Looking for a reason or ten
 

I've been clean for a little over two weeks. I'm still in physical withdrawal mode and I can't keep from crying.

Can someone please remind me of ONE reason clean is the right choice?

hi missindependent

getting sober was probably the hardest thing I ever did - but I like myself now - and for someone who hated themselves for 40 years - thats a revelation.

You know your own reasons for wanting to quit - don't give up on them - you deserve a better life - we all do :)

You'll find a lot of support here
welcome :)

D

You get your life and freedom back ;) No longer relying on a substance to get you throughout your day without being high or miserable. Welcome to SR! Two weeks is SO awesome! I hope you start feeling better soon. If you don't get a ton of responses right away it may just be slow b/c it's a Friday night - keep checking back though.

Hello, miss. Welcome to SR.

For me, staying sober means my bowel movements stay mostly normal (it was scary before), my heart doesn't do premature beats or race nearly as much as it used to, I have a clear mind, I'm saving a lot of money (going to buy a car soon), I got a promotion after I became sober, I'm taking care of my depression, and I have a game plan to better my life. None of this would have been possible if I was still drinking.

It's not easy. Good, solid change takes a long time. I still cry a lot, but I'm optimistic. I'm dealing with all the pain I avoided for a long time. Hang in there. You are not alone.


Take it easy.

Hi and Welcome,

You know it's the right thing to do! Please know that you will feel better and you will be proud of the hard work you're putting in now.

I am clean, and the voices in my head are finally quiet. My old hurts are finally healing. I am clean because after my body recovered from the abuse I put it through, I started getting natural highs that were far superior to the chemically induced variety. Hang tough, ask for help, and find support. It gets better.

One of the best parts of staying sober for me is waking up feeling good. When drinking I'd wake up feeling sicker than hell and the whole day was ruined. I no longer have to feel sick from drinking and I love feeling great waking up. Keep at it, it does get better.:grouphug:

Hello and congratulations on 2 weeks clean - that is awesome! Sobriety is complex, beautiful, challenging, and full. The best part for me was finally being able to "feel" again(the good, bad and ugly) and clear thoughts. Hang in there - YOU ARE DOING GREAT - I cried a lot at the beginning too...it's okay...

Best of luck...

((((hugs)))) :c014:

Thanks for your responses. I'm still trying to navigate this site and figure out the details.

Today is a little better, but also a little sore. I'm tired of being tired. And depressed. And this anxiety. Does anyone remember feeling these things? Am I naive to think two weeks is enough time for these icky symptoms to leave my body so that I can fully recovery in head and body??? AAAARRRRRGGGH!!!!...

Hi Miss I, I just began my sober journey also. I have about 5 weeks sober. I read someone's post on here about a month ago...when I was lurking and had just quit a week or so before...and was not feeling so great. And I cannot find the quote right now, but it went something like this:

If you start at the edge of the forest and walk straight in for 5 hours, do you think you can turn around and walk back out in twenty minutes?

I got the message. I had been abusing my mind and body for a long time. Did I expect that in two weeks, or even longer that I would be 100 percent back to clear/normal? It takes some time...but from what everyone is posting it appears to be worth it to stick it out. To have support here and elsewhere, and just keep hanging in there. I am going to do my best to do it. And I hope you do too. Because even though it takes a while, and the others could probably give you a better idea of how long, I believe that it will be worth it for you and for me, and for the others that are on this journey of recovery to stick it out.

Hang in there and keep coming back.

Also, be gentle with yourself, and patient. And eat heathly things. I have been taking a multi vitamin and Omega-3, and drinking lots of water, and juice. Eating a lot of bananas (with peanut butter sometimes)...and other healthy things. There are websites that mention foods that have nutrients in them that are healthy for recovering alcoholics. I found them by googing them. These are just some of the things I have found to be helpful. Also, if you are tired, let yourself sleep or rest. I found that I did not sleep well the first week, but after that, I have been exhausted, and I sleep whenever I feel like I should, and of course am able to. Work does play a factor in that!

hi again missindependent

One of the really ironic things about recovery is it teaches us patience I think LOL.
It does take longer than two weeks to feel better for most of us, which is not that surprising if you drank for years like I did.

Here's a link that may help
Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) — Why we don’t get better immediately) Digital Dharma

D

I have read what Dee sent you about PAWS several times in the past month, and I found it really very helpful.

Hi missindependent. I was a mess for quite awhile, definitely at only 2 wks. My emotions were all over the place. Don't be discouraged - you'll go through many phases on this journey. It's early days yet & your mind and body are healing. It's going to be ok, and you never have to feel this way again. Glad you joined us!