mikiglen

yep, that's what i said. i need help.
i am going insane.
my mind is racing with stupid, stupid stuff, so much so i can't sleep. bills, to old boyfriends, to detox, to kids, etc etc. IT WON'T SHUT DOWN.
the leg tapping, the shakes, the constant hunching of shoulders from tense muscles.
BUT, and i still don't get this. the heavy head.
the overall body so exhausted it can't move as a whole. it's an effort to walk.
i just fed my baby a bottle and i had so much trouble sitting still with him for that thirty minutes.
i know you guys have been here.
what do you do for speedy mind, slow body?
any suggestions welcome
thanks again

c'est la vie

Have you tried yoga? Maybe some simple, slow stretching exercises may help too. It might help you to focus on something like your breathing for a short while to clear your head.

michski

Exercise quieted my mind in early recovery.. still does.
Is it anxiety? The heavy head thing sounds like a sinus infection.

Can you get to some meetings? I clean the house or do something physical when I'm feeling nuts. Usually helps to exhaust myself totally.

Sugah

I had this problem a lot in early sobriety and still on occassion get it now. Funny to get up this morning and read this -- I only slept about two hours last night.

It was suggested to me that I get up and journal my thoughts to purge them. Maybe that might work for you?

What I eventually found, which almost always worked, was to put on some music and practice prayer and meditation. I liked special "mood"/meditation music (Indian flutes, wind chimes, thunderstorms), but any kind will do. I just caution you that if you try it, you find something instrumental. Words are a distraction that always sent me off spinning in another direction.

It does get better!

Peace & Love,
Sugah

mikiglen

thanks for the suggestions. i did journal....on here, of course, in my own little thread, lol
i don't understand how i can get quiet, deep breathe, etc, with four kids crazy in the house. maybe at nite, i will try this tonite if it recurs. usually i have my panic attacks and get frozen in the bed. this is mostly severe racing thoughts, paranoia, fear and anxiety all in one, it's miserable.
any thoughts on how to get through the day? my kids at home are 3 and 5 months, the 3 year old has behavioral issues, and i work from home on the phone.
suggestions always welcome
thank you so much

michski

There's a thread here for mothers who are in recovery.. check it out, maybe they all have some good suggestions and/or at the least you'll know you're not alone and be able to vent to those who understand.

I never went the motherhood route..I was too screwed up!

My hat and my heart is off to all you Moms out there in recovery! It must be sooooo much more difficult to manage.

You're doing such a good thing for yourself and your kids!! I'm sure other Mothers will come to your aid soon! Hang tight!!

Emily2002

I've been in that boat much too often, myself. My mind's going the moment I hit the sack, so I've taken to reading EVERY night before I turn off the light. If your better half can't fall asleep with the light on like mine, try one of those clip lights that you can attach to your book. Usually, I'm tired enough to fall asleep. The hard part is waking up later... Typically, the only thing that works for me is to lie still in my most comfortable positon, relax my body, concentrate on a color (yellow for me because it's happy) or a place, and then listen ONLY to my own breathing... Most of the time this works. It doesn't work every time, so I end up going downstairs to read some more (away from my bed) until I get sleepy and then go back up to start the process again. Good luck, girl! My four are older now, but I distinctly remember life when then were 6, 4, 4, and 6 mos. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

rose petals

OH I KNOW THE PAIN OF DETOX OH SO WELL--AS FAR AS THE RACING THOUGHTS YOU HAVE TO NOT THINK ABOUT THE RIGHT NOW--JUST THINK ABOUT THE TASK AT HAND ,DETOXING--DO NOT WORRY ABOUT OTHER things right now it will make the detox worse--you can do this--it does not help to think of these things now--i know it is seems scary to not worry but alot of the fear is the actual detox--think of these things if you must when you are done detoxing--i know this is exruciating both physically and mentally--there really is not a whole lot you can do --just weather the storm--just do minimally what you need to do to get thru the day--if you need help contact me
prayers
Laura
ps--ive detoxed with little ones it is so hard--hang in if you can--maybe a trusted friend or family member could come over and help you?

Time2Surrender

Are there any NA meetings in your area with child care?

Time2Surrender

http://portaltools.na.org/portaltools/MeetingLoc/ Toward the bottom of the page you will see a link for phone lines. I see plenty of mothers at meetings with kids. All ages. Some are younger than 5 months and others that defineatly have behavior issues.

jewels3nov

Hi mikiglen! I know exactly how you feel right now!

I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (I never had anxiety until I stopped using). My brain is always working overtime (a bit better now), and I can't sort out any of my thoughts..... it is really crappy feeling this way! I now see a therapist once a week... she told me that writing down your thoughts will help to clear out your mind. It does help me sleep a bit better. Also exercise of any sort will help. I joined a gym, I know this may be a bit of a challenge for you, however you could always join one with a day care? However I guess any sort of exercise would help? I also agree with c'est la vie, Yoga has really helped me as well!

Hang in there!