Hopefor2018

Hello All,

I made it through my first night... barely! Besides insomnia, my main issue was itchiness. I'm still itchy.

I've been a drinker my whole life. I've done well to hide it from most people except my kids and my ex. It's just so hard to give it up. For me, it's about a 4 hour window every day where the desire to drink is overwhelming. I really need help getting through this. I hope I can make it through a second day.

I was on this forum once before when I stopped drinking for a year. This is a very supportive forum and glad I found it again. I will need to be here every day, I know. Pray for me!

Stronger2017

Hi hope🙂welcome back to a SR. I’ve also found this place really useful in getting sober.

Rowlands1

Rooting for you Hope... those first few days are so tough
Hang in there xxx

MythOfSisyphus

That's awesome!

Gottalife

I had the skin problem all the time at the end. I think ot was a combination of alcohol and malnutrition. One time, mid bender, I leapt naked into the sea. All my skin burned, it was really painful.

Any chance you can get a friend to it with you for the next couple of days? I have done that through the detox time where the cravings can be overwhelming. Maybe call AA and get a contact.

johnnyt53

Hope, My good thoughts, prayers to you. I am up now after a couple hours of sleep myself. Can't sleep and also suffer from the itching. Also hid my problem from almost everyone except my wife and kids, they know me too well. I was told to give myself time for these physical symptoms to go away as my brain/body is going through a major adjustment. Some days are way better than others. I try to just roll with it and have faith that it will get better. I don't think it will, I know it will and for you too. Peace

Hopefor2018

I'm a closet alcoholic. Too ashamed of myself to let people know. I've been "successful" at hiding it for over 30 years. Since I am a true introvert, I think for me the best way to get through this is this on-line forum. My doctor doesn't even know as I'm good at knowing when to let them run bloodwork, etc. based on my recent behaviors. Kind of sad, I know.

August252015

God job- GREAT one!- on your first night. I had to really "Take it easy" at first - one meaning of that was being gentle with myself and all the physical symptoms. I had itching too.

Keep going- the only way I have found to heal is to never drink again. You don't have to restart and have another day one!

Best to you.

Rar

Good for you hanging in there. I had the itchiness too. Mostly it was on my arms and would mostly happen during the night when I was trying to sleep. It was horrible. None of the anti-itch creams seemed to help because the itching seemed to be on the inside for me. Sometimes I even had to rub ice cubes on my skin. I used Aquaphor (which is like a vaseline) and kept my arms uncovered. The clothing seemed to aggravate it. I kept my skin moisturized (still do), by rubbing baby oil on it after a shower. Benadryl at night also seemed to help. I hope that goes away very soon for you.

ChloeRose63

Keep us posted. We are here for you. Do you have everything you may need for the next couple of days? Stay hydrated with water, juice, teas.

Dee74

Welcome back Hopefor2018

D

Hopefor2018

I'm trying to find something to help with my general anxiety. Something over the counter. Has anyone tried L-theanine?

JayTee33

Welcome, and good luck on your journey towards recovery!

Hopefor2018

I drink as much water as I do beer. Probably why my drinking hasnt done as much damage as it could have!

Komplex

Congrats on night 1! You can keep going, stay strong.

Sophie11

Hi Hope I just finished day one too, ugh. And I’m also a closet alcoholic, bar my partner (and people on this forum). I so wish I had a suggestion for anxiety as I’m feeling it now-and think I often self medicate with alcohol for anxiety... yet we all know it just makes it worse in the long run. My best solution personally is to try to sleep, but obviously that doesn’t always happen.

Good luck and hang in there. I’ll be looking out for your posts over the next few days as I know that I too will need support and am absolutely determined not to slip. We can do this!!!!

Zebra1275

Welcome back!

ChloeRose63

I have that on my nightstand along with magnesium, Valarian Root and Ashwagandha. I take a B-complex with my multi-vitamin and Vit. D. I also drink coconut water.

Hopefor2018

Hi Sophie11,

Nice to meet a fellow 1st nighter. Let's do this! The scoop is: I am always strong in the morning (now) as my desire to drink doesn't kick in until around 3:00 p.m. Then it comes on hard and the cravings are almost unbearable. I will be back on this site after I get home from work. Hope to chat then.

Here's my current plan: I know that if I go to bed ridiculously early (between 7 and 8 p.m.) and get up ridiculously early (between 4 and 5 a.m.), then I am better able to fight the cravings and behaviors. I get a lot of static from people though, who don't know I'm a drinker. They say, "Why are you going to be so early and why do you get up so early?" I just say I like the quiet of the early morning.

Sophie11

I’m so glad you mentioned work! I really admire you for being in today. I took today off but feel I really need to go in tomorrow. And I wondered if maybe it helped to be distracted? I have literally been in bed all day trying to sleep off and on thinking, ‘that’s one more hour done.’ But I also don’t know that I could have been in today, I feel so dreadful...? How have you managed? You are VERY STRONG, I can tell. (If you’re like me, you probably tell yourself you are weak, but you’re not.)

Your strategy sounds really good and I may steal it. I may struggle to sleep after sleeping all day but I have a Benadryl pill that makes me drowsy. I think your excuse sounds PERFECTLY reasonable and it’s actually really clever of you to recognise your weak spots and strategise around them.

My partner is really supportive, but he’s been teetotal his whole life (no reason, just doesn’t like alcohol) so he can’t empathise and I know tonight he’ll be like ‘let’s what tv!’ And I’ll be thinking ‘I just want to hide in bed.’ But maybe it’s good to have him pester me.

We can do this. Every day it’s going to be a little bit easier, and I suspect we e been through the very worst of it. More tough stuff to come but we can do it.