When will I level out?
 

Hi Everyone,
I am still sober since NYE 16 and I have run through every emotion countless times and although nowhere near as bad, the brain fog is still here. I was binge drinking 2 bottles of wine 3/4 times a week by the end of last year and I understand it will take a long time to fully recover physically but I am really struggling emotionally. I get frustrated at myself for not going to the gym as I feel much better after it but I am so tired. I have no patience with my 8 yr old and snapping at my husband continually and I am constantly angry. I have been on many nights out with friends and I actually don't miss alcohol so can't understand why I feel like I do. I was just wondering if anyone else felt like this, is it just part of the process?

It's definitely part of the process LittleBlue. Congrats on almost 4 months of sobriety! We have to learn how to face our struggle and life's ups and downs, and it is not easy. Do you do any sobriety specific work like meetings, counseling,etc? Just "not drinking" is sometimes not enough.

Hang in there girl. It's part of it. I went through emotional crap about the first year. 6 to 9 months i noticed a difference . I think you're over the hump. Just give it time. The brain is healing. It's going to be OK.

I push myself to try new stuff- even if I do not want to.

Thanks folks, I am not comfortable with the idea of meetings, I am quite a known person in our small community as I am part of a charity group so I tend to be in the local news regularly and I don't want to have the stigma of my alcoholism taint the work we do. I have read alot and follow some blogs but SR has by far been the best tool in my recovery due to the fantastic support shown by it's members.

i know for me part of the reason why i struggled emotionaly and such is because for years i jsut numbed all that out with booze rather then coping and dealing with stuff in a proper way or well learning to do that in a proper way. I also think that perhaps something was jsut simple screwed up inside my head and i needed time to heal.

I probably came out of the fog per say at about 3 months. but things didnt really start to sometimes feel normal till a year or more sober to be honest. NOt htat things didnt get better they sure did it just was a slow process for me. I also had 0 support the first year too didnt go to meetings didnt even post here so its possible that slowed my progress to maybe I dunno.

Examine your diet. Are you eating fast food? Sugar foods? Drinking diet sodas or regular sodas? Energy drinks? Dirty water?

Even outside of drinking people have mental fog and issues because of poor diets and or over eating.

Cutting out the booze is a huge step in the right direction but I have said before people get into health trouble and mental issues from poisoning themselves with the foods that surround us.

Take some time and research what you are eating throughout the week.

I have a history of feeling terrible from eating foods that bother me while not even drinking. It took the process of elimination to make me feel at ease.

You may want to have your hormones checked also. Just a thought.
Mine made me a little crazy. Mad and irritable!
Hope you feel better soon....

Thanks everyone x

It took me several months this last time around sobering up before I saw any light.

My wife loves the gym and goes each workday morning at 5 AM. Truthfully, I don't care for it much but, the rewards found there are great ones for the mind, body and soul -- keep pushing.

Good luck,
Bob

How you feeling now LittleBlue, if you don't mind me asking?

You are a few weeks ahead of me, but I've definitely felt that some of the flatness and irritability is lifting.

wow drinking with a family is so strange to me, so is drinking with other people for that matter

I am not quite sure what you mean.