How long did it take hangovers to turn into withdrawal?
Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 50
When I was in my teens and early 20's I could stay up until 3 or 4 am on weekends drinking and I never had hangovers at all. I mean NEVER. Then in my late 20's things started to change. I started getting hangovers that kept me in bed all day the next day and feeling tired and foggy for several days after that. By the time I was 32, I was drinking everyday from the time I woke up until I went to bed, and I would wake up during the night feeling anxious and shaky/jerky and having weird dreams, and cold sweats. I couldn't sleep longer than 4 or 5 hours the last year I drank... I'm 34 now.
Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 14,921
Good thread. I've experienced the progression of hangovers as I've gotten older. As a young man in college I drank like every other kid in my dorm, a lot! After graduating and moving on to the world of work I cut back but I still used alcohol to take a vacation from the stresses of life. Sometime in my 30's the daily drinking started, usually 3 - 4 beers at night before I went to bed. Gradually I needed to increase that amount and that's when I discovered vodka. I found that I could cut back to 2 or 3 beers before bed as long as I had a couple shots of vodka. I stayed at this level for a long time with occassional binges on a weekend. Sometime in my 40's I started drinking a beer or 2 in the morning to ease into my day. I found that a greasy fried food breakfast sandwhich from McDonalds or Burger King also helped. When I was 47 my drinking increased, maybe it was a mid - life depression kind of thing. I ended up in the hospital for a 4 day detox after a 5 day bender. I admitted to my wife that I was an alcoholic, she was surprised, I guess I hide it pretty well. After a couple of relapses, I quit for good on New Years day 2004.
Then last spring, after ~ 5 1/2 years of sobriety I fell off the wagon. I discovered that alcohol is a progressive disease and your body picks up were you left off, so my tolerance was quite high. But man, now that I'm past 50 the hangovers are much worse. I was off and on over the summer and I would experience the shakes when I stopped. I hate those, and of course one way to stop the shakes is to have a beer. What a vicious cycle.
As another poster already said, at my age I'm not sure how many more recoveries I have in me. Alcohol scares me.
Then last spring, after ~ 5 1/2 years of sobriety I fell off the wagon. I discovered that alcohol is a progressive disease and your body picks up were you left off, so my tolerance was quite high. But man, now that I'm past 50 the hangovers are much worse. I was off and on over the summer and I would experience the shakes when I stopped. I hate those, and of course one way to stop the shakes is to have a beer. What a vicious cycle.
As another poster already said, at my age I'm not sure how many more recoveries I have in me. Alcohol scares me.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 40
A few years ago, I began having seizures in my sleep....started out rare (6 months between the first 2)...progressed to where I have them once a month now. Always the night after a night of heavy drinking.
Monday=Binge
Tuesday=Hangover (just feeling like total crap, in general, for entire day)
Tuesday Night=Sleep=Seizure
Even though the correlation is obvious, between the seizures & the alcohol, it wasn't enough to make me stop. And my doctor didn't seem to see the correlation...*sigh*.
Monday=Binge
Tuesday=Hangover (just feeling like total crap, in general, for entire day)
Tuesday Night=Sleep=Seizure
Even though the correlation is obvious, between the seizures & the alcohol, it wasn't enough to make me stop. And my doctor didn't seem to see the correlation...*sigh*.
Grateful Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: MI
Posts: 1,080
Bike, thanks for bumping!! I never even looked at the date!!
But I have to say wow at all these posts. I am somewhat stricken at everyones timeline.. Why? Well, I have only been drinking regularly for a couple years, and as far as what I read here, my hangovers/withdrawals were BAD!! I would wake up, initially feeling crappy, but able to at least get up and get it together. Shaking hands, headache, sick tummy for sure, but mobile at least. Hour by hour it got worse and worse. Usually by noon I was full out useless, sick as a dog, with more anxiety than ever.
So glad I stopped.
But I have to say wow at all these posts. I am somewhat stricken at everyones timeline.. Why? Well, I have only been drinking regularly for a couple years, and as far as what I read here, my hangovers/withdrawals were BAD!! I would wake up, initially feeling crappy, but able to at least get up and get it together. Shaking hands, headache, sick tummy for sure, but mobile at least. Hour by hour it got worse and worse. Usually by noon I was full out useless, sick as a dog, with more anxiety than ever.
