Brennick999

Hi there. Am a newby here, and to sobriety. My history is that of a weekly binge drinker. Functional for the most part. I would like to ask, what are the physical and emotional hurdles I will encounter over the coming weeks of sobriety. Haven't had a drink in two weeks.

poolsideGal

Hello, Brennick. Welcome to the forum.
Good going on two weeks without drink.
Today is two weeks of no alcohol for me as well.
I'm not able to answer your question. I'm sure someone else here can help as I bring this back up to the top for you.

megacrankcase

I'd say that it varies wildly. Anything from a serious danger to your health to minor discomfort. Depending on the extent of your problem.

If you are having serious difficulty, see a physician.

You're likely to have mood swings, depression, moments of elation, anxiety, anger. These should ease in time.

I found chamomile tea to be an effective and natural relaxer. And lots of water. Physical activity will help a lot, too.

Jupiters

welcome brennick
congrats on 2 weeks! I'm on almost a month and having some ups n downs. Everyone is different and has to walk their own journey to sobriety so it's a tough question to answer.
I know for me, my sleep patterns have been varied. Some nights I toss n turn, nightmares, etc..and other nights I am exhausted, just plain RUN DOWN. Energy is low but slowly getting better as I am not spending my days hungover from a 3-4 binge....haven't started doing my kettlebell videos yet but am walking to and from work as much as I can to ease my body back into being active...be gentle. We have put our bodies through a lot of turmoil in every aspect, so don't go too hard too fast.

emotionally? well that's a clusterf*** to say the least. One minute I am full of hope and happiness...the next, I'm scared, confused, angry, frustrated (with myself)...this may also be b/c the last binge found me in a lot of legal/financial trouble that I am waiting to see what's going on...so I'm sure that is contributing to my state/peace of mind.
I do know one thing though, I haven't wanted a drink. Sure, a fleeting thought pops up now and then (It IS summer) but I just hang onto those wretched memories of what booze has done. I try to never let myself glorify or remember the "good ole days" cuz lets face it....those were gone a very long time ago.

one day at a time just focus on today. Anyone can get through one minute, one hour, one day at time!
stay strong

Brennick999

Thanks for all your comments. Much appreciated.

Dee74

For my first month I experienced a variety of physical and emotional issues Brennick...

fatigue, depression and some sweating and digestive issues....I also had trouble sleeping for the first week....some vivid dreams and nightmares.

It was an emotional rollercoaster too - I felt *everything* deeply. I was irritable and sometimes even angry. I felt depressed and sad one minute and manically happy the next.

I developed a hitherto unknown sweet tooth. I had some pretty powerful urges to drink too...

Your experience may mirror this - or be nothing like it.
That's one of the mysteries of early recovery

You'll find a lot of support and understanding here tho - welcome to SR

D

happyandfree

Welcome brennick. You've come to the right place for information and support if you need it. I'm at 4 months and it's been a rocky road, but it's much better now.