UnDisclosed

One weeks sobriety and I have no particular urges to drink so far. Gave up the 30 a day habbit too...

Coming to terms with the Physiological side of things?
Day 8 and the anxiety, shame, guilt, and feeling of impending doom is unreal, all festering to produce what feels like paranoia, paranoia that creeps into all my thoughts and worries, drink related or not. I need to get out of my own head... Any advice?

A 12 step approach isn't really for me and specular meeting aren't an option where I live...anyone gone the CBT self help way?

Starburst

wow, that is awesome! Welcome to SR and well done, for kicking both habits, i would also like to know the answer to your question, one of the reasons my AH wont give up drinking, and he has taken back to his 20 day a habit!

SSIL75

IDK about CBT but just IME what you're feeling is pretty normal so early in the game. It's very shocking to see how you were living in a sober light. It was very helpful to me to actively build my new life. Doing healthy things (gym, volunteering, accepting sober invitations). Lots of sleep, too.

It's really worth it. Don't let the fear push you back under. Sober life is truly worth living for.

Don't be afraid to visit your doctor, either if you feel like you may have some underlying panic disorder/depression etc.

There are quite a few of us here recovering without AA or any formal secular plan. I am enjoying some of the Rational Recovery stuff (AVRT) that you can find online.

Dee74

Hi UnDisclosed

Regrets shame and worry were part of my early experience too...I tried as much as I could to draw a line under my old life - it was all gone and beyond my control now anyway - and focus on the task at hand of getting sober and staying that way.

Try and focus on the good things in your life now and the reasons for staying that way.

People here told me there'd be time enough to sort through the wreckage later, when I was more able to tackle the job, and they were right

Congratulations on your sober time
D

caribbean

I didn't really think a 12-step approach was for me, either. But it's working.

Talking with other recovering alcoholics seems to be the best way for me to get out of my head. If you don't know any others in person (you know you can go to AA meetings without working the steps, right?), try the chat rooms here.

My experience with CBT is that is was great and helped me with a lot of problems -- but it never did anything for my problem with alcohol.

Good luck to you, and welcome!

LaFemme

I have been sober using self help books, SR, faith and counseling (not CBT). I also use some components of nutritional therapy. I am adding meditation and yoga to the mix as well, they were always part of the plan but I did not implement them fully and I have plateaued right now so I am hoping they will help me get to the next level. I also quit my pack a Day at the same time. 100 tomorrow.

least

It's taken me some time to 'get over' the feelings of guilt and shame and regret but they no longer bother me like they once did. Actually I can use those bad feelings to help me stay sober 'cause I no longer want to feel that way and I know that if I stay sober I won't have to feel bad like that again.

I did AA early in my recovery but now stay sober with SR and my weekly counseling. Another thing that helps me stay sober is expressing my gratitude every day. It gives me a healthy perspective on my life just acknowledging the good things.

Anna

I was overwhelmed with feelings of shame, guilt and anxiety. I would get waves of negative thoughts washing over me and it was bad. Eventually, someone suggested that I journal. I resisted journalling for a long time because I didn't want to write down the things going through my mind. When I finally did start writing, it helped so much. Also, work on beginning to forgive yourself. For me, that didn't mean saying that my behaviour while drinking was okay, but it meant that I needed to accept myself as a flawed human being and to love that person.

UnDisclosed

Yeah definitely, even reading and posting on this site is doing wonders for my head.... thank-you SR! knowing that the shape my heads in is comon anongst us in DT/recovery is what helps the most.

addiction wise I wonder if many peolpe started a marshal arts lifestyle and philosophy. thats what I plan to do, that and back to my super fit sports life I had before drink. Again ty for the support........

jamdls

Congrats on a week sober! I was practically afraid of my own shadow in the early months of sobriety as I was so filled with shame and guilt and the bad memories kept coming, but as Least said I too use those bad memories as an ongoing reminder of why I never want to drink again. I went to AA meetings during the first month of sobriety and although the meetings were not for me the message was, I modified the 12 steps to suit me; I read a lot of online recovery information; I read the bible and prayed a lot; and perhaps most important I had 1 person that I talked to almost every day (mostly via phone) who had been sober for about 25 yrs (and had never used a formal program), I think it is imperative to have someone you can talk to who understand and if there is no one in your RL to fill that spot there are wonderful people here on SR 24/7 that will understand and can give you support.