patricia68

I woke up with this horrible anxiety after a bad night of sleep.

I desperately wanted a drink at 7am...I fought the cravings telling myself to just wait until 9am when the stores open. Pacing back and forth. My hands and legs shaking. Anxiety was unbearable.

I came here and read a few posts. Went outside for a cigarette...And then 10 minutes before 9am I just had this thought...if I go to the store and drink now, I will be feeling 10 times more anxiety in a couple of hours when the effect of the alcohol wears off...or I could drink all day long to keep the anxiety under control, but tomorrow the whole story will repeat itself.

It's 9:22am right now. The stores are open. I'm reading SR instead and drinking water.

Help me go through the day please. I am terrified that the horrible anxiety and cravings might come back. It's going to be a long day until the stores close at 11pm...

jryan19982

Is this day 1 for you?

BeBetterforkids

patricia68 - you're doing the right thing coming here. I have had many of those mornings. You will end up drinking all day and tomorrow will feel twice as worse. Keep yourself busy and go minute by minute. Anyone can do something for a minute. And then go for 5 mins and then 10 and so on and so on. The anxiety will pass. Hang in there - its not easy, but it is possible. Most of us have been in this situation!

Aellyce

Patricia, not sure how long you've been sober...I had horrible morning anxiety (and cravings) in the first couple months of my recovery. Usually it would ease up after an hour or two when I got active and busy. I also learned that having a good breakfast helps (low blood sugar exacerbates anxiety), a short meditation session, and then really just getting out and busy to distract my mind from the feelings and focus on something else. Far from the liquor stores, of course.

There is a biological reason why anxiety tends to often be especially bad first thing in the morning (and at night). It's related to the cyclical production of some hormones and other chemicals in our body that can trigger such a response. It tends to peak exactly right after waking and goes down gradually during the day. I experienced this "morning hell" countless times and it has gotten immeasurably better with continued sobriety (with improved sleep also).

I hope you feel better as the day progresses

SoberLeigh

Hi Patricia - glad you were able to "think it through" to the increased anxiety drinking causes. Stick with SR throughout the day.

Do you have a program in place? AA, AVRT?

jryan19982

Me too. This is day 4 for me and this morning was especially tough. I had a hard time falling asleep last night and then was interrupted with sleep with the newborn. This morning I am dragging arse. I guess the positive is that we are not hung over right? I dont feel the need to go yack or lay down because I have an upset stomach. Hang in there. I am trying to as well.

MarathonMan

Patricia, those harsh cravings don't usually last long in my experience. Best thing you can do is get out of the house for a bit, an excuse to get out of your own head....go to your local pool for a swim or the gym if you're a member. Drive to you're local canal or woods and go for a walk for an hour with some headphones and some good music on. If you want to stay in a favourite DVD or a hot bath, some gardening, mowing the lawn. Anything that stops the cogs of you're brain churning over the same old ground will help.

Hope2014

I'm glad you posted. You can do this. After a few days, the anxiety will begin to get better. If you need medical help, please seek it. Drinking again will just prolong feeling better in the long run. If you stop today, you will be amazed in the progress and how you feel next week at this time Please continue to check in. We have all been there and know what you are going through. Support is SO important. Take it minute by minute if you have to, but don't drink.

Anna

You're right Patricia, drinking would make the anxiety worse.

I'm glad you came here instead.

patricia68

That's exactly how I feel! When I first wake up the anxiety is unbearable, and then it goes down until the late afternoon, from 4pm til 6 pm it peaks again.

patricia68

I just joined Women for Sobriety

Tina1234

Thanks for reminding me how it feels to have that awful anxiety and shakes in a morning. I also remember how i would wait till the store is open. I would seat in a car and wait, ashamed and embarassed. First drink, anxiety gets a little quite but than boom its absolutely horrible again. Unable to seat, sleep, stand, all body shakes that i cant even do cup of tea...hospital. Dont go to the store, i am bagging you not to do it! Talking to a real person and posting here really helped me last time. I promise you, it will get better...I will never go back, those anxiety is terrifying.

Aellyce

Yeah, so if this is the pattern, I would suggest that you plan your days accommodating it. Always have something (new, distracting) to do for those "peak" times. I did this religiously in my earliest days and still do sometimes.

SoberLeigh

Great; I hope you find it helpful, Patricia. I didn't have a program in place when I became sober but I sure could have used one. I was a caregiver for my Mom at the time and had virtually no "free" time.

ESD907

wow............ Good for you. getting yourself away is a great idea. its what I do daily. joining any group you like is wonderful. You sound like a go getter and someone who so ready to quit for good. Congrats. keep at it. We are always here, just bounce it off us if you are feeling weak. Great job

SoberLeigh

Joining SR became my program; not picking up my glass(es) of Chardonnay was only a small part of recovery. So glad I found this site.

razor15

You are making such good choices today. We all support you Patricia. We all know what you're feeling, and keeping busy away from the drink seems like a sound idea.

Soberwolf

Good luck Patricia

Dee74

Hope you're doing ok Patricia

D

patricia68

I'm not Dee. I am losing hope. All I want is peace of mind and right now it seems impossible to find. Maybe the good days are over and this is what's left of my life. Just to survive. I am sorry.