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3 days sober & insomnia/anxiety has me underwater

Old 02-01-2012, 06:28 PM
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3 days sober & insomnia/anxiety has me underwater

I am brand new here. I have been a heavy drinker (6-18+ light beers a night, 2-5 nights per week) since college (13 years), but was always able to take a week or 2 off and feel/sleep fine, save for maybe the 1st night of insomnia.

Its been officially 3 days since I last drank. And the anxiety has led to insomnia which has led to anxiety which has led to panic attacks (2 today).

I had tried to get sober roughly 2.5 weeks ago, sought doctor treatment for the anxiety/insomnia without much results. Ativan helped with anxiety, but not with sleeping. Ambien helped (some) with sleeping, but not with anxiety. Last night the Ambien failed to work and it was 9am before I was able to get 3 hours of restless sleep. (btw I am currently unemployed, adding to anxiety)

Anyways, Im sorry if this post is scattered but so is my mind. I never considered my alcoholism severe enough to require medical detox, as I could always just take a week off and feel fine in past. But right now my anxiety level is off the charts and wondering if anyone else has gone through similar, and maybe hoping for some words of encouragement.

--Shane

PS - Being new to this site, I was unsure if this was proper forum to post this...if not, could someone please direct me the right way? Many Thanks
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Old 02-01-2012, 06:41 PM
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You're in the right place Shane
Welcome to SR

I think both insomnia and anxiety are pretty common to most of us in the early days - I had insomnia for the best part of a week, but it pretty much fixed itself...after that week I was fine and all these years later I still generally sleep like a baby now

I had some pretty high anxiety & panic attacks for a month, maybe more - but I had pre existing anxiety problems.

I didn't go the med route there - I did get some counselling, learnt a few breathing exercises and that helped me a lot.

Others will have more ideas and experience to share - you'll find a lot of support here

D
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Old 02-01-2012, 06:47 PM
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Your journey sounds a bit like mine, I could quit anytime....then all of a sudden I couldn't and when I wanted to it was really scarey. Trust me get ahead of this thing now, it will only get worse. Things that helped my anxiety were, eating right, exercise, lots of fluids (water) and getting as much rest as possible. It takes time but it does get better, hang in there you can do this.
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Old 02-01-2012, 06:48 PM
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Hi Shane,

Firstly, welcome to SR. You will find a lot of support here.

I have been struggling with anxiety & panic attacks for over 20 years so I know what you are talking about, pretty scary to say the least.

Good to hear that you are open & working with your doctor. I found that getting out & exercising or doing something active a few hours before bedtime usually helped a lot & I also started to do some simple meditation.

I found that my anxiety attacks actually got better after a couple of weeks of not drinking (I was quite surprised by this as one of the reasons I drank was to help rid myself of anxiety).

CBT can also help greatly Cognitive behavioral therapy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A follow up visit with you doctor might be good too.

In regards to things being worse or more difficult than in the past that may be due to Kindling as this is a progressive disease (again, check with your doctor ;-). Here is a link with some info http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publicatio...22-1/25-34.pdf


Take care & keep posting ~ NB
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Old 02-01-2012, 07:21 PM
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Thx for the replies.

Another thing adding to my sleeptime anxiety is the possiblity of sleep apnea. I am quite overweight (6' 350lbs), and always thought I might have apnea because of snoring, but never woke up gasping etc. Both my doctor & my good friend who is a Dr, suspect that I have Obstructive Sleep Apnea and it is contributing to my inability to sleep.

Since I tried going sober 2.5 weeks ago, I have been unable to sleep naturally (ambien). No matter how exhausted I am, as soon as I drift off, one of my body parts spasms (head,arm,leg,chest,foot etc) and I get shocked awake. This never occured until I tried to get sober. And if I dont Ambien, it will go on all night leading to zero sleep.

Anyways just 1 more thing thats adding to my anxiety. Right now, I dont think I could undergo a sleep study to test for apnea, and if you fail to get any sleep during it they make you return for a 2nd (doubling the sleep study cost to $2200).

I pay my own insurance since I was laid off nearly a year ago, and have a high deductible ($2500) in order to lower premium. So the sleep study cost will be all on me. So you can see how being told that a sleep study is needed, but I cant sleep and the cost...anyways, just adding to anxiety.

