Cold Turkey, Day 20
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 176
Cold Turkey, Day 20
With day 20 rolling around I figured I'd post a little update. I've been kind of busy so I haven't been on much. I'm not sure exactly when it's supposed to start getting easier, but I've had a few close calls.
Being around other people drinking makes this really tough, but so far I've managed. The last few weeks sober have been really great, but I still have that urge to drink sometimes after a hard day of work.
I need to find something that relaxes me after I get home from work or something. Been working hard all day, then going to the gym, but I still find myself very much awake even into the late hours of the night. Maybe I should try to get some natural sleep aid or something. I can go forever on 4-5 hours of sleep and still find it hard to lie down around 10pm to midnight and just fall asleep.
Being around other people drinking makes this really tough, but so far I've managed. The last few weeks sober have been really great, but I still have that urge to drink sometimes after a hard day of work.
I need to find something that relaxes me after I get home from work or something. Been working hard all day, then going to the gym, but I still find myself very much awake even into the late hours of the night. Maybe I should try to get some natural sleep aid or something. I can go forever on 4-5 hours of sleep and still find it hard to lie down around 10pm to midnight and just fall asleep.
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,509
Good for you for having 20 days sober!
I think it does take a lot of changes in early sobriety to make things work. Going to a gym is a good idea and hopefully your sleep schedule will settle down soon.
I think it does take a lot of changes in early sobriety to make things work. Going to a gym is a good idea and hopefully your sleep schedule will settle down soon.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,442
Congratulations on your 20 days. I won't lie I found the first 90 days pretty tough...but it was nothing compared to the difficulties of drinking life I left.
I'm not sure what you're doing for your recovery, Programmer, but for me to make things easier, I had to really change my life...not only changing my routine but really looking at how I lived my life...
This may not apply to you, but I tried just not drinking and it was impossible to do that when I was still living the same alcoholic life, doing the same old things, hanging around the same group of people who still drank....for me, it was existing not living, and it was no wonder I eventually went back to drinking.
This time I made a new non drinking life for myself and not only has it worked in keeping me sober, I'm happy that way - I'm the happiest and most content I've ever been in my life.
D
I'm not sure what you're doing for your recovery, Programmer, but for me to make things easier, I had to really change my life...not only changing my routine but really looking at how I lived my life...
This may not apply to you, but I tried just not drinking and it was impossible to do that when I was still living the same alcoholic life, doing the same old things, hanging around the same group of people who still drank....for me, it was existing not living, and it was no wonder I eventually went back to drinking.
This time I made a new non drinking life for myself and not only has it worked in keeping me sober, I'm happy that way - I'm the happiest and most content I've ever been in my life.
D
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 176
Well, I'm 23 and just out of school, but I'm living with my grandparents right now because they were within driving distance of the school.
They are super super alcoholics, and are always drinking. They had a work party the other day, and they actually had a kiddie pool full of ice and beer. Things like that make it hard for me, especially considering I live... with my grandparents, and it's insanely boring.
I think for me, things will be easier once I'm gone. Before I switched schools to come up here, I worked all the time, and often late into the night, as well as full time school and I was much happier and healthier (no drinking then). I just need to keep myself busy.
I'm not really doing a specific program, I just quit drinking after I found this website.
They are super super alcoholics, and are always drinking. They had a work party the other day, and they actually had a kiddie pool full of ice and beer. Things like that make it hard for me, especially considering I live... with my grandparents, and it's insanely boring.
I think for me, things will be easier once I'm gone. Before I switched schools to come up here, I worked all the time, and often late into the night, as well as full time school and I was much happier and healthier (no drinking then). I just need to keep myself busy.
I'm not really doing a specific program, I just quit drinking after I found this website.
Wandering Student of Life
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: MSP MN
Posts: 126
Programmer,
I'm 26, and last summer, I quit cold turkey - just lurking on this site and a couple others - and made it about 60, 65 days before I had a "slip". I ended up having a couple more slips and then finally fully relapsed this last winter. Now, I'm on day 92 after doing an inpatient detox, 10 day inpatient stay, and I'm still going through outpatient group.
Keeping busy and wearing myself out has been key this time around, I'm positive - so I recommend that to you. Meetings are always recommended by many of us here - and I'm gonna kinda jump on that bandwagon, because my first month or so doing the intensive outpatient (m-f from 6-9pm) after a full day of work kept me away from booze, surrounded by people who were in similar stages, and left me exhausted by 10pm when I got home. I'd only "unwind" for about a half hour before crashing.
Now, I go to group once a week, but that stuff I worked in to unwind briefly each night I have been learning to expand into several hours after work.
I thought I'd share that since we're similar in age and I relate to what you're up to
So, major congrats on 20 days!!!!! I remember how rough that was my first time around cold-turkey. I did end up using an OTC sleep aid a bit, as well as Valerian root supplement capsules that I'd have around dinner time. They were about as helpful as getting really worn out by working out or walking a LOT earlier in the day. Maybe you could google 'em and see if they're a fit for ya?
I'm cheering for you, and really, really empathize!
Also, I love the yin-yang picture! I identify with a lot of eastern mysticism and philosophy, even if I am a pagan
Take care, and I hope to see more "X-days!" posts from ya!
Blessed be,
WW
I'm 26, and last summer, I quit cold turkey - just lurking on this site and a couple others - and made it about 60, 65 days before I had a "slip". I ended up having a couple more slips and then finally fully relapsed this last winter. Now, I'm on day 92 after doing an inpatient detox, 10 day inpatient stay, and I'm still going through outpatient group.
Keeping busy and wearing myself out has been key this time around, I'm positive - so I recommend that to you. Meetings are always recommended by many of us here - and I'm gonna kinda jump on that bandwagon, because my first month or so doing the intensive outpatient (m-f from 6-9pm) after a full day of work kept me away from booze, surrounded by people who were in similar stages, and left me exhausted by 10pm when I got home. I'd only "unwind" for about a half hour before crashing.
Now, I go to group once a week, but that stuff I worked in to unwind briefly each night I have been learning to expand into several hours after work.
I thought I'd share that since we're similar in age and I relate to what you're up to
So, major congrats on 20 days!!!!! I remember how rough that was my first time around cold-turkey. I did end up using an OTC sleep aid a bit, as well as Valerian root supplement capsules that I'd have around dinner time. They were about as helpful as getting really worn out by working out or walking a LOT earlier in the day. Maybe you could google 'em and see if they're a fit for ya?
I'm cheering for you, and really, really empathize!
Also, I love the yin-yang picture! I identify with a lot of eastern mysticism and philosophy, even if I am a pagan
Take care, and I hope to see more "X-days!" posts from ya!
Blessed be,
WW
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: out there
Posts: 114
I had the same problem with sleep until I tried seratonin. Work great I boughtmine from g.n.c and it dissolves under my tongue. I usually all asleep within a half hour and stay asleep for 8 hours. No hangover feeling the next day.
Wandering Student of Life
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: MSP MN
Posts: 126
Originally Posted by bochuck 
I had the same problem with sleep until I tried seratonin. Work great I boughtmine from g.n.c and it dissolves under my tongue. I usually all asleep within a half hour and stay asleep for 8 hours. No hangover feeling the next day.
I used to get mine at Walgreens, lol
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