does this work?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Location: sfo, ca
Posts: 17
does this work?
I wrote this whole thing and then it didn't post.. so trying again
The short of it is I'm about 60 days sober . Things were great my frist 30 days, but as time marches on it is becomig more diffcult to cope with life.
I don't crave nor do I have a desire to drink but life sober is tough, anxiety attacks and sleep are my most diffcult items right now.
I know I can't do this alone and am looking for support and hope. My big hope will be to get to a point where I can give back once I'm a little more sorted out.
All your support and advice is welcome.
I can write more but want to see if this posts before investing time. The first draft was much nicer.. such is life eh!
The short of it is I'm about 60 days sober . Things were great my frist 30 days, but as time marches on it is becomig more diffcult to cope with life.
I don't crave nor do I have a desire to drink but life sober is tough, anxiety attacks and sleep are my most diffcult items right now.
I know I can't do this alone and am looking for support and hope. My big hope will be to get to a point where I can give back once I'm a little more sorted out.
All your support and advice is welcome.
I can write more but want to see if this posts before investing time. The first draft was much nicer.. such is life eh!
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
....Welcome to our recovery community.You might not be aware of this...
Post Acute Withdrawl - Relapse Prevention Specialists - TLC The Living Center
Well done on your sober time...
Guest
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Southern New Hampshire
Posts: 746
I can relate
Sobriety without a solution is a miserable place to be, some folks get better when they stop drinking, I get worse. I found that by working the 12 steps of AA, I am now comfortable in my own skin and comfortable with the world. Maybe this path would work for you as well.
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,784
Life seeming to become worse could be many things, just learning to adapt to sobriety can take a while. Also I've been told that Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome can last for quite a while after the initial withdrawal is over. Anxiety and sleep problems are but two of the effects of PAWS. I would suggest you talk to your doctor as soon as possible.
Also, if you hadn't considered AA you may want to try going to some meetings. I find them very helpful in dealing with stress, and living sober is stressful as I never knew when drinking that I was stressed because I was too drunk to know much of anything.
Have you ever considered some sort of mental health therapy? Anxiety attacks could be from a lot of things. If they are getting more severe therapy/counseling might be helpful.
Explore every avenue of relief, starting with talking to your doctor. A phyical exam might not be a bad idea also, to sort out whether your problems that you mentioned could have a physical cause unrelated to sobriety or former alcohol use.
Keep coming back here for support - it's a wonderful site!
:ghug3
Also, if you hadn't considered AA you may want to try going to some meetings. I find them very helpful in dealing with stress, and living sober is stressful as I never knew when drinking that I was stressed because I was too drunk to know much of anything.
Have you ever considered some sort of mental health therapy? Anxiety attacks could be from a lot of things. If they are getting more severe therapy/counseling might be helpful.
Explore every avenue of relief, starting with talking to your doctor. A phyical exam might not be a bad idea also, to sort out whether your problems that you mentioned could have a physical cause unrelated to sobriety or former alcohol use.
Keep coming back here for support - it's a wonderful site!
:ghug3
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 448
Hi niceguy,
I have only but a few days of not drinking, new to sobriety and AA, but I can tell you that if you stick around, the people here are AMAZING. They helped me right from from the very first time I posted (and if you look, you'll see I've posted endless times over the last week!)...LOL...They have given me the support and encouragement to not pick up a drink, to go to AA meetings, and have let me ask endless questions, ramble and rant. I came to this forum scared to death and was welcomed with open arms.
I understand about the anxiety attacks. It's what drove me to find a way to stop drinking and led me here. I have been having horrible panic attacks over the past several weeks, which the drinking only exacerbated! I'm not sleeping either...I've had maybe 7 hours total in the past 2 nights...I've been told that it get's better...stick around and help me to become sober
Welcome :ghug3
I have only but a few days of not drinking, new to sobriety and AA, but I can tell you that if you stick around, the people here are AMAZING. They helped me right from from the very first time I posted (and if you look, you'll see I've posted endless times over the last week!)...LOL...They have given me the support and encouragement to not pick up a drink, to go to AA meetings, and have let me ask endless questions, ramble and rant. I came to this forum scared to death and was welcomed with open arms.
I understand about the anxiety attacks. It's what drove me to find a way to stop drinking and led me here. I have been having horrible panic attacks over the past several weeks, which the drinking only exacerbated! I'm not sleeping either...I've had maybe 7 hours total in the past 2 nights...I've been told that it get's better...stick around and help me to become sober
Welcome :ghug3
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,513
Hi Niceguy,
Good for you having 60 days sober!
I suspect the anxiety and the sleep issues will resolve themselves as time goes on. Recovery is a process and it takes awhile for your body to adjust to the changes. In my case, I had anxiety and sleep problems long before I began drinking. They worsened while I was drinking, and now that I'm sober, I still deal with those problems.
Yes, sober life can be tough. There is no way to 'medicate away' the feelings and problems that come along. But, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Good for you having 60 days sober!
I suspect the anxiety and the sleep issues will resolve themselves as time goes on. Recovery is a process and it takes awhile for your body to adjust to the changes. In my case, I had anxiety and sleep problems long before I began drinking. They worsened while I was drinking, and now that I'm sober, I still deal with those problems.
Yes, sober life can be tough. There is no way to 'medicate away' the feelings and problems that come along. But, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 12,136
Welcome to our recovery community and well done on your sober time. You are asking the right questions. Stick around and continue to read and post. Lots of good info here and lots of helpful folk who understand what it's like to live sober.
mle-sober
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Golden, CO
Posts: 1,243
Hi NiceGuy,
I like your name!
