Alcohol and personality changes

[Lilly_87]

@Anzelmo thank you for your supportive response
You’re exactly right, the culture in Australia around drinking has definitely made it hard. All my friends are big drinkers and I have a lot of social things on most weekends so that’s been the toughest part but what’s kind of got me through it is knowing that I’m the best version of my self not intoxicated so I shouldn’t drink and ruin that. However it’s sometimes hard when everyone’s on a different level then you and I sometimes get anxious that I am being boring. I also do get pretty bad anxiety generally and in some social situations which is sometimes why I would drink so much, so I would be more confident, but this is not the answer and I need to find different ways to deal with my anxiety.

[Macaria]

Hi @Lily_87, It's nice and brave that you start to give up alcohol. And I think it can be alcohol influencing your emotion because alcohol can sometimes make people emotional. Do you find the same issues in daily life when you are not drinking alcohol?

[Bre-RO]

Hey @Lilly_87  I just wanted to jump onto your thread to recognise how huge it is that you're so self aware and courageous in sharing how your relationship with alcohol is impacting you. As cliché and corny as it sounds, it really is the first step. I also wanted to let you know that you are not alone, most people will go through a period in their lives where they need to reevaluate their relationship with a substance of some kind. What makes the difference is being honest with yourself, which is what you have done  

I also wanted to share some resources that you might find helpful: 

Hello Sunday Morning is a really cool website/app and I believe they also have an online community to help out with reducing drinking/changing your relationship with alcohol.  

Here and here are some articles on the ReachOut website that might be helpful to read through. 

If you feel like you might need more structured support around this, I would highly recommend Smart Recovery.  

And! Of course we will be here for you too - any time you need to chat about it someone will be around to listen  

[Lilly_87]

Thank you so much for these helpful resources and your support @Bre-RO. Been feeling a little down and flat lately so will check these out it’s great to have this forum to know I’m not alone.

[Goodvibes1]

Hi ! It is so inspiring that you are so self aware and are able to notice when something isn't right and are looking for help. I have been in a similar situation for quite a while and I found that drinking spirits was a big no as this is when i became the most intense so decided to stick with mid strength beer or wine only and made sure to keep a tally of my drinks and limit binge drinking. I also tried to focus more on having fun with my friends other than aiming to just drink to get drunk. Hope this helps!

[Anzelmo]

Hi @Lilly_87  !

Sorry for replying late, life got busy. How are you feeling about things right now? I know holidays, in general, have lots of parties and celebrations where people drink, and I'm checking in to see how you have handled things. Did you find any strategies to get over some of the concerns that you mentioned such as anxiety during parties? 

I'm also really proud of you for the integrity in holding onto the idea that your best self is your sober self so there is no need for alcohol. It's a really mature thing to understand.