Defeated
 

Hey guys,
I'm posting before I drink. I'm really struggling today. Any encouraging words are appreciated 😃
ST

Hi SobrieTee, you aren't needing anything alcohol has to offer.

Glad you posted.

What's the struggle, is it anything we can help you with? A bad day or just the AV?

Thanks for your response! I'be been thinking about drinking for weeks. I am having an anxiety attack and want to escape. But I know I can't drink.

Good job on coming here first SobrieTee. You know that drinking will make everything worse, why make yourself struggle even more? Take a walk, read a book, get some food, watch a movie, there's lots and lots of things that you could do that would help you feel better.

If you need some other motivation read your last thread - and remember how awful you felt when you drank last time. That's exactly where you'll end up if you drink again today unfortunately.

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ithdrawal.html

Thanks, scott. You are absolutely correct.

I have those too Sobrie Tee. Often.

I was listening to sounds of rainfall on youtube and that helped at times.

But drinking always just brings you back to square one.

You can get through it.

Well done for posting first, SobrieTee .

Are there any fellow sober alcoholics that you can call?

An understanding voice on the phone helped me to avoid that first drink when I was anxious in my early days.

Play the tape forward

Oh, SobrieTee, I'm so sorry to hear you're suffering anxiety attacks. Please, please don't drink to try and fix them! When I detoxed last year I suffered severe anxiety attacks for days, and here's what helped me:

1. Putting new age music on my mp3 player and going for long walks whenever I felt an attack coming on. You may feel like you're dying but you're not, and the exercise WILL even out your heart rate. The heart rate and tight-chested feeling often drives the anxiety attack to keep going, and forcing your body to adopt a different rhythm can help.

2. Swim. Cool/cold water on your face lowers the heart rate as well, because humans (like seals) are conditioned to have slower heart rate when diving into cold water.

3. Drink chamomile. Drink it a LOT. Mainline that stuff.

4. If your stomach's off from the anxiety, take a gas-X. Anxiety often makes us nauseous by generating extra gas.

5. Surround yourself with comforting objects and put on the most soothing TV or movie you can find. I usually sit surrounded by pillows and stuffed animals, sort of tucked-in with a blanket and watch Parks and Rec or Animal Planet shows. Watching stand-up comedy can help, too.

6. Get mad at your anxiety. Tell yourself it's a dick for trying to trick you into thinking you're dying, because you're not. Yell "SHUT UP" to the worries in your head--out loud if you have to (I recommend doing this in private, heh). Talking to myself (if alone) was always helpful.

7. Take vitamins or herbal supplements (but consult your doctor first). I take an herbal/vitamin supplement called RainbowLight Mental Calm, which has B vitamins, a few herbs known for treating anxiety, chamomile and lavender. I take it if I feel an anxiety attack coming on and it heads it off at the pass. In general, there's a lot of factors that can cause anxiety. If you're detoxing, often your anxiety is worse because you're deficient in nutrients. Namely, B vitamins, magnesium and minerals like zinc. Sometimes just taking magnesium citrate can help lower your heart rate and stop the panic.

We all care about you, SobrieTee, and hope you make it through this. The anxiety WILL pass. It always does.

You most likely woke the beast when you drank back in September. Revived, it is going to try every trick that has worked in the past, and for you that seems to be tied to anxiety.

But as you know, drinking only makes it worse. Stay close to SR.

1. Take a deep breath.
2. Accept that you're anxious.
3. Realize that your brain is playing tricks on you.
4. Question your thoughts.
5. Use a calming visualization.
6. Be an observer — without judgment.
7. Use positive self-talk.
8. Focus on right now.

Excellent job on posting before you drink. Others have offered better advice than I could, so I'd listen to them. But good job.

How are you doing now SobrieTee? :)

D

I hope you didn't drink. Not worth it. Ever.