Dexter1007

Ghostlight1

I know I felt like I was dying. For years. Sometimes wishing I would.
But I know how you feel. It's a terrible and scary feeling. The things I did was lay in bed and try to eat and nurture myself.
Glad you went to the doctor. Don't let this drive you mad, or back to drink.
It will pass.

totfit

I have been following these forums and an average of once a week someone is worried about something they are afraid they have done to their health because of drinking. I think this is an absolutely normal response to have after a "wake up call". We can even become obsessed with the damage we "may" have done. We get a checkup and all we can rationally do is trust what the Doctor says. "Hard to believe that I could escape serious damage and there is something going on, I just feel it.", is still a normal thing to feel. I went through a lot of changes when I stopped drinking. I was physically ok, but am a lot better today. I finally decided I just had to have faith that things would be ok or even better and start putting one foot in front of the other knowing that alcohol no longer had a place.

wiscsober

Certainly my obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes were caused by drinking, smoking, awful nutrition, chemical highs, etc...

dying no unless the cancer has me and I don't know it....

I just didn't want to die drunk or kill myself.

Good question.

doggonecarl

I vote for this.

Health anxiety is common in early recovery. And you've expressed this anxiety in your previous threads...and nothing serious has revealed itself.

So, if you doctor says you're fine, try believing her. And if you want your health to improve, stay sober.

JazV36

nez

I was scared shiftless in early recovery. Scared I couldn't do it. Scared I wouldn't do it. Scared I was stuck in hell forever. Scared I was a lost cause. Scared of alcohol. Scared of not having alcohol.

Compound it with the fact that everything I was feeling and experiencing was new to me which scared me even more. So yes, in my experience what you are feeling is normal.

izzy1962

I felt like I was dying when I stopped every time. Eight days ago, I was sure I was dying so I saw a Dr. When I was sober 10 years, some of my co-workers, younger people - joked around about hangovers and if they drank too muck. I told them
"normal people get sick when they drink, alcoholics get sick when they dont".

I think what you are experiencing is normal. Frightening,but normal.

Dee74

I was terrified I was dying but that was the anxiety that my withdrawals had started to gift me.

Please do see a Dr if you're really scared Dexter. Peace of mind is everything.

D

JazV36

abgator

Actually you have done physical damage to yourself and it's not just mental. Or maybe I should say that your mental damage is a type of physical change. Our alcoholism altered the chemistry in our brains and it takes time to correct itself. But it can and will repair itself as long as you stay sober. The anxiety will go away.

resolute50

Simply answer.
Yes, I felt like I was dying.
Honestly the 2nd night of no sleep, sweat soaked sheets, I got up at 3 am and told my wife" I loved her in case I didn't make it till morning".
My blood pressure was super high and anxiety was out of control.

Would I do it again to be free from the bonds of alcoholism.
Simple answer: Yes.

Dexter1007

ClarkGrizwold

Yes. I felt this way several times early on (first 2 weeks) and then it just went away. Crazy heart beat, sweeting and just feeling like I was going to die. I would find someplace quite and lay down for an hour or so and just close my eyes and listen to music and space out, that always seemed to help me in the moment. It will PASS my friend .

PS. I was drunk for 23 years! NOW I AM NOT!

JazV36

NYCDoglvr

In early recovery I was a total wreck and sometimes wished I would die What kind of program do you have? It's hard to grasp early on but all feelings pass.

Doggiema

joe801

I had extreme fear, not necessarily of dying just overall malice, dread, feeling of being disconnected, outside the loop if that makes sense. And then the slingshot effect of hyperactive senses, especially while trying to drift off and sleep. I had to remove all mechanical clocks from bedroom, the ticks were so "loud", the roof then settled from summer heat = I had to run the AC fan all night just to drown out any "little" noise that would drive me crazy. Same things were happening to smells and lights.

I would say its normal unfortunately.




From my experience I had GI upset for many years before I even quit. It was probably a good week or two before I had what would be considered healthy coherent formed bowl movements.

Gottalife

I was on my last legs when I got to AA. Given 6 months by the doc if I didn't stop, and a number of my rehab buddies had already died. It wasn't just a feeling, there was no doubt I was dying.

From another point of view, in order to recover, I had to ditch my old ideas, values, wrong thinking, ego, in fact the old me had to die in order that I could be reborn. And reborn I was!

I had trouble with anxiety as I began the process, but the further I got into it, the less frequently the impending doom cloud came, until it vanished altogether and a whole new world opened up to me.