Alcohol makes me forget. Drugs make me escape. How can I live without them if what I want the most is to forget and escape from my life?

Take time for yourself. Do things that you would like to do..Maybe shopping or A movie with friends.

I hear you - That's how I felt for a long time, though I couldn't have articulated it so well. My answer would be that the solution is to rebuild your life in a way that you want it. As part of my journey to get free of alcohol, I went to a number of drug and alcohol support groups and saw people who have continued to use either or both for a long period of their life - They seemed far from free and far from forgetting their life. On the contrary, there were weather beaten, anguished faces amongst the people there that suggested that they'd faced the struggles of life more directly than I could imagine. Whether motivated by realisation, or a physiological need, they all considered their escape from alcohol and drugs a great victory. I felt the release whenever I started drinking or taking something, but on reflection it was, of course, a chemical high. The reality was that I fell further into my problems each time, and I took great risks as I lost control. When I decided to stop drinking, I had the money and time to decide what to do with. It wasn't and insignificant amount of time or money, either. practically and (over time) emotionally, this was a far greater freedom for me. Of course, this is just my own testimony - I encourage you not to take my word for it a seek more. Good luck with your journey!

I understand what it's like to feel the need to just escape.. but from personal experience it is not worth it. Whatever emotion you're trying to escape from only intensifies over time as you avoid it through drugs or substance abuse. You can lose family or friends from your habits or get in serious trouble with the law. To help get past this, reaching out for help and having a support team helps get past the hard part. Once sober you realize how clear minded you become and that there are better things to help you forget the pain than to use. Art, writing, family, gaming: It helps distract you, but at some point we must realize that we must face what we don't want to face. To get past the pain, we must overcome it. It is possible to live without drugs and to still be happy. You just need help along the way.