This is an important point. For me, self medicating with alcohol was a non starter. I am an addict trying to get clean. So, personally, I’m not going to toss another mind/mood altering substance into my poor beleaguered brain at this point, while I’m still trying to find my butt and figure out which way is up.
Exercise helped, but most of all, hard physical labor was my key. Raking, splitting wood, vacuuming, mopping, beating rugs. Nothing complicated… nothing that would trigger frustration or feelings of failure. Just mindless hard work that made me so sore that I had something entirely different to moan about!