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Day 1 and a little panicked

Old 06-29-2013, 07:16 AM
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Day 1 and a little panicked

I just wanted to post a quick introduction.

I have tried to quit/cut back on my drinking for as long as I can remember. I know it's not good for me and I know I need to stop but every time I tell myself I won't drink, I panic.

well, today I am going to get through the panic stage, and get through the day/night without drinking. I hope eventually the anxiety will lessen if I quit drinking but I'm not sure. In the past, if I didn't drink for a few days the anxiety would become unbearable and I would go back to the booze to help alleviate it.

Everything just feels so out of control in my life right now and I'm extremely overwhelmed. That's the main reason why I have decided to quit, once and for all. The alcohol helps me get through the day in the short term but it's making life impossible in the long term.
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Old 06-29-2013, 07:26 AM
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Hey Trident,

These forums are here much as you need to get through this.

Anxiety is pretty common. I went through it numerous times and often drank to kill the anxiety before holding sober long enough to see it go away. Keep keeping in mind that a lot of it is simply physical, your brain has been used to considering "drunk" it's normal state, so not-drunk is triggering it to think something's wrong. Such is withdrawal.

But it doesn't last forever; sometimes gets worse after a couple days, but it does go away. I think once it does, you almost look back to think "that wasn't so bad." It's only hard in the moment so give yourself things to do, people to talk to and means to keep encouraging yourself.

You're doing a good thing and you can do it! Once you get past the very initial anxiety phase the good news is: you needn't ever do it again. Ever.
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Old 06-29-2013, 07:32 AM
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You can get through it. It isn't easy since your body/mind is used to dulling out everything with the booze. You are gonna feel like garbage and you are gonna cry, but after a few days/weeks you will feel frigging great. Get exercise, drink a ton of water, take vitamins, and maybe check with your doc if you have one for some help. Good luck and welcome.
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Old 06-29-2013, 07:41 AM
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trident,

Just start with today. Don't think about tomorrow, all that you need to do is to not drink today. Tomorrow, do the same.

I have done that for 33 days. Sometimes it's tough, that's what things like this place is for. Do whatever it is that's necessary. Come here, I am new here, first time today. All that I know is that if I am posting on here or going to an AA meeting I am not drinking.

You can do this!
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Old 06-29-2013, 07:51 AM
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Welcome! I found changing up my routine helpful the first week. I used to crack open a bottle of wine at 4 pm. I started going for walks, running errands etc.....just not near wine opener / goblets, in my kitchen at that time. Great thing, about this time of year, is it's lighter longer....so it's easy to walk, chat with neighbors, go to a park.....anything to get you past the craving. Please keep posting and ask for support if you need it
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Old 06-29-2013, 07:58 AM
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Thanks so much for your replies - it really helps!

I like the idea of focusing on just getting through one day at a time - i tend to think about so much stuff at once and take on a lot all at once so this time i will just try to think of the immediate future and the present moment.

I will also get rid of the alcohol in the house and take the kids on a walk this afternoon instead of having my usual "glass of wine to unwind after a busy day"
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Old 06-29-2013, 08:06 AM
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Originally Posted by trident View Post
I just wanted to post a quick introduction.

I have tried to quit/cut back on my drinking for as long as I can remember. I know it's not good for me and I know I need to stop but every time I tell myself I won't drink, I panic.

well, today I am going to get through the panic stage, and get through the day/night without drinking. I hope eventually the anxiety will lessen if I quit drinking but I'm not sure. In the past, if I didn't drink for a few days the anxiety would become unbearable and I would go back to the booze to help alleviate it.

Everything just feels so out of control in my life right now and I'm extremely overwhelmed. That's the main reason why I have decided to quit, once and for all. The alcohol helps me get through the day in the short term but it's making life impossible in the long term.
Alcohol makes anxiety so much worse. It made me paralyzed with fear and panic. Withdrawal also causes massive amounts of anxiety, but you have to tough it out to really be free from the anxiety. It will go WAY down if you stick with the sobriety and start to allow yourself to heal. Alcohol and anxiety go together like peanut butter and jelly..........they feed off each other and keep you a prisoner. Give it a few weeks, be good to yourself, and try to limit outside stress if possible. I promise you, the anxiety will go down and you will start to feel better. Every-time you turn back to the bottle as a quick fix, just remember it will make it worse and worse as you continue on.
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Old 06-29-2013, 08:47 AM
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Drinking caused my anxiety,,find other ways to deal with it. I never used alcohol to releive anxiety as i drank when i was happy, sad, whatever. It was just that one drink that would lead to a downward spiral. I work out at least 5 to 6 days a week, when im on a clean spell, i cant tell you how much that helps , you get the endorphins flowing a nd that just a natural feel good. Win win in my eyes. Get rid of the booze, start eating well, and get outside, enjoy the beauty of this world. You will see things so much clearer.

I also wanted to mention, there are so many natural remedies that are amazing to aleviate anxiety, 5htp, gaba, thiamin, sam-e. go to the health food store and they can give you more information.
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Old 06-29-2013, 08:59 AM
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Welcome, trident. Your story is almost exactly the same as mine, except that I started drinking to help control the anxiety (self-medicating). I was even taking anxiety meds while I was drinking, but always went back to the beer when I felt overwhelmed.

For me, I had to get medical help - so I have been using some medications to help with the anxiety during my detox stage. I'm 12 days sober now and just took my last pill this morning, yay! I also started seeing a counselor to help me deal with the anxiety.

This site is a wonderful place to share your thoughts, feelings, and pretty much anything that can help you to get & stay sober.

Stick with it. You can do it!
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Old 06-29-2013, 09:00 AM
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Hi trident,

I'm only on day 15 alcohol-free but I can tell you that it really does get much better. I was panicky the first few days after quitting, then anxious for about 4 or 5 days, then as I got used to the idea of being sober, it all just kind of dissipated. During these first two weeks, when I would have "rewarded" myself with a glass of wine (or 5), I've been giving myself other treats like all natural baked chips, fancy teas and even a few new wardrobe pieces for my new life. I figure I would have been spending that money on booze anyhow and as a mom, I need to pamper myself anyway. I'm just not ever going to that with alcohol ever again! Take care, trident. We can do this!

June
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