Trying to feel normal but don’t know what that is.

Yes...I can relate...alcohol and many many other things...anything to numb me from Society or life...unfortunately alcohol remained...ty for sharing your journey..I pray for all that suffer

Stay honest and choose not to medicate with any substance - you will thank yourself and God all your days. Find acceptance by looking for truth holding Honor and Compassion in front of mind to clear the view of what is important. Do the Step Work like your life depends on it.

@peacock12, I'd like to add my welcome to the many other members who have responded to your post. A shout-out to you for starting this discussion. It takes courage to open up and, as you can see from the other posts, you're not alone.
Depression alone can be so debilitating, adding in different vices initially can create such relief but later can be just as debilitating.

@peacock12- you mentioned being in sobriety, where are you at in your recovery journey?

@jeffroatenberry- What has helped you get to your 13, now 14 days of sobriety?

They say 90 meetings in 90 days. It means less than 1 day at at time....you don't have that...u have this MOMENT at a time, baby steps. Good luck to u from someone who celebrated 30 yrs one moment at a time!!!! Congratulations for your choice in this unique path on this incredible journey!!!!

"Normal" is 'common' and does not necessarily imply "Healthy" - Performing Emotional Curve work plotting within a graph positive and negative experiences related to the vertical scale [+10 & -10] along a horizontal line of time that can be over days, weeks, months, or years - the line of emotional experience will tell if your experience is trending positive or negative. Typically there is a balance with manic/depressive values occurring above +5 and below -5 and a healthy range between +5 and -5.

Normal to me is +100 to -100 at least that what my psychiatrist (pre meds) said...later they called it bipolar...for me it's normal and I like it.

More is just more...it is neither good nor bad...more water is great if one is thirsty not so great when drowning.

Judge the outcome...judge the intention...not the intensity.

At least that's what works for me.

Peace and good health to all.

Ty so much for the encouraging words

Im experiencing that now...some days are terrible...I thought I was in the clear...was I wrong

Stay active....realizing what alcohol and drugs was taking away from me...1st and mostly my wife..the 3 children we have (...minus zach..passed on 1-14-24..thats been really hard. Still is. ) And our 13 grand children...thats worth more than any amount of money...I told my wife I wanted to be sobriety happy....sober...can't remember when I was sober or straight....thats hits hard writing that out. But. That's my inspiration...Should have put God 1st..he always is..I just have a hard time following him...#wecanrecover

Keep asking questions, that's the first step. Second step get a same sex sponsor and then speak w him/her every day on the phone at least just to touch base. Find a comfortable home base and support it by keep showing up. It works if you work it! Follow thè 12 steps in all your daily affairs.