Hi,
I’m looking for help to stop using alcohol as a coping mechanism. I have done this for years but only following my diagnosis have I begun to understand why I depend on it so much. I have tried and tried over the years to reduce my intake or to stop drinking altogether but it is as though the bottle always has the final say.
I don’t drink every evening, but when I do it’s always too much. I’m burnt out by the time I get home and I feel like I have to pour myself a glass just to relax. I’m so ashamed and so desperate.
I don’t want to drink anymore. Does anyone have any experience with this or know how I might find support that might help me to find a better way of coping?
I haven’t accessed any kind of support since I was diagnosed, I’m not even sure what is out there. I haven’t talked to my family about ASD or alcohol - I’ve always been very private and worried that being open about my mental health will damage the relationships I have tried so hard to maintain over the years. My mum, my sister and my husband know I have ASD, but I don’t talk about it because I don’t want to seem like I’m focusing on myself too much. I’m rarely ever comfortable around anyone & I really wanted that to change, I wanted to see if I could finally be myself and let my guard down, so I tested the water by talking to my sister in law, but she immediately rejected my diagnosis, instead suggesting that I was probably a bit depressed rather than autistic! It really knocked my confidence, so I’m still hiding myself even with my close family. It’s exhausting, and lonely.
I don’t know what to do, but I know that drinking isn’t the answer.
Reaching out here because I can hide in anonymity while I admit just how desperate I really am.
