It's slippery out there...

[briseus]

What do you guys do when feeling overwhelmed?
Anger and feeling overwhelmed are usually my downfalls..and although nothing serious is going on I am feeling incredibly overwhelmed lately.
And anxious.
Major anxiety.

Always reached for the booze.

[Guitarista]

What do you guys do when feeling overwhelmed?
Anger and feeling overwhelmed are usually my downfalls..and although nothing serious is going on I am feeling incredibly overwhelmed lately.
And anxious.
Major anxiety.

Always reached for the booze.

Hey Bri. I sure get overwhelmed too and can have my buttons/triggers pushed that lead me to drinking thoughts or actions in the past. The only way I can see to address this for me, is a combo of things all related to my thinking.

Regular meditation for the purpose of mind peace and stillness is one approach many say is useful.

CBT or cognitive behavioural thinking techniques is another useful strategy many say is useful. This involves PAUSE. Stopping. Stepping back and examining the thought or desire to solve a problem by drinking. CBT also talks about CORE BELIEFS. As in, what are they? What are my core beliefs? If they/it is a destructive/negative core belief such as the classic....'I am never good enough', the idea is to be aware of this within ourselves, and take it into consideration as a probable contributor to our drinking/getting numb urge and work with it, acknowledge it, and not beat ourselves up.

Core beliefs are often ingrained in us as kids, so they are a part of us and can be a challenge to change them/it. For me, a core belief has been 'I am not good enough and unworthy', but i don't believe it and i don't allow it to rule me. But i acknowledge it is there.

I reckon shooting directly for personal happiness in daily life, career, relationships, health etc. is something that should be a priority. I am working on this all the time, and rather than look at things as a constant struggle, i aim to turn it around in any way i can to make a sometimes difficult path as relaxed and positive as possible given the situation.

Hitting a punching bag, fast laps in the pool, brisk walking or running, basketball are natural anxiety busters. Hanging regularly with good people is another.

Take care friend. Have a great weekend. G

[abcowboy]

Bri, I think we all get that feeling of being overwhelmed at times. That life is giving us just too much to handle all at the same time. Our brains can really cause us problems and make us uncomfortable. A good way to stop feeling overwhelmed or thinking that a drink will make us feel better is to ask yourself if you really are in trouble or is it just your anxious brain talking? I think a lot of the time we overanalyze. We worry about outcomes. We try to control what we cannot. We tend to think negatively. We tend to ignore good things, and dwell on bad things. We are self-conscious. Even when things are good, we worry about how long the good things will last. Then we think that drinking might help with all the confusion going on in our brains. Unfortunately, drinking not only changes our brains but causes us to break laws, end up in hospitals, lose friends, and ruin relationships. A better way to change our brains is to surround ourselves with recovering people who care about us, exercise, eat correctly, and just take a break from it all, let go and let God.

Tell yourself that if you can't think about good things, things you are grateful for, then you must think about only what you are doing in the present moment. It's also good to tell yourself to get out of your head and into your heart. You can also think about reaching out to help someone or to do service for someone who needs it. Sometimes just taking a break for a peaceful walk or some other fun activity is all it takes. Remember Bri, tough times don’t last, tough people do! Hang in there, give yourself a pat on the back, and don’t sweat the small stuff!

[Eloise]

I drink herbal teas, take a Calm Forte, do a yoga video, try to meditate... Um... Go for a walk, bake something, play with clay, go to my horse for advice .... Basically distract myself until that uncomfortable feeling moves on.

[guapo]

Hey Bri. I sure get overwhelmed too and can have my buttons/triggers pushed that lead me to drinking thoughts or actions in the past. The only way I can see to address this for me, is a combo of things all related to my thinking.

Regular meditation for the purpose of mind peace and stillness is one approach many say is useful.

CBT or cognitive behavioural thinking techniques is another useful strategy many say is useful. This involves PAUSE. Stopping. Stepping back and examining the thought or desire to solve a problem by drinking. CBT also talks about CORE BELIEFS. As in, what are they? What are my core beliefs? If they/it is a destructive/negative core belief such as the classic....'I am never good enough', the idea is to be aware of this within ourselves, and take it into consideration as a probable contributor to our drinking/getting numb urge and work with it, acknowledge it, and not beat ourselves up.

Core beliefs are often ingrained in us as kids, so they are a part of us and can be a challenge to change them/it. For me, a core belief has been 'I am not good enough and unworthy', but i don't believe it and i don't allow it to rule me. But i acknowledge it is there.

I reckon shooting directly for personal happiness in daily life, career, relationships, health etc. is something that should be a priority. I am working on this all the time, and rather than look at things as a constant struggle, i aim to turn it around in any way i can to make a sometimes difficult path as relaxed and positive as possible given the situation.

Hitting a punching bag, fast laps in the pool, brisk walking or running, basketball are natural anxiety busters. Hanging regularly with good people is another.

Take care friend. Have a great weekend. G

Totally agree. It also never hurts to stop worrying, because worrying solves and accomplishes nothing. (No worries, right ?)

The increase in self-esteem and self-confidence learning to deal with issues and life without alcohol is indescribable. You could say it brings true joy