So glad I stopped.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Germany
Posts: 2,058
Everyone is different in terms of how the body processes the alcohol. Bottom line it is unhealthy period and I do believe hangovers are neg. effects of what alcohol does to the body.
I am grateful to be healthy here but I know that my years of drinking more or less does put me on a watch list. I am at more risk for things which only time will tell.
Good post!!
I am grateful to be healthy here but I know that my years of drinking more or less does put me on a watch list. I am at more risk for things which only time will tell.
Good post!!
Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Eastern, PA
Posts: 112
"How long did it take hangovers to turn into withdrawal?"
Thanks for bumping up this thread -- an excellent read. Being 42 years old myself i can truly relate. [BTW, I view my own alcoholism as often being directly related to a given situation -- work and the lackthereof, sports, hobbies, friends, living situation, gym membership, the woman situation, etc.]
Last night i went to Outpatient Rehab. They showed us an excellent film on addiction -- very good. It was, of course, anti-addiction (as if it would be 'pro addiction.'
). However i found it refreshing in its approach. It detailed the progression of our "disease." It went in to detail as to how and why someone might be a moderate drinker for years and years but then over time progress in to addiction. It went so far as to imply that one might enjoy moderate drinking for many years before being addicted. Very logical and comprehensive in its approach, IMO.
I should get the name of it.
Thanks for bumping up this thread -- an excellent read. Being 42 years old myself i can truly relate. [BTW, I view my own alcoholism as often being directly related to a given situation -- work and the lackthereof, sports, hobbies, friends, living situation, gym membership, the woman situation, etc.]
Last night i went to Outpatient Rehab. They showed us an excellent film on addiction -- very good. It was, of course, anti-addiction (as if it would be 'pro addiction.'
). However i found it refreshing in its approach. It detailed the progression of our "disease." It went in to detail as to how and why someone might be a moderate drinker for years and years but then over time progress in to addiction. It went so far as to imply that one might enjoy moderate drinking for many years before being addicted. Very logical and comprehensive in its approach, IMO.I should get the name of it.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 166
I have really enjoyed this thread. Thanks again for bumping this thread up.
When I first sobered up I didn't think that I had ever suffered from withdrawals. It has taken me 19 months of sobriety to see how sick I was and how I really had crossed that imaginary line. Living under sober skin has shown me what my body is suppose to behave like. The difference between me with alcohol in my life, and without alcohol in my life is like night and day. I look better, I feel better, I am happier, I get hair cuts more often. I brush my teeth more, and this list could go on and on.
My poor wife had to put up with my drunk a$$ for ten plus years. I don't know how she did it. So, here is my experience...
The Experimental Phase: Age 15 to 21.
My first drink was the week I turned 16, technically I was 15. After that I would drink every six to nine months. I always drank by myself. I would sneak upstairs into the garage and drink a couple tall glasses of wine. I never had a hangover, I didn't feel too guilty about it. And life was manageable. I feel I didn't have a problem at this phase. I was just a normal kid finding out what alcohol was doing to me. I was drinking alone, which was how I did most of my drinking up to age 32. But, at this stage it was so innocent.
The Why am I Doing This Phase: Age 21 to 22
I don't remember exactly when, but sometime around the age of 21 alcohol clicked for me. I was out with a friend of mine and I got a 24 ounce Coors Light. Downed it in 20 minutes and ordered another. That day stood out to me. It was the first time that alcohol gave me that wonderful, carefree, fuzzy feeling that I fell in love with. Within a couple months of this I was drinking something everynight. Even if it was only one or two drinks. I started to have hangovers. Two of the hangovers I had were particularly bad. Not only did I puke when I was on my way to bed but I also puked several times the next day. I even called the Ask-a-Nurse line and told them what had happened. They said not to worry about coming in because it just sounded like mild alcohol poisoning. Don't drink so much next time, was basically what they said. During this time I remember finding a book that discussed drinking problems. It had four or five questions and I was positive for all but one. I remember thinking how strange it was that according to the book, I had a problem with alcohol. A little hand waving and denial took care of that and I was good to go.
