soberKOS

I started going sober just over a week ago. I was always a binge drinker, drinking every other night, so 3-4 nights a week. On these nights, I would drink anywhere from 10-20 units. So quite a bit in a week.

After going sober last week, I started to feel lousy, which I expected. As of today, I still have headaches every day, I feel tired and spacey, and basically just feel like I have the flu or something.

Is this normal? If so, how long does this last?

Thank you,

KOS

Dee74

I think it's very normal.

If you're like me you drank for years - it's probably going to take longer than a week to feel ok

welcome to SR soberKOS
D

Coldfusion

Welcome to SR!

What's normal for one person may be a serious symptom for another--check with your doctor. In general, the longer you're not drinking, the better you should feel.

Maybe you DO have the flu?

caboblanco

wow. I was like exactly the same drinker you were. a binge drinker 3-4 nights a week. except i would drink 18 to 24 beers each time. I did this for two years and just quit just like you. I think for binge drinkers the withdrawal is not as bad in general but i don't know for sure. like you, i never drank everyday. I didn't like drinking when i was hungover. keep in touch. Earlier today i felt really anxious but I'm feeling better already.

AngelBabe

It does get better I can attest to that. This last time it took me longer than anytime before. My hands still shook a month later but that too eventually stopped.

soberKOS

Wow, that is interesting. We did have the same drinking pattern. I hated to drink hung over as well, thus the day off in between binges.

ZombieAttack

Hey there.

I am approaching 70 days sober and still dont feel amazing.

This takes time to get over.

Caldus

I was a daily drinker and also hated drinking when hungover. I would just wait until after dinner (if I did actually eat) to drink again that same day.

least

As Dee said, it takes longer than a week to heal from the damage we've caused ourselves. Give yourself time and see your doctor if you continue to feel lousy.

paul99

Exactly. It was sheer folly of me to think that the damage of 25 years of drinking would disappear after a week or two. Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually - all these areas were devastated by my alcoholism. My wife told me later on that I was a zombie for the first three months of sobriety. Even though I felt a LOT better than I ever did, there was a lot of other things going on in the background that needed to level out and play out. And it just takes time. Working a program of recovery helps a great deal, but it all takes time.

Hope you feel better soon.

LadyinBC

I was also a binge drinking. Could drink everynight and sometimes I would go on 3 - 5 day binges. I felt the crappiest at week 3. Was the hardest week for me.

You really do feel up and down, but it does get better as the months go by. Just hang in there!

wallup

Congrats on your 1 week!!

Yes, it does take time to feel better, but I think you will find each and every day little things here and there make it all worth it. It gets better and better with time.

Admiral

Yea I feel that way a lot. I feel... frozen if that's the right word to describe it. My mind seems to move in slow motion, I can just sit down and stare out a window or at the wall for minutes at a time and just zone out. School is tough because I don't want to talk or be involved, I get mild headaches and find that I can't get out of bed before ten. I've been forgetting things, like names of people I work with, my bank account number... It's kind of scary sometimes.