wasabirave

I'm only on day 4 of no alcohol. I've quit in the past so I'm familiar with the wide array or funk, both mental and physical that crop up... but damn. Lots of ups and downs today.

I can deal with the happier ups, and I can handle the depressing lows. But I have no idea how to handle the random anger and irritability. It's definitely not natural for me... I didn't even experience irritability during my two pregnancies! But it's because of my two kids (5 & 9) I really need to keep my anger in check. I even got at my refrigerator earlier today. It's ridiculous.

Any helpful guidance, guys?

Dee74

Hi and welcome wasabirave

Making gratitude lists helped me. It's normal to be irritable and even angry in early recovery but as you say it's not nice for those around us.

I had to remind myself of the good things, y'know?

D

Anna

Congratulations on Day 4.

Yes, a Gratitude Journal is a great tool to deal with the anger and irritability. Long walks really, really helped me on so many levels. They helped calm me and helped to reconnect me with nature.

Mountainmanbob

I guess that you did better with your anger while drinking ? That's in most cases very unusual. I at 7 years sober still deal with anger from time to time. It sure gets old. But in my case, it would be so much worse if I was drinking.
MM

site1Q84

As mentioned above, a gratitude list can help.

Also, I would try to remember the feelings you had before you got angry. Could you feel yourself heading that way? Dealing with emotions sober is like learning all over again (at least for me) so trying to identify them early and stopping before it gets too far could be helpful...

TroyW

Daily meditation would be my best advice, but no idea.

I know what you mean though. Getting sober causes these flashes of anger that are generally non-existent for me. Thankfully I don't have kids, but I do have two dogs, and feel quite bad when I display my anger when they're present. They're dogs, so even just slamming the fridge door or something is enough to scare them. If they can sense I'm angry, they're going to tuck tail and hide.

Thankfully it only ever lasts a couple minutes, and subsides.

wasabirave

Haha. I know whatcha mean... but I didn't have any prior anger issues. Just detox irritability!

wasabirave

I guess I made a typo in my original post. I got angry at my refrigerator because every time I closed the fridge, the freezer door would pop open. When I close the freezer door, the fridge door would pop open. It was maddening. Quite laughable after the fact!
Meditation is a good idea. So is just wearing headphones all day so I can't hear people trying to push my buttons.

PurpleKnight

Day 4 is fantastic!!

Keep pushing through, in time my emotions levelled out!!