Sanantoniosober

So here is what's been going through my mind periodically-

I start to feel some of the old hangoverlike symptoms, fatigue, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, and a nice scratchy throat like I vomited multiple times after drinking too much.

My rational mind tells me that I will be fine, just a cold, whatever.

My irrational mind tells me this is the years of alcohol abuse catching up to me, that after 8 months my body needs alcohol so much, it is trying to shut down unless I give in.

Never mind that I had indulged the irrational in the past (the first few times I quit drinking I would indulge and obviously feel even worse afterwards), and know better, but that thought that I keep getting sick because the alcohol "won't let me go" plays through my head each time I feel under the weather.

Anyone else experience this?

Sanantoniosober

No one?

alphaomega

I'm sorry I don't understand.

Are you sober 8 months ?

Sanantoniosober

Ah. I must have been unclear in my post.

Yes alpha, I am 8 months sober, after 10 years of heavy drinking. I have this feeling like I am trying to outrun the alcohol, and it feels like I'll have a good bit, then the alcohol abuse catches up to me again.

alphaomega

So what Im hearing is that you are concerned that the heavy drinking has taken its toll on your health ?

If that is the case, have you been checked medically.

Sanantoniosober

Went to the d

alphaomega

And........what was the outcome....

Sanantoniosober

Been to the doctor a couple of times including today. Everything checked out, except for a run of the mill cold.

Rational me says now that I have some meds (just a minor steroid for energy) I should be fine.

Irrational me says it's still the drinking.

Sanantoniosober

Sorry for the partial post. Trying to do this on my cell phone.

alphaomega

I'd think after 8 continuous months of sobriety chances are you are well on your way health wise.

Sanantoniosober

I think so too. That is, rational me thinks that, lol.

Thanks for posting alpha.

Like2Hike

Congrats on 8 months, Sanantoniosober. You're much healthier without the alcohol.

Sanantoniosober

Thanks like. No matter what I know I am much better off than the hell I was in the last several years.

Thanks for the support.

freshstart57

This 'irrational mind' is also known as your AV, or alcoholic voice. It never says anything except everything to attempt to convince you to drink. Your AV would happily convince you to drink on your deathbed while you lay dying of alcohol related illness, thus hastening the process. It will play on any fear or self doubt you have to accomplish this. It has one goal - to get you to agree to drink until you have lost everything you value, including your life.

You seem to understand that these thoughts of drinking again aren't rational. Maybe it will help you to understand that you do not have to follow your irrational mind - that would be irrational, by definition. Continue to recognize the source of these thoughts, separate your rational thinking from them, and believe in your ability to stay sober. You got this, SanAntonio. Onward!

Threshold

It took about a year of sobriety for me to realize that not everything in life is related to alcohol...to drinking or to not drinking. There is a whole Universe of feelings, experiences, issues good and bad that have nothing to do with booze.

Relationships sometimes fail due to things other than booze. Sometimes I feel good without booze, sometimes I feel crappy and it has nothing to do with a hangover or lack there of. I am now free to explore the realities of life for what they are, not with the knee jerk reaction that it HAS to either be caused by a drink, cured by a drink or the result of not drinking.

LadyBlue0527

This is a screaming AV

It's also contradictory. Your body is going to shut down if you don't give in and drink? What's it going to do if you DO give in and drink? That's the more important question.

I've never seen drinking improve anything.

Sanantoniosober

THANK YOU THRESH. This is something I am slowly learning as well. It's not always because of the alcohol, sometimes people just get sick.

It's been years that drinking was the cause of so many problems, I guess that's a mental block to work through. But I'm trying.

Doug39

When I used to feel physically crappy I always just figured "it's a hangover".

Now at 89 days sober I still have bad days. - I always feel like crap in the mornings.

Hopefully things will get better but I miss having alcohol to blame my physical & mental problems on!!