slimjim30

I quit drinking just after Christmas. CHristmas was a big drinking day

Boxing day I had 6 whiskeys
27th - I had 4 whiskeys
28th I had 2 whiskeys

Then I stopped

So far I've been going pretty well. Christmas day is 2 weeks tomorrow so I am getting close to my longest ever stint without alcohol (well since I started anyway).

I've been sleeping fine. In fact - I am sleeping full nights and still struggling to wake up in the morning. While I was on leave I was sleeping up to 14 hours a day. Now that I have work again this is causing me problems. I can't get enough sleep.

I am also *so* depressed. I already take antisdepressants and have for 5.5 years. Is this depression normal? It's so serious it is preventing me from working - which is in turn adding to my stress levels as things get behind.

What do people normally do in this situation? Does this last a long time or a short time?

December15

I'm no doctor, but one thing is pretty certain, drinking negates the effects of anti-depressants (might as well not take them if drinking). The other thing is that anti-depressants take a few weeks to become effective. Therefore, given that it is only in the last couple of weeks that the anti-depressants are effectively doing anything, you might have to wait a week or two before noticing anything. As always though, best to see your doctor.

yeahgr8

Im on antis too, the doc said i might as well not take them if i am going to continue drinking and that i would need to stop totally. As said they take 3 weeks+ to work so it is incredibly important you stay sober this time and you can by keep coming back here and posting/reading.

Some of the people on here have done it by just using this site...seriously it is a real resource!

have you tried AA?

slimjim30

Yeah I'm not sure - I started taking the anti depressants at the worst point in my drinking career and they had a really profound effect on me. They changed my life - so I know they worked then. But I do agree with you, their effect has probably been weakened so I should wait it out a bit before increasing the dose.

I don't have a Psychiatrist to ask any more - I haven't seen her since 2003. I just get the repeat prescriptions from a GP.

AA - No I haven't gone. I'm doing ok with the support I have from my immediate family for now.

Is this oversleeping common? I always expected insomnia.

223

Hey Jim!

Also not a doctor but just a couple of random thoughts. Feeling tired is a side effect of some anti-depressants. In fact some are prescribed to patients for the side effect alone (off-label is what they call it). Trazadone and Remeron are two that come to mind. Which one(s) are you on if you don't mind saying?

I don't know if it "fits" in your case but anxiety is a very common symptom after stopping drinking and tends to go away after a few weeks.

And good for you on quitting. Make sure to regularly give yourself a big pat on the back. Things will get better!

CarolD

Welcome to SR and our Alcoholism Forum

Please check out...

http://www.tlctx.com/ar_pages/paw_part1.htm

Glad you are here with us..

slimjim30

That's pretty depressing. 6-24 Months of dealing with this before my life gets normal. 1 week is enough to put me a long way behind at work let alone 52 or 104 weeks.

To the poster above - I am on Aurorix (I think it's called Manerix in the USA & UK). It's not a trycyclic.

Pinkcuda

No it's not 6-24 months before your life gets normal. It's 6-24 months until all effects are gone. Means you are getting progressively better from the time you took your last drink.
I was depressed for quite a while. One reason was that I didn't know how to live life without alcohol. I couldn't even get to the mail box without drinking before I quit. Now I had to get to the mailbox without alcohol. Solved the problem. I quit going to the mailbox. My whole life was like that. Everything I needed alcohol to do before was put on hold.
Second reason was that the life I had expected through sobriety didn't become a reality immediatley. I was expecting burning bushes everywhere, constant sunshine and cartoon bluebirds fluttering about and sitting on my shoulder singing me songs. It didn't happen the way I thought it would.
What the hell had I done? I couldn't drink anymore, I couldn't not drink either. Quite a conundrum if you ask me.
How could I not drink anymore and be happy about it? I found the answer in AA and have never had any regrets.

slimjim30

That made me smile. I wasn't expecting it to be quite that great. I am just finding that I am functioning worse than I do with a hangover as I just can't focus on what I need to do.

When I've quit before and made 1 or so weeks every day it gets better. Now that I'm heading for two weeks it seems to be much worse

That said I'm having an ok day today. I feel a bit better than I have. It was still damn hard to wake up this morning though. I'm sleeping like a log. Bring on Saturday I say - then I can sleep all day.

FightingIrish

my doctor told me it is like a wound or a broken arm that can take a very long time (3 months to 2 years) to heal. truly, the brain is healing during this time. it is adjusting to an entirely new state, one without constant barragement from a depressant chemical. it takes 90 days for a new brain cell to grow. think about how many times that cycle must occur before things are relatively back to normal.

ufe

Pinkcuda has the bull by the horns.

You have learnt to deal with life's ups and downs with alcohol. It was your antidepressant, pickmeup, sleeping aid, etc etc. Re-learning life without this crappy substitute for a solution is difficult. I think this is why so many people feel empty and elated at the same time when getting sober.

