reggiewayne

Hey all. I am 11 days sober and have had the elated feeling since quitting. I have been going to meetings, reading, calling my sponsor, participating in this site, etc... I have basically been on cloud 9 since quitting. Well, yesterday I started to feel a bit tired, irritable, dis-content, and basically just a little Pissssed off. I know the BB says that these feelings are often the catalyst for the first drink. I have not thought of drinking but I do notice that I have these feelings.

I am looking for advice on how to combat these feelings. There is no real cause or reason, I think I'm just starting to feel real emotion and am no longer medicating it with booze. Normally when I'd feel like this it was a simple answer. It's Monday night, there will be a football game on, just buy some whiskey, light a fire, and watch football. I actually had something to look forward to that would make this mood go away (even though it was an artificial fix it was nonetheless, a fix).

I have prayed, asked my HP for help, and am going to a meeting in 30 minutes. I am just wanting to know what you guys do when you notice that you're not in the best mood. How do you turn that around before it turns into a trigger?

Thanks in advance everyone!

RW

yeahgr8

Starting work on the steps with my sponsor is the only reason i hung around in AA and stayed dry...have you started yet?

reggiewayne

Yeah man... I am working the steps - just in a foul mood. I sound like a whiner. I just haven't had any negative feelings since quitting and I'm surprised by them. I'm just afraid it will act as a trigger. That's all. Matter fact, going to a meeting really soon. Thanks...

least

I read somewhere, probably here, that the good thing about getting sober is that you get your feelings back. THe bad thing about getting sober is that you get your feelings back. It took me a while to realize that they're just feelings and not events. I don't have to act on them, just allow myself to feel them and then move on to something else.

That said, 11 days is very early in sobriety and can be a very up and down time for your feelings. Give yourself time, it will get better.

GettingStronger2

Crappy moods happen. Good moods happen. Good things happen, bad things happen. Sober or drunk, these things come and go. You deal with them by dealing with them rather than drinking them down and pushing them away, only to bubble to the surface later.

Its hard. Especially at first, no question about it. I know I wasn't used to having to deal with the emotions without drinking to make them go away, or take the edge off them. When they hit, they hit me hard. Now, I just deal with them. I don't drink, that's it. Period. Not an option. So instead, I feel, deal and heal.

LaFemme

Hi Reggie!

I have learned from many people here on SR, as well as my Coach that if you practice an attitude of Gratitude it is very hard for negative emotions to survive.

I did a lot of meditation on the actual feeling of gratitude early on, and now it is almost second nature. Give it a try:-)

UniqueNewYork

Hi Reggie. I made sure my girlfriend, brother, best friends, etc all knew that I don't want to drink anymore. Unfortunately I am weak when it comes to peer pressure. I can remember many times I did not drink because I was with someone who was truly on board with me on this idea of not drinking. I can remember times I did drink because I was around friends or acquaintances drinking.

As far as how do you turn things around before negative feelings become a trigger.. When I was really kicking butt with the AA thing I had a new obsession which for me was working out. I would lift weights and ride my bike or walk almost every day. Basically I was like "I've got all this time? What am I gonna do now?". My answer was to wake up every day and kick butt; like a total makeover. Physically.. Socially.. Spiritually.. I made lists to do to reach my goals. But yeah you have to stay busy. Find something you can get as passionate about and do as regularly as you were with alcohol.

johndelko408

There's a number of things i do. I call someone and let them know how I'm feeling, I go to meeting if no one answers or I can't find a meeting I pick up my guide to living, "the Big Book". I read one of the stories after page 164. Most of those stories seem to be worse than mine IMO. I don't want to get to that point so those stories help me a lot.

littlebluedog

Good days are just like bad days; Neither is permanent! That pink cloud comes and goes all the time. 11 days is wonderful, just keep doing what you're doing. Right now you're working on getting those tools to deal with life on life's terms. Just remember, it's one day at a time. Sometimes one moment at a time.

reggiewayne

Thanks everyone. I went to a meeting and now am in a good mood. It's funny, being sober means living in the moment (by default). Many days (esepcially Monday) my sole purpose / focus was getting over my hangover so I could go home and sleep. Other days when not hungover it was spent planning for my evening drinking. The booze not only consumed me when drinking, but it did when not drinking as well. Now, I don't have any of it and am grateful for it. I got around some people I like at a meeting today, shared a laugh, some stories, and guess what? I feel happy.

It's nice having real conversations with people. I used to talk and not listen and just pray the conversation would end soon so I could leave and go home. Never wanted to be noticed. There is power in relationships! Thanks for your help everyone!

TheEnd

The pink cloud thing is temporary, around 15 days that's when it started to evaporate for me. It comes, it goes, whatever......I can do without the pink cloud. I'm learning just feeling regular is pretty good, not necessarily overly up, or down, just in the middle. That works for me.

You're making big changes in your life so your bound to be discontent sometimes, just work through it and don't drink no matter what. You will have that pink cloud back only if you don't drink.

CarolD

It's true....my recovery gratitude can ebb at times too.

That's when Ipray for peace..and find someone interested
in recovery to share with.

Well done on your early sobriety.
keep the channel open...let recovery flow in and out.

Paraffinalien

Nice work Reggie, sounds like you are doing everything you should be doing in early sobriety.

As far as combating the feelings you are experiencing, i would suggest that you dont fight them. Restless, irritable and discontented is the natural state for alcoholics without a drink, the steps do give us balance in ourselves.

Be prepared to experience both highs and lows and expect the swings to become less extreme over time.

Over time we learn how to use the tools that deal with our emotions. Trust God.

omegasupreme

I'll refrain from commenting on pink clouds. We watch...for fear, anger, dishonesty, selfishness...we ask for God to remove these at once when they crop up...we turn and see how we can be of service to others. After all, our daily reprieve is contingent upon our fit spiritual conditioning.

smacked

Life happens.. we're just sober and taking notice of it now.

Continue on with your recovery.. as addicts we'll chase any high, even in the form of an imaginary pink cloud.

Glad you got out of your funk, good luck!