JohnnyBravo

I've been anxious from an early age which was probably responsible for my alcoolism. In 1992 I decided to live in Bangkok where I could buy valium over the counter. My doctI managed to get off a 100mg a day habit as well as 2 bottles of whisky.
Off the booze in Sep 2000 off the valium a couple of years later and stopped smoking 6 months ago.ors in Scotland never gave me it, or only for a couple of days.

I've been having weird feelings at night-time when going to bed - almost like I'm going to have a heart attack. I went to the doctor and got tested and there's nothing wrong with my heart - the diagnosis was anxiety attacks. This is very dangerous for me, being an ex alkie and druggie, as well as being in Thailand where doctors have a reputation for handing out sedatives too easily. A couple of docs suggested Amitrypaline 10mg before sleeping. I tried this but decided that I was not wanting to go on any more drugs. I believe now tht I have sone anxiety disorder and am trying to find out and deal with it without medication.
I bought a good book called, "coping with fears and phobias" and also a couple of books on meditation. I've started swimming everyday and playing tennis 3 times a week.
We have a baby girl of 7 months and my other 4 1/2 year old is pretty hard work which has been stresing me out a bit. Also, I have a new 'job' playing poker online, which made me more than my day job the last 3 months. However, this can only be done when the kids have gone to bed so I'm up at my computer till 2am.
I spoke with a friend recently who suggested Trazedone 100mg, saying many alcoholics(recovering) use it to get a good sleep as it's non habit forming. Does anyone know anything about this drug?

I used to meditate a lot when single, and it took me to India many years ago and then on to Thailand where I am now. It was SO beneficial but didn't get me sober until 2000 in Bangkok. I can't seem to do it anymore - too busy with all the gifts of sobriety.

I was a loner here(NE Thailand) but managed to set up meeting in the Thai language which have 20 members now. There are not many English speaker so I miss those meetings.

Any advice and experience welcome.

Cheers

Johnny

Jerzy007

Yup, i took 50mg's last night and was out like a light within 1/2 an hour. Only downside is that it takes a couple of hours longer to get goin in the morning.

Lilya

Hi Johnny and welcome,

How is Bangkok these days? I love Thailand, by the way, and have been there on both business and pleasure trips. Absolutely amazing country. Last time I was there, 3-4 years ago, I was looking for French or English speaking AA meeting, but found none.

Congratulation on your sobriety. I´m sorry about the anxiety attacks and I understand you reluctance to take medication such as amytriptilline, but have you tried Phenergan? It´s one of the few anti-anxiety medication I´m allowed to take, since I´m a recovering drug addict as well as recovering alchoholic. It really makes you sleep, but it´s a bit unpleasant.

Otherwise, there are people here with more knowledge and/or experience of medication who will give you advice.

It´s great you exercise and I encourage you to meditate. I´m starting again and it´s one of the best things for anxiety. I mentioned some more in the thread about anxiety and the steps.

Keep posting! It helps.

Love and light,

kelsh

My son is an alcoholic and he takes Trazadone for sleep. He has used it many years and it works for him.

The medication Amitriptyline has been around many years. It is an old antidepressant but used for other purposes too. It shouldn't be addictive if it is an antidepessant. I took it as an antidepressant back in the 1970's. You, yourself have to decide what will work best for you.

I have problems with anxiety and sleep. My anxiety is better now and I hardly ever need the Xanax that I have been prescribed. It is 0.5 mg up to 2 x daily PRN. I used to take 1.0 mg three times a day.

For sleep I do meditation, read, or listen to my portable CD Player in bed. The music really works the best for me.

Good luck to you,

kelsh

Jerzy007

JohnyBravo, I hear the people in Thailand are the nicest and most joyful on Earth! HOw ya like it there?

vicoprincess93

my mom takes Trazodone and it works well 4 her. Its next to her vicodin and xanax. Ugh.......Like mom , like daughter

JohnnyBravo

I hate bangkok now. I lived there for 8 years and now live in the peaceful rural NE. Bangkok is too big, but I loved it when younger.There are lots of meeting in English in Bkk now - I can get to 3 a day.

