Juse

Almost 7 days sober and the depression is kicking my butt. I've been staying active with work (+ extra work) and hobbies and stuff, but when night time rolls around and everything is done I feel like crap. How long should this last?

Dee74

Hi Juse

Well, I drank for a long time - I'm not sure exactly when that depressed malaise thing lifted for me...but it was a lot longer than a week.

If you're concerned, I encourage you to see your doctor.

D

johndelko408

ahhh the wonderful depression. to tell you the truth everyones recocovery is different, so i imagine its different for everyone. it comes and goes for me, as they say life still shows up, you just have to tough it out without picking up a drink, fix or pill. just keep doing what your doing juse and things will get better, sometimes quickly sometimes slowly, they will always materialize if you work for them.

Juse

Drinking is not even an option anymore. I have taken on big financial responsibilities that will not allow me to start up again lest I be thrown out on the streets, so my only option is to move forward w/ my life.

edit: I'll start exercising tomorrow. I am just curious how long this generally lasts for people with no chronic depression? I'm ready to get over this...

NoAlcoholToday

I felt fantastic after a month.

Then I felt absolutely crap at around 2 months (so beware this thing isnt a straight line improvement)

Now I feel fantastic again at 3 months

tomtricky

I experienced the same kind of cycle as NAT's post. For the first month I felt like crap and spent most of it curled up in my room not really wanting to do anything or talk to anyone. I went to meetings but that was pretty much it. Throughout the 2nd month I loosened up a bit more and although I realised there was a rocky road ahead I strapped my boots on and gave in. I get depressed from one day to the next but my overall cloud of depression left me at 6 weeks. I was just grieving for my drug of choice.

Anna

For me the depression was in place, long before the drinking started.

Of course, drinking ended up making it worse. But stopping drinking didn't stop the depression.

I take anti-depressants and have for years. For me, they level the playing field.

JoeCree

After the first month I felt fantastic as well, and now for the past 2 months it has been up and down... When a bout of depression/anxiety hits me, I try to take a bath or shower (if you can). It normally takes about 1-2 hours of feeling really crappy, then it sort of dissipates for a while. I've come to expect the next 3-6 months to be like this.

I've been drinking more coffee, which I know is not good -- but I just seem to need that little help or "jolt" of something to take my mind off of things...

michelle01

My experience was like Anna's, I self medicated underlying depression with alcohol, but alcohol in itself is a depressant so in the long run that was ineffective. For many people, the depression associated with withdrawal will resolve itself. Others may need further treatment.

If the depression becomes protracted, don't hesitate to seek medical advice. Anything associated with thoughts of self harm should be taken issue with immediately.

Group therapy and/or counseling can often help. I was encouraged to look after nutritional needs (a counselor I saw recommended to me Vitamin B), take up a form of physical activity as it can boost the natural feel good endorphins, try to keep to a regular sleep schedule, etc. Not always easy when suffering insomnia and loss of appetite in early sobriety as I did, but self care is important and many of us with long standing addiction problems have a tendency to neglect it.

I tried to remind myself that many of my symptoms were actually signs of my body and mind trying to do repair work, a part of the overall recovery/healing process. During this time, you have to be a little forgiving and patient with yourself. It's tough, but it is really better for you in the long run if you can stay sober through the process and avoid relapse... whatever it takes.

jamdls

I was depressed off and on throughout the first year of sobriety, I did see a dr and took an anti-depressant. I had been depressed most of my life but eventually realized the alcohol had been fueling the depression. Through my own program of recovery (losely based on AA) the depression lifted, I've been off the anti-depressants for over 2 yrs and I really can't remember the last time I was depressed, sad sure, temporarily, but not depressed.

Snarf

Depression was something I dealt with a lot when I was drinking. And even after I stopped drinking. It wasn't until I changed my outlook that the depression was lifted. Simply staying away from alcohol was not enough; I had to change the way I viewed myself, the world, and my addiction.

I can't remember ever being as happy and content as I am now. I'm excited and thankful for every day that I get to live.

C105

Thanks everyone for sharing this and thanks for asking in the first place Juse. Just hit the 28 day mark and BAM, after a month of feeling great (and kinda smug) I'm thinking that I'm useless to the world. Must remember to take a deep breath and repeat "This Too Shall Pass."

c49

The exercise you plan to do does wonders if you ask me. My recovery ranged from 1 week to 3 months to get my brain back in gear. I want to say it has a lot to do with the quantity of alcohol and duration that you used to drink for. But it is always different for everyone.

I manage my anxiety and depression with biking and running. No side effects.

Bamboozle

Same here, except I've only been taking my ADs for almost 2 years. I can't imagine going back to the hell I was in...I'd be dead or miserable without my meds.

artsoul

Apparently, studies show that alcohol increases the release of dopamine and seritonin in the brain, and when we stop drinking, the brain has to readjust to start producing them on its own.

So, there's a lag period when our brains are trying to heal. Of course, everyone's timeline is a little different.

Like Anna, I've had periods of depression off and on for pretty much my whole life, so I took my anti-d's when I got sober. I did notice though, that my motivation/energy level were very low for several months.

gabagool

Why would one feel depressed AFTER STOPPING a depressant?

Sorry, Im new here and I ddin't realize that depression when you stop is a common thing...............


Annnnnnd.....I just read the last post, sorry

Juse

Well I didn't end up exercising tonight, a friend gave me Vicodin which i just ended up taking this evening to feel better, oh well, tomorrow i'll try again.

SSIL75

I managed to keep myself happy by focusing on doing things every day that made me happy. Could be something as simple as a hot chocolate from starbucks. Or some new tea to make that night. But just really focusing on doing the little things that made me feel nice went a really, really long way to healing myself.

Supercrew

Once I got into a regular workout regimen and got my daily routine in place it only took a week or so to get the endorphins flowing regularly and I haven't had any major depressions symptoms since. Maybe I'm just lucky.

c49

Not much of a friend