I'd suggest finding a counsellor that will help you work out your negative patterns.

catch-22

I was drinking and on antidepressants as well. Needless to say, the ADs didn't really work with alcohol, but when I stopped drinking, the depression completely lifted after 2 weeks... the antidepressants were working again... I would wait... things do get better, believe me!

zoomer

I was drinking and taking meds too. I scared myself strait thinking how much I was a danger to myself by drinking and taking meds at the same time. It's been 4 and a half years now and I feel so much better. I'm no longer "crazy" or depressed. Get a good shrink and tell them whats going on and maybe they can tweek your meds while your getting sober in order for you not to have to be depressed or sleep all the time. I go to AA too to help with my not drinking and a shrink for my head. Although I did sleep in today, I'm usally a very busy person with lots to do. Congrats on your clean time and keep posting!

Tazman53

slimjim one of the reasons I could never quit for many years was I wanted instant rewards for me quitting, that did not happen for me. I have learned that for an alcoholic the real troubles begin when I quit drinking....... I did not know how to function not drinking, I became irratable, anxious, angry...... basically I drank again because I was goinig nuts!!!!

When I went to AA after getting out of detox they helped me a lot, they gave me support and let me know that what I was feeling and going through would get better, they helped me learn how to live life on lifes terms sober and happy........ my biggest mistake in my past attempts at sobriety was trying to do it alone.

slimjim30

Ok all - I am back. I went back to drinking. I was just too depressed. I want to fix it.

It has taken 3 months but I finally saw a doctor. He then sent me to a specialist and I had to wait another 2-3 weeks.

I saw the specialist yesterday. It was all a bit weird. He asked so many questions about me (and my parents, siblings, childhood etc) and sent me off for blood tests. I told him I want to detox over easter so I have a few days break before work. He asked if I wanted tablets and said I'd be ok without if I wanted? It surprised me a little as he didn't seem too concerned about me having withdrawal symptoms. I asked for the tablets and he prescribed 25 x 15mg serapax. Does anyone know much about this? He told me to take one if I needed one??

I'm going back next week as he wants to start therapy but hasn't explained much yet.

I'm a little underwhelmed at the moment. I googled him and he is one of only 7 addiction specialists in the state I live in (and very hard to get to see) but he seems very blasé about the whole situation. I did get told the amount I drink is harmful (no kidding!!).

Has anyone had a similar experience? Should I stick it out or find another doctor?

tk1fry

I had the same experience. The way my health care works at the CDRP is that I have to talk to the therapist 1st and they sign me up for the doctor. So I went in, filled out the huge questionaire, and talked to the therapist. I was there because I knew I had a drinking problem (no way i was going to say alcoholic at that point). He told me when the walk in groups were, sent me home with a "I know you can do it". He was very non chalant (sp) about the whole thing. I went from there to the liquor store. (Didn't he know that this was ME? Nobody there drinks like me, I'm a better alcoholic. I'm unique and how dare him treat me like everyone else.) I realized later that for me, I didn't know how to ask for the help that I needed due to my fear and lack of real acceptance, thats just me and my part in the deal.

Also find out if your insurance offers a detox program and ask for it. If you don't have a detox on your insurance, that may account for his nonchalantness.

A year later ( a year ago) I went in. It was the scariest thing I had ever done. Was to ask for the help that I really needed. For me I couldn't stop on my own.

Good luck, Its not easy. Find a herd and stay in the middle. There is hope, and it does get better.

slimjim30

Thanks for the reply.

I said flat out that I am an alcoholic. I also said how much I drink which makes it kind of obvious (I didn't lie).

Here in Australia the public health covers pretty much everything - but I also have private insurance so I can choose my hospital etc. I have the option of a hospital detox but honestly I've done it at home so many times without meds I really don't think I need it. The serapax should get me through the worst of it.

I'm just going to try it and hope my next meeting is good!

Thanks.

PaulL

Good for you! I'm impressed with your commitment to quitting. Where there's a will, there's a way (specific to you). I did almost yearly "dry-outs" for a few weeks to a few months over 10 years, before deciding last year that it had to be permanent if it was going to work. I'm so glad I got to that point.
Be sure to read about Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) in the "What to expect" sticky above. That one was really important to me.

All the best,
Paul

gravity

I tried addictions counseling for about 6 months (eventually ended up in AA - works for me).

Public health covers counseling here too. My first few visits, the counselor was kind of blasé. We really didn't make much progress until he realized that I was serious about quitting drinking and we developed a bit of a relationship.

He told me that he sees so many people that are not serious about quitting (eg. looking for a quick fix, just scared for the moment, just doing it to make the courts happy) - in part, might be because it's a free service.

I think he told me that only about 1 in 20 are willing to do what it takes.

Counselors are human too - listening to the same sob stories over and over yet these same people are unwilling to follow his advice. I would get a little blasé too!

Sounds like you have a good plan.

slimjim30

That actually sounds plausible. I have to pay what's called a gap but it's only $25 per visit. He may believe I'm not serious yet...who knows?

I was more surprised about his lack of fear about me dying during withdrawal...