seeking help
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1
seeking help
Hey everyone..
well. let me start off by saying my name is Natalie and I am 19 years old.. I have been finding myself binge drinking every day for the past two years now.. I won't go into why but I cant seem to stop. I have a pretty bad past which includes a traumatic experience that happened about6 years ago and yet, after all this time I can't let go of it, which in turn causes me to drink. I just want someone to talk to.. to shed some light as to if there is hope that I will recover from this eventually.. it is almost ruining my relationship with my boyfriend of 5 years and I don't want it to continue. I just feel so amazing when I drink. Like I can conquer the world and forget about everything that is troubling me. But when sober, I don't believe in myself AT ALL and feel 100% insecure... does anyone else feel this way or felt this way and recovered?
Natalie
well. let me start off by saying my name is Natalie and I am 19 years old.. I have been finding myself binge drinking every day for the past two years now.. I won't go into why but I cant seem to stop. I have a pretty bad past which includes a traumatic experience that happened about6 years ago and yet, after all this time I can't let go of it, which in turn causes me to drink. I just want someone to talk to.. to shed some light as to if there is hope that I will recover from this eventually.. it is almost ruining my relationship with my boyfriend of 5 years and I don't want it to continue. I just feel so amazing when I drink. Like I can conquer the world and forget about everything that is troubling me. But when sober, I don't believe in myself AT ALL and feel 100% insecure... does anyone else feel this way or felt this way and recovered?
Natalie
Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 793
Welcome Nature! You will find a lot of people here that definitely understand what you are going through. Stick around, read, and post as much as you need/want to. Maybe take a look at joining us in the Class of November thread? 
I'm glad you joined us. Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 120,845
Welcome to SR, Natureisneat.
You are beautifully young and your future is yours to write. Eliminating alcohol from your life will help assure that those chapters are full of rewarding experiences and goodness.
Glad you found us.
You are beautifully young and your future is yours to write. Eliminating alcohol from your life will help assure that those chapters are full of rewarding experiences and goodness.
Glad you found us.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 507
Hi Natalie, and welcome to the forums.
You will find a lot of help and support here. And congratulations on taking the step of realising you have a problem with alcohol at such a young age. Many, many of us on here wish we'd had that insight when we were 19. I can only imagine how much better the last 30 years could have been if I'd stopped drinking then instead of 6 months ago.
If you read around on here you will find many people who self-medicated with alcohol, in order to deal with traumatic events from the past. What many have said is how all that really does is temporarily mask the issue, rather than allowing for any kind of healing to take place. If what happened to you 6 years ago is still having such a profound impact on your life, there has to be a better way to cope. Counselling seems like a possible option that might help you. If you tried it in the past, and found it didn't help, please keep in mind that there are many different types and approaches, and it may be a case of trying a different one.
In the long run, binge drinking every night isn't the answer, as inevitably things will get worse rather than better. Difficult as it may be at first, facing life sober, with the right help and support for the issues you're dealing with, does sound like the better option.
You will find a lot of help and support here. And congratulations on taking the step of realising you have a problem with alcohol at such a young age. Many, many of us on here wish we'd had that insight when we were 19. I can only imagine how much better the last 30 years could have been if I'd stopped drinking then instead of 6 months ago.
If you read around on here you will find many people who self-medicated with alcohol, in order to deal with traumatic events from the past. What many have said is how all that really does is temporarily mask the issue, rather than allowing for any kind of healing to take place. If what happened to you 6 years ago is still having such a profound impact on your life, there has to be a better way to cope. Counselling seems like a possible option that might help you. If you tried it in the past, and found it didn't help, please keep in mind that there are many different types and approaches, and it may be a case of trying a different one.
In the long run, binge drinking every night isn't the answer, as inevitably things will get worse rather than better. Difficult as it may be at first, facing life sober, with the right help and support for the issues you're dealing with, does sound like the better option.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 6,902
I felt that way and recovered - and know many others who did as well.
These are things that have helped my journey of recovery...
AA meetings
CoDa Handbook and 12-step workbook
Penny Parks book about the Inner Child
Other people will be able to suggest other things as well. There is so much out there to try - and so many people who whose love and understanding can help you. The first step though, whichever avenues you choose to explore, will be to not drink. Just for today. One day at a time.
Good luck.
These are things that have helped my journey of recovery...
AA meetings
CoDa Handbook and 12-step workbook
Penny Parks book about the Inner Child
Other people will be able to suggest other things as well. There is so much out there to try - and so many people who whose love and understanding can help you. The first step though, whichever avenues you choose to explore, will be to not drink. Just for today. One day at a time.
Good luck.
You're not shackled to not drinking, you're free from drinking
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: MN
Posts: 1,406
Hi Natalie. What you're going through is similar to a number of us. I also have some trauma in my past that I've tried to numb out with alcohol. While that does take the pain away for awhile it does nothing to resolve the real issues. With alcohol there's no way to get to the root of the pain. With sobriety there's hope that you can. It'll take work on your part and very possibly therapy but you'll have a chance.
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