shay17

Happy Sunday all -

I'm struggling with the 3 week mark insomnia & anxiety blues. Obviously during withdrawals it was dialed up past the 10 mark but now it's ebbing a flowing and sometimes it spikes pretty close to an 8 on the scale. The first two weeks I was just so thankful to be alive that I was running on adrenaline I believe.

Now, reality is setting in. I have to find a new apartment by December 1st and already stressing about it when it's over a month away. I keep thinking, what if it's a dark place, will it make me relapse. What if I don't find something at all and have to stay with friends, will I relapse?

Last night I had a very uneasy sleep and then woke up at the crack of dawn with a heart and head full on with anxiety and I just want to be confident and secure with my life and be able to take whatever comes my way. Worrying is not going to do anything about the outcome, but it's on auto-pilot...

I try to sit down and meditate but my mind is too ramped up to let me have a moments peace when I'm feeling like this.

Is it common to feel this way in early sobriety??

I'd love to hear some shares...

thanks,

Shay

Anna

You will become confident about your life but it's still early days. Be kind to yourself. Focus on how far you've come in the last three weeks. Focus on gratitude for recognizing the problem you have and dealing with it.

Each day that goes by will make you feel stronger and more confident, but it's normal to feel anxiety in the early days of recovery. I was quite a mess and could only manage to accomplish a few things in a day. If you're concerned about finding a place to live, why not write down a plan to get where you want to be? List phone #'s of apartments you can call, plus or minuses of each place, make sure you have a financial plan to help with the move and starting out in the new place.

You can definitely do this.

IOAA2

Hi Shay and congratulations with each day sober. Alcoholics in general are negative thinking therefore worriers with abandon. It's suggested to think positive and be grateful for our positive blessings and assets. My parents didn't drink but were horrible every day with negativity and doom and gloom. It's a characteristic I'd like to eliminate totally but it's been reduced to a mostly comfortable stage, for me. BE WELL

CharlieNoogan

Congratulations on three weeks!

Anxiety and insomnia go hand in hand, unfortunately.

I suffer from insomnia (difficulty falling asleep) when I am overly anxious. My brain just doesn't want to shut off when I have loads of things to worry about.

Have you spoken with your doctor about these issues? There are non-addictive medications available that can quell your anxiety as well as help regulate your sleep.

pinkdog

Hi Shay, these feelings will go away in time. The best thing is to make the decision not to drink no matter what. Live in the moment. Right now I am not drinking. The further you get away from the alcohol, the better. Best to you. It will be so worth it.

Mercutio

Shay, I heard this in meeting a few days ago from a person with more than several years of sobriety..."easy". I had to think about it the rest of the day. It's truth. Really, we have the rest of our lives to figure details. It's not an immediate fix but we, as addicts, want it *NOW*, right this moment, if it's much later we're bailing! Try to be quiet at night, breathe.... In rehab I used to imagine myself (I still do at night) floating in a pool, sunshine on my head and body. Quiet. You'll find a new apartment given you take the steps to do so. It won't be dark if you wish it not to be so. It's yours, you can make it what you want....dark, or full of light and hopefulness. I found for myself the "adrenaline rush" is just that - our bodies and minds trying to make sense of what happened and bent on fixing it. It's the *old* addict trying to take hold again, make you fearful, giving you those feelings of immediacy, seducing you to take that drink. You'll make it, love. Stay true. There are prayers for you tonight, trust. It's what we do as comrades in the battle, is it not?

Jeni26

Hello Shay.

Anxiety is common in early sobriety . I remember writing a post very similar to yours in the early days. It can all seem so overwhelming can't it?

My advice would be to slow down a little and make yourself a list of what you absolutely need to do. Then at the end of each night make a plan of what you need to do the next day. Nothing too big, be realistic. Set achievable goals.

Don't think too far ahead, remember you will feel stronger the longer you are sober. Just do what needs to be done now. Make sure you eat regularly, take on board plenty of fluids and rest when you need to.

Baby steps...and keep practising that meditation. My mind wouldn't slow down enough to accept that at first either but with practice we get lots better.

Best wishes to you x

ProgressNotPerfection

Pretty typical from what I've experienced and heard others report. It does pass. The anxiety - fear of the future - is something we can use as a teacher. I make lists of the things that cause me anxiety. Then I sort out on paper what part of it I can affect with action and which part is left to my hp. It helps. Doing things on a daily basis to solve the issues we have in our life reduces our anxiety, especially then they are combined with staying sober for that day. The "Things I Can Change" list becomes my "To Do List".

shay17

Thank you ALL - your comments and advice really resonated with me!

**Mercutio, I love the visualization of floating in a pool with the sun shining,
It immediately made me take a deep breath and relax for the first time pretty much all
Day!

Thank you, I will definitely put some of these suggestions to use immediately.
I already feel more hopeful...xo

Mercutio

Shay, perfect...........it's such a good feeling to simply let it go. Glad it made you *feel*. Gods, for so long just to *feel* something sweet, you know? We stop *feeling* when we drink. I'm so guilty of that, as are all of us. Sleep tight tonight, with good dreams wrapped around you.........................................