simplyfab

I find myself feeling SO emotional these days.
Any little thing, and I'm in tears.

A movie scene, a music video, even a friggin commercial!

Everything is going so good in my life, though.
I'm 78 days sober w/ no urges or cravings. My kids couldn't be happier to have me back, helping w/ homework, cooking dinner, tucking 'em in at night, just being mom, and my ex-fiance and I are getting along so good.
We stay up late after the kids are asleep and just hang out w/ eachother.
He's even started showing affection towards me and talks about the future together.

I couldn't be happier.

But I can't shake this sadness I feel inside.
I don't know why i'm so easily brought to tears.

Has anybody else felt this way during their beginning stages of sobriety?
Is this normal?

Dee74

Absolutely 100% normal simplyfab.

There's probably a scientific explanation - I just know I drank to numb my feelings away for a lot of years - they can tend to come back with a vengeance for a little while - they soon 'find their level' tho

It's possible you might be grieving the loss of alcohol too - a lot of us find we have to go through through that process of loss - like losing a bad ex - it's for the best, but it still hurts.
D

artsoul

Yes, it's very normal. The body gets used to alcohol-induced dopomine and stops producing it at a normal level. So it takes time for our brain to get the message and start producing it's own "feel good" chemicals. People often talk about their emotions being "all over the place" in the first months of sobriety.

PLUS, I think we go through a grieving period. I'm still having those kind of days after 8 months (although they're rare), and I'm even on anti-depressants......

See a doctor if it continues or you lose interest in things. I've always been prone to depression and do much better on medication.

All the best.....

suki44883

Yeah, I would cry at the drop of a hat for a couple of months after I went through detox and IOP. It didn't have to be anything sad, just seeing my daughter's face could send me into a crying jag. Yeah, it's entirely normal.

notaloser

right there with ya simplyfab, emotions are running high for me, and i'm only at 47 days

Today Is All I Have

For me, there were days/nights when I would feel anxious, discontent, easy to anger, easy to cry, all the emotions. I think it's because of using the alcohol for so many years to numb any good or bad things and making the decision to stop the madness but now what? So I went to AA, sat, listened, engaged, asked for help (a sponsor) no one offered, got someone who berated me if I didn't do what she wanted (she said I wasn't serious). I was serious so I just went ahead to meetings and finally someone offered to sponsor me. That began a completely new journey. The 12 steps. I am learning so much about myself and amazingly I am changing. The noise inside my head is gone. It's a process. Does not happen overnight. I had to put effort towards it. I am reaping rewards. I am on Step 7, have been working on this since early spring 2010. I used to feel depressed but I think it was my alcoholism working me. Tried anti-depressants a few years ago-hated the flatline effect, could never remember if I took the daily pill. I was convinced it was my life situation that made me sad. My attitude has changed. I now feel I'm on the road of recovery. I thought I was just fine but drank too much. I thought that for years. Was convinced. Now my thinking has changed and honestly it is changing my life for the better. There is power in a group. You can see it here. Maybe you need to get out for an hour and check it out.

SSIL75

oh yes - I had forgotten just how emotional it all was. And I haven't been sober that long. but lots of tears and sadness for 'her'. The lost, drunk, desperate mom I was.

undercoverangel

Hi Simplyfab, I hope it's normal, as I'm the same way. I'm on day 20, thought I was doing quite well, but the past couple days I'm clenching my fists and crying at the drop of a hat. I spent today just mad, at nothing inparticular, just that awful, jumpy, don't even look at me, mood. I don't know, but I sure hope it passes. I don't have much desire to drink, occassionally it crosses my mind but I feel like I'd deprive myself of the good that's yet to come, and I know it's just time I need, sober time, I know it will get better, and it keeps me going. Congratulations on your sober time, it sounds like things are coming together for you. I hope you feel better soon.

April999

Thats exactly how I felt, almost like someone close to me died. Painful but necessary.

firestorm090

This may sound crazy, but I remember one morning early on when I was totally ticked at myself for burning my toast for breakfast, then I got mad and tossed it across the room, lol. I let it lay there for a couple hours, lol, it was like a meltdown of sorts, and it was all over burnt toast, go figure. Can't imagine how I'd have reacted if I'd burnt a steak or something like that, probably would have broken down and cried like a baby for a week, lol. It gets better!! I haven't burnt my toast in a few weeks now, lol.

