I wish I could help you but I feel the exact same way! UGH...I also am desperate for change but I don't know how

Hey Ashley,

The best way to get motivated and excited about life is for you to start living it. Get sober, get recovered, and start looking at what you can give rather than what you can get. The Big Book says 'Life will take on new meaning' but it's up to you!

Have you tried going to an AA meeting?

Thanks serinity.....I know what you are saying, I am focused on staying sober, but how do you help other, or give back when it feels like you have nothing to give?

You stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about others. go to meetings greet people make coffee, help clean up. Ask if anyone wants to go have coffee or a milkshake after the meeting. Get to know some people in the program have them over for dinner or game night, movie night whatever. Trust me from years of experience of dealing with major health issues and depression the best way out of it is to stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about others. Go spend 15 minutes talking to the widow who lives down the street or in the next apartment. Go to a nursing home and read a book to someone who can't see anymore. I think you get my drift. It's so hard to take that step but it's so simple and you have know idea about how much better you will feel about yourself. God Bless

well i know for me to just comment on these posts helps me...... i know the lonely feeling and the lack of motivation....... it comes and goes for me..... yet i always know that there is somewhere out there is one suffering more than i am......... reach out to your higher power......

i know the feeling. But you are not lonley. There so many people that can talk to you. please do it stap by stap, dont hurry. Iff you wanne talk.. its ok

Hi Ashley, you need to get sober, I don't just mean not drinking, I mean recovered. When you do, you will have something to give back, I was so grateful for my sobriety I just wanted to give something back. That is the cool thing about AA, we get to give back what others gave to us.Give it a try.

What I learned somewhere is that takin action leads to motivation. If I wait for motivation to take tha action, I'll be waiting a long time.

Getting started is tough, and I usually kick and scream, but it's on you to do it.

All I'd ask of you to start is to go to one AA meeting a day, no matter what. Don't worry about anything more for now. Just go to one meeting a day. It's simple, it's easy, and you don't have to look your best.

I get lonely also. I'm a new mom to special needs child and my whole life is my little girl. I had to quite my job and I lost a lot friends 'cause of that and it seems the only people I deal with now are doctors, therapists and service coordinators.
I guess I feel more insolated than lonely. I have my husband and niece and of course my girl. But like others have said go to meetings and make friends with some of the ladies.
also a big thing for me is I'm a summer person and so ready for shorts and flip flops I can barely stand myself.
Just drag yourself off the couch, go for a walk or a country drive.
Of course DS is always just a click away too.

I know exactly how you feel, I go into those sort of modes too, one thing that works for me I've found is to get out of the house early. I don't go straight home from work and on weekends I don't spend any time lingering over a cup of morning coffee (if I do I wont leave the house that day).

I actually started crying last weekend walking along the strand with my mom...I realized how much I've been missing by staying at home drinking for the past 4.5 years. Getting sober is tough, you may not feel great at first and may actually feel worse for a little while but it passes; when it does you too will wonder how you could have possibly ever let time slip through your fingers so passively.

Be patient, stay sober, the rewards will follow.

start going to meetings and get numbers