will develop from this.
Best wishes.
Geoff.
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Hi Starre
It's great you can identify key goals you want to achieve, such as feeling happiness, motivation, constructive thinking etc. Consciousness is the first step toward change.
Being a gal who drank throughout my years in depression, it wasn't until looking back at those years that I began to realise exactly why I drank. In a nutshell, I was an 'emotional drinker'.
I've found there are often 3 key factors that are linked to emotions. I'll use the emotion/feeling known as 'motivation' or 'drive' as an example
- Mentally, there has to be something that drives us. A mental skill set can drive us, such as a clear step by step guide to reach a goal. Being able to clearly imagine the end goal can also drive us to achieve. A vivid, well exercised or easily triggered imagination can be a driving force
- Physically, emotion is energy in motion. If the energy's not there, say in the form of chemistry, we won't be able to feel it. There won't be the right amount or the right type of chemical reactions to drive us. A lot of energy systems in the body. Vascular system carries the energy found within blood, endocrine system carries energy within hormones, nervous system carries energy through nerve impulses etc. Blood tests are a way of testing energy levels within the blood (such as with Iron or B12)
- Naturally, energy surrounds us in the form of people, places, music etc. As physicists say 'We're energy in motion, being comprised of matter'. So, it's kind of like we vibe or vibrate (on a cellular level) in connection with our environment. Music therapy partly works on the principal of raising or lowering our cellular vibration. This helps explain why 'high vibey' music can put us in a good mood, when every cell in our body is vibrating at a higher rate or frequency
So 'motivation' is not such a simple thing. It can be comprised of so many factors.
With alcohol being comprised of chemistry, adding that chemistry to our own physical chemistry will cause a 'chemical reaction' and that's what we feel - the reaction. If it's an energising reaction, we'll feel the energy.
A poop load of research over time led me to realise why I drank. I drank based on a lack of skill sets, a lack of being led to imagine a life different from the one I was living, a lack of the right chemistry and a lack of understanding regarding how my connection to life works (energetically), among other things. It was a lack of all these things that led me to drink. Hope this helps in some way 🙂
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hi,
I dont really drink so would have to think about what you were saying.
but I noticed what you commented on re the ADs and the way I look at it is like this ... rather than moods swinging between 0 and 10, now it is like 3 to 7. The reality is more like 4.5 to 5.5 or as you put it, in neutral. So while I won't go down far, nor do I get excited by much.
but I will work on myself and how I see things, any maybe things will improve?
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