Irritable
 

1 week for me, no alcohol. Is being irritable a part of detoxing? The last couple days been like that for me. Last night I wanted to smoke, which I'm also trying not to do. When I get pissed, I wanna smoke...knowing I cannot drink alcohol anymore :( And I wasn't happy last night. Many reasons. I want my own bedroom too, not share with husband. My own bed, peace and quiet. Wanna run away...Sorry, vent over.

1week is good, Nono. Share, read, post, join a thread or 2 (24, class of Feb '17, Whiner's for example)- learn. PJ

It was for me. I was very (VERY) sick when I quit last Feb so a lot of the first weeks is hazy, but I had "irritable spurts" along the way.

Stay the course- everything keeps smoothing out, getting better, and becoming clearer and calmer the longer you are sober.

Are you working a program?

I often heard to tackle one thing at a
time. Which means, remaining sober
is a huge task in itself. Learn all you
can in how to build a strong solid
recovery foundation to live your
life upon for many sober days ahead
of you to achieve health, happiness
and honesty.

Stay focused and responsible for your
own recovery moving forward. :)

Hey, Nonotyet. Welcome. Feeling irritable is absolutely a normal response when we stop drinking. I was more weepy than irritable. I would have preferred irritability.
Be good to yourself. Quitting drinking is huge. So is quitting cigs. Both at the same time? Ginormous.
Myself, I would take it one thing at a time. Get some good solid sober time, then try again on the cigs. The first few weeks of sobriety are an emotional roller coaster. Things will settle down in a while. Good luck.
Andif you want to sleep apart from spouse and you have the room, go ahead. Getting good sleep is super important in the early days.

No program...yet. Only program I'm on is scared ********. I get results of tests this Thursday. I am thinking residential treatment and AA. And of course these forums. Thanks everyone.

I am off to get take out tacos. It makes me happy.

AA was a godsend to me in the early days. Can't speak to residential treatment because I don't have the experience. Again, good luck. Hope it all works out for you.

Yes, irritability is 100% normal in early sobriety, as is anxiety.

Your brain got accustomed to being artificially sedated, and when you take away the sedative, there's a rebound effect.

Fear is a good initial motivator for getting sober, but it rarely works as a long-term strategy. The idea is to continue to want to be sober more than you want to be drunk, on an ongoing basis, no matter what happens in your life. This usually means making some fundamental changes.

For a start, why not join one of the Newcomer's Daily Support threads here on SR? Here's a link: Newcomer's Daily Support Threads - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

Regular participation here can help get your quest for a sober life off to a running start.

If you read the AA literature (the Big Book ) you may come across the description 'restless, irritable and discontent '. Unfortunately this isn't just about detoxing. It is also pretty common to alcoholics generally. A result of the alcoholic mindset. This is why recovery programs / plans are recommended. Getting sober is one thing. Recovery is something much more. It's that recovery and the altered perspective that it brings, which can make sobriety comfortable enough to be sustainable, and eventually preferable to drinking.

When you look at the 12-step program of recovery you can see that only the first step even mentions alcohol. All the rest of the steps are about altering our perspective and finding a way that we can live life on life's terms and find acceptance and serenity.

Wishing you all the best for your recovery. BB

why are you waiting to find a programme nonotyet?

D

Berrybean said it all! Start getting into the AA program and over time all the things you have gone through and will go through will make much more sense.

I got ascities, so I was resting and on Meds. Still am. so did not leave house at all.

Hmm, getting sober and recovery. I thought about that today. I like that.

sounds usual, the irritability.
and i hear you on wanting to run away....once i didn't run away by drinking anymore, all kinds of discomforts became apparent.

glad to hear you're looking to take action...don't wait!
You don't need the medical results before you take more action.

I was super irritable and weepy the first week and a half. It gets better every day. Hugs.

nonotyet,

Irritable and anxiety were common moods for me early in sobriety. That will soon pass. I hope that your liver doesn't have permanent damage and staying sober will guarantee that no more damage to your liver and other organs.

Good luck and keep coming back.