Hey all, How is everyone doing? I hope everyone is doing well. I have a question for to ask anyone. I have been coming here to help get sober and I have been for over 2 years now, and I would like to thank everyone for that. On another note, I have a 14-year-old that has mental issues. depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts. I love my son with everything, and he does see counseling all the time, on medication. It is very stressful for everyone. me him and his mother. Me and his mom are separated for a year now and about to go through a divorce. I have him on the weekends. (3 Weekends a month), and 2 evenings. Anyways, I have plenty of time with him. Now the back story is out of the way, lol. It is stressful and I start thinking about drinking again. I know it is wrong, but I feel like my mind is going crazy! I am here because I have no one to talk too. To let it out, I guess. and to ask for advice and to see if anyone else has been where I have been, or going through something close to what I am going through. Have a good day everyone!
Your sons Mental health issues and a divorce are tough situations to deal with but you can get thru them sober. Hopefully someone will chime in who has a similar experience.
My advice would be to dedicate some time to your mental health and sobriety. For me that is working out, therapy, and aa. Pull some tools from your tool belt. You and your son need you not to “say fuck it”
Glad you realize that you want/need support. Best wishes with it all.
When you think of starting to drink again to “deal w stress”, you’re just throwing the usual and normal response at life that all alkies do.
What you do is you don’t drink and you take care of that need of “reducing”/attenting to/metabolising stress. You should go talk to someone aswell, a professional, and talk about how exactly it makes you feel that your son is going through MI. I could imagine you feel all kinda painful ways.
Take care of your own MH. So that you don’t need to shut it all down w alk again.
You can do this. But you need to do it.
Here are some resources that have helped me and others feel less alone: Resources for our recovery
My fav podcast is the mental illness happy hr. Helped me loads.
Hey all and thank you for everyone’s response and advice. I see Faugxh listed a podcast for mental health. Since a profession is out of my reach due to finance reasons, I am going to try that route. His mother picked him up today, it is always sad to see him go. But I am going to try and use this time to work on this and go forward with it. Again, thanks for the support, everyone! I really love this website and community! Great and wonderful people here! To everyone out there that is struggling as well, and is new to this site, you came to the right place!!! Have a good one!
If you can’t do therapy yourself, if suggest you get some self help books on mindfulness and dealing w mental illness in the family/kids. I don’t have any suggestions, just look on Amazon.
Also to find some peer groups where others have MI kids or family members as well. Anything that will make you address this feeling of overwhelm and stress that is “triggering” your alcoholic response.
Best of luck.