Kabukicho

I can't believe there aren't more threads in this forum. For me, alcohol and benzos (my current addictions) are DIRECTLY related to sleep. I have had fairly bad insomnia for several years now. And, in an attempt to self-medicate and in an attempt to enlist a physician's help, I am now addicted to alcohol and Klonopin.

I just don't know how to get the sleep I need (without substances).

I am currently undergoing CBT / sleep-hygiene therapy. My therapist has offered me some useful tips but, really, compared to alcohol and Klonopin, they're like a band-aid on a gunshot wound.

If I don't sleep, I am a WRECK the next day. I don't mean that I feel a little off, or a little cranky. My mood plummets, I break out into random crying spells, I get dizzy. It's awful. So, that adds to the anxiety about insomnia.

I don't know what to do. Should I ask for a different medication, like Ambien? Should I slowly wean myself off the alcohol and try to sleep with just the Klonopin? Do I need to make other life changes?

I don't nap. I exercise every day for 30 minutes. I don't drink caffeine. I don't smoke.

freudling

I've had problems sleeping over the past two months after witnessing a horrific truck accident which left the driver dead. I've struggling to fall asleep and when I finally do, I have nightmares. Alcohol puts me to sleep and I don't remember dreams if I have any. Should I see a doctor and try sleeping pills?

Live

Alcohol actually prevents true restful & healing sleep. In fact it is disruptive. Look it up.

bigsombrero

I think you should see a doctor. You've confessed that you have horrible addictions to alcohol and klonipin, and have come to SR to seek help in quitting them. Yet on this thread, you are asking for tips on how to still drink and take klonipin. And you are looking for substitutes, like Ambien and other drugs. Instead of looking to be clean, your addictive brain is scrambling for other substances to take that could be just as addictive or harmful.

Before you think otherwise: relax, I'm not intending to attack you - you're not alone in this Catch-22. In my case, I had to physically fall into seizures in a foreign country, totally alone, and be rushed to a hospital. Upon returning back to the States I had another seizure and was taken by ambulance to a detox center and rehab clinic.

I am pretty convinced that I would not have quit on my own: I literally kept using alcohol and prescription drugs until I collapsed and nearly died. That's what it took for me to realize I needed to quit. I'm sober 22 months now and my life has changed for the better (of course it hasn't been an easy ride but that's story is for another forum).

Do you want this to happen to you? Do you need to fall down on the sidewalk into convulsions in order to quit? You seem to have more sense than I did - but your addictive centers keep looking for ways to use. A doctor can help you with a supervised detox from all of these substances. I'd suggest you go to a doctor soon. Because you are going to see a doctor whether you like it or not if you collapse like I did.

Oh PS - I understand about the sleep thing. I could have never imagined I'd sleep without drugs or alcohol. And I'm just like you, if I don't get enough sleep it doesn't just ruin my day, it throws me into a complete panic and disrupts everything in my life. I do get it. And you can sleep well again without all these chemicals. Think about a doctor visit.