Mild Hangovers Almost Every Day Phase: Age 23 to 25
I ended up transferring from from one university to another and I kept myself in check for about three semesters. I got good grades, did well in all the other parts of academia and ended up securing a spot in a graduate school. My tuition was waved and all I had to do was study do a lot of research and get a Ph D. My life was going great. So, I started drinking every single day. My senior year in college I drank every night. That was the first year in my life that I realized that I had drank everyday for a year straight. I was surprised that I could do something like that. I remember feeling irritable and cranky if I didn't have alcohol. The hangovers were now daily but I could still function well.
Grad School and Feeling Sick from Drinking Phase: Age 25 to 29
After my first year of grad school I started hitting the sauce hard. I didn't have homework to do, and I was working in a lab five days out of the week. The was the first time in my life that my evenings were 100% free. So, I drank. The hangovers were considerably worse but still manageable. I felt sick, I didn't enjoy it, but I could function OK most days. This is also the phase that I noticed anxiety. If I had to talk to someone higher up the ladder than me I really had to concentrate to keep my nerves in check. I knew the anxiety was getting worse but I still hadn't correlated it to the alcohol. I started missing one or two days every couple of months because I was just too sick to make it in. This is also when I started binging on the weekends. I also found that I would wake up at 3:00 or 4:00 am and not fall back asleep unless I had some extra beer around. Yes, this is the phase where I started drinking in the morning. If I knew my adviser wasn't going to be around then I would even show up a bit intoxicated at 8:30am and start my day. My anxiety manifested itself in jittery movements and a small but noticeable amount of stuttering.
First Job, First House, Small Town Phase: Age 30 to 32.
After grad school I got a job and a house in a small town with a lot of cops. You know how you have to get more alcohol if you run out and you haven't quite hit your buzz? Well, instead of quitting drinking to keep from driving around drunk I started keeping extra large amounts of alcohol around. I would buy four or five days worth so that I didn't have to leave the house to get more. I started drinking around the clock if it was in the house and I could avoid work. I even cut back to four day work weeks and used Mondays like I used to use Sundays.
This is the phase when my anxiety increased a lot. Instead of mild anxiety I started to have these feelings of impending death and horror. I started making a habit of pacing in the basement of the house after a heavy night of drinking to “walk off” the nerves. I was also starting to notice dull green and blue lights when I walked into dark rooms of the house. I am assuming that these were mild visual hallucinations. I began to have vertigo, if I bent over at work and stood up then I would feel really dizzy and that in itself would bring on a panic attack. A guy at work told me that he could smell the alcohol on me. He looked like he was joking but it freaked me out a lot. I was extremely self contentious after that. I was starting to assume that if anyone got close enough to me they would smell the booze from the night before.
The last night I drank I polished off a 30 pack of Keystone Light. The next day I paced frantically for six or seven hours in my basement. I felt like I was too intoxicated to drive through the small town so I begged my wife to go get me something to drink to calm my nerves. She didn't, and thank God she held her ground with me. I ended up going to urgent care and the doctor gave me Klonipin and Prozac. Three days later I started living the AA program to the best of my ability. I admit I still have problems with the higher power part of it. But, it does work if you work it. The day after my last day I drank I think I was having some audible and visual hallucinations. If I saw a picture out of the corner of my eye and looked at it the people's faces would become strangely distorted in a frightening way after I looked away. It was like my minds eye was twisting the recent memories and leaving them in my mind to torment me. It was not fun. Not fun at all. I also heard strange far off cries for a few days after I quit. I knew they weren't real but they were a bit disturbing. The cries sounded a lot like the mummies in the Zelda game, Ocarina of Time. If you know that game they are in the market place at some point in the game.
I can safely say that alcohol f*cks with your mind. I hope I never go back. Thanks for reading... Oops, almost forgot the best part.
Sobriety Phase: Age 32 to ??
