TwelveSteps

I have had serious insomnia and it's basically how I got addicted to alcohol. What helped me is realizing that not sleeping sucks, but it's not the end of the world. People with infants don't sleep right for months on end. And I found that even on nights when I didn't get much sleep sober, I felt better in the morning and more energetic than when I had drunk two bottles of wine to get myself 8 hours of sleep.

Hang in there. Just keep remembering that this will pass, and once it has you'll feel a lot better about yourself if you've gotten through it without drinking thanif you give in. 15 days is a huge accomplishment, don't start over again at day 1.

GG

BullDog777

you're in the middle of a crap bout of drug induced/alcoholic related insomnia...soldier through it...you're atleast half way there.

the month i didn't sleep i watched the WW2 DVD series Band of Brothers every night during the withdrawal process. i figured if the real heroes of WW2 could go days and nights without food, water or sleep, during a horrible war..... this was a cake walk in comparison.

it really helped me through it.

remember...if you just outlast the worst of what this can throw at you. this could be the last time you have to feel like this...ever.

chin up.

BD.

least

Hang in there Sleepie! Please don't put yourself back to day One. Keep busy. Do anything but drink. I'm cheering for you to make it. My first month was so hard but I didn't drink one day at a time and now I'm coming up on ten months. You can too!!

Lenina

sleepie,

You might want to try these CD's I use: "Deep Sleep with Medical Hypnosis." I got mine at Barnes and Noble but you could check Amazon. It takes some practice but it's worth it. I usually do some meditative breathing before I turn on the CD.

If it's at all possible, try to set a strict schedule for yourself. Get up at the same time every day and go to bed at the same time. Our bodies like to have a routine. Ask your doctor/therapist about helping you establish a bed time routine. It helps to ritualize it, I think.

I know how awful it can be to not get restorative rest so I wish you the best. Let me know how it works out for you.

Love,

Lenina

sleepie

Thanks all. As for a strict rule, my work schedule is erratic and I sometimes don't get out until 12 a.m. or eleven and other days I am done at 8 or 9 so that's a little hard. i pretty much just grab sleep whenever I can. I have too much going on, it's more than I can handle right now I just want to rest, I am feeling run down and was sick for a couple of weeks and nobody at work will cover a single shift for me even though I have already covered for some And now I am off and running again.

Che

I know 40 is probably an exaggeration, but seriously don't drink too much tea... I guess it's not so bad if it's herbal (no caffeine), but eating/drinking before bed will keep you up and disturb your sleep... It's good practice not to eat an hour or two before bed.

I drank a lot of tea too, but I've realised it's stressing me out more so I don't have it regularly anymore.

In any case, seriously congrats on making it more than two weeks! Remember that 3 weeks ago you were frustrated you could hardly make it a day. You are doing really good, so just keep trying new things until something really helps.

sleepie

Thanks. I was drinking chamomile. Everyone says it relaxes you. Not the case. Oh well. I am working a long shift tomorrow, I thought I had the day off, I took 2 benadryls so I can get to sleep somehow because I have to go go go tomorrow I'll have a benadryl hangover but oh well. Tonight I was promised to get out 30minutes early but I did not get to because the guy I worked with kept leaving for like 30 minutes at a time and leaving me with a line of customers. Thanks for reading the ongoing saga of monotony.

Nevertheless

Hang in there sleepie. 15 days is quite an accomplishment. (it sure was for me anyway) The days will get easier. Yes there will still be some really tuff ones, but they WILL start getting easier. And if you stick with this, one day it will be late in the evening, and you will look back and think, HEY you know what? I just made it all day without thinking about booze. Your thinking Nooo way, but thats what I thought also. I drank for 30 years, and to go all day without thinking about a drink is true freedom. Stick with this.
Fred

DayTrader

Keep it up Sleepie. At least yer not dealing with the guilt and shame of having to know (and admit) "Well guys, I did it again......back to day 1." I dunno how monotonous your days feel but this new monotony has GOTTA feel better than that old monotony!

I don't wanna sound preachy or to beat a dead horse, but I'll reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally encourage you to consider working a program of recovery. Maybe I've missed it in your posts (my apologies if I have) but be wary of falling back into the cycles that I used to do: quit drinking.....go through all the detox/physical withdrawal, feel miserable, settle into this "new" life, get bored, go back out... 'wash/rinse/repeat' -- for the changes to "stick" I had to incorporate a lot of changes into my life.

sleepie

I'm not bored, I am way to busy- monotony was the wrong word I guess I meant thanks for reading even though it must be boring to you. For me I am over extended and sick and tired and I do not feel like drinking but I do feel like I am going to break down if I don't get some "me" time. I pretty much hate my life right now. I can't believe how assuming some of the people I work for are, I work 8 hours straight today no breaks because our management sucks and minimum wage I feel I am over worked for far too little in compensation.

sleepie

Plus I had to cancel my dr appointment because they did not let me know I was working til yesterday and so now I have to wait to see about switching meds cause mine no longer work apparently anyway something's awry and I can hardly maintain gotta go "put on the face" for work, that means smile and be nice I am at my rope's end