TLDR: I always felt this void/empty feeling at the end of the day (even as a kid before doing drugs) and I think it's a big reason for my use/abuse of substances, and I wanted to know tips to deal with it sober.

I always felt this weird void/emptyness feeling at the end of the day, even as a kid before drugs. It's not always there and it's nothing major, but it's one of the main motivators for my problematic drug use, starting with weed at 18 and eventually leading to methylphenidate and alcohol abuse mixed with weed on top on a daily basis, plus any drug I got my hands on occasionally (like benzos or tramadol) on top of all that.

Like it's different when you use a drug to have fun once in a while vs when you use it to cope or avoid negative emotions, the latter of which I believe is the main cause of my addictions.

Feels like a mini stim comedown, like nothing is interesting but also I can't seem to just relax and I feel restless. I think there are psychological reasons for this, as it doesn't happen when I am with friends or just not at home (I live with my mom/dad which are divorced), but I am seeing a therapist.

I believe I will eventually fix the source of this problem In therapy but in the mean time I just want to know if there are some tips to make managing this easier and reduce substance use, because it hides the issues I am running from, creates more of them and prevents me from addresssing and fixing them.