I hope I never have to get another 24hr chip from an AA group. I hope I get a lot of chips but I hope that none of them are ever repeats. I love my sobriety and I love the new life that I have been building for myself. Sobriety rocks. Also, I started seeing a psychiatrist and that really helps me a lot. It might help some of you too. So give it a try.
Thanks. Hope I wasn't to wordy...
Oh, I highly recommend Prozac to take the edge off of your life. It is now a critical component of my recovery. I don't know how long I will use it but it does help me now.
When I first sobered up I didn't think that I had ever suffered from withdrawals. It has taken me 19 months of sobriety to see how sick I was and how I really had crossed that imaginary line. Living under sober skin has shown me what my body is suppose to behave like. The difference between me with alcohol in my life, and without alcohol in my life is like night and day. I look better, I feel better, I am happier, I get hair cuts more often. I brush my teeth more, and this list could go on and on.
My poor wife had to put up with my drunk a$$ for ten plus years. I don't know how she did it. So, here is my experience...
The Experimental Phase: Age 15 to 21.
My first drink was the week I turned 16, technically I was 15. After that I would drink every six to nine months. I always drank by myself. I would sneak upstairs into the garage and drink a couple tall glasses of wine. I never had a hangover, I didn't feel too guilty about it. And life was manageable. I feel I didn't have a problem at this phase. I was just a normal kid finding out what alcohol was doing to me. I was drinking alone, which was how I did most of my drinking up to age 32. But, at this stage it was so innocent.
The Why am I Doing This Phase: Age 21 to 22
I don't remember exactly when, but sometime around the age of 21 alcohol clicked for me. I was out with a friend of mine and I got a 24 ounce Coors Light. Downed it in 20 minutes and ordered another. That day stood out to me. It was the first time that alcohol gave me that wonderful, carefree, fuzzy feeling that I fell in love with. Within a couple months of this I was drinking something everynight. Even if it was only one or two drinks. I started to have hangovers. Two of the hangovers I had were particularly bad. Not only did I puke when I was on my way to bed but I also puked several times the next day. I even called the Ask-a-Nurse line and told them what had happened. They said not to worry about coming in because it just sounded like mild alcohol poisoning. Don't drink so much next time, was basically what they said. During this time I remember finding a book that discussed drinking problems. It had four or five questions and I was positive for all but one. I remember thinking how strange it was that according to the book, I had a problem with alcohol. A little hand waving and denial took care of that and I was good to go.
Mild Hangovers Almost Every Day Phase: Age 23 to 25
I ended up transferring from from one university to another and I kept myself in check for about three semesters. I got good grades, did well in all the other parts of academia and ended up securing a spot in a graduate school. My tuition was waved and all I had to do was study do a lot of research and get a Ph D. My life was going great. So, I started drinking every single day. My senior year in college I drank every night. That was the first year in my life that I realized that I had drank everyday for a year straight. I was surprised that I could do something like that. I remember feeling irritable and cranky if I didn't have alcohol. The hangovers were now daily but I could still function well.
Grad School and Feeling Sick from Drinking Phase: Age 25 to 29
After my first year of grad school I started hitting the sauce hard. I didn't have homework to do, and I was working in a lab five days out of the week. The was the first time in my life that my evenings were 100% free. So, I drank. The hangovers were considerably worse but still manageable. I felt sick, I didn't enjoy it, but I could function OK most days. This is also the phase that I noticed anxiety. If I had to talk to someone higher up the ladder than me I really had to concentrate to keep my nerves in check. I knew the anxiety was getting worse but I still hadn't correlated it to the alcohol. I started missing one or two days every couple of months because I was just too sick to make it in. This is also when I started binging on the weekends. I also found that I would wake up at 3:00 or 4:00 am and not fall back asleep unless I had some extra beer around. Yes, this is the phase where I started drinking in the morning. If I knew my adviser wasn't going to be around then I would even show up a bit intoxicated at 8:30am and start my day. My anxiety manifested itself in jittery movements and a small but noticeable amount of stuttering.
First Job, First House, Small Town Phase: Age 30 to 32.
