Dear F:

You wrote: “I’m still struggling with my anxiety… I want to be given some strategies to manage my addiction… I don’t feel like they’re (AA members) actually listening and I don’t feel  understood”-

I see The Problem you are having as Anxiety. Anxiety is a very, very uncomfortable, unpleasant emotional- physical experience. What motivates your excess alcohol drinking is to feel better.

No  one  likes the feeling of anxiety and no wonder- it feels bad.

So you drink as a solution but this solution is not that good, creating more anxiety, or at least maintaining it- after the blackout, the next day. And every day.

-What to do?

– Lower your anxiety. Lower the anxiety, and you are less motivated to drink. And life is a better experience for it.

You mentioned attending psychotherapy- this is what should be addressed in therapy first- lowering your anxiety. Adopting a daily exercise routine, and a routine in general that works for you is an excellent idea. Socializing is also most important, socializing with people who do listen to you and who do understand you.

Question is where to find those people, starting with perhaps, where to find one such person who will  listen to you and understand you-

– hopefully in therapy and take it from there. Otherwise, I am willing to listen to you and understand you in the context of your thread, right here.

anita