ImReadyToQuit

Not even sure why I drank them, or why my body reacted the way it did.. I had a severe panic attack, my blood pressure sky rocketed..

I guess thats my body saying DO NOT WANT!

I hadn't had any anxiety or anything in that month, not sure why I'd wanna mess up like that.. It was like my body was allergic, I felt pretty buzzed for about 20 mins, then bam, body started feeling terrible.. My left hand felt numb'ish.. I started to panic and it was terrible.. Lasted for hours..

I don't get it how that little of alcohol messed me up like that, I used to drink 3-4 handles a week..

CarolD

Well....
I think you are really wise if you consider that you are
now allergic to alcohol and not drink it again.

People who are allergic to shell fish don't eat them.
Why would they wish to become ill?

How did I learn how to live sober and enjoy it?
I began AA meetings....they are classrooms for sobriety


Good to see you here again...

chip

I think we all can appreciate your honesty about this, Imready. It sounds like it's time to get focused on recovery again. I hope you'll continue to build upon your sober time, and use this incident as proof that drinking is no longer an option for you.

Some people need to "try it" again to be convinced.... I'm glad that your experience wasn't worse than it was. Some people die when they "try it" again. I hope this is a lesson for you, and that this will be a fresh new start upon a lifetime of sobriety.

PLEASE ask for help BEFORE you drink......we'd all love to help you decide NOT to drink next time you think about it. I think this can be said for everyone in our online community...if anyone is struggling with a craving, please ask for help!
chip

barb dwyer

hear hear!

And, like Carol said -

you know I have an allergy to shellfish. But every ten years or so - I somehow begin to think I'm no longer allergic to shellfish. So I have some crab or something 'just to see'.
Ask me about 'the world's WORST first date' sometime.

I'm never NOT going to be allergic to shellfish.
But I'm an alcoholic.
So I start this stupid mind f**ck trip that somehow I've overcome the allergy.
And every time -
I wind up in the emergency room.

What in the world makes me think it's going to be any different with alcohol?

So I go to meetings.
I watch newcomers.
I remember just how sick I was when I came to the rooms of AA.
I come to SR.
I talk to newly sober people.
Sometimes, all night if need be.

They keep me sober.
YOU keep me sober.

And I automatically apply what I've learned...
to avoid the shellfish section of the grocery.
And the menu.

I hope you'll decide to get help on this journey.
There's many paths available.
You don't have to go this alone.

Dutch226

I think if you're looking for a psychiatrist type answer, it's pretty clear the guilt of drinking them hit you pretty hard

yeahgr8

If you get a program of recovery in place and work at it you won't have to do this every month, don't be lulled into a false sense of security that you won't drink again just because you had an adverse reaction...i've been with people that have had heart attacks, throat cancer and been told by the doctor never to drink again...but they do because they tried to quit by themselves and health scares only keep you dry for so long.

That said it is a lesson learned so this time you can choose to do it right:-)

TheSunAlsoRises

Thanks for your honesty. It re-enforces my sobriety for sure... Ive been sober for 3 months I can so easily see myself deciding to have four brews or so and then WHAM! panic attack. The guilt would be suffocating.

May your search end in sobriety... Thank you for helping me on my path

mumbai78

At 2 years of sobriety, I once ate a curry containing a wee bit of alcohol.Someone else ordered it and i ate it but I did not want a buzz at all so i did not feel any guilt

A few months later I was offered liqeur choclates and I ate them instantly totally wanting the buzz and it actually did give me a wee bit of a buzz. But 15 minutes later I started to feel very anxious that I had done that. The anxiety arose from the fact that I knew fully well what I was doing and my motive was to get the buzz.I spent the whole of the next day thinking about it.

I think your panic attacks/numbness in your hand was largely due to the guilt over breaking your sobriety.

You need to be very watchful for the next few weeks to avoid getting into a mindset where you start thinking " I had 5 years of sobriety but it's all gone now, what does it matter if I have another drink ? "

The fact is it's not all gone and you have not thrown everyhting away.

Charmie

i thought i had my last drink on the 1st of january this year.i went back to AA and did what folk there told me,,go to lots of meetings and dont pick up the first drink. (i must say that sponsorship and the steps are not at the forefront at the meetings in my area!!!! eek)this wasnt enough for me and i picked up on the 6th feb.i drank little of what i was used to and only drank for 12 hours (act of God)and put it down the sink,,,i was very sick and indeed convinced i am allergic to alcohol.i then went back to AA but got a sponsor and work the steps.i have had no compulsion to drink and have had a spiritual awakening as a result of the steps.i recoil from alcohol like i would a hot flame,,just like i was promised!

tommyk

My body has reached its limit regarding alcohol intake.

Freedom1990

If you have a Big Book, read the Doctor's Opinion in the front of the book. It does talk not only about the obsession of the mind, but the allergy of the body.

Our bodies do not process alcohol like the bodies of non-alcoholics either.