Sadness and alcohol: not helping, get over it

I had a rather unpleasant thing happen a few days ago. Granted, I set myself up in what some might see as having to deal with it in the roughest possible way, and I saw it coming for over a month. Now it is over, and I am very sad, though in a way relieved that it is over.

So I tried getting drunk. That got me to drunk-plus-sad, which did not seem like a good place. How does it work for other people? Do you just drink yourself into a stupor so that you can forget for a while? So that then you end hung over and focused on that instead of the sadness? I am just not understanding how this is supposed to help.

I drink home brew. I do not get hangovers.

Some people get happy drunk. Some people do not obsess on the thing that made them sad, but instead are able to do other things - be social, laugh at Seinfeld, whatever.

In many cases, if you’re down, alcohol just going to make you more down. And lead to you blubbering over your beer to some stranger. I don’t personally recommend it. I think it just leads to teh stupid. Then you can wake up the next day and feel like an ass and have sad. Not a great combo.

I get he socializing part, but that just does not work so well for me. I am not so fond of drunk people that being around them while I am drunk is all that appealing (unless I know them pretty well). And, well, this was pretty personal, I am not at all keen on being mocked over it or having it trivialized, which I suspect would happen with strangers. I guess drunk really only works for me when I am already in a good mood.

For many people like myself alcohol does little to nothing for easing internal turmoil. I drink to socialize and I simply would not really want to drink if I was angry. You’re simply not in the mood. Being drunk and upset is (for me) worse than just being angry.

It’d be like saying “I’m really pissed off/upset … let’s throw myself a party!”

I quit drinking about 1 week after my divorce. I was always a happy go lucky drinker but with a broken heart it just seemed to make it worse. Sex was the only thing that seemed to help and that was very very short lived relief. A little bit of time and it seemed to just resolve itself.

Alcohol is a depressant.

No good has ever come from alcohol.

But it sure can feel good while the liquid is flowing.

I’ve found alcohol exaggerates whatever I was feeling already. I won’t drink if I’m depressed because it will get worse.

I do not believe that.

Yeah, but, you’re Tripolar.

I think it depends on the nature of the problem that is upsetting you. After a day of dealing with an annoying person at work, when what you need is to relax and start laughing about what a tool that person is, a drink or two is a perfect tonic.

However, if I were dealing with a significant life tragedy, I don’t think I’d want to drink, because then I’d be both heartbroken AND unable to think clearly, which is not a combination that I’d want to face.

When I was depressed I drank to be numb. I think it’s a fairly common behavior.

If your situation can be solved by saying with conviction “oh well, fuck it, doesn’t matter anyway”, then alcohol can be your friend. It’s a decent balm for temporary, inconsequential anxiety (problems that are unpleasant, but don’t really call for a serious solution).