here's a piece I wrote for the grapevine recently if you're interested:-

In early 2004 my wife and I decided that we were to move to Khon Kaen, where
she was to help a friend open a new restaurant. I had 4 years of
sobriety in Bangkok(along with 4 years of drinking). I thought that my sobriety
time was sufficient to carry on abstaining form alcohol, against the better
judgement of my sponsor and most of my AA friends, who told me that it would not
be as easy as I thought. In June 2004, I moved to Khon Kaen, North East
Thailand, an area which then had no AA meetings and the nearest loner member about 3
hours away in Sakkon Nakhon. On my first day there, with my wife working,
daughter at school, I found myself alone and with time on my hands - dangerous for this
alcoholic, especially in a strange town. I thought that I may be able to go
down to the local expat bar and sit there drinking coke whilst engaging in
some conversation with the heavy drinkers. I experienced a fear that my self-will was
trying to run the show again. Luckily for me, my Higher Power had other ideas. I
had resigned to the fact that I would have to try to maintain my sobriety by reading
the Big Book, travelling to Bangkok meetings(seven and a half hours away), maybe catching an on-line meeting, making multiple telephone
calls, or meditation. Having chosen the BIG BOOK when in need of a program, I read
p89, which states, " Practical experience shows that nothing will so much
insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics." (12 Step
work). I was a bit surprised that it never mentioned working the 12 steps,
meetings, telephone calls, or anything else. Intensive work with other alcoholics is
what it suggests, above everything else. The next day, I followed this suggestion
seeking contact with alcoholics in Sri Nakarin Hospital. The doctor heading the
alcoholic unit there was absent and the nurses pointed me in the direction of
the local Government Alcohol and Drug Treatment Centre. This is situated between
the airport and Khon Kaen University, on the outskirts of the city. On arrival
there by tuk-tuk(small Thai 3-wheeled taxi), armed with the Thai Big Book and several pamphlets in Thai, I
met a nurse, Khun Arunee. She stared at me at first as if I were
some kind of alien. When I finished my pre-planned spiel in very basic Thai,
she said to me in English, "I have heard of AA and it would be wonderful if you
could start an AA meeting here". She has been instrumental in the organising of
the meetings here. According to Oi, the aftercare program had been of only minimal
success, with a recidivism rate very high after 30 days, with a prompt return to
the detox unit. Most of the members have been in the 1 month treatment several
times, a couple of them over 10 times. Khun Oi had to first consult with the
Director, the result them being very excited about the possiblity of an AA
meeting on the treatment centre grounds. A meeting with two alcoholics(Khun Gai and Khun Yo) who work
there was planned for the following week. Gai and Yo, who are now members of our awesome
organisation and myself had an hour long meeting, where we found the
incredible bond that brings two or more alcoholics together on common ground.
During that meeting, a bond was made that can only be made between alcoholics.
After that, we had our first official AA meeting, on 1 July, when there were
five members present. We started having meetings twice a week, on Tuesdays and
Thursday afternoons. There have been up to 25 alcoholics at these meetings. A
trip was taken by members, nurses, and Dr Ping to Bangkok to go to meetings,
including the Thai meeting on Tuesday at St. Lois Hospital and English
speaking one at Ruam Rudee. This was a huge success, with everyone experiencing the
strong fellowship there. This was followed by a group from Bangkok, and a
pair from Sakkan Nakhon coming to Khon Kaen for a one off meeting on a Sunday.
There has since been another such meeting, and now we have regular meetings on
Sunday. We recently had a 1 year round up where there were 40 alcoholics in attandence.
After speaking with the new members, the feeling that they were lacking
willpower was gradually extinguished. Previously, many of them had thought alcoholism a moral
failing, or lack of will-power. The results are the members reporting that they have found a release from care, boredom and
worry. They have found new friends where previously they had either gone to the
monestery, or stayed at home alone, white-knuckling the craving to drink. They
have found fellowship with other alcoholics. Some of the new members have described having had a spiritual
experience, which is obvious in their general appearance. The thoughts that I
had had before about Thai alcoholics not being interested in AA due to religious,
social, language, and cultural differences have been replaced by a really positive,
enthusiastic feeling for the future of AA in the area, and hopefully in the whole of Thailand.
My basic Thai has not been as big a problem as I thought it would be. In fact,
because I can only speak and understand the basics, the message has
been very simple (keep it simple!). The format for a meeting in Thai, along
with the translated preamble, how it works, and the promises have been an
enormous help. Also, the help of the many Bangkok AA members has been wonderful,
especially Tyler and Michael D, who have shared their experience and come up
with many ideas and solutions to some early problems we had. Just like the new
members, my life was miserable, I came to AA, and now my life has taken on a new
meaning and I am now able to hopefully fulfill AA's 5th tradition which is to
stay sober and carry this message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

Jerzy007

Awesome

Lilya

Thanks Johnny,

Great input. Thanks for sharing that.

I found Bangkok enchanting, like a magical place, but then again, I didn´t live there. I guess that would be a bit overwhelming.

I also remember getting an urge to drink and do drugs while I was there. People were always inviting me to go to exotic places and drink snake blood or whatever. LOL But I went on a spending spree instead. Out of two evils I found the spending a better choice, but I had real problems with the Visa bill after my trip.

Love and light,

Jerzy007

I like your style Lil