Old 06-06-2013, 10:03 AM
  # 3 (permalink)  
Soberpotamus
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: The Deep South
Posts: 14,636
If I were you, I'd start reading some books on guilt & shame... and understanding why and where it comes from. Brene Brown is great. She gave some TED Talks on shame and vulnerability. Highly recommended.

Also, individual therapy. It really helps to get out some of these feelings and beliefs. Pick a really good therapist though. Preferably one who has walked in your shoes, or similar shoes. My therapist is an adult child of an alcoholic, which is perfect for me because I'm an ACoA as well. And so she truly understands where I'm coming from.

There is a saying I learned at SMART Recovery... patience, practice, persistence. All those take time

Dealing with your feelings sober is exactly the thing to do. It can feel overwhelming. Group therapy in a 20 day IOP helped me get through a lot of the stuff that was really hurting me... then I found my therapist. I feel now that things aren't so overwhelming.

Good luck! Drinking will only prolong your miserable feelings, but you know this already.

I would like to end by saying that what you've described reminds me a lot of my mom, who was a lifelong alcoholic. Any time she'd get sober, she'd be so overwhelmed with all these feelings of guilt, shame, etc. Unfortunately, she decided to end her own life three years ago because of all the pain. She failed to see her options. Just don't ever let it go that far. It may sound harsh to say that, but I doubt she'd have considered suicide earlier in the game.
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