Lionhearted1

So I have put the drink down, but iam left with lots of negative thoughts lots of little doubts. I have started hearing people say iam going here or there and I start thinking I can't do that because you will be to anxious etc and you won't be able to drink it will be boring etc.

I suffered from hyperventilation syndrome awhile back I don't know whether it was brought on because of alcohol or a combination of things, but when ever I get anxious now I feel like I can't catch my breath and I start thinking I will feel that way going here going there it's actually really frustrating!!!

Any advice would be good, oh iam only 4 days sober again!!!!

MIRecovery

Our biggest enemy is what is between our ears. If you manage to stay sober today you have been successful. At 4 days sober who knows what is or is not wrong with you. Like a car with bad gas it is a little tough to diagnose problems until you put fresh fuel in. Let the alcohol clear your system and deal with the left overs when the time comes but now is not the time. Do whatever you have to do to stay sober today.

Weasel1966

I don't know anyone who does not have negative thoughts or self doubt. I believe there is an issue if you conversely never have positive feeling about yourself.

I agree with MR. Take your time to see what's what. It takes time for you body and brain to catch up and be refreshed enough to evaluate anything.

2granddaughters

I was the same as you, anxiety attacks and hyperventilating. AA was/is the only medicine for what ails me.

All the best.

Bob R

Windancer

This sounds all too familiar to me .
These feelings do pass...and Lionhearted, you CAN get past this. Dont feel like a failure.....you are not. Life is full of lessons. Ive followed many of your posts and have done the same things and similar patterns at almost exactly the same time. We can do it.....if others have, we can too .
Tis true that many of our issues are between our ears. I think that is actually a good thing because I think if I have the power to make my life a living hell, then I must have the power to cause the opposite as well .

FamilyMan2153

I also had terrible panic attacks and was on all kinds of medicine to help me. I had a hard time even driving a car at times or being in a meeting. When I went to rehab I was not allowed any of the medicine and nothing to help me sleep. I freaked out. I am now sober almost 90 days and found that I do not need any of the medicine. The drinking and anxiety it caused were most of my problems. I know face my issues as they come up and express my feelings. I don't know if it is the same for everyone, I am not a doctor but give sobriety a chance and see what happens. Good luck.

doggonecarl

I'm with MIRecovery, don't overthink this. Your thinking, your questioning, seems to lead you to drinking. Drinking has been your answer to all your questions.

Think about getting through the next minute, hour, day, sober.

MrsKing

What matters is not that you can or cannot partake in social gatherings because you cannot drink, but that you are unable to stay sober for long periods of time. It is important to focus on this, and what you can do to better equip yourself for future situations where you may try to convince yourself that drinking will make something better.

Anxiety improves with sober time. I know mine has.

Give yourself a proper chance at sobriety and then assess how you are socially and whether your anxiety has improved.

artsoul

It can be scary at first to get sober - I found that if I started letting my thoughts and fears get the best of me, I wanted to shut down and drink.
I had to learn to let those thoughts go (reading about mindfulness really helped me a lot).

One thing you can do is to take some slow deep breaths and just focus on your breathing and staying in the present moment. It takes a lot of practice at first, but it works!

Auvers

If staying sober is what you want, just do that one thing, just expect that one thing of yourself, until you get further down the road. Worry about boredom or missing a few social activities, those things are not on the same planet with getting and staying sober.

littlefish

There are lots of tools for relaxing, de-stressing, and avoiding tension. People use techniques like meditation, calming music, chanting, yoga, etc. Fishing. Anything that allows your brain to completely focus on something else than what's worrying you is effective: even a favorite movie.
Lots and lots of people in the world suffer from stress and worry, even panic and use these tools with a lot of success. And they are really helpful for recovering alcoholics!

Amy2011

When I first got sober I had to change alot of things in my life and socializing was one of them. I decided I wanted to be sober more than I wanted to drink, but I was very uncomfortable in social situations without alcohol. So my solution was I stopped entertaining and I stopped going out. I focused on my recovery, my husband, and my kids. I found new things to do with my family sober. I gave myself permission to not socialize and focus on my recovery. Recovery is hard enough in the beginning without the pressure of social siuations that usually involve alcohol. That was 2 years ago. I am still sober and much happier.