nyc143777

I have crazy insomnia. I can't sleep because I am so worried about not being able to sleep. So every single night I get drunk by myself, pass out at 3 AM and then wake up hung over and exhausted and have to go to work. It's been going on for several years now. I try to just take sleeping pills, but I STILL want the alcohol, so I know I'm an alcholic and not just an insomniac. I don't know what to do. I really need help.
I went to an AA meeting and all it did was make me wanna run home and get drunk. Everyone was so annoying. They all kept complaining about stupid little things in their lives and I wanted to scream "Alcohol is destroying my life!!! Please help me!!" But I could tell they were all too self-centered too care about helping me.
Is there anyone I can talk to about this???

Sugasnaps

Here is a link to AA alternatives. Different choices for Alcoholics Check it out.

I wonder what would have happened if you really had stood up and yelled "Alcohol is destroying my life!" in that AA meeting. I would bet cold hard cash that it would have stopped everyone dead cold and they would have given you support. Folks go to AA and talk about many things... even the "little stuff" that we all have to deal with. But all that "little stuff" adds up to big stuff if you ignore it... talking about it helps especially with people who have the same issues with alcohol and addiction.

Hang in there and welcome to SR!

Suga

Jhana

Sorry to tell you this, but its the drinking that is causing the insomnia. 3 nights after quitting drinking you will probably still have problems as the alcohol leaves your system, but the 4th night you will sleep like a baby.

Just my opinion, but this is what I have found out in my own experience.

Gianna

Max Oblivia

I woke up this morning. Well what am I saying. I dont remember sleeping seems like I was awake alot last night. Course its been that way my whole life. I used alcohol for sleep for so long. If anyone asked me, I drank so I could fall asleep. Of course it was the nice thing about drinking it put me to sleep. But,but,but I slept like crap.
I woke up this morning and my wife said good morning good sleeper. I asked what do you mean. She said you didnt toss and turn, you didnt snore your sleeping better did you know that. I do kinda sorta what I notice is I am sharper during the day. I feel more rested. The sugar in booze woke me up sweating sometimes and never really getting a deep sleep. The reason I drank for all those years to put me to sleep ended up being the worst thing for me. It actually wrecked what sleep I would get.
I havent tried sleeping pills they always messed up my head I know they have new ones now but I dont need another addiction.
I have eliminated the sleep excuse for booze, for me its just one justification for drinking thats out of the way for me clearing a path toward a better life thru sobriety.
Max the sober one..

Cindi R

You definitely should have told 'em at the meeting what you told us here on the board...
Funny thing is that when we come into the program...all of us had huge problems that were ruining our lives, however, after a period of time those problems diminish into "stupid little problems"...
Insomnia is a huge issue, I've struggled with it for my whole life.
However as stated above, alcohol is only interfering with the natural sleep cycle. It may take a few days to get it out of your system entirely before sleep returns to normal.
I'm an addict, my DOC was meth. My sleep was messed up for way longer than yours is likely to be so I'm not even gonna tell ya about THAT part.
I will tell you that I sleep like a baby today...

squirrelly77

Hey there and welcome to this site!!!

I KNOW exactly where you're comming from but I had to learn the hard way that AA is not AA is not AA. To explain: when I first tried AA to quit drinking, I thought that all AA meetings were the same. The meetings I first went to--no one had a solution to my drinking problem to offer...and as you said--it was people sitting around talking about how horrible their lives were/are and yes...I DID run home and get drunk...many times.

It sounds to me that you're convinced that alcohol is destroying your life...find other meetings to go to. Look for the ones where people talk about the solution (for me...there's a lot of talk about the Big Book at these meetings) because it's offered in that book. I believe that when we're honestly willing to try and stop drinking, the "right" people come into our lives to help us out...and that includes finding the meetings where people aren't self-centered and only concerned about their problems.

It's too bad that you don't live in Michigan because I would be able to let you know where these meetings are at. Don't give up though--Brooklyn is a BIG place and I know there are meetings there where the members are "carrying the message" as we say.

Oh, and about the insomnia--if you've been drinking this long to get to sleep--yeah, it's gonna take awhile for your body to readjust. In my own experience--it took me at least a week before I was on a regular sleep regime when I stopped drinking...but it's well worth the sleepless nights.

Take care,
Danielle

CarolD

Hi and Welcome!

If I had not quit drinking...I would be sleeping forever.

Try this site,,,

http://www.well.com/user/mick/insomnia/


Glad to see a new member...

jbm125

Hi NYC, yu've got it exactly backwards. Your sleeping problems are because you drink.
You don't fall asleep, you pass out. I'd bet it started with a little problem sleeping and you took a drink or 2 to relax you and help you get to sleep. Now you're at the stage where you can't go to sleep(pass out) without a drink or 7.
If you put up with a week or 2 of troubled sleeping without booze you'll find you really didn't need the booze to get to sleep. It will be tough but do you really want to rely on drinking to get to sleep every night for the rest of your life.
You need to change this habit and if not now, when?
God bless

Linda C.

Hey there nyc...

Is booze causing you problems in your life ?? If not why worry?? Alcoholics are people who have all kinds of problems in their lives due to their drinking.. Sounds to me like its just medicinal for you to help you sleep..

As for your crappy AA meeting.. ( smile )... Someone whined about that yesterday.. I will tell you the same thing I told them.. I been going to AA for 25 years and never found one like that so you must have walked into the worst one in the world.. to bad.. You don't need an excuse to not go to AA... Just don't go... I can relate.. I sure didn't want to go.. I hated it.. I judged everyone because I knew it all - most of us do.. But I did not want to drink either --- guess I wanted to live more than die so I kept going.. Funny how it changed after awhile.. Of course I had to change first.. Imagine that ??

My best to you on your journey..

Linda C.

Justme57

That was my BEST excuse for drinking , I "drank myself to sleep "for 37 years, it wasn't til I came to the rooms of AA, that I found it wasn't the insomnia, it was cos I was/am an Alcoholic

I found peace, and a new life, you can too

HUGX
Lee

Digger

Agree with everyone. Try to learn some meditation and deep breathing techniques. They really have helped me to get a refreshing nights sleep.
Dave