First week, anxiety
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,439
Hi Jess
I know it's hard, but try and relax - anxiety is very very common for people quitting - especially those who have been drinking for a number of years - but please believe me that it won't always be this bad.
Things will get better
D
I know it's hard, but try and relax - anxiety is very very common for people quitting - especially those who have been drinking for a number of years - but please believe me that it won't always be this bad.
Things will get better
D
Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Warwick RI
Posts: 1,276
Originally Posted by jess1804 
working through my first week. My anxiety is overwhelming. Sometimes paralyzing. I’m afraid this is who I am sober. I don’t want to be this way. Any advice?
I have the worst anxiety.....The Drs ...all my Drs...won't even do procedures on me due to my anxiety..and it is 100x worse if I drink (when the drink wears off) and it lasts for a good number of days.
Hopefully in a couple more days or even tomorrow you will start to feel better...
I really don't think you will be this way forever...My anxiety is a lot better since I quit 11 days ago...
Seriously, take long deep breaths that expand your stomach...do about 5 in a row..hold for 2 seconds and let it out....do that 5x in a row and I bet it helps.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 290
I get a bit of anxiety, but some people get A LOT of it in early sobriety, and most seem to manage and a lot of it dissipates naturally. We're so used to pumping our bodies with a drug that makes us feel exactly what we want to feel when we want to feel it. I haven't dealt with some real deep feelings in years or decades, then we take away our crutch, and, WHAM, we see and deal with life as it is.
But from all I've read here, the people I've met with long term sobriety in AA meetings, and my own much more limited experience (Day 6 this time) I think it's reasonable to expect the anxiety to taper off.
And this is an awesome place to come dump our issues. One thing I notice is I can share stuff here that i might not get a chance to in a meeting, or wouldn't think was important enough, and you all chime in having similar experiences and ways to deal with and look at life.
And we get to celebrate each day of sobriety since a lot of us are in the first couple days, weeks, or months. This is my first time using SR, an I feel like the decision not to drink was made more solidly this time.
Hope this helps take some of the pressure off. Peace!
But from all I've read here, the people I've met with long term sobriety in AA meetings, and my own much more limited experience (Day 6 this time
) I think it's reasonable to expect the anxiety to taper off.And this is an awesome place to come dump our issues. One thing I notice is I can share stuff here that i might not get a chance to in a meeting, or wouldn't think was important enough, and you all chime in having similar experiences and ways to deal with and look at life.
And we get to celebrate each day of sobriety since a lot of us are in the first couple days, weeks, or months. This is my first time using SR, an I feel like the decision not to drink was made more solidly this time.
Hope this helps take some of the pressure off. Peace!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 13
Thank you for your responses— but trying to deep breathe through it. Now suffering some insomnia.
Which I hear is also pretty common!!
practicing some gratitude - I still feel a hell of a lot better today - anxiety and insomnia— than I ever did drunk or hung over.
Which I hear is also pretty common!!
practicing some gratitude - I still feel a hell of a lot better today - anxiety and insomnia— than I ever did drunk or hung over.
No Dogma Please
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,562
Alcohol works on the GABA receptors, similar to benzos. GABA is the brakes in the nervous system, the calming agent. When we drink or benzo chronically and heavily, the nervous system compensates by down regulating the GABA receptors to combat the outside slowing that's being done by the alcohol or other depressant. When the drugs are suddenly withdrawn, not only is the nervous system having to deal with elevated levels of stress without the booze, but the nervous system itself has been depressed and has less GABA. Until this resets, and it can take months, the nervous system is revved up with no way to slow it down and anxiety goes through the roof.
It does get better with time.
It does get better with time.
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