eve123

Here I am again at day 8. Had enough this time I pray. Hit today with huge anxiety pins and needles all over my head. Thoughts of my past washing over me in waves of shame guilt have rt regret humiliation and how the heck could I have done this again!!! I know why cos I’m an alcoholic. Although iv been past this point many times before I’m still reaching out because I need some advice and support that this will pass. Just feel my face heat up thinking about picking up again and how it makes me feel after. Sooooo ashamed of my past how I let myself down and let myself be made fun of and used. O well il pray on that stuff. But this anxiety and melancholy feeling? When will it pass please I feel out of sorts I do not ever want to go bk

ScottFromWI

Welcome back eve and congrats on 8 days sober. Anxiety is par for the course when quitting, and unfortunately it usually gets worse each time we cycle in and out of drinking/detoxing. The anxiety related to withdrawal is definitely temporary though, and you should be getting toward the end of acute withdrawal by 8 days. Are you seeing anyone to help you or participating in any recovery group/program? Quitting drinking is a huge step forward, but it is not a cure for all of our ills in itself. Even simple things like taking a walk or calming music can help with anxiety, others ( like me ) needed professional help to get our lives back on track.

ForestFrenzy

Hi eve,

Anxiety during early sobriety is awful, I know, but the longer you're the clean the less and less it shows up. For me, after a few months of sobriety and when I was looking back at progress, I realized it had been a long time since anxiety had its grip on me.

Actually, the thought of anxiety while I was drinking heavily is one of the deterrents I use when the AV pops up.

Have you searched any methods to help you cope when anxiety strikes?

One of my favorite mindful teachers, Eckhart Tolle, has some really powerful ways to cope with anxiety. I listen to him every morning on YouTube while I get ready for work - not to cope with anxiety but just to put my zen battle armour on. It comes in handy when you work in the corporate environment. At home and on the weekends, I play soundscapes like rain or a babbling brook as calming background noise. In fact, I'm doing that right now.

A great method for anchoring onto something when racing thoughts start stirring up the anxiety pot is to feel or listen to your pulse. The mind likes to time travel back and forth to the past and future. It's the present that's all we have. And the present is where your body will always be. So when you feel those thoughts start to emerge again and anxiety appears, breath deeply and count your pulse. I count from 0 to ten and then ten to 0 again and repeat until I feel calmer. You can do this subtly wherever you are, which is handy.

This will pass. Everything is fleeting. All that matters it the present. That's all we ever have. Make friends with it.

FF

silentrun

Hi Eve. Put some time between you and your last drink and you'll start to improve.

PhoenixJ

Hey Eve. The shame bit? Completely relate to this....it means you are not a bad person who did bad stuff drunk...but a sick person who did stuff they are ashamed of. Otherwise, why the shame? Stick to it...I suggest if you still feel like real crap- see a doc. I have major depression, the 'built in' kind..and tho it took some tweaking, the a/d really helped with my depression related anxiety.
Support to you.

Dee74

Hi Eve

I think we've all faced that shame and guilt - the best way I found to deal was to make my life I kind of living mends - do something nice for someone, as well as for yourself - feel better about the real you.

That you, in the past, is gone now

Stay sober, put up with the momentary discomfort and take solace in the fact that you're working towards never having to feel this way again

D