cruiser1911

I finally went in and had a doc give me some real sleeping pills and some Kind of anxiety medication. I have been sober a couple of weeks short of 2 years and mentally I wasn't getting better, my head was never quiet and it wasn't enjoyable being sober. I have been on them for 24 days now .
the first 4 days my wife said it was like sleeping with a side of beef in the bed, no movement, no talking in my sleep, nothing, she checked me a couple of times to make sure I was alive. I slept for 10 to 12 hours a night those first few days. mentally I have been way calmer I can sit through a full church service without bouncing all over the place. I have been able to stay focused on projects until they are done which is one of the things I used booze for rather than flittering around accomplishing nothing. I'm on a project that is very high stress right now, and life is okay. Im staying calm. I know its only 24 days into it and could be the placebo affect but thats whats going on in my life right now. some times I guess I need help beyond just tough it out.

Stayingsassy

There are plenty of people at sober recovery who are on medications and have essentially been on them since getting sober.

Keep in mind that there are psych meds that can be tapered off or even stopped at some point in life. You may feel you need them at this time, but maybe at a later date you may not.

Be wary of the addictive potential of sleeping medication and also anxiety meds, they can trigger an addictive response, either in the form of needing more than is prescribed, or suddenly finding yourself going back to drinking.

It’s good you’re feeling better. Keep watch on your behaviors with the medications. Be scrupulously honest with yourself, at all times.

Dee74

I started my recovery thinking all drugs were bad...I no longer think that.

If you have a genuine need, and you've been honest with your Doctor about your past, and (above all) you remain vigilant, you can be on meds and still securely in recovery imo.

D

RecklessEric

I take an antidepressant for anxiety.
Really made a difference to me.
I've come off a few times and then gone back on when I've felt the need.

cruiser1911

I was honest with him he was the one that prescribed the antabuse when I started getting sober.
it is a med he said I could come off of but wants he to stay with it, if no side affects, for several months. I never remember to take my vitamins and stuff more than 3 days, but Im remembering these. I think there is a lot of anxiety in my family (siblings and parents), its just never been dealt with as a problem that can be helped medically.
staying sassy that being honest with the sleeping pills is very true Im not going to get a refill on them it feels a bit like a slope I dont want to go down, way to easy to take 2 rather than one, have not done that, but been tempted. those I actually feel myself relaxing.

least

My doctor prescribed antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds for me and they help me a lot. As long as you're taking them as directed and they were prescribed for you, there is nothing wrong with taking meds.

August252015

Just to clarify- antabuse is not an anti-anxiety med. I'm not sure if you are saying you are taking it, and correctly, or something else (or both)?

For me and many I observe, meds are appropriate and in some cases essential and life saving. It's not a simple equation, but having a good doctor (psychiatrist, specifically, for the kind of meds we are discussing- many GPs aren't qualified enough for me to take an anti-depressant under their sole care)....key.

Gottalife

This is something we were talking about the other day in terms of treating causes and/or symptoms. Alcoholism is one possible cause for things like depression or anxiety. As alcohol treats the symptoms they are not usually felt until the alcoholic stops drinking. Then things can get mighty raw. So another drink to fix it, which it does until the alcohol loses its magic powers and then the problems just get worse. Depression, hallucinations, and paranoia were symptoms apparent in my early recovery. They could have been caused by some underlying disorder, a chemical imbalance maybe, but in my case it was alcoholism making itself felt.

So, what we talked about was the example of having a broken arm. It would be painful, but that symptom is easily treated with pain killers. One would then be in the position of not having pain, but not having full use of the arm either. So really, the pain wasn't the problem, it was just a symptom, and it would return every time the pain killer wore off.

The solution would be to have the break repaired, then no more pain and no more need for pain killers, and full use of the arm is restored.

So in my case, treating the cause, alcoholism, removed the other symptoms.

shortstop81

I was taking anti-depressants all through my drinking for years, and quite obviously they were not able to do their job.

I've been sober for almost 5 months, and my doc has tweaked some of my meds to change things up for me. I'm also taking a non-habit forming sleeping aid that allows me to get a full night's sleep. Honestly, the combination of continued sobriety and the medication has greatly helped my mood regulation.

I've always taken my medication as prescribed. Just speaking for myself, it's something I need at this stage. Waaaaay down the line I may consider trying to taper off things with supervision from my doc.

MyLittleHorsie

I have no issues with people taking medications, they can be very helpful.
I am a lot more stable with moods since quitting drinking, I had come right off, but am back on my anxiety meds, just while I go through a career transition that is very emotional. It isn't about living life on its terms, it's silencing the other things, the OCD, the panic attacks, the manic rollercoaster of emotion, those are worse during stress times, just while I get through this. Plus I quit smoking last Christmas, I can't ruin another Christmas sleeping away the anxiety.
I do find diet, exercise, sleep helpful most of the time, but if you need a medication for a short while or long term, it has nothing to do with sobriety and everything to do with strong mental health, something we all have a right to feel.

August252015

Curious if the OP would pipe in and share again?

NYCDoglvr

I've been on anti-depressants since getting sober in 1991 and wouldn't be alive without them. I also had anti-anxiety meds and was very careful with them: they are addictive and the withdrawal is much worse than alcohol. I have a sleep disorder and my shrink prescribes trazadone and another med with a side effect of drowsiness.

abgator

*may* be addictive. I think it's disingenuous for us to constantly proclaim certain drugs as addictive simply because a portion of the population are addicts. It's a lack of chemical production in our brains that makes us susceptible to addiction. But even then, one being an alcohol by no means means they'll ever have an addiction or dependence on opiates, benzos, etc.

August252015

^Agree, abgator. Dee often says he used to view all meds as bad and doesn't anymore. It's not a unilateral equation for ME that benzos for anxiety (I take) = new addiction. It IS something I monitor - and if anyone heard me talk about my surgery (did a thread under alcoholism on pain meds) - taking stuff super seriously is important. Whatever someone decides.

And - I have trazadone too and have been thinking I should take it every night and see if my side effects (enormous sweating and uncomfortably vivid dreams that often involve alcohol, ugh) might be different than a yr ago.

cruiser1911

I'm at about 60 days on the medications Im feeling better i am finishing a highly stressful job that we are right on the dead line with. 3 months ago I would have been sleeping 3 to 5 hours of restless sleep a night and stressing during the day. Im doing okay. and because Im rested and mental state is more relaxed Im not doing the screw ups I usually do coming to the end of projects. when I get too stressed I break out in cold sores. and just had my first break out so Im stressing some but its not effecting me like it used to. my wife likes me a lot better, to says Im more patient with the kids. Im enjoying working in the shop again which I really missed. but the side affects is the junk doesnt work as well
The sleeping pills
I quit taking them for a while and it was instantly not sleeping again but I have started splitting the sleeping pills I was prescribed per day, I could feel them and that scared me. I dont want anything that can give me the feeling of euphoria. I have another appointment in a couple of weeks and Im going to see about switching to something different on that side of it. the doctor didn't want to change anything for at least a little couple of months just to see where Im at but I made the executive decision about splitting them, I dont need another addiction

as for the Antabuse I took that when I was first getting sober and am no longer taking it. I tried trazadone didn't do anything for me of course at the time I was washing them down with booze

ScottFromWI

Glad to hear things are improving cruiser, thanks for checking in. I think you are following a wise course of action to keep in touch with your doctor on the meds and being cautious is always a good idea.