Thanks so much Ralph and jh1 for relating so closely to my symptoms....I was really starting to feel hopeless. It is a terrible feeling to think that these symptoms might be permanent...no one wants to live with that suffering for their whole life.
Here is a question: Do you guys think that the 2-3 month estimate you provided applies to me since I kept binging for 15 months after my hospitalization? I am worried that I really delayed my recovery time and increased the severity of my symptoms based on the fact that I kept pushing it and withdrawing on a weekly basis for 15 months.
Also, Ralph, that's great to hear that you were worried about permanent peripheral neuropathy as well but that it went away...I have been real concerned about that lately. I don't understand why I still have heavy tingling in my lower legs, and minor tingling through face/arms/feet after 2 weeks of being sober. The eye twitch has been going on for about 2 months. Regarding the symptoms, they are magnified about 100 times if I am in a very stressful situation. I had to present something to a group at work yesterday and my whole body was tingling. My mouth got dry, it was very hard to even speak, and panic was just racing through my mind nonstop. It took a ton of willpower to not run out of the room.
I am sick of letting a chemical do these terrible things to me. All your advice and comments are very inspirational. It is great to be able to relate. Is there any other advice that people have for me regarding long-term symptoms persisting? I have been reading up on GABA levels in the brain and I am worried that my GABA is going to be permanently out of whack for the future. Since GABA suppresses excitatory and anxiety responses in the brain, I am worried that I will not be as capable of doing this as a normal person. I was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder before I even had my first drink in life so I am worried that these underlying disorders are going to be excacerbated by what I have done to my brain with alcohol. I have read on other forums that some people experience extreme anxiety after an extended period of abstinences (even several months). Is this something I should be concered about?