teetotaler1

Hi all. I'm very new to posting here, but I have been lurking for a year (also just about how long I have been sober). I have been having weird withdrawal-ish symptoms again (both mentally and physically) and my memory has been atrocious the past few weeks. Is this normal? I am wondering if maybe it's almost like a PTSD type thing because last year this time I was crashing and burning in all areas of my life.

Anyway, glad to finally be active on here

least

It could be Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, or PAWS. That can last up to a couple years from what I've heard. Inability to concentrate, memory problems, are some of the signs of PAWS. Google it to find out more.

If you feel really bad, or strange, make an appointment with your doctor for a checkup just to put your mind at ease.


Oh yeah, congrats on nearly a year sober!

Received

You know for awhile there, my memory was so crazy, I thought I was going to have to stick a name tag on my shirt just in case I forgot who the heck I was.

caboblanco

I get that too sometimes. I feel like really off for a couple of days sometimes. I don't know if that is what it is as im about 1 year like yourself. i just feel like sleeping all day

EndGameNYC

I drank heavily for many years, and so regaining my overall health took quite some time. I'm certain there are things I don't notice that haven't completely gotten better.

It takes time for a person to fully heal, but if you're concerned about your symptoms, then consulting with your doctor is a good place to start.

teetotaler1

Thanks everyone. I'm not so much concerned as disappointed I feel this way. It's that sort of nervous feeling I had the first months sober-along with just jittery. Oh well. The body is a weird thing and we tend to think we regroup immediately, or at least I do. Poisoning myself for half my life takes less than a year to undo I suppose!

CAPTAINZING2000

lol I can't even recall what a year for me was like. Grats to you on your year sober

Mags1

Hi teetotaler, wow a year sober, brilliant.
I've not got there yet but I know I'm changing daily, mentally. Good and not so good, not really bad days anymore.
But I wouldn't want to make any major changes in my life at this time. My thinking is so much clearer and almost clinical. So I imagine with another six months under my belt I will still be changing.
I'm sure it will settle down, but as you say, we put that poison inside of us for years, a year or two is nothing in the big picture of things.

aasharon90

1 YEAR SOBER is wonderful and it's ok
to celebrate and feel some anxiety or
various other feelings. It's like a child
celebrating their first yrs. birthday, so
excited with balloons, cake, giggles,
laughter.... such a joy.

Take your first steps with caution, hold
on tightly to those that will happily guide
you on your recovery journey to building a
strong foundation in recovery to live upon
for many more one days at a time down the
road.

Keep up the good work..!!!!

teetotaler1

I thought one year and I would be "cured"! Not at ALL! I am much more, um, serene, and competent at daily life, but yikers, still feel like jello when everyone else is concrete (if that makes sense)

soberclover

I've shared before how I was clean and sober for 13 years before my lengthy relapse. I'm now slightly over a year sober again. What I do know from my first round of recovery as well as this is that it is really common for many people to get squirrely around the anniversary of their recovery. I believe the theory that trauma imprints itself in our body. While our recovery gave us life back, for many it was a trauma that initially led us to decide upon recovery. I think what you are feeling is very normal for a person in recovery

Sanantoniosober

I get this, I'm coming up on a year soon, and about once a week I get that fuzzy feeling like I'm about to pass out. It rarely lasts more than a few minutes, but those minutes feel like ages!

It helps if I am eating right and getting sleep and exercise.