After grad school I got a job and a house in a small town with a lot of cops. You know how you have to get more alcohol if you run out and you haven't quite hit your buzz? Well, instead of quitting drinking to keep from driving around drunk I started keeping extra large amounts of alcohol around. I would buy four or five days worth so that I didn't have to leave the house to get more. I started drinking around the clock if it was in the house and I could avoid work. I even cut back to four day work weeks and used Mondays like I used to use Sundays.
This is the phase when my anxiety increased a lot. Instead of mild anxiety I started to have these feelings of impending death and horror. I started making a habit of pacing in the basement of the house after a heavy night of drinking to “walk off” the nerves. I was also starting to notice dull green and blue lights when I walked into dark rooms of the house. I am assuming that these were mild visual hallucinations. I began to have vertigo, if I bent over at work and stood up then I would feel really dizzy and that in itself would bring on a panic attack. A guy at work told me that he could smell the alcohol on me. He looked like he was joking but it freaked me out a lot. I was extremely self contentious after that. I was starting to assume that if anyone got close enough to me they would smell the booze from the night before.
The last night I drank I polished off a 30 pack of Keystone Light. The next day I paced frantically for six or seven hours in my basement. I felt like I was too intoxicated to drive through the small town so I begged my wife to go get me something to drink to calm my nerves. She didn't, and thank God she held her ground with me. I ended up going to urgent care and the doctor gave me Klonipin and Prozac. Three days later I started living the AA program to the best of my ability. I admit I still have problems with the higher power part of it. But, it does work if you work it. The day after my last day I drank I think I was having some audible and visual hallucinations. If I saw a picture out of the corner of my eye and looked at it the people's faces would become strangely distorted in a frightening way after I looked away. It was like my minds eye was twisting the recent memories and leaving them in my mind to torment me. It was not fun. Not fun at all. I also heard strange far off cries for a few days after I quit. I knew they weren't real but they were a bit disturbing. The cries sounded a lot like the mummies in the Zelda game, Ocarina of Time. If you know that game they are in the market place at some point in the game.
I can safely say that alcohol f*cks with your mind. I hope I never go back. Thanks for reading... Oops, almost forgot the best part.
Sobriety Phase: Age 32 to ??
I hope I never have to get another 24hr chip from an AA group. I hope I get a lot of chips but I hope that none of them are ever repeats. I love my sobriety and I love the new life that I have been building for myself. Sobriety rocks. Also, I started seeing a psychiatrist and that really helps me a lot. It might help some of you too. So give it a try.
Thanks. Hope I wasn't to wordy...
Oh, I highly recommend Prozac to take the edge off of your life. It is now a critical component of my recovery. I don't know how long I will use it but it does help me now.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 957
This question is hard 4 me to answer.
Was a binge drinker, never everyday, could drink for a day or two or three then have a massive hanger after. So bad at times: headache, nausa, vomiting, and very shaky, then during other binges, never a hangover.
I just know it wasn't that hangover that got me to sober up, it was the consquenances that followed.
Was a binge drinker, never everyday, could drink for a day or two or three then have a massive hanger after. So bad at times: headache, nausa, vomiting, and very shaky, then during other binges, never a hangover.
I just know it wasn't that hangover that got me to sober up, it was the consquenances that followed.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Midwest
Posts: 450
I think it started a few months ago this year when I woke up completely hungover, but this hangover was so much different than my regular hangovers. I got in the car, and had the shakes so badly that I had trouble controlling the gas pedal because my legs/feet were trembling so badly. Then I knew it was definitely withdrawal when I had to take 2 shots of vodka just to feel normal enough to read the newspaper.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Ohio, USA
Posts: 316
I appreciate all the timelines and responses here. My hangovers progressed very quickly, possibly because I'm female. I don't know. I was drinking heavily every night with larger binges on the weekend. My "ugh, I feel sick" hangovers turned into daily physical breakdowns. I stopped being able to digest food, it just went right through me. I had constant abdominal pain. I wanted to wear sunglasses everywhere I went because I couldn't stand light. I trembled a lot. I couldn't carry on a conversation. I lived for that nightly escape, when all the physical and psychological pain would clear. I was harsh, cold, and fiercely alone, but I was highly functional-- especially when I could get ahold of Valium to take in the morning. Straight A's, never missed a class, threw myself into my work, even kept a couple friends.
