TexasDawn

Anyone else here ever just feel exhausted and overwhelmed?
My schedule has been way too busy this past week. Lots of the things were good things, and my kids went back to school after two years of homeschooling.........

Too much change at once (even good change) and too much socialization for me this week has got me worn out. I'm an introvert (I like being with people but it is tiring for me and really drains my energy). Too many AA meetings can make me want to drink. lol I say that tongue-in-cheek. I love AA, and I love my karate classes, and I love church, and I love being with my family, and I love getting together with friends, but it seriously wears me out at times and I just want to lay low for awhile. I've been on the verge of tears almost every day this week.

I know that I will be okay, and while I wish I could just 'check out' for the weekend I don't feel overly tempted to drink - I just wish I could have some more time to myself this weekend. But this weekend it ain't happening.

Just wanted to say hi to everyone - I haven't been on SR in a few days and I miss keeping in touch.

Luckyv2

Awe Dawn now you sound like me yes I get way to much going and then I don't know where to make the boundaries. However there is a happy medium that we talk about in the program, I am still searching for that, and I am sure in time it will come. Like I have been telling myself, "You are probably right where you need to be!" Dang I hate that saying sometimes

Sending tons of good thoughts and prayers your way....Easy Does IT Girl

Love Vic

Anna

Overdoing things is a bad thing for me too. I always need the balance in my life, always. Too much of anything seems to make me edgy, so I'm always striving to make sure there is some down-time and some 'alone' time in my day.


Enjoy your weekend!

mertyl

hang in there. and do whats right for you.

aloneagainor

I've learned here, through reading of the tendancies of other addicts and writing of my own actions, how that drive to overdrive manifests itself in us, and why we do that. For to be busy is a distraction, a disguise, and a diversion. We're too busy to be addicts! Too productive, too high-achieving. Masters of deception, to others and to ourselves. And I think all that overdoing it provides us with the "excuse" we seek to justify our escape.

Above all though, we've conditioned our brain to like the rush of the intense involvement. We get that artificially in drugs. We get that naturally in hyper-activity. Either way, we come crashing down afterward. And in an attempt to feel "normal" again, the (not-so) bright idea occurs to us how we can get there real quick. My point is that what we lack is balance. Allowing there to be highs and lows and accept them for what they are. Perhaps not have to go to such extremes in the first place, rather be present in the moment so to fully enjoy the place we are in. But oh, I know how it is, to want to push yourself to the extreme. Yes, I've spent the last couple weeks in that state myself. However, I'm here now, taking this Saturday off, no physical labor today, instead allowing my mind to go where it will lead me, and trusting that it will lead me to good places. How nice it is to be able to trust my own mind's directive. This has been a long slow road to get to this point, but I'm happy to be on what I trust is the right road, or at least, the right general direction. Be kind to yourself, take time for yourself, MAKE time for yourself. You know what you need to do.

REZ

I agree with the earlier post that balance is very important in recovery. Too much of anything--even meetings--can be a bad thing. Only you know what is the right balance for you of work, family, meetings, etc. If you are a bit of an introvert, you probably need a little time to yourself every now and then too. Alone time can be a very good thing, if you spend the time wisely (i.e. not drinking, not feeling sorry for yourself, not stewing in anger, etc.). I suggest you talk to your sponsor about finding balance.

michski

Every day you don't pick up is a successful day... don't loose track of how much of a winner you are because you've had another sober day.
Slow down a little and smell the roses of your recovery!

cmc

I find that if I take a good look at my priorities and when I say 'no' to something lower on my list, I am really saying 'yes' to those things that I really must do or need to do. I feel better and that reinforces my decision making the next time. I also think that alot of moms go through this- I know I did alot of 'balancing' when I was working, being a mom, wife, singer, group leader, volunteer, homemaker and college student!! (see what I mean about priorities? I was doing way too much... thinking I could handle it...)

