The never-ending cycle of coffee all day and benadryl at night.
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 415
The never-ending cycle of coffee all day and benadryl at night.
So I have my self a predicament..
Since quitting drugs and alcohol I've had a lot of problems falling asleep. My mom suggested on one night of tossing and turning that I tried taking a benadryl tablet to help me sleep. I normally don't take benadryl as I HATE the way it makes me feel - like a frigin zombie that hasn't slept in 72 hours - but, I was desperate to get some sleep so I took one, and as lousy as it made me feel while I was still awake, it did help me fall asleep.
That was probably 2 weeks ago, and I've taken benadryl every single night to fall asleep since.
My problem is, the benadryl makes me feel very groggy the next day when I wake up so I proceed to drink coffe and tea all day and by the time night comes I'm too anxious and awake to fall asleep so I take one or two benadryls. And then the cycle starts all over again the next day.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad and grateful that I haven't gotten high or drank in 41 days.. But I don't like being dependent on something to fall asleep or stay awake.
Every day I tell myself I'm not going to drink any coffee, and then I think "well, I'm cold, and tired, and I've been sober for over a month, so I deserve a nice hot cup of coffee! I'll quit caffeine tomorrow!" Then at night I tell myself that I'm not going to take any benadryl to help me sleep, and then I'll lay in bed tossing and turning for an hour or so and I'll say "f**k it, I need sleep." The story in the Big Book of AA, "Doctor Bob's nightmare" , Dr. Bob describes how he develops a phobia/fear of not getting any sleep.. and I think that's how im becoming, to a lesser extent of course lol.
So I am making this thread to document my "journey" to living a coffee free and benadryl free life.. sounds kind of lame but like I said, I hate being dependent.
If anyone has experience with this please feel free to give feedback. Thanks.
Jake.
Since quitting drugs and alcohol I've had a lot of problems falling asleep. My mom suggested on one night of tossing and turning that I tried taking a benadryl tablet to help me sleep. I normally don't take benadryl as I HATE the way it makes me feel - like a frigin zombie that hasn't slept in 72 hours - but, I was desperate to get some sleep so I took one, and as lousy as it made me feel while I was still awake, it did help me fall asleep.
That was probably 2 weeks ago, and I've taken benadryl every single night to fall asleep since.
My problem is, the benadryl makes me feel very groggy the next day when I wake up so I proceed to drink coffe and tea all day and by the time night comes I'm too anxious and awake to fall asleep so I take one or two benadryls. And then the cycle starts all over again the next day.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad and grateful that I haven't gotten high or drank in 41 days.. But I don't like being dependent on something to fall asleep or stay awake.
Every day I tell myself I'm not going to drink any coffee, and then I think "well, I'm cold, and tired, and I've been sober for over a month, so I deserve a nice hot cup of coffee! I'll quit caffeine tomorrow!" Then at night I tell myself that I'm not going to take any benadryl to help me sleep, and then I'll lay in bed tossing and turning for an hour or so and I'll say "f**k it, I need sleep." The story in the Big Book of AA, "Doctor Bob's nightmare" , Dr. Bob describes how he develops a phobia/fear of not getting any sleep.. and I think that's how im becoming, to a lesser extent of course lol.
So I am making this thread to document my "journey" to living a coffee free and benadryl free life.. sounds kind of lame but like I said, I hate being dependent.
If anyone has experience with this please feel free to give feedback. Thanks.
Jake.
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,439
If you read around you'll find threads of people being hooked on benedryl...coffee too, if it comes to that.
I'm not suggesting you need a new sobriety date at all - but...yeah the whole idea of ingesting stuff to take us down, and stuff to bring us up again is pretty close to what you, and we all, used to do.
I'm glad you're aware of that and looking to stop Jake - great stuff
D
I'm not suggesting you need a new sobriety date at all - but...yeah the whole idea of ingesting stuff to take us down, and stuff to bring us up again is pretty close to what you, and we all, used to do.
I'm glad you're aware of that and looking to stop Jake - great stuff
D
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