daveycrockett

I have been sober before for as long as 10 years and 2 years a couple times. I'm not really physically craving the alcohol as much as I am mentally craving it. I know some drinks will make my depression and anxiety better for half a day or so. Alcohol to me is the fastest acting antidepressant and anti anxiety relief substance. Depression and anxiety are extremely cruel and destroyed my life. What do you do when you just can't stand the way you feel any longer?

Thepatman

I would talk to my doctor if I was you. You were sober for 10 years, that's huge.

There are other alternatives than Alcohol to get your depression and anxiety under control. Stay strong! A day of temporary relief for days/weeks of paying for it doesn't sound like a sweet deal.

doggonecarl

I see depression and anxiety mentioned so much on these boards as a reason to drink that I can't help but think our addiction has figured out how to leverage these afflictions against us.

Drinking is the response to alcoholism...not the solution to depression and anxiety.

simplex

Hey Davey I can relate to alcohol seeming to help anxiety/ depression but it's so short lived. I'm early on too and was struggling last night with the mental part. I've found that any sort of distraction at this point helps. My mind was making me feel like the only thing I could do was drink. So I looked at a list of what I could do instead of drinking and one was watch a movie. So I found a comedy and by the end of it I had laughed and my mental craving was far less. Hope this helps.

Plure

Totally agree at alcohol's effectiveness in dealing with anxiety, but in the long-run it made things so much worse. Quitting was no cake walk, but as the months have gone by, things are so much better. How's your sleep? Mine was awful at first. I think going to your doc is a good idea!

daveycrockett

I know drinking isn't the answer but I get to the point where I just want even temporary relief. I know it's wrong and I can't give in. My sleep is all over the place sometimes insomnia and sometimes all I do is sleep.