I noticed the withdrawal when I couldn't get alcohol for an entire night. I would pace all night, unable to concentrate, sweating and jumping at every little noise. One night, I faded in and out of agitated, racing thoughts and a half-sleep of horrible nightmares. I woke up feeling broken inside and out. It was harder to write it off as some other unknown cause when it happened again a few months later when I couldn't get alcohol.
I was 19 years old.
I noticed the withdrawal when I couldn't get alcohol for an entire night. I would pace all night, unable to concentrate, sweating and jumping at every little noise. One night, I faded in and out of agitated, racing thoughts and a half-sleep of horrible nightmares. I woke up feeling broken inside and out. It was harder to write it off as some other unknown cause when it happened again a few months later when I couldn't get alcohol.
I was 19 years old.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 166
Originally Posted by WatchTheSky 
I appreciate all the timelines and responses here. My hangovers progressed very quickly, possibly because I'm female. I don't know. I was drinking heavily every night with larger binges on the weekend. My "ugh, I feel sick" hangovers turned into daily physical breakdowns. I stopped being able to digest food, it just went right through me. I had constant abdominal pain. I wanted to wear sunglasses everywhere I went because I couldn't stand light. I trembled a lot. I couldn't carry on a conversation. I lived for that nightly escape, when all the physical and psychological pain would clear. I was harsh, cold, and fiercely alone, but I was highly functional-- especially when I could get ahold of Valium to take in the morning. Straight A's, never missed a class, threw myself into my work, even kept a couple friends.
I noticed the withdrawal when I couldn't get alcohol for an entire night. I would pace all night, unable to concentrate, sweating and jumping at every little noise. One night, I faded in and out of agitated, racing thoughts and a half-sleep of horrible nightmares. I woke up feeling broken inside and out. It was harder to write it off as some other unknown cause when it happened again a few months later when I couldn't get alcohol.
I was 19 years old.
I noticed the withdrawal when I couldn't get alcohol for an entire night. I would pace all night, unable to concentrate, sweating and jumping at every little noise. One night, I faded in and out of agitated, racing thoughts and a half-sleep of horrible nightmares. I woke up feeling broken inside and out. It was harder to write it off as some other unknown cause when it happened again a few months later when I couldn't get alcohol.
I was 19 years old.
What kind of liquor were you drinking and how long have you been sober now?
Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 166
One guy I know from the meetings told me that he would see monsters and really frightening things while he was coming off the alcohol. So glad that didn't happen to me. He said that there would be monsters/demons standing next to his bed watching him. He knew they weren't real but he said they looked real and they were really unnerving.
At what point do withdrawals become DTs? Does anyone know?
But for the grace of God.
At what point do withdrawals become DTs? Does anyone know?
But for the grace of God.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Ohio, USA
Posts: 316
AA4Life- I have 22 days sober, 20 years old now. I'm a junior in college and I'm going for a Ph D. in clinical psychology and a career in research. I got the chills when I first read your story from ages 23-25 because it is so similar to how I envisioned myself in grad school if I didn't quit drinking. Actually, 25-29 sounds very much like me too. I can relate a lot! I see a psychiatrist too and being on the right meds (for bipolar disorder) really helped me to quit drinking.
I believe withdrawal becomes DTs when hallucinations become very vivid and convincing. Tachycardia, hyperthermia, all the physical signs are there too. Seizures are definitely the DTs, but I don't think seizures have to happen for the withdrawal to be classified as DTs. Is there an exact line that separates them from other withdrawal symptoms? It's a good question that I can't fully answer! I know my withdrawal wouldn't be considered the DTs, but I did have extremely vivid nightmares that I thought were real. I don't remember what I saw but it was terrifying.
Sending you a message with my answer to your question about what kind of liquor I was drinking so I don't take over this thread with more of my own stuff!
