Abandoned001

How do you stop drinking when you are so...so alone?

The emotional hurt for so long has kept me drinking I think

I don't want to drink but I'm so alone and it hurts so bad I just drink to help with the emotional pain...

Now it has gotten out of control and it has been so long

The problem is two fold in I cannot open up to women after getting hurt so bad then the alcohol I used to get rid of the pain...

This is not short term alcohol abuse it is for a time

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm sorry to ask or come on here but I don't know what to do...

Thank you all

doorknob

Welcome, Abandoned. I drank for emotional reasons too, along with anxiety. The problem with self-medicating your feelings is that you never really deal with them. First you just have to bite the bullet and quit. Then you have to find a way to deal with your feelings. That could be counseling, self help groups, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or a combination of approaches. But first you have to quit and it can be done.

deezaldog

You are not alone. Your suffering is felt by many others. I have been where you are. I finally had enough pain that I had to do something to change. You can do it if you are ready. AA for me was a great deal of support and understanding. If you can get to a meeting you will find many just like you. The emotional pain is shared by many of us. I know many who started with a call to the local AA office. There is someone on call 24/7. They will also be able to give you info on local mtgs. I have also have a lot of comfort reading the posts on SR. Someone is on this site 24/7 as well.
If you reach out for help there will be someone to take your hand. Please try a mtg asap. LOL keep posting, I would love to hear of your stories.

Dean62

I couldn't stop alone. I went to AA to find people who have stopped and stayed sober and found people just like me. I isolation is very common as well as drinking to not feel pain. I did both. We need help to stop most when we are where you are at right now. Drinking helps numb the emotional pain for a while but when it no longer works you have to sober up because from now on drinking will only make it worse.

The first step is to get clean with help.
This is a good place to start.

Welcome.

IMHomerSimpson

dont wait any longer,i made myself suffer for many years,sometime when ya have time read my posts starting from beginning,youll see a hurt guy going in circles for 5 years on this site,I just recently got my calling!

my advice,stop drinking TODAY!

i feel better and its only been 3 days,i have hope now,something i have NOT felt in 10 years.

Bamboozle

As hard as this is to believe, drinking exacerbates the problem. Sure, you get temporary relief by means of alcohol for a few hours sometimes, but whenever you start coming down the agony hits with a vengeance. I won't lie to you--the first couple weeks sober are the toughest. Raw emotion comes out of nowhere and eats you up. It does get better, though. The pain can become more manageable. If you want to quit, you have to find a way to do it. If you need help from a psychologist/psychiatrist/doctor/group/family/friends, do it. Welcome to SR. Have a look around. Please check out the information at the top of the Alcoholism forum.

HopeTo180

Abandoned,
Welcome, to SR! Congratulations on your decision to stop drinking.
I too was a lonely drinker.
The drinking made me even more alone. You slowly sink into this rut and the walls keep rising. Think about it. You give up your night life. That's half of your awakened life! This is when people meet people! This is when the majority is off from work! You can do this without bars. There is so much to do at night. When I was no longer consumed with getting my nightly 12 pack, I had to find something else to do. I had not even seen night-time for years. I was amazed at how out of touch is was. How easily I forgot. Something as simple as going out to dinner would cut into my drinking. (I'm shaking my head in disbelief as I write this) I can't tell you how many dates I missed out on because of my drinking agenda. I was so sad, so alone. The good thing is that it was all self inflicted. Once realized, the change can be made in an instant. You can start living again immediately. What's funny about it is, you really don't know how much you're missing out on. It takes time to see. As the fog clears, you see more and more.
I still live alone but I'm not alone. I am always making new friends now. The night is used to live now, not crawl into my rut. You do not drink because you're alone. You're alone because you drink! Prayers

chip

Welcome to SR, Abandoned
You are not alone. Most of us find that we can't stop alone. We help each other get sober and stay sober.

I used to think I was unique...in a terminal way. Once I opened up, asked for help, and found others with the same problem, I was on the right road. AA and SR are big helps for me in my recovery. It really helps to find others who share the same struggle.

I hope you find your sobriety. We are here to support you.
chip