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. ... View more

@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. ... View more

@Milkninja222 thanks so much for your support :) 6 months ago was when I really stepped up and said enough was enough and recognised the problem. Some comments were made in a social setting and i wasn’t ok with what was being said so I argued back with the person where if I was not drunk I’m the type of person that can recognise that it’s not worth it and walk away. In that situation, even though I was sticking up for something I ended up looking like the one in the wrong and it’s just not worth it. I wasn’t able to control my emotions and I usually am someone who is very forgiving and wouldn’t want to argue with anyone no matter what. Since then I’ve been driving everywhere when going out and things have been going good. It’s been tough over the holiday period though given all the social stuff but I’ve been getting through it ... View more

@celestialdreamer thank you for your response and support! I actually have a psychiatrist appointment booked in next month upon referral from my doctor but it would be good to be able to have a more casual chat so I will definitely look into that service. I have spoken to my boyfriend about it who it was impacting the most and also my best friend who are very supportive. It’s funny you mention that because I am actually on a fair bit of medication due to having an autoimmune disease, and mixing the medication with excessive amounts of alcohol I think was definitely not helping the situation. It’s really nice to hear that other people have also gone through this situation too. Sometimes I feel a bit isolated so thank you so much for sharing this. ... View more

@Sophia-RO thanks so much for the referral to this service, I will check it out as it sounds like it will be really helpful. Coping with those feelings was difficult and for a long time I didn’t want to realise what the problem was but once I was able to acknowledge that I have complete control over the situation in that I can chose not to consume alcohol is such a bad way, it made me feel a lot better! ... View more

Thanks so much for your response and support!! It was difficult at first, especially in social settings as my friends are all big drinkers. I sometimes have 1-2 mixed drinks/glass of wine and find this is ok but can’t ever find myself in a situation where I am drunk and therefore lose control. I was realising I was always drinking to get drunk which was a really toxic situation for myself, and I was using alcohol as an outlet to escape problems but it was just creating bigger problems for myself. I’ve noticed a massive difference just from finally realising the problem and taking control of it. Hoping it continues in a positive direction ... View more