Day one of quitting
 

I'm new here, and decided to quit drinking for the third time. I was able to stay sober for a month about a year ago and a week this year. I drink about a pint a day, sometimes on days off work more. It's not negatively effecting work or school for me, but health wise it is. Only normally eating mornings then drinking as soon as I get home from work until I can sleep.

The reason I started drinking like this was to combat anxiety and insomnia. I start school for registered nursing in a month and I knew I won't be able to do my best if I continue on like this. I'm looking for a little support and information on getting through that initial hangover.

I remember when I went cold turkey last year I was miserable, was awake for 5 days straight, severe chest pain, anxiety and nausea. I'm dont remember what made it so bad then. I stopped drinking in the early afternoon yesterday, and took a Benadryl late at night. Today I've been pounding water and plan to take 2 Benadryl at night, hoping it'll put me to sleep. Then tomorrow intake as much water and food as I can tolerate. When I stopped for a week I was fine, only intolerable the first day.

Thank you for listening and I really hope I can make it through this withdrawal.

Hi Son, welcome and good stuff on the nursing- wanting to stop relying on alcohol. With those symptoms I suggest seeing your doctor to manage this. If you are finding alcohol a problem (it is not the amount sometimes- but the behaviour) have you thought of going to a SMART or an AA meeting? Keep posting.PJ

Welcome to the family. :) The good thing is that you never have to feel like this again if you just stay sober. :) I hope we can help you do that. :hug:

Welcome Sonkein. Good advise to see a doctor. In my experience the first week to 10 days was the worst, but then after that it got noticeable better by the week. Reading around here really helped me get through it mentally. Almost literally if I wasn't working or sleeping I was here reading. Hope to stick around.

I wanted to avoid going to my health care provider as to not have to miss work over this and then to know my condition. Also I scheduled a physical about a week ago and it was a 3 week wait, to close to starting school. I have also considered attending AA. I'm sure I can do this after getting over that withdrawal. Thank you for the support .

welcome, wonkier.
way to go on your decision and posting. since you say you drank to combat anxiety and insomnia, it suggests you will deal with these again when not drinking and that planning for strategies other than drinking will be required.

seems like you have settled on a temporary solution for possible insomnia....what are your thoughts on how to deal with probable anxiety?

Welcome, sonkien.

The first few days are the hardest physically for most people. Get through those -- and I agree you should talk to a dr if your withdrawals start to be worrisome -- and then start working on a plan so you can stay sober.

PS -- just read your post that you're open to AA. The AA program doesn't "work" unless you're willing to accept it, but if you are -- well, I'm sure I couldn't have stayed sober as long as I have without the AA program.

Welcome sonkien and congratulations on your decision to quit! I deal with anxiety too and used to try and "self medicate" with alcohol but eventually that stopped working too and my drink Actually made it worse.

Initial detox can be rough...as others have mentioned, don't be afraid to seek medical help if you need it. And regarding your anxiety, of you haven't sought help for that specifically consider that too down the road.

You have made a great choice, and things will get better!

I went through a breakup like situation with an ex a few years ago and developed anxiety almost immediately, accompanied with auditory hallucinations. After a few days of it my friend suggested I drink. I do not know if I'll still have the anxiety when I'm sober but I feel a racing heart currently. I'm fearing having insomnia tonight but hoping the Benadryl works. I think the fear of people knowing my habits is bringing on the racing heart. I will consider seeing a doctor if the withdrawal gets out of hand tomorrow. Is that something I can go to the ER for?

Also when I broke my sobriety of a month last year to drink a couple times, the fear of being awake for 5 days again scared me into keeping it going. Dumb mistake, I could've been sober a whole year.

Absolutely, the ER is very adept at dealing with alcohol withdrawal. You could also probably contact your regular doctor proactively too.

Welcome to SR Sonkien:)

D

There is an official code of conduct for registered nurses, and if you intend to make that your career, you want the alcohol, and any other chemical addictions, permanently out of your life. Trust me on this.

Even if you get a DUI as a nurse, outside of working ours, it will cause big problems career wise. Some nurses get away with the first one, but not without difficulties, and the board of nursing will find out. Do your homework on the implications of alcohol and drug violations.

My advice, given your career choice, is to fix this problem discreetly, and permanently, and to never allow anyone to label you as an alcoholic or an addict. I would stay completely out of the social service system for addiction, since you will have to apply for your nursing license.

Nice to meet you Sonkien

Nice to meet you too soberwolf

I would go see your Dr. They put me on a Librium taper for 6 days. Worked wonders. Insomnia is still there. I'm hit or miss. One day I'll get 8, the next, barely 4. You just have to be upfront with your Dr. You're not the first and you won't be the last. My Dr. knows my history. Knows I was sober for 4 years and just recently had a relapse. He helped today just like he helped me then.
Good luck on your journey to sobriety. It's a wonderful world to be in

sonkien,
my apologies for the bizarre 'wonkier'...i'm trying to get used to an ipad and it does all this autocorrecting and i don't always catch it. ouch, so sorry.

yes, go to the ER, and a racing heart may also be a purely physical thing, so getting that checked out is always a good idea.

Sometimes it not possible to fix things discreetly, tho.

I had a friend here who was a nurse. She died.

I don't know the full circumstances - that's the drawback of SR friendships - but I often wonder if she'd sought help earlier whether she'd still be here.

If you need help please don't hesitate to get it Sonkien, even if that means seeing a Dr or going to the ER.

Nothings more important than your life.

D

I have to agree with Dee on the need for medical detox, Sonkien, whether through your doctor or in a hospital. Particularly given your described symptoms described above.

I know heaps of nurses, at various stages of their careers, both in AA and as fellow patients in rehab. Getting appropriate treatment at the start clearly helped them to go on to BE the good nurses they are, and to get not only their registration but later promotions. It's a no-brainer, Sonkien - if you think about it: there are just as many medical professionals who need help with their substance addictions as in any other industry. It's the ones who don't seek initial help who get struck off, de-registered, and so on. As you say, you really do want to start your nursing training in a month. You won't be doing that if you don't get safely through the first week or so of physical withdrawals.

As an aside on Algo's comment: 'even' the author / founder of Rational Recovery - AVRT does indeed clearly recommend getting medical help via a doctor or in ER for detox. See pages 31-32 'Detox - the short of it', in the 1996 edition of 'Rational Recovery'.

In my own opinion, he rather too blithely skates through and over it. But he does not state trying to hide it. His main argument, as you know Algo, is more about not signing up for 'further addiction treatment'. Which is neither here nor there for someone starting out like Sonkien. That's a whole other issue which is her responsibility and choice.

Just curious how your nurse friend died.