Posted by Tabitha on February 17, 2003, at 1:12:00
In reply to Mood and alcohol, posted by PuraVida on February 13, 2003, at 1:08:14
I try to be abstinent or nearly so. I drank too much for about 20 years. I tried doing just moderate drinking (limit to one on social occasions) but I found it was easier to just not have any than to struggle to stop after one. Social drinking was always my downfall anyway. I was a really awful drunk, so many times I'd freak out, make a big scene, alienate lots of people, do things to get myself in trouble, then deal with the shame for months afterward. Leaving all that behind was a big help.
My moods are better too. Even drinking only on weekends was keeping my depression going more than I realized. The other thing is, I always got really bad hangovers, sick for an entire day after, so if I drank Friday or Saturday night I spent one whole weekend day sick. I don't have the time for that! It's so nice to have the whole weekend feeling OK rather than giving up half of it to hangover. It's also nice to be able to socialize and not wake up the next morning horrified at what I'd done the night before.
When I started the drinking in my teens, it was mainly to overcome social anxiety. In my 20s my internal state of depression felt so bad, it just felt like any brain chemistry change was good. I guess that's self-medicating in a nutshell.
I still have some bad habits but quitting the excessive drinking was probably the best thing I ever did for myself. My life got better in every area after that (mood, relationships, self esteem, career).
poster:Tabitha
thread:2604
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030203/msgs/201054.html