Lorij13099

My main trigger for drinking is when I get overwhelmed with feeling or super overly anxious and just want to get out of my head and all my negative self talk.
If I can I have been running, but when I work full time or have my boys activities I can't always just take off for a run....LOL.
What do you all use to cope?? I try to journal at work if I can but what other suggestions. I hate the feeling!

doggonecarl

Google is your friend. Search for Automatic Negative Thought Therapy, Relieving Stress, Relieving Anxiety, Stress Reduction, cognitive behavioral therapy.

lessgravity

I think the further we get from the bottle the more manageable the anxiety and stress become. Of course if you're suffering from something clinical then you should see a doctor about medication or therapy.

But sobriety and gratitude practices go a long way.

Anna

TIPS FOR DEALING WITH ANXIETY (the American Assoc for Anxiety & Depression)

Take a Time-Out. Try some yoga, listen to music, meditate, get a massage or learn relaxation techniques. Stepping back from the problem can help clear your head.

Eat well-balanced meals. Do not skip any meals. Keep healthful, energy-boosting snacks on hand. Limit caffeine.

Get enough sleep/rest. Exercise daily to help you feel good and maintain your health. Use an iPod or exercise buddy to help you stick to your routine.

Take deep breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly. Belly-Breathing: Sit comfortably with shoulders, head and neck relaxed. Breath in slowly through your nose so that your stomach expands. Tighten stomach muscles, letting them fall inward as you exhale slowly through your mouth.

Do your best. Instead of aiming for perfection, which isn’t possible, be proud of however close you get.

Accept that you cannot control everything. Put your stress in perspective: Is it really as bad as you think?

Welcome humour. A good laugh goes a long way.

Maintain a positive attitude. Make an effort to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

Get involved. Volunteer or find another way to be active in your community, which creates a support network and gives you a break from everyday stress.

Learn what triggers your anxiety. Is it work, family, school or something else you can’t identify? Write in a journal when you’re feeling stressed. Look for a pattern.

Talk to someone. Tell friends/family you’re feeling overwhelmed and let them know how they can help. Talk to a professional.

Books

Amen, Daniel Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
Bassett, Lucinda From Panic to Power
Burns, David MD When Panic Attacks
Chodron, Pema The Places that Scare You
Doidge, Norman MD The Brain that Changes Itself
Dyer, Wayne Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life
Orsilla, Ken Mindful Way Through Anxiety
__________________

Lorij13099

Thank You! I do see a therapist twice a week and am medicated LOL I'ma mess!

keeppushing

For me what helped a lot, outside of meds, was mindfulness. It took months of hard work to begin to see any effects, but it was worth it. YMMV.

Mango212

Prayer and meditation.

There's been many other things, yet prayer and meditation lead me to what helps me. It's a journey, not a race.

I came to find all the skills and tools I needed along the way to face unknown trauma I'd been through.

I learned new ways to pray. I prayed for guidance in this, too.

I found that meditation was a learned skill. I also prayed about this. As I became willing, teachers and mentors started showing up in my life.

At some point along the journey, my anxiety was gone and I've learned how to recognize and work out new stress.

entropy1964

I so relate....as I think every single person here will say.

Most of the time, as I'm driving my little boat on the ocean of life, I can right myself when I start to go off course. Being reactive, over sensitive, resentful, taking others inventory, blaming, victim thinking....catch it fast and own my feelings. Choose a different response to the 'life' that is happening around me.

When I start to let things slip, not recognize I'm veering off course, obsessively think or get into 'what' others have 'done' to me etc it can be like an out of control train. And trying to 'right the ship' is much more challenging. I'm there right now. I've let a life situation get away from me. I've over reacted, taken things personally, allowed it to trigger feelings of being alone and abandonment....man I've just let my own reactions run rough shot over me. I know what I need to do, change MY responses, but its like turning around an aircraft carrier. Its happening veeerrrryyy slowly. So I've been feeling awful for about 3 days.

Guess what? That's life. I can do all kinds of external things to 'change' what is happening, and I am. But sometimes I have to be ok with not being ok. And absolutely NOT drink over it. It will pass.

Ok, well that was me venting in your thread Hang in there.

Lorij13099

Thank You! Great insight!

Dee74

Not all these links will be useful...but most might be

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...f-respite.html (Relief and Respite)

if there are any dead links, I'll prune them later - should be enough there tho

D

Gottalife

I supoose I had to look at my fears and what caused them. I was full of fear, frightened of my own shadow. My fears were often nameless, formless, like paranoia. I often felt like the sky would fall on me.

