Nofearnobeer

What the...33 Days sober and still slow reaction time.... :\

That brain fog distraction de-realization thing is a difficult battle...

Feels like it's there , then gone...I can fee something , then feel nothing for hours more...

I look 50 times each way to see if a car is coming...I read work notes 10 times to help one customer , who laughs because I answer the phone funny now...

Dr's , neurologists , even ER Dr's say "You're OK , it's just anxiety"..Blood tests and MRI's and catscans out the wazzooo , liver and kidney's are fine...Your reaction times are fine...

Well by God at 33 Days , I still don't feel fine...Not like I want to fly a plane or anything , but shouldn't I feel calm while shopping , driving and working without feeling "out of it??"

What did I do to myself??

Nofearnobeer

Finally get things exactly where I want them , I got a raise, I am now a senor rep at work , kids are laughing in happy, and about all I can do is walk around out of it and sleep after work...Trying to enjoy this moment , and it really really really sucks that I feel about nothing and can barely think...

And still have that dang ringing in my ears...

And I don't even crave a dang beer of all things...Why can't my brain do what my mind wants???!!!!


****vent mode off**

Nofearnobeer

And what really seets me off is that I was just enjoying a family trip in Sept...Came back, my Dr' doubled my BP med , had a few beers , sent me straight into panic mode...Some reaction with the BP Med...They dragged me off to the ER, where they threw a damm Ativan at me on top of the mess and my brain shot off to a place it's never been before...Been a mumbling idiot since then , and along with that, the Dr's messed with my head med that I am on for post concussion issues...

Will this brain ever return to normal again??

cabron

Nofear,

I'm 70 days sober and experiencing very similar conditions.

My mind feels foggy, unable to problem solve, get organized, or stay on task.

I feel extremely ineffective at work.

I can have the conversation but struggle to turn the conversation into an action plan, much less execute the plan.

I labor just to create concise and comprehensive email responses.

Very frustrating.

My ambition and motivation is nonexistent.

Tonight I told my wife that I'm glad I'm not drinking and I don't intend to return to drinking but I was hoping for more.

Nears as I can tell most of these symptoms seem associated with PAWS that could take up to two years before our minds are able to fully recover.

SoberinSyracuse

There's a lot of cutting-edge research out there about how to reduce the severity and duration of PAWS. Maybe no real quick fixes, but definitely some things that can be tried. I can't recommend anything specific because it would resemble "medical advice," but there are both pharmaceutical meds and amino acids/supplements which have shown a lot of promise. It's worth a quick Google search.

You're not alone in it; that's for sure!

happyandfree

For me, I felt improvement at about 3 months. My brain fog was terrible, i thought i had done permanent damage. But it gave me motivation to keep going and get through it. This site helped because I knew that others had experienced the same thing. Now, it keeps me on track because I never want to go through that again. This is one of the reasons why it's so hard to get sober. I remember thinking, if I'm going to feel this terrible, I might as well drink. But you do get through it, the fog goes away and you get mental clarity again, and you will feel good again,. Be patient and hang in there.

sva777

It took me six to nine months for the anxiety to really calm down completely. I was convinced I was never going to feel normal. You will in time.

Yes I felt better at one month but I still felt off in some ways. As each month went by I felt better but not great as I had hoped. Six to nine months were when it became really noticeable.

Honestly at one year now I look back two months and I know I feel better today than I did two months ago.

chrcarlson

I felt great after two weeks of sobriety. My mind started to feel a bit fuzzy around week three. I'm at 45 or 46 days sober? Anyway it continues. No one notices and I don't draw attention to it. I still have to look for my keys and check things 2 or 3 times. I'm told and believe it will get better.

Dee74

It took me about 3 months to feel right again - and that was just coming off alcohol.

I know it's hard. but I think you need to be patient NFNB - and have a little faith - it really will turn out OK

D

Nofearnobeer

Thank ya'll. I ended up at the ER again this morning and had blood work done , EKG..Again, said everything is normal...So I went to my Local Dr. who is referring me to ENT as well as to a Neurologist for a 2nd opinion...

I am skeered to no end , like many of ya'll , that at 45 that I have FUBARed everything I have worked for...

I just keep reaching up and out...Up and out.Up and out...Just barely screaming , if even a wimper that things will get better...

I appreciate as always everyone's support here...

Nofearnobeer

Thanks for the input SoberCuse Fan..I'd say go Orange, but I'm a Dawgs fan.. ! I will look into that amino acid suggestion... Anything that helps...Been popping B-Complex , B1's and Potassium tabs like they are candy...(not too much though)...

KDBnSLC

I thought the slow reaction time was because I'm 60. It never occurred to me that it was because of the alcohol even when I hadn't had anything to drink.
Thank you for the post.

PurpleKnight

The body needs to naturally heal and adjust from alcohol, but it can only do it with time!!

Hang in there and don't stress too much!!

LBrain

I'd say around the nine month mark I started feeling "normal" again.
I experienced the 'brain fog' in the early go. Got better and better the further away from my last drink I was.

Soberwolf

Hang in there bud & congrats on day 33

Anna

I hope that you can find some peace in your life. Your body is doing as well as it can. Try to be patient.

D122y

I am close to 9 months clean and still have anxiety.

Not like last month better, but I want to feel perfect.

I did this to myself, unknowingly. Now educated.

Now I suffer. But, not like 1 month ago, which was better than 2 months ago...etc.

No meds here. Just reality.

It doesn't help that at this time I am trying to lose 20 pounds. It makes me feel weaker.

Not snacking like before.

least

Give yourself more sober time, a couple more months at least. It takes time for the body and brain to heal from the damage. Give it time.