Before the pandemic and everything I was a social drinker, would go to a bar once a week, hang out with pals and have a few, Uber home and all good. Once I lost being able to go out I lost most of my buddies too. I still have my friends, the close ones, and we all relied on each other to make it through the isolation but none of them live here any longer so being social and going out isn’t something I get to do anymore sadly. That and the crushing knowledge of all the people who died kinda has me not making great choices.

Sorry probably over shared there at the end.

[–] Sunroc@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Being reliable is an asset I always look for in friends. I hate when people flake..

Did you sleep better before your issues with alcohol? I worked in a rehab, so I'm a little familiar with disordered drinking. Do you think it's a physical addiction or a tool for coping with the loss you have had to deal with over the past 3 years?

I wish you grace during your hard times friend. It can get better.

[–] ConsistentAlgae@reddthat.com 1 points 1 year ago

Nah the not sleeping thing is just a norm for me. Always has been since I was a kid.

I don’t think either. I enjoy doing it and it doesn’t cause anything negative in my life (currently), although I know the potential later down the road to my health.

Thanks for your kindness - we need more in the world.

[–] BonesOfTheMoon@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think you need to talk to a professional about the alcohol part. No shade, it's just booze gets the better of you quickly and it would be easier to address now than when you're 50 and need a liver transplant. I honestly suggest talking to your doctor about an antabuse medication, I take naltrexone for another reason and it does wonders for mood and anxiety.

[–] ConsistentAlgae@reddthat.com 1 points 1 year ago

I have and am. Right now it’s not terrible. At peak I was averaging a 750 ml bottle of vodka every four days. I think my cap with beer right now is like 5 a night. A hand over fist improvement.

I’ve tried a lot of different drugs for different things - anxiety, depression, etc and I’ve found I’m much happier when I just work hard. I’ve taken to exercising regularly and having a physical project twice a week and it takes my mind off it, makes me tired, and I look forward to going to bed.

Obviously we are all massively different as people and we all deal with all our own things but I am taking steps to rein it in. I just still drink more than I want to is all. More a complaint than anything terribly scary.

Thanks for your advice! Keep being kind. We need more kind people.

[–] Astroturfed@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I drank something like an average of over 2 bottles of bourbon a week for the majority of the covid lockdown which I did longer than most. I think a lot of people fell into depression and drank heavily.... I always had a bit of a problem with substance abuse. Find that it's much easier to stay in a better place mentally if I keep a regular schedule, and exercise, and don't drink at all. Easier said than done, and everyone's different. Best of luck.

[–] ConsistentAlgae@reddthat.com 1 points 1 year ago

Thanks mate. I’m working on it and the first step is realizing you have a problem so I’ve got that behind me.

Another note - how long was your lockdown? I think I finally went back to “normal” the middle of 2022 but I stopped going everywhere in a mask (unless I have a cough or sneeze or something) the start of this year.