Ranger

"Doing" indeed! Congratulations, Jen, and thanks for sharing your experience. Hearing about someone so engaged and vested in early sobriety causes me to take a look in the mirror and question my level of engagement. So, thanks again!

Soberpotamus

Excellent, Jen!! You sound like you're in a really good place already Congrats on the a-ha moments

It's powerful indeed to realize you're "doing" instead of "being done" to.

jen7916

I may be asking a question that's been answered a million times before, but, for the sake of my sanity (at least for today), can someone please tell me if what I'm feeling right now is typical?!?!

Today is day 26 and for the past 2 days I have felt: tense & achey, irritable (ie yelling at people while driving/want to slap people in the face , I've been scowling for absolutely no reason, yelling at my dog for nothing, feel hungry but then nauseated after I eat, have a bad headache, feel depressed/anxious, am EXHAUSTED, have had intense cravings most of the day, feel forgetful & pessimistic, and overall just feel like total and utter crap. All of the good stuff that I've been doing for myself lately (anxiety meds, taking walks, yoga, therapy, etc) just feel so completely pointless today!!! I know it's probably just my emotions (and the b&!$@?d alcohol talking, trying to justify why I could drink to help ease the stress/tension? thankfully I have very little desire to drink) and I just saw my dr so I know I'm not sick or anything; could this be PAWS??? If it is, how long does it typically last?? What are some coping mechs that have worked for you guys? Sorry to whine, but I'd appreciate any advice to help me get through feeling like this!!!

serious

have you had some good days so far?

i think physical (as you say) activity is a good way to elevate mood and reduce cravings, but it may not work every day. if you feel like this every day, maybe it's not a bad idea to consult with a doctor, but then again on day 26 one is definitely not fully recovered, i'm only about 50 days and still have nutty days... but overall the positives outweigh the negatives by far.

jen7916

Yup, I've had good days too and definitely agree that the positives outweigh the negatives. It's just so hard for me to remember that and look beyond the shadows when I feel this way, you know? It actually helped to just get it off my chest so thanks for reading/responding. I appreciate the support

Dee74

I never diagnose people - but regardless of what the problem is, I hope you might find this link useful to you, Jen

PAWS « Digital Dharma

D

DisplacedGRITS

It took you a long time to lose yourself in the drink so it'll take a while to get out of it. I never found myself much of a fan of exercise but it's starting to appeal to me. Hiking, using the exercise bike and just walking the neighborhood help me clear my head. I've found some funny forums to make me laugh when i'm glum and rediscovers some old forums I'd distanced myself from. Try to remember what you used to enjoy. I'm kinda silly and still like coloring books. It's distracting and comforting. Cooking is fun too (well, it was fun today but shopping sucked!). Start with little things and remember that try weren't possible while drunk.

jen7916

Dee-thank you!! That is def one of the most helpful things Ive read so far. I bookmarked it so I can go back to it again, once I start sleeping better (culprit #1 for my mood, I'm thinking), can concentrate longer & absorb more .

eJoshua

I definitely have days where I feel irritable or on edge. I also am on some meds, though which are messing with how I see things.

Seems like I can have several days in a row where I just feel down and depressed too. I have found that generally I feel better if I come on here and read or post, or meet up with my step group or counselor. Sometimes it helps me to try to get outside of myself and my own problems, to try and see if I can try to help someone else, even in a small way. For me, the thing I really have to watch out for is isolating myself.

Just a bunch of random thoughts, sorry I'm kinda rambling tonight...

jen7916

Displaced-thanks for the tips . I've never been much of an exerciser either so I'm starting off slowly and hoping to pick up momentum later; my dog really likes the walks though, so that keeps me more motivated! I love coloring - maybe I'll treat myself to a couple of new books, crayons, and a sharpener (do they still have one on the back of the big box of crayola's??).

jen7916

Josh-you didn't seem to be rambling...or maybe that's b/c I am too?! isolation is definitely a trigger for me, also - i didnt realize it earlier, but that might be a part of it. Thanks for your post & hope you get to feeling better soon ...