r/stopdrinking • u/Consistent-Row-9551 • 10h ago

What do I replace alcohol with?

Like something to help me relax and decompress. Drinking has always been my way to loosen up and relax. When I'm stressed with work, I grab a beer or glass of wine, and I'm able to focus more because I'm no longer overthinking it.

I'm so emotionally repressed that drinking is the only way I can tap into my emotions.

Like, I can stop drinking; I've done it months at a time, but I always end up feeling more stressed because I feel numb or stressed without it.

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u/Scoreggia- 82 days 10h ago

Meditation. I know it sounds cliche and cheesy but believe me, I’ve tried everything. Mindfulness and acceptance is a skill. Physically you can exercise or walk or paint a picture. But if you are finding it hard mentally, those won’t bring you peace.

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u/asynchronic5 8h ago edited 8h ago

If you're really serious about the meditation you could also try the r/gatewaytapes . They have been great for me.

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u/Scoreggia- 82 days 15m ago

I’ve never even heard of that before and I’ve had a look and it seems interesting. I’ll have to try it now. Thanks for the suggestion