ventuhome

Yeah, I've been exhausted and overwhelmed for weeks!!! I work 2 part-time jobs, as well has run my household and deal with 2 teens with speical needs - and they are high functioning which makes me work harder with them!! I was barely keeping up with this, then I had the crisis with my addict Sister-in-law getting busted, my brother getting left with their kid, and Child Protective Services (Finally!) coming to investigate! Well, we had wanted CPS to investigate, but when the ADDICT was home so she could face to consequences of her neglect of house and child. Since it didnt work out that way, my brother was left with a severely autistic child and a filthy house and one day to clean it up! I got involved only because an innocent child's life was at stake; no foster home would take him as he was and he would wind up in an institution perhaps forever (I am sure of this because I have many friends who are foster parents in this county). We got a reprieve from the 1 day deadline if we could "show progress" every week, so I've been helping out every weekend, so has my niece and my other brother and my 2 kids. I am sooo exhausted. The upside to all this? I got lots of physical exercise!! My kids learned how to use a rug shampooer. They got emotionally much closer to their cousin, the autistic boy, who made tremendous gains in all areas over the summer. My brother worked on detachment from his Addict wife. Now school has started so my brother can pretty much mange on his own. And another relative is coming to stay for 6 weeks, so I can get a break!

UnusedPortion

Ditto your entire post TexasDawn! When my kids started school with my youngest going to kindergarten, I felt bereft! I haven't gotten as much progress done around here due to reading self help books, drowning my sorrow, figuring out how to live without them. Finally I realize if I feel loss now what is it going to feel like when I lose my family due to falling down the rabbit hole again? I won't let it go there, they are my babies and they were given to me, imperfect as I am because there is something about being in THIS family that they chose or God wanted. Don't cave in! I will be on here alot unless I am at AA or dealing with a squabble-fitting in a bit of laundry but I can't ask too much of myself just yet. I'm only sober for my second day so I hope that at least knowing many of us moms are dealing with the same thing can help out.

Lastbinge

I totally understand the overwhelmed part. Sometimes it's like the old movie title...Stop the World, I Want to Get Off. I own a construction business and have to deal with employees (which I find akin to babysitting sometimes), then there's the clients to deal with....some days it boils up to a point where I get the feeling that I wish it would all go away and leave me alone, I get so sick of catering to others needs...I want to scream out and in fact have done so.......Leave me alone, I need some time for ME.
In the past when I would rewach this point it was definitely a trigger to go off on a drinking binge, imagine that...my wanting time for ME led to a week long binge of self destruction.
I'm now on day 44 I think without booze and seem to be having a better grip on dealing with these stresses...at least I know for a fact I won't turn to alcohol again when the overwhelm emotion boils up. The escape with alcohol of course was only temporary and the issues would still be there when I sobered up.

Take care and good luck

Scott

NEEDTOBESOBER

Yes, I feel exhausted and overwhelmed a lot of the times, my oldest son, I have to get up at 5am for his job, then my husband at 6am, which he is the hardest to get to wake up and then during the week I have to at least stay awake and get my youngest up for school at 7:30am and I am unemployed, but I have other things like getting my youngest to do homework, i usually have to help him, he is ADD, my husband stays home too but not much help even though he thinks he is and has some kind of mental problems, first they said he was bipolar now I dont know I think he might be paranoid and is afraid of open spaces , wants to stay in enclosed places except when he has to drive somewhere, today it took me all day to get him to take me to the grocery store-frustrating stuff - sometimes I wanna say screw it and take off of course I can't cause I am stuck here since I can't drive, license suspended til Dec.

TexasDawn

Thanks everyone for your support and encouraging messages!

Yesterday I spent almost the entire day in bed sleeping. I felt so worn out. I think I may have been coming down with something. My son has a cold/flu thing going on....could be going around. My whole body ached - not sure if my body was fighting off a virus or if I just had general fatigue.

Anyway, after a day of much-needed rest in bed followed by a relaxing evening of sitting on the couch watching a dvd with the fam, I am feeling much better today.

I just love SR and miss it when I don't have time to post or read the threads that I normally keep up with. Like everything else that I love, there is only so much time in one day, it is difficult to find the right balance at times. Sometimes I just need to shut down for awhile...... but at least I am doing that without alcohol. Thanks (((Michski))) for that wonderful reminder!

(((Vic))) thanks for the good thoughts and prayers!

(((Unusedportion))) - your life sounds a lot like mine! Wish i had time to PM you... congrats on DAY 2 of staying sober! You are right, us moms need to be here for each other......thanks for your thoughtful post.

(((scott))) 44 days is awesome too!

(((ReZ))) thanks for the advice - don't have a sponsor yet, but I am working on that /praying about it. Maybe I could get a temporary sponsor? Maybe I am afraid of commitment? lol

Thanks everyone!