Welcome Everything! I can relate to what you said about feeling that alcohol is your "only comfort." I drank to turn my thoughts off, to reward myself, to pass the time, and just to feel "normal." Problem was, the bad stuff about alcohol got worse and even the "good" stuff about it got bad. And my "comfort" became an obsession. I discovered that I was using it alot to get over using it alot.
What's keeping me from going back to it right now is how I feel when I wake up in the morning (like I can handle things now), not feeling bad all the time, and not having to think about it constantly (counting drinks, hiding drinks, pretending I'm sober, trying to avoid drinking too much.... etc. etc.) I guess you could say I feel a new freedom that I hadn't had in years.
Keep reading and posting. I wish you all the best!