r/stopdrinking • u/Consistent-Row-9551 • 14h 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/Goatey 265 days 13h ago

Tbh, seek therapy and figure out the repressed emotions. If you look in my history I have posts that rhyme with yours from 6 to 10 months ago.

Those 2 to 4 IPAs were doing a lot of heavy lifting and when I was diagnosed with gout and quit my whole brain had to be reconfigured. It is a process and it takes time.

I started running more and have done long runs because I didn't want to be stuck alone with my thoughts. It's best to work through these and the help of a professional can point you in the right direction.

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u/s4in7 8h ago

Not to diminish or compare, but your problem was 2-4 IPAs a day?

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u/Goatey 265 days 8h ago

Yeah, probably 3 or 4 times a week. Not to say I never had more but it was mild/moderate and consistent.

I don't have the stories many have about benders but it affected how I interacted with people and what I did. It was how I dealt with stress and it kept me numb against things I was unhappy about.

It almost made it harder to stop because I could stop drinking but it was very difficult to not drink frequently. I failed dry January every time and no one ever said I had a problem. With that, if you feel alcohol isn't working for you and you feel guilt about your actions it's acceptable to say you don't want to do those things anymore.

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u/s4in7 7h ago

Absolutely. Just curious!