Maryjan

I am the same way at day 30. Total emotional wreck. Also really sad for who I was, and sad for what I did wrong...finding a new way is strange, because you have to acknowledGe the old way sucked...and then have to face the mistakes you made...it is complicated.

ReadyAndAble

I took my daughter to see the Disney animated flick "Tangled" a couple weeks ago and it felt like the most moving film I had ever seen. What does that tell ya?

Maryjan

!! Maybe I will hit a matinee tomorrow with the kids and cry my eyes out!

Bamboozle

My experience was that I couldn't stay sober without therapy and meds...the longest I made it without those things was almost 80 days--I had problems long before I ever started drinking, though.

If you have any doubts, please don't hesitate to talk to your doctor.

Supercrew

I consider myself a fairly athletic and macho guy, and I have been having similar issues. I'm watching disney movies with my kid, or even sporting events and I find myself tearing up. Not even for sad reasons, just things seem to make my "eyes sweat" more than ever before. I don't have a whole lot of sad stuff going on in my life, but I get tears of joy I guess, and tears for no reason, a little emotional shift and all of the sudden I get kind of choked up. I feel like a hypocrite every time I tell my kid to quit being such a baby, then he looks over at me when I watching silly movie, and I have to pretend I have something in my eye and need to leave the room.

I hope it's just a temporary thing where my body is just finally getting some feelings back, because I have always been known to be tough as nails, and I can take pain, and I have always been the least emotional person around, in fact I prided myself on never being too up or too down. Hell if this continues I'm going to have to start wearing sunglasses everywhere I go! But the few times while alone the eye sweating felt pretty good.

pennywistle

I've heard this is very common, and probably just a natural course. Like what Dee said, just ride it out and things will sort themselves out. A former treatment counselor once told me that the post-drinking brain is working hard at 're-wiring' itself after all those years of the tangled mess that was inside, and so your brain may do a lot of unexpected and undesired things during that time.
We're right there with you. Please come here and cry your eyes out as much as you like.

simplyfab

Yes! I can identify w/ all of you.
And I've realized that it isn't just tears. I posted this thread right after I was channel surfing and saw one of Pinks videos. It made me cry so at the time that was my concern.
But reading some of your posts here, it isn't just that.

I also have moments of being easily irritable, or have a "toast" moment, (that made me laugh not at your situation firestorm but just a mental pic. Only 'cause I can relate) tears of happiness...pretty much a rollercoaster of emotions.

I too, have a lot of issues that go as far back as when I was a child (alcohol related) and continued to throughout my life.
I know I need to see a therapist to come to terms w/ everything that has happened and why I allowed myself to go through them. Obviously it had loads to do w/ self-esteem and feeling it was what I deserved but its gonna take more than just realizing my issues to fix 'em.

Maryjan...I completely agree w/ you. Drinking meant i didn't have to feel.
But now I'm facing my feelings sober and its so new and scary. That on top of feeling disgust for everything I did while I was drinking.
Its alot to deal w/ and me feeling so emotional is starting to make
so much sense now.

The "grieving" also makes alot of sense.
I remember when I first started trying to get sober, the idea of never having a drink again in my life, made me almost hyperventilate.
It was a scary feeling.
Alcohol has been part of my life for most of my life.
And even though a therapist told me not to think about "the rest of my life" w/out drinking because its alot to take in, and to only look at one day at a time, I couldn't help but to.

Supercrew...thanks for your post.
It put a huge smile on my face!
Its good to know men have feelings too. Especially a manly men. Lol...joking.
Not to take away from why your feeling the way you are,
But the thought of you watching The Lion King or Finding Nemo w/ your son and them bringing you to tears is adorable!

Notaloser...congrats on your day 47!
You too undercover. Congrats on your day 20! I hope everything works out for you too.

This site ROCKS!!

Untoxicated

I got teary-eyed at some commercials my first three days off the sauce.

I can only imagine what would have been if I were in a test market during the commercial.


Welcome to the new normal simplyfab, you're doing great!

simplyfab

Lmbo!!

Thanks for the laugh Un!

C105

I had to go get waterproof mascara (not being glib... I really did). One of the things that REALLY helped me was looking at the way I used sugar too. I'm no science brain, but I did kinda understand the biochemistry of this all and how my awful eating habits just made my alcohol cravings worse. "Beyond Addiction" mentions Kathlene Des Maison's work and I think her book is the second thing saving my life, my marriage and my emotions.

Sorry if that sounds preach - and i hope no one considers this medical advice. Maybe a book review? I guess this works differently for everyone, but that's whats evening me out (this week.)