I was drinking out of control in the 1990’s and quit drinking drinking in the summer of ‘97, going to meetings and a few years of therapy. I ended up going back to college, getting married, and having a successful career. Eventually, staying sober, not drinking, was not an issue. I could be around people who drank and it wasn’t tempting at all. I no longer thought of myself as an alcoholic. I just didn’t drink.
Fast forward to 2022; the pandemic, a child struggling with mental health issues, and a marriage falling apart. I suddenly find myself with the same cravings, emotions and fears I had when I first quit drinking. It is as if no time has passed and I am that lost 20 something kid, without a clue how to cope and wanting to self medicate with alcohol. After all these years, I realize that I am just as vulnerable today as I was back then. My family and friends (that are not siding with my wife), are not helpful, because they do not see me as someone with a problem. I do not have a sober support network. I am not part of a community that understands what I am going through. I feel like I have to build this from scratch.
Has anyone else experience this?
