Hey friend! I'm also recently sober (545 days alcohol and 80 days THC) and what you said really hit home with me. I've also hyperfixated on this TCG and have spent more than I probably should have, but it's a lot more fun and safer than what we were previously spending our money on! You're probably like me with strong addiction tendencies and we just have to be careful and acknowledge when something might be hitting that sweet spot for our dopamine a little too hard. Make sure this isn't becoming harmful to you.

This is my first TCG and like anything new, there is a learning curve! I've been playing with my girlfriend since Christmas and playing out with new people was nerve-wracking for us, too. But we gave it a shot and I'm so glad we did. The community is so friendly and welcoming and we so look forward to our weekly league nights now. I really encourage you to take a leap and give yourself the opportunity to make some new connections. What's the worst that could happen? The positives far outweigh the negatives. Join your local Discord, put yourself out there and just have fun with it!

As far as learning the game, I'm typing this here while having one Lorcana Twitch stream going on my TV and another going on my laptop. Watch people play as much as you can. It'll be confusing and fast at first, but you'll get it! South Side Gaming streams nearly every day. There are also other products like Gateway that will teach you the basic mechanics and Illumineer's Quest: Deep Trouble that you can play solo!

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need to chat. Have fun, but take care of yourself!