Dry drunk?
 

So it has been 31 days snce I have had a drink. I as bad as it sounds It would honest to state that I can not remember any periods of sobriety for at least 10 to 12 years. The first two weeks clean went as smoothly as one could expect however the last few days I have been having so very uncomfortable issues. Let me preface this with I have already asked my doctor if all was ok regarding this issue and he told me it should eventually pass--so i am not dying--and I am not trying to soloicit meadical advice. But for personal reasons I think it would be very beneficial to my own peace of mind to see if many other people have experienced somthing similar to what I am going through, to what extremes and how long it took to go away!!

Here goes. I feel like I am on serious drugs or totally wasted. I have periods of time where I feel very out of sorts, intoxicated or dunk when I have not touched the stuff for over 30 days! I have been having entense periods of confusion and memory loss. I will be walking around my house not really knowing what I am doing or what I have just done. I am slurring my words and stumbling around aimlessly. It is a bit frustrating because I was really enjoying the bit of clarity I had just started to see recently. Is this what some call being a dry drunk? I donk like it at all because it reminds me of all the blackouts I used to have and I want to NEVER have again.

Thanks in advance for any replies...


Crispy


:skillet:wtf2

sounds like PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome) to me...it's pretty common.
Post Acute Withdrawl - Relapse Prevention Specialists - TLC The Living Center

Dry Drunk's a different thing entirely - it's an AA thing and not something I subscribe to, so I'll leave it to an AAer to explain...:)

D

welcome to reality

That's why, we have so many people going back out. Your emotions are raw naked, nothing to help you camouflage them any more.

I stayed busy going to meetings plus, I was renovating my house to stop from having idle time on my hands.

Try to keep from isolating your thoughts aren't clear right now

We have to retrain our selves and our thinking process. Our old behavior can't be the routine any longer.

One thing that's helpful is exercise. How's your eating habits? You need to get a good balanced diet. I still like to load up on B vitamins from energy drinks!! Eat lots of fruits as well

Read up on the PAWS thing, hon.

I remember one day, coming into the Alano club before a meeting ...
and climbing up onto a stool (ours is pretty much set up just like a bar)
only to go flying off the other side.
Like bad cowboy bar theatre or something.

I was walking unsteady, had trouble maneuvering a coffee cup -
it was just like being drunk. Then CarolD sent me the link you've gotten from Dee ... and suddenly - the whole thing got FUNNY to me.

Took me more than a couple of tries to get perched on the chair as I recall.

The GOOD news is - it clears up.
The GOOD news - is you're right on schedule.
The GOOD news is - you never have to go through this again.

My personal opinion is - when we drink for years and years - the liver and other various and sundry skwishy internal organs clean out at different times. Stored up toxins .. .take time to get out of the system.

So occasionally - we have these 'Jerry Lewis' days ... I mean, back when he was actually funny.

But it DOES go away.

Hope that helps.

Hmm....:)
I'd rather be a dry drunk than a wet one.

Congratulations on your sober time.
:Dance7:

hang in there, it will pass. Just part of the roller coaster we call recovery. Took me two months before things started to show signs of leveling off emotionally/mentally/physicaly
You can do it :)

Yeah stick in there, i think it was moments like this that slipped me back.
I remember walking through town a couple of weeks ago (at that point only a day or two since my last binge) and suddenly feeling very isolated and numb in the head, i was scarred to bump into anyone i knew as all i felt was paranoia and unsteady fear, i was stumbling quite abit too.
I ran back to the drink because i felt like i couldnt take it anymore, if only i had ridden it out or called somebody i wouldnt have spiralled into the two week oblivion that i did... hopefully ive learnt from that.
And you did the right thing getting it off your chest, dont keep it in, the mind + body can play tricks...but it passes
Paulx

I'm into day 98 and I still experience some of what you are descibing. It has become less frequent. I still walk into was room and wonder what the heck I came in here for. Some days I feel like I'm mega ADD or something. But it has gotten better. Hang in there. There are better days to come. I know it sucks. I had the delusion that once I quit drinking everything would be perfect. Being sober I can now see how imperfect things are. Now I have to learn to accept life as it is. Way to go on your sober time.

How old are you *LOL* That sounds like my normal day *LOL*

Ok seriously...
I would get the same feelings when I tried to stop smoking. My brain couldn't handle the clean clear oxygen it was getting. Like it was in shock asking...what is this?

You checked with your Dr so that is good and he says things are ok. From there I would say it is just an extended withdrawl feeling and it will pass.

As for dry drunk... That term is in relationship to our attitude. When I stopped the alcohol intake, I still followed some of my behaviors of my drinking days.
I was dry but would still behave like a jerk at times. Time and personal growth helps that as well if it is there.

Crispy

From what I understand, this has nothing to do with what is described as a "dry drunk." I understand DD to be behaviors that are consistent with those of people in active disease (anger, hostility, selfishness, etc). All the crap that accompanies alcoholism. The stuff that causes our loved ones to leave.

I don't know much about PAWS, but I suspect that your symptoms have to do with withdrawal. They sound neurologic and physical. I think everyone's mileage varies with such stuff.

Good food, vitamins, exercise, sun, sound like they may help. Body healing stuff. Biochemistry. My own symptoms have been less severe, but I feel like I inhabit someone else's body (in a good way) lately. I'm at 7 weeks and my addiction was low to moderate, though no less debilitating. If it takes you twice as long, you can look forward to far better days ahead. Just in time for Idaho spring!

Keep it up! You are doing great! Focus on your times of clarity and feeling good. I think they will soon become "normal." And, take it from me, it is great when they do. Make no mistake, sobriety does not eliminate the bullsh*t of life, but it makes it far easier to tolerate and understand.

warren

I can relate to this. I open the fridge and look in there for beer and I go into the pantry looking for the Dewars and what not. If I'm hangin' around people drinking. I will start pacing like a madman.