Well, I have been taking Effexor which is the first SNRI I have ever tried and I do feel it is helping a lot with having energy and feeling optimistic about life. But it seems like my old pattern of thinking (playing negative thoughts/memories over and over again in my head) keeps popping up, and I think that has to do with how I've allowed myself to think for the past 20 years or so.
I see an addictions therapist and have started attending SMART meetings, so that helps too.
I'm really going to have to work through this and treat the negative thoughts like the addictive voice, even if the thoughts aren't specifically about drinking - because I think indulging this pattern of thinking is dangerous ground for me.
But yes, I agree very much with the notion that being unhappy and drinking have gone hand in hand. I want to get in front of that this time though.
I really enjoy this forum. I'm a fairly intelligent person but for some reason I had convinced myself there were not many people out there who had found "other" successful ways to give up drinking/drugs. Writing and reading about it here helps so much.