I believe withdrawal becomes DTs when hallucinations become very vivid and convincing. Tachycardia, hyperthermia, all the physical signs are there too. Seizures are definitely the DTs, but I don't think seizures have to happen for the withdrawal to be classified as DTs. Is there an exact line that separates them from other withdrawal symptoms? It's a good question that I can't fully answer! I know my withdrawal wouldn't be considered the DTs, but I did have extremely vivid nightmares that I thought were real. I don't remember what I saw but it was terrifying.
Sending you a message with my answer to your question about what kind of liquor I was drinking so I don't take over this thread with more of my own stuff!
Laozi Old Man
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 6,665
Originally Posted by AA4life
...He said that there would be monsters/demons standing next to his bed watching him. He knew they weren't real but he said they looked real and they were really unnerving.
At what point do withdrawals become DTs? Does anyone know?
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 12
Found this thread by googling "4 dah hangover".
Im 30. Been a binge drinker for about 12 years. I get very drunk about once a week or sometimes twice and abstain other days. The amoumt i drink has stayed about the same over 12 years and if anything i drink less frequently now due to the hangovers.
So yea. Hangovers. I used to get just the basic half day hangover until about age 28. At that point they started lasting 2 days and came with extra shame anxiety and depression. Now im up to a full 3 or 4 days of it. The first day is really bad with headache and all. Days 3 to 4 im a bit more functional but just feel totally exhaustes and have cripplimg anxiety guilt and depression. I also get night sweats and wake up in the middle of the night. By day 5 im back to about baseline and by day 6 or 7 im ready to get wasted again.
Yea its a problem and i need to stop. But i also would love some kind of medical explanation for why these hangovers have gotten so crippling lately.
Im 30. Been a binge drinker for about 12 years. I get very drunk about once a week or sometimes twice and abstain other days. The amoumt i drink has stayed about the same over 12 years and if anything i drink less frequently now due to the hangovers.
So yea. Hangovers. I used to get just the basic half day hangover until about age 28. At that point they started lasting 2 days and came with extra shame anxiety and depression. Now im up to a full 3 or 4 days of it. The first day is really bad with headache and all. Days 3 to 4 im a bit more functional but just feel totally exhaustes and have cripplimg anxiety guilt and depression. I also get night sweats and wake up in the middle of the night. By day 5 im back to about baseline and by day 6 or 7 im ready to get wasted again.
Yea its a problem and i need to stop. But i also would love some kind of medical explanation for why these hangovers have gotten so crippling lately.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 215
dunno a medical reason why but it happened for me at 30, it was like a switch went on, hangovers were now like death warmed up ... physically, mentally I was mostly OK
by 33, ....... anxiety, tight chest, feeling of impending doom, shame, guilt, remorse
so I gave in to the morning drink .... which signalled to me alcoholic drinking, which I'd been doing for years really, but I always swore when I started the morning drink I'd quit
I drank on two more years. By then I had decided I'd quit once I started shaking in the mornings.
Never did wake up physically shaking & came to find out in sobriety, 30% of alchies never will shake, some just never get the classic DT's.
I was bloody near dead though, physically, emotionally & spiritually.
I was planning a way out with a barbell & a high jump.
I sure miss drinking :p
by 33, ....... anxiety, tight chest, feeling of impending doom, shame, guilt, remorse
so I gave in to the morning drink .... which signalled to me alcoholic drinking, which I'd been doing for years really, but I always swore when I started the morning drink I'd quit
I drank on two more years. By then I had decided I'd quit once I started shaking in the mornings.
Never did wake up physically shaking & came to find out in sobriety, 30% of alchies never will shake, some just never get the classic DT's.
I was bloody near dead though, physically, emotionally & spiritually.
I was planning a way out with a barbell & a high jump.
I sure miss drinking :p
Recovered from Hopeless State
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: New Jersey, USA
Posts: 2,156
Originally Posted by CarolD
There are some who think hangovers are
mild symptoms of withdrawals.
mild symptoms of withdrawals.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: ask
Posts: 23
I know this is an old thread but I signed up after seeing this because most of you have experienced or are experience what I have been also
This is a first for me.