Congratulations on your sober time! That's wonderful. You deserve a lot of respect for what you've done so far.
After I got sober, I definately felt like adjusting to life without the option of numbing myself was very painful. It still is. I have to address the reasons behind why I started drinking in the first place. When I take the drink away, all my problems that I was stuffing down, suddenly rear up. Ugh.
The alcohol was a symptom. But also, now, my anxiety, my difficulty being nice to myself, my fear of abandonment -- all of those are symptoms. And I'm working now to figure out what I've got to do to really heal. So for me, quitting drinking is the first part that opens the gate to healing. But a lot of the work comes after that.
I just wonder if your panic attacks and your sleep problems might be the ways in which some things you were avoiding are manifesting now that you are not letting them manifest through alcohollism? Not trying to psychoanylize you - I just know that's what was true for me. So the key for me is to think deeply about what I was avoiding. (I actually work with a therapist to do this and it's very helpful.)
But the truth is, with committment, it really does get better. And peace of mind and serenity really do find their way into your life. I just know that you have the strength and will to keep working toward that. I like the phrase "Just do the next best thing." because it keeps it in perspective. And it sounds like you're doing that. So, my hat is off to you. Keep it up Good Guy!
- MLE
p.s. Oh - Also - I like your idea about giving back. AA is all about that! Are you going to AA? It's really, really helpful for me.
I like your name!
Congratulations on your sober time! That's wonderful. You deserve a lot of respect for what you've done so far.
After I got sober, I definately felt like adjusting to life without the option of numbing myself was very painful. It still is. I have to address the reasons behind why I started drinking in the first place. When I take the drink away, all my problems that I was stuffing down, suddenly rear up. Ugh.
The alcohol was a symptom. But also, now, my anxiety, my difficulty being nice to myself, my fear of abandonment -- all of those are symptoms. And I'm working now to figure out what I've got to do to really heal. So for me, quitting drinking is the first part that opens the gate to healing. But a lot of the work comes after that.
I just wonder if your panic attacks and your sleep problems might be the ways in which some things you were avoiding are manifesting now that you are not letting them manifest through alcohollism? Not trying to psychoanylize you - I just know that's what was true for me. So the key for me is to think deeply about what I was avoiding. (I actually work with a therapist to do this and it's very helpful.)
But the truth is, with committment, it really does get better. And peace of mind and serenity really do find their way into your life. I just know that you have the strength and will to keep working toward that. I like the phrase "Just do the next best thing." because it keeps it in perspective. And it sounds like you're doing that. So, my hat is off to you. Keep it up Good Guy!
- MLE
p.s. Oh - Also - I like your idea about giving back. AA is all about that! Are you going to AA? It's really, really helpful for me.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,381
Want to say hey and welcome
You can help people right now by just being here. There are alot of people just starting out their recovery. And it helps knowing someone is doing the same as you.
Thank's for being here.
You can help people right now by just being here. There are alot of people just starting out their recovery. And it helps knowing someone is doing the same as you.
Thank's for being here.
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 428
Hi Niceguy,
I have found it so encouraging to read other's posts and relate to them! I feeling like I am marching into the same boat you are. Just over 30 days and the anxiety attacks are increasing. I find myself at home after work, bored and aggitated. It has been so long since I have come home and done anything other than open a bottle of wine. My husband has really helped. (Poor man... sometimes he just needs to detach ya know!) But if he isn't really in the mood for talking or out of town, I have found it very helpful to go to a meeting. Even if I am tired.
Like others have said, alcohol really is only a symptom. I have found that I have some codependent issues that need to be addressed and I was using the alcohol to escape them. For me it was escaping from not feeling comfortable in my own skin, numbing emotional pain that I didn't want to face, relieving anxiety and much more. I just finished a great book by Pia Melody that I really found exciting and helpful called Facing Codependence.
When I first started AA I was really frustrated with the steps. I felt like I just couldn't get them right. (I have only finished step one as of now.) But in reading this book she talks about people that have codependence problems have a hard time honestly doing 12-step programs, but then goes on to say that before any codependence issues can be addressed one must be sober. And it finally clicked! I am doing right now. Before I was drunk and trying to work on codependency!
Anyways.... I don't know if this is anything you can relate to.... but thanks for your post! Take everyday one day at a time! No future tripping!
I have found it so encouraging to read other's posts and relate to them! I feeling like I am marching into the same boat you are. Just over 30 days and the anxiety attacks are increasing. I find myself at home after work, bored and aggitated. It has been so long since I have come home and done anything other than open a bottle of wine. My husband has really helped. (Poor man... sometimes he just needs to detach ya know!) But if he isn't really in the mood for talking or out of town, I have found it very helpful to go to a meeting. Even if I am tired.
Like others have said, alcohol really is only a symptom. I have found that I have some codependent issues that need to be addressed and I was using the alcohol to escape them. For me it was escaping from not feeling comfortable in my own skin, numbing emotional pain that I didn't want to face, relieving anxiety and much more. I just finished a great book by Pia Melody that I really found exciting and helpful called Facing Codependence.
When I first started AA I was really frustrated with the steps. I felt like I just couldn't get them right. (I have only finished step one as of now.) But in reading this book she talks about people that have codependence problems have a hard time honestly doing 12-step programs, but then goes on to say that before any codependence issues can be addressed one must be sober. And it finally clicked! I am doing right now. Before I was drunk and trying to work on codependency!
Anyways.... I don't know if this is anything you can relate to.... but thanks for your post! Take everyday one day at a time! No future tripping!
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
