ScottFromWI

I'm not sure if you've ever heard the term terminal uniqueness or not David, but sometimes as addicts we feel that our addiction issues are far to complex to ever be overcome, or that we are too far gone to ever change. The same thing can absolutely apply in mental health. Before I started going to counseling and my anxiety was really bad, I used to wonder what might happen if I simply never got better or "went crazy" and ended up in asylum or something along those lines. Looking back I can see that it was really just my anxiety causing the catastrophic thoughts to spiral out of control.

All I can say is that much of what used to consume my daily thoughts - health anxiety ( which I am diagnosed with ), general anxiety, panic, etc was really a function of my state of mind vs a condition beyond my control. I learned several techniques along the way to help me re-wire my brain so to speak. And to be honest I believe it took several years after I quit drinking for the rewiring to take place - I drank for 25 years every day.

All I can tell you is that if you want things to get better, there is a way. Keep working at your mental health just like you are with your sobriety and you will eventually improve it.