INSECURE

My husband is a recovering alcoholic/addict for almost 9 months. Most of the time he is wonderful and I 100% sure he is not using. About once or twice every 2-3 weeks he appears to be intoxicated or high. These episodes only last about an hour. He swears that he is not doing anything. When these episodes occur I do not smell the alcohol smell that I use to smell when he was drinking but sometimes I do detect a smell between alcohol and nail polish remover. His blood sugar has been checked and is fine, he has also have liver panels done and the indicator of alcohol use was not elevated. He complains of occassional dizziness, tierdness, and not being able to sleep. He does admit small occassional memory issues, but says it is nothing like when he was using. He says there are times that he feels like he is drunk from alcohol but still denies using. He is randomly drug tested and alcohol tested at his work, 3 times in 6 mo and has passed all test. I am about to worry myself sick and so are our 16 and 11 yr old daughters. I am so desparate to know if anyone else has experienced these issues.

Jadmack25

Some recovering addicts take up to 2 years to get to what could be called "normal", some never do.
It depends on their body make-up, how long and how badly they used and what was used.

The brain is a wonderful organ, but can't completely repair or renew dead or damaged areas, tho it can and does sneak round the backroads to get a job done.

9 months may be too soon for your AH and he could still be in repair mode for a while yet, and may never recover completely.

Regularly seeing his Dr, having tests and staying away from his DOC's is all he can do for now.

Hope he will get thru this difficult time soon, and you also.

God bless

barb dwyer

Insecure -

of course I can't tell youwhat your man's reality is -
but I am going on four years clean and sober.

On some days,
if I get startled by something ...
sometimes it happens if I have to 'fly out of bed'
and can't take time to get myself together for the day....
or if I'm exausted...

I will move as if I'm drunk.
Stumble, uncoordinated...
hit the doorway trying to walk through the door,
drop stuff I'm trying to pick up...

I told the doc it felt like I didn't have my body on right.

There's a condition called PAWS (post alcohol withdrawal syndrome)
There's a sticky about it over in the alcoholism forum.

*my* damage appears to be permanent -
since I'm so far down sobriety lane.

I'm careful about being startled
and I ten to WAKE UP uncoordinated
and it will last ... all day.

It's EXACTLY as if
when I 'got back' from dreaming...
I didn't get into my body right.

I hope you'll read up on the condition of PAWS...
maybe even discuss it with your man.