RECENTLY:
This might be the last straw. I skipt Friday But Started again on what would be last Saturday Drinking. Went hardest I have ever on boos Saturday-Sunday, Then Drank Monday-Wednesday every day after work. Was drinking Straight Vodka Mostly. Went through about a gallon (I think?) the whole time.
Last Wednesday night I decide thats far enough time to sober up and maybe drink some this Saturday. Well here is what happened.
I woke up Thursday Shaking and drenched in sweat and so dehydrated there was absolutely no saliva in my mouth. Got up and went to work anyway. The whole day I was Shaking and sweating a little. My anxiety was so high I couldn't sit still, my hole body was sore though I was depressed, feeling like doom was near, feelings of strong regret, and a mind set I had never even had. It didn't even feel like it was me. I had diarrhea, a panic attack, and my whole insides hurt. I went to bed like this was miserable. I didn't eat the whole day. I finally dosed off about 2 hours before I needed to be up and had a Horrible nightmare then.
I wake up Yesterday Shakes are gone but still in a cold sweat and a bit dehydrated not as bad as the day before though. I go to work and still can't eat anything I'm sore all over and my stomach hates me so I just drink water all day. My head is a lot clearer but I still have pretty high anxiety. I finally ate a real meal before bed even though I wasn't hungry.
Went to bed and CRAP! Here come the shakes, sweating and panic attack. BAD panic attack, I thought I was going to get my fiancé up to take me to the hospital. It finally calmed down and I dosed off about 3 hours after I went to bed. I woke up today feeling actually very good have been eating normal, most body aches gone was just a little dehydrated. But now I have a FEAR of taking a drink right now. I don't think I ever want to go through that again. Two days and nights of pure hell, if that was light withdrawal I can't imagine what full on would feel like.
This is a first for me.
RECENTLY:
This might be the last straw. I skipt Friday But Started again on what would be last Saturday Drinking. Went hardest I have ever on boos Saturday-Sunday, Then Drank Monday-Wednesday every day after work. Was drinking Straight Vodka Mostly. Went through about a gallon (I think?) the whole time.
Last Wednesday night I decide thats far enough time to sober up and maybe drink some this Saturday. Well here is what happened.
I woke up Thursday Shaking and drenched in sweat and so dehydrated there was absolutely no saliva in my mouth. Got up and went to work anyway. The whole day I was Shaking and sweating a little. My anxiety was so high I couldn't sit still, my hole body was sore though I was depressed, feeling like doom was near, feelings of strong regret, and a mind set I had never even had. It didn't even feel like it was me. I had diarrhea, a panic attack, and my whole insides hurt. I went to bed like this was miserable. I didn't eat the whole day. I finally dosed off about 2 hours before I needed to be up and had a Horrible nightmare then.
I wake up Yesterday Shakes are gone but still in a cold sweat and a bit dehydrated not as bad as the day before though. I go to work and still can't eat anything I'm sore all over and my stomach hates me so I just drink water all day. My head is a lot clearer but I still have pretty high anxiety. I finally ate a real meal before bed even though I wasn't hungry.
Went to bed and CRAP! Here come the shakes, sweating and panic attack. BAD panic attack, I thought I was going to get my fiancé up to take me to the hospital. It finally calmed down and I dosed off about 3 hours after I went to bed. I woke up today feeling actually very good have been eating normal, most body aches gone was just a little dehydrated. But now I have a FEAR of taking a drink right now. I don't think I ever want to go through that again. Two days and nights of pure hell, if that was light withdrawal I can't imagine what full on would feel like.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 174
Great read! I don't think i can really pinpoint exactly when my hangovers started turning into withdrawls but I do remember recognizing the difference. I always new, because by 4 or 5 pm, when i would normally be breaking loose of the early morning hangover, out of nowhere, another more sinister creature began making an appearance - withdrawl symptoms!. They always came the same time of day and after a while, they were brought on by only a few days of continuous drinking. Early on i would have to hit it hard for a couple weeks for me to show withdrawls - now 2 or 3 heavy days would be enough. Ill will never forget how they felt and how every second felt like an eternity when trying to get through them.
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