The causes were many.

First there was my unmanageable life. The more I tried to control and manage, the more life seemed to resist. People didn't do what I wanted and often did what I didn't want. That fear of losing something I had, or not getting something I wanted was there all the time.

Then there were the awful memories of things I did while drinking. I hoped no one would ever find out. I tried to bottle it up. I tried my best to appear like a resonable human being on the outside, but was a total fraud on the inside. I was terrified of being found out.

Then there were the unknown fears from people I had probably crossed in the past. Constant fear of running into someone. I might be with a friend and run into someone who might say something and I would be exposed in front of my friend. Crossing the street to avoid some people, always glancing over my shoulder, checking out places to make sure the way was clear. Worried about that tap on the shoulder, the person I had hurt, the debt I hadn't paid, the crime I had "got away with".

There was a lot of stuff driving the fears, too much for me to bottle up and hope for the best. To supress it successfully I would have to be a psychopath.

It had to be dealt with (another fear) the sooner the better. It was an absolute barrier to sobriety. In this sense the acronym for fear, face everything and recover, has a lot of value.

keeppushing

Thank you. That was so very helpful for me.

PalmerSage

Like everyone else, I can definitely relate. I look at it in terms of the immediate...I want to escape this feeling RIGHT NOW...and the longer term, the stress and worry that can be overwhelming at times. In terms of the immediate, in the very early days of my sobriety, I found a heating pad immensely helpful. It was quick and calming, and can be found anywhere. As far as the second part, I think you've already gotten better advice than I can offer.

Nonsensical

I quit drinking. I was shocked to discover how much of my anxiety was coming out of the bottle.

It's not a quick fix. It took a couple of months for my brain to recover and stop producing excess anxiety chemicals, but my results are undeniable.

Best of Luck on Your Journey.

BDTL

Great ideas posted! Pray for strength to handle stress because we all face it from time to time.

sokatie

I really relate to this as well. I just quit drinking this week but I get a feeling of anxiousness that is unfounded; no reason for it at all. It is like a hole in the middle of my body that needs to be filled with something. That something used to be alcohol.

Lorij let's both try to get through these early stages so we can enjoy feeling better. Deep breathing can be done anywhere at any time. I'm doing that right now.

rich27

Hey, I had the same problem and drank to relieve anxiety. What I did was determine what the cause of it was. You may have to retrace your steps and think hard about it. For me, just identifying the cause is what helped me a great deal and was able to resolve it by talking to the person and afterwards I felt like a huge load was lifted off my shoulders. It happens to me a lot and I don't know why but that's one suggestion which may help. All the best.

Dee74

All those links are current now Lori - I hope you'll take a look

D

blueberry2015

Stress and Anxiety are major triggers for me.... so here is what I do.

Firstly I remind myself this will pass and that no matter what happens all I have to do is go to bed sober tonight.

Secondly, I do grounding exercises, to bring myself back in the present moment. This helps me to stop projecting about the future, I remind myself, that right now at this very moment I am safe. I use this technique a lot when thoughts are racing like crazy and knots of anxiety appear in the pit of my stomach.

I get to extra AA mtgs and speak to my sponsor other recovering alcoholics.

I ask for my higher power to relieve me of my symptoms of anxiety.

I journal. Write down what is troubling me, and how I feel, this helps me identify whats going on, i feel stressed / anxious because.... I am worried about.... then I ask myself what can I do about this situation today. If there is something that can be done I do it, and if not I reassure myself that everything that can be done is done.

I do meditation. Daytime meditation, bedtime meditation, helps loads. Lots of guided meditations in you tube for stress and anxiety.

This sounds a lot of work, but it works for me and I do need to put this work in, to prevent me from picking up a drink. My life depends on it.

Also, if you havent already do speak toyour doctor, some medication or counselling maybe in order.

All thats left to say is..... hang on in there, it WILL pass. Anxiety and stress are feelings, in sobriety we need to learn how to cope and manage these feelings, a feeling wont kill you but a drink may just.

X x x

StellaBlu

My stress coping skills are:
1. running 5 -6 days per week (this is my go to)
2. Meditating (when running isn't enough)
3. talking it out with my someone (husband friend)
4. Journaling

Also, a guy I used to work with would always go for a walk around the building before and after every stressful encounter and/or meeting.