That was a tough month, but here you are!
After a life altering accident disabled me in my early 20's, I tried to take solace in benzos and coke. 3 years later I accidentaly o.d.'d and spent 6 weeks in hospital detoxing. Nasty stuff, benzos. Alcohol withdrawal is equally as bad.
Didn’t use anything at all for decades. I learned to grieve and I filled the "void" with nature music and sex before realizing there was no void.
I went back to school to become a certified substance use counsellor and helped other people who's substance use was interfering with life. (For the record I am a proponent of harm reduction) I eventually moved on to study and practice other types of counseling.
Now I use weed medicinally every day (I admit it's also fun) and occasionally shrooms to help reset aspects of PTSD that emerge. No desire for tranqs or cocaine.
*for those who don't know, harm reduction is not necessarily abstinence. It can be using less toxic alternatives ie weed instead of booze or weed instead of morphine etc; using less or using less often; practicing safe sex; wearing your seatbelt; getting street drugs tested; providing clean gear for iv users, etc. Harm reduction.