youngirish

Anyone experience this? The pink cloud has moved on.
I'm not having alcohol cravings like I did, but am having mood swings. I feel incredibly angry, bored, irritable, etc. I'm scared this means this is what I'm like sober and was masked by all the alcohol!
It's worst when alone. I'll stay up all night just wanting someone to be there. My goal for 2008 (aside from not drinking) is to stay single. Broke a date tonight for this reason which is good, but the lonliness sucks. It's so silly because I do have friends, playvollyball once a week, play guitar once a week, go out and see people all the time but as soon as I leave them I'm wondering who to go to next to not be by myself. When I'm alone like this I get all moody and want to be around people but it's an ungodly hour to be calling ppl for that reason, lol.
My mind just won't shut up. It's so negative, hard to see a better day coming. It was so easy just to drink to shut that voice up but now thats not an option and don't want to do that. Did anyone else experience this? Does it pass? The pink cloud sure did, lol, I hope this does too!

zxcirce

I'm 3 years in and still moody!

jk.

I did notice moodiness when I got sober. It turned into a full fledged depressive episode which I let drag on for way too long before I sought treatment. I started drinking because of mental health issues, and they were waiting for me when I sobered up.

It's normal to get moody in recovery, I think. You are learning new coping mechanisms and how to deal with life, and that takes time and trial and error.

Try to take it easy on yourself. If you find it is not lifting, seeking help might be a good idea. You don't deserve to feel like garbage when you're trying to get your life back together.

jimhere

One question-how long sober are you?


I agree, it is normal to be moody in early sobriety. In fact, any competent doctor dealing with alcoholics in the early stages (de-tox through about six months) would probably diagnose us as bi-polar because of the mood swings.

What you may be suffering is untreated alcoholism-in other words a sense of being restless, irritable, and discontent or of being dis-eased.

Try the 12 steps. If the depression is still there after that, seek help.
Jim

Rowan

Hi Irish,

I've found that I have been much less moody the longer I have been sober. The proverbial pink cloud comes and goes - I just have to stay focused and keep working hard at my recovery, especially so on the dark days.
I also swore off relationships - it's been nearly 6 months (a personal record!) and I got a letter from my ex tonight. Argh - I'll be doing some praying about this.
You're newly sober, you're single, and you're experiencing a lot of new feelings, I'm sure. My sponsor suggests that when I feel uncomfortable feelings, to just FEEL them, as hard as that may be.
You did the right thing by coming online and posting. It's good to share what we are feeling inside

youngirish

I've been sober 32 days. Might sound silly but I've sworn to not go to AA until I have 6 months because can't deal with the embarrassment of walking out that door again to not return. I've gone in and out probably 8 times. I am reading the books and stuff, but as for following steps I have no idea what I'm doing, do not understand the higher power stuff as I dont think I believe in god, and the thought of writing down everything I've done wrong and apolgizing to people for them sends my blood pressure though the roof!! lol I'm a wuss I know :-) Last time I went to AA someone who recognized me coming back rolled his eyes at me and some other girl came up and said "wow, we should make you the poster child for keep coming back" and get anxious thinking I"m going to recognize people at every meeting cause I've tainted so many. This is the longest I"ve ever been sober in YEARS and really want to keep it that way.
Rowan you are in my thoughts regarding that letter from your ex. That must be difficult. Congradulations on your six months! I'm crawling behind you trying to make that :-)

jimhere

Really try AA-and I don't mean the meetings. Find a recovered alcoholic and ask them to walk you through the 12 steps as outlined in the book Alcoholics Anonymous.

sweetnovember

I am on day 36 and I am going to AA. If you got that kind of response then I can see why it turned you off. There are so many meetings you may want to go to different locations to see if you can start over with new people. I think that the people in the meetings share very personal stories of pain and I am sure everybody is afraid someone in their public life will recognize them and tell people but for me I went anyway. I felt AA was another weapon in my war with alcoholism. Give it another try. Also it will give you some people to call on those bad days.

I am no expert but I can relate to the anxiety and moodiness. Alcohol is a depressant it dulls our mood and response. Without it you have to face all these feelings head on. Pretty hard stuff! I have been writing my feelings. This gets it out and it also keeps me from yelling at people as I go through this process.
Hang in there!

CarolD

Are you newly sober members aware of PAWS?

Check out this link please

http://www.tlctx.com/ar_pages/paw_part1.htm

Glad you are here SweetNovember...Welcome to SR!