BrokenChains

I am struggling with no energy or motivation to do anything. I've abused my body a lot over the past several years with alcohol and drugs and I know my body is going to take a while to repair itself and sort itself out.

Is there anything I can do to help the healing process along?

I wake up in the morning with horrible fatigue. I just feel so tired that everything is a struggle to do.

firestorm090

Hi BC,

Doing a few dishes, wiping the counters, taking a short walk are ways I've overcome my lack of energy and focus. Just doing something small seems to help get the gears moving again, a wee bit at a time.

angee

i started taking vitamins esp. the b12, and d3...not a doctor..but it helped me alittle. ive read that many addicts are nutrient deficient. see a doctor have he/she test you to see what your body needs. also, i am reading a book "staying clean and sober: complementary and natural strategies for healing the addicted brain" i got where i work, discusses amino acids..maybe worth looking into...i am still in search for myself...nothing works over night..that's what i keep telling myself anyways.

Dee74

Hi BC

it's pretty normal to feel that way for a while - like you say we beat ourselves up pretty good for a long time.

Apart from a good multivitamin, I just made sure to eat well, keep active, and tried to get as much sleep as I could at night....if not sleep, rest at least.

Your body and mind are healing - you'll find you'll get your energy and motivation back.

See your Dr if you're worried
D

Anna

Have you talked to your dr and had a physical exam? Drinking can mask a lot of other issues that become apparent when we stop drinking.

And, definitely take vitamins, especially B vitamins.

And, move your body whether you feel like it or not, for just a little while every day.

Aurora80

Another person recommending the B vitamins. Make sure to take a B complex though... it's not good to take too much of one B and not enough of another. Exercise helps, if you can find the motivation. Or if not, force yourself to do things around the house. When I woke up today I felt like worn out garbage, and I made myself clean the house and I felt so much better... more energy and more peace.

GettingStronger2

Along with a good vitamin with the Bs, I would highly recommend a high-quality fish oil supplement. Helps rebuild cells, including those in our brains! It has helped me a ton.

julez

I find that the more I move, the better off I am. When the blood gets going, you can sweat out the toxins, flush out your system, and feel better faster. Maybe this isn't for everyone but it works for me!

shaun00

I think fatigue is pretty common in very early recovery....it was with me anyhow..
Its not surprising really, if we smashed our bodies to bits for years

Heres some things i started doing that helped with stamina and energy and still do.

Removed most if not all fat from my diet.
Loads of green vegetables.....loads of bananas and some fruit.
Loads of filtered water
No red meat......or dairy products.

A brisk walk of about a mile a day......take the water.
early nights with meditations in the morning for half hour.

That might help......it helped me..........BEAR IN MIND IM NOT A DOCTOR..and if your real concerned. the doc is the place to get a qualified look out.

good luck

BrokenChains

I've already had a doctor checkup and all of my tests come back normal.

I pretty much feel worn out from the time I wake up and all throughout the day.

When I feel this tired, it's hard to get motivated to do anything.

I know exercise would help but I can't get myself motivated to go out the door and do it.

The fatigue and tiredness is so bad that is causing problems in my life because I'm not getting the important stuff done.

And that leads to disappointment in myself.

I'm already taking a multivitamin and I know I need to add a B complex vitamin to that.

I should go exercise tonight. IF I could make myself do it.

artsoul

I empathize with you - I had NO motivation to do anything for over a month. At about 2 months things started getting better, but even then, I found that I had to make myself start things. Once I got going, it wasn't as hard to keep the momentum up.

Into my 2nd month things improved a great deal and at 3 months, I've got more energy than I've had in 15 or 20 years. So, it will take time (and who knows how much it will be for you) but I can sense that my body is so much happier now. Hang in there! Oh.... also, I found that if there were too many things going on, I got very stressed out and had brain glitches. So, I deliberately tried to keep it low key.

angee

i know how you feel. i have been struggling too. no motivation.
i recently started taking mega buzz..which has bee pollen and other natural ingredients in it. it does help. but like anything else you have to believe in it. i work at a health store (started right after i went off opiates 3-4 months ago). try a health food store near you. they can't and won't perscribe but should be able to help you.
someone else mentioned omegas...dha and eha can help for many things, one of them being energy.
i am not a doctor, therefore, you should discuss anything recommended on here with your doctor or a pharmacist. any herbs especially (don't take if on blood thinners).
natural medicine is good, but you still have to be careful and no what you are doing. check your multivitamin and see how much d3 it has in it. i take 1000 IU a day. it supposedly helps fatigue, as well as a mood elevator and chronic pain.
hope this will help..
let us know if you find anything that helps you!!

Chakra

I too am struggling with lack of energy. Its only day 3 but wow...no motivation. I am going to make myself get out of bed today but I just don't know how much I can do. I am encouraged by the posts that say it gets better so thank you for sharing that peeps!

angee

also..many people mention to get some exercise. i am a new member as of yesterday and have ran 3 times now. it does help. you may not feel like it, but just force yourself to. most things don't work right away, however, this morning i got up at 3am. couldn't sleep. was in tremendous pain. so, i went for a run around 6am and feel more energized. it is something that worked right away for me. i gotta keep doing it but i feel alittle better right now. every little bit helps!!

Toronto68

Broken, I've had some of that. I would even say that it felt like my ambition was broken after I quit drinking, so that was a bit of a smack in the face. I've only been taking vitamin supplements about a month, so I haven't noticed any difference through those; but I did see some improvement by forcing myself to be more active - not major forcing, mind you. It seemed like a combination of things to keep up with, including rest, was helpful. My approach was kind of similar to what Dee said, ie, I recognized I had NOT had balance in my life for a long time, so the body and mind needed time to adjust, and I think it has been getting better. Some people mention specific musts and must nots when it comes to diet. I don't agree or disagree there, but I found I had a natural inclination to eat a lot of different things after I quit drinking, and I went with it -reincorporating fruit into my diet, for example, which is something I rarely bothered with in the past. Somehow that variety seemed to be a good thing for me. With the exception of ice cream, I am at a point where I like natural sweets now. I have an additional challenge with my smoking, but I am making the best of things where I can. Some people probably get a charge out of seeing a list of things they have done in a given timeframe (starting with one day) and that is food for the brain.