To ask you to share your rock bottoms and how you dig yourself out of it?

[closertohell]

I ask as I have reached what I consider to be my rock bottom.

I'm going through a breakup where my ex is completely indifferent and cold towards me without reason, I have an alcohol addiction where I drink myself into oblivion nearly every night, I have so many friends and supportive family yet I feel overwhelmingly sad and lonely all of the time, I have barely seen my daughter in a month as I can't stop drinking (she usually stays with me full time but her dad had to intervene as drinking started to take over my life), I have no hobbies, my body is breaking down from the effects of alcohol, I find nothing enjoyable about life and have a feeling of homesickness even though I am home. I feel no hope for the future and I miss my ex so much. All this at 27 years old.

Some positives are that I have started anti depressants and am undergoing therapy but yet still don't feel any better. I have still managed to achieve my education thus far even with all my problems and will be starting uni again in September.

I'd love some others stories to provide some hope that life will improve.

I hope you get some positive stories to give you some hope, OP. This is a heartbreaking post. Addiction really is so cruel. I hope you can get through this for your sake and your daughters.

I have a gambling (on line slots) addiction. Hit rock bottom about 18 months ago, I constantly had no money, was running up debt on credit cards, and just could not stop, regardless of how often I self excluded. It came to a head when I was stood on the platform at a train station, waiting for the train for London, and I seriously considered stepping in front of the train.
That night I told my husband (though never been 100% honest about how much I owe.. I am the primary earner and am paying it back, will take 2 more years).
I handed my cards over to him, but still ended up able to gamble, so sought professional support. I registered with a site that stops you from accessing any gambling sites. I have been gamble free for over 12 months now.
Rock bottom for me was the inability to control my behaviour, being driven by my compulsions, spending hour upon hour gambling instead of doing “proper stuff”, plus the lies, and hiding stuff.
Mentally I am in a much better place now.. I started a diary on Gamcare when I was in the grips of my addiction, and reading that now, is harrowing
I am out if that situation now, there are plenty of people out there who can help, use them.

My rock bottom was being absolutely and totally obsessed with an awful narcissist - to the point I crashed my car (intentionally) on the phone to him because he was upsetting me so much.

Eventually after years of on and off I just said enough was enough and when he tried to get back in contact with his ‘apologies’ and ‘I know I can’t make you love me again’ bullshit I blocked him and have managed to stay strong for many months now.

I really hope things work out for you OP.

Rock bottom is too identifying.

How you get out of it is just deal with the next thing. The next meeting, the next therapy session, the next court appearance, the next hour without a drink. You just deal with the next thing and no more because otherwise it’s terrifying and overwhelming. And you get support from whatever avenue you can.

It's so sad to hear you talk like this about your life. At 27, I was with an abusive man and in the middle of a 7 year addiction to heroin that I thought would kill me. I had amazing support from my family and somehow I've come out the other side.

I now have a wonderful husband and two daughters, a lovely house and a great job. There is light at the end of the tunnel and its never too late to change your life if you want to. And when you do come out the other side, you'll have an inner strength that will get you through anything else life throws at you. Best of luck

I couldn't remember if I'd fed my boy who was about 18 months old at the time.

That still didn't stop me drinking but it was one of the moments I look back on as a rock bottom.

It took a few more months to finally admit that I had lost control over alcohol and that I was powerless to stop drinking.

Then I went to my first AA meeting and have now been a sober alcoholic for 5 years, just by taking it one day at a time

My daughter is 4. She has never seen me drink. My son, thankfully, has no memories of me drinking and my DH and the friends worth keeping have stuck by me.

My life is amazing today. I have just come back from a 5 day family festival with some very heavy drinkers. I was dancing around like a lunatic at 11pm having the time of my life with no hangover the next day.

You can call AA for a chat to someone local to you and if you wanted to, they would meet you / pick you up and take you to a meeting. Or you can email them if speaking feels like too much.

Or you can pm me

https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/

Thank you all, these stories are really helping me