Hello buckinvirginia, glad you are here. I'm a fellow newbie who has also been struggling with an addiction to alcohol (seven days sober today) .
Can totally identify with your thoughts about the 'Hole in the Soul'...have thought along similar lines in my darker moments. But am coming to believe that drink exaggerates that feeling, and, however unfulfilled and incomplete I may feel (for whatever reason) it's a whole lot easier to deal those feelings when not using alcohol to hide from and/or punish myself for them. Tend to agree with Anna; it's about valuing oneself - drink may produce an illusory sense of self esteem, but that vanishes with the hangover and associated self-loathing. Stick with sobriety and you may find that the void isn't as huge or scary as you think.
Anyway, sorry for wittering on.
Hope you find it as helpful here as I have.