starsailor

I've been loitering on this website for a good few months now and decided to become a member and say hello. I'm in a bit of a state at the moment and think it's time to reach out for help, you seem like a supportive bunch. I've been using alcohol to self-medicate-it fills a hole in my life that at times I just get sick of living with. I know though that I won't be rid of this hole/void if I continue this cycle though. I feel a bit like I'm out in the wilderness at the moment with depression.

SoberLeigh

Welcome to the posting side of SR, starsailor; there's so much support, understanding and encouragement here.

Many of us used alcohol as a coping tool only to find that the void grew larger.

For me, it has been so much more effective to deal with life in sobriety. Hope you find that, too.

Really nice to hear from you.

Berrybean

Welcome to the site - I hope you feel better soon.

I found that this site; together with AA meetings and working the steps with a sponsor, and the support of my shiny new sober friends made a massive difference to my perspective on my life - and actually, that was the bit that needed fixing.

Keep posting, and try to develop a sobriety plan. Alcohol is a depressant so doesn't help at all.

Again - welcome

firstymer

Welcome, starsailor. I am glad you are here with us. This IS a supportive bunch. I owe much of the sobriety that I have accomplished to the support that I have received here. I hope the same for you.

Have you been diagnosed with depression? A lot of us began our sober journey with a trip to the doctor. If you have undiagnosed depression, or if your current treatment for depression has not been effective, that may be a good place to start.

Good luck. I hope you will post often and let us know how you are doing.

starsailor

Thank you soberleigh, beccybean and firstymer, lovely of you all to spend the time to compose a reply! I'm rather touched by it in fact and it made me well up a bit-as well as smile!

Yes I have been diagnosed with depression and been battling with it for years now. My alcohol abuse runs a course parallel to it and I have to begin to accept that sobriety is the way forward if I am ever to beat it.

Does anybody have any suggestions for how to begin making a sobriety plan? I'm not able to deal with anything particularly strenuous at the moment, my apathy levels are through the roof! That's not to say I don't want to get sober, and stay sober, it's just that I'm a little overwhelmed and frightened. Thanks in advance.

PurpleKnight

Welcome to the Forum Starsailor!!

Soberwolf

Hello StarSailor nice to meet you

Berrybean

Okay - I'm going to admit, my electric blanket is switched on and my bed is calling me, so I've been a little lazy and copy and pasted some of the following from what I told someone else a month or so ago ...

...Basically coming up with a sobriety plan is a bit like working through a risk assessment for your drinking / drugging (or whatever other compulsive behaviours / addictions are messing your life up).

Some things to avoid are common to all of us. These are the HALT triggers: Hunger; Anger; Loneliness; Tiredness. So you would think not only, 'yeah, okay, I'll avoid those things', but think about HOW you'll avoid them, and how you'll know that you haven't avoided them (often in the early days I thought I was doing everything I should and had an almighty craving and then when I looked at my journal I could see that one of those things hadn't been watched carefully enough and maybe I'd started skipping lunch, or not getting as much rest as I should, or allowing myself to dwell on unhealthy resentments, or isolating at the weekends).

The other things to think about are your own risky areas for triggers.

Who are your slippery people? Can you avoid them? If not, how can you minimize their impact on you?
Where are your slippery places? Can you avoid them? If not, how can you minimize their impact on you?
When are your slippery times? How can you minimize their impact on you - this forum has been invaluable to me when working out strategies for dealing with some occasions that were challenging. (Eg. a hen weekend in Berlin; best mates wedding; Christmas holidays; and many more.)

My personal sobriety plan includes AA meetings and the 12-step recovery program. It did, at one point, include a counsellor. Some people include rehab; SMART meetings; Psychological assessments; Doctors appointments; etc.; etc.

Your plan probably won't stay the same for ever. It should be a work in progress , and change as you change, and adapt to allow you to deal with whatever life throws at you. You might try things and find they don't work, and have to rethink it. Trial and error will pay off in the end.

I've found that now I've lost my obsession for alcohol, the strategies in my plan are still vital for my recovery, as they help me experience a good quality sobriety with as little anxiety involved as possible. No point in being sober and as mad as a fish or depressed and miserable, or anxious and fearful. I want to enjoy this sober life, and I know that my plan (when I work it properly) affords me peace; joy; and serenity. It's all pretty amazing really.

Good luck StarSailor

Dee74

This is a great link for recovery plans starsailor:
https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/conten...0/SMA-3720.pdf

as is this one
https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/conten...0/SMA-3720.pdf

welcome

D

least

Welcome to the family.

tursiops999

Welcome, starsailor! Love your board name and your avatar! Do you sail?

Good for you for trying meetings-- takes a lot of effort and courage to go those first few times. It does get easier with time --I have used AA and it has been a huge help to me.

We're here for you.