[jrwoodruff]

Not OP, but I can speak about what this meant to me: Primarily facing my emotions, even learning how to feel emotions again, then learning how to understand and communicate them in a way where I stay true to myself, and live life on my own terms.

Before I started doing this work I approached everything logically. "I shouldn't feel this way, because x, y and z are objectively good." "If I present things this way, I'll get people to agree with me." "I don't want to do x, but it will make so-and-so happy."

It never worked for long, and alcohol has a nice way of suppressing those feelings, as well as the little negative voice in your head that tends to accompany those suppressed emotions.

Rather than trying to logic my way to acceptance and contentment, I've had to learn how to wade into my emotions and figure out productive ways to express what they're telling me.

It's work to improve the relationship you have with yourself; it's still a work in progress for me.