ElizabethRRRR - I feel like we might have a lot in common. I'm also an introvert and feel like I need to be alone to "re-charge" and fulfill my responsibilities. I lot of people don't understand this, in my experience. I don't think some of my extrovert friends understand why spending a weekend with them isn't "relaxing" enough for me. I need "work time," "friend time," AND "me time" to stay on balance. Also, you sound like a people pleaser, which I am too, and in another thread you mentioned something about feeling the need for everything to be perfect, and I can sympathize there too. With all of that pressure, drinking, for me, seemed like the only way to completely zone out and catch a mental break. I don't know if you feel the same way.
I know it's hard (impossible, actually) to be everything to everybody but still we try... I once had a very wise woman (psychologist actually, though not mine), tell me that if I want to keep helping people I need to stop and "fill up the well" sometimes so I'm not running on empty. A mixed metaphor but you get what I mean. Do you think you might need to say "no" to some of the demands being put on you, so you can fulfil the top priority ones well and stay healthy? Just some thoughts.
As for me... I'm doing so-so. It's been a rough few days. I've still been eating way more sugar than I did before but it's slowing down. Friday night I felt like a wave of depression came over me. I just felt like nothing could make me happy and wanted to either drink or binge on food to ease the sadness. I didn't do either, which I'm glad for, and the sadness eased up over the weekend but I'm still feeling pretty "off." I don't know what it is - it freaks me out because I have been depressed before and never want to go back there. I am currently on an anti-depressant to treat anxiety but am not sure how well it's working since my anxiety seems to be piling up again too. I have so much going on for school that I really feel like it's impossible to catch up. Anyway, I'm rambling but, all in all, I've been pretty down lately. Still have only had 2 glasses of wine in the last 24 days though. It's a good thing but now I'm a little paranoid that the only reason I stopped being "depressed" in the first place was through distraction and relaxation by drinking. Blaaaa....