Also that Ambien can worsen sleep apnea. I feel like I am in a spiral that only leads to a mental hospital...seriously that bad.

thx for any replies, this is helping reading peoples posts...also just keeping my mind busy, to keep anxiety at bay.

The good news, I guess, is that the 1 time I did drink in last 2.5 weeks it did NOT help with my insomnia...and therefore I truly feel no need to drink. For now...fingers crossed
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Old 02-01-2012, 07:41 PM
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Yeah, I had a sleep test & found I had sleep apnea (our healthcare covers it here in Canada so I was lucky with that). If you have a video camera you can record yourself sleeping too. This article has some good suggestions too Sleep Apnea: Symptoms, Treatments, Causes, and Cures

I found that sleeping on my side helped quite a bit. I now use three pillows to sleep lol one for my head & one in front of me & one behind. Losing some weight also helped (another great reason to tire yourself out ;-).
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Old 02-01-2012, 07:50 PM
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give your body time to heal. alcohol is basically a class IV narcotic. give time time.

relax if you can't sleep...maybe try relaxation techniqes or guided meditation. heal. unemployment will come again to you.

peace,
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Old 02-01-2012, 08:11 PM
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I know how easy it is to get caught up in the anxiety/insomnia spiral. It's hard to stay calm when you can't sleep and you have responsibilities to manage in the daytime, and of course the stress makes everything worse. I hope you can find some relief. Meditation can help to deal with anxiety and it might help you to relax and sleep better.
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Old 02-01-2012, 08:18 PM
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Do they have an AA group in Centerville VA ??
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Old 02-01-2012, 09:31 PM
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Originally Posted by 2granddaughters View Post
Do they have an AA group in Centerville VA ??
Actually, I have tried researching on net to find meetings. Googling Virginia AA led me to a not so easy to navigate site that lists some meetings. (If anyone has a better way to find meetings, please advise, thanks)

All the categories listed (open, closed, steps, discussion, big book etc) has me, being newly sober and never having attended a meeting, wondering what fits me best?

I looked both last night, and tonight, about a late meeting possibility and found nothing (they all seem to be before 9pm). During the day Im so fried from no sleep and anxiety that I tend to breakdown into a full on crying-sobbing fit anytime I try and talk about whats going on with me lately. As I said I have never been to a meeting, and honestly until these last 2.5 weeks havent fully acknowledged my alcoholism, so every little step is new and scary to me.
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Old 02-01-2012, 09:44 PM
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Hang in there Shane. It will get better over time. Early sobriety is scary. We are learning to deal with emotions that were numbed with alcohol. There are many programs people use to stay sober and live healthy lives. A support program is very helpful.

I know how you feel about the anxiety. I suffer from it too. I am learning to meditate, but my thoughts race so much that it's hard to just "be." It takes some practice I'm finding out, but so does just about anything worthwhile. Journaling helps too.

The reason AA helps me so much is that I get to listen to what others have struggled with and the solutions they have discovered. You can also share when you get comfortable enough about what is going on with you. If you have an open mind, you can get alot of positive feedback. May be worth a shot. I have found that growth comes from getting out of my comfort zone. It's not alwasys easy, but what I learn from it is very valuable.

Read and post here often. Hang tough.

God bless.
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Old 02-01-2012, 09:51 PM
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call washington area intergroup association 202.966.9115 after 10 a.m. and ask about meetings. northern va also has an intergroup and WAIA has that number.

Friday night in Vienna, VA at 8 pm Emmaus church 900 East Maple Avenue at Route 123 (chain bridge road) there's a big book 12 step speaker meeting. Find Gabe, Rob, or Brad. They have solid sobriety & can guide you through the steps.

oh, look what I found, Northern VA Intergroup 10400 Eaton Pl., suite 106 fairfax 703.293.9753

NVI

WAIA is WAIA

Best wishes!
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Old 02-01-2012, 10:11 PM
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meetings in northern va start at 7 am and are at various times. car & bus accessible!
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Old 02-02-2012, 06:12 PM
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Thx for the info Sugarbear!

My sleep is so erratic I missed most of the day, so will try to find a meeting tomorrow. I guess I'm learning that late night meetings arent really an option. Hopefully I can regulate my sleeping pattern to live "normal" hours and then will have all the choices I want for possible meetings.
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Old 02-02-2012, 06:26 PM
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I'd like to say Thanks to those who replied, and to this site itself. Finding this site & posting on it seemed to really help with my anxiety last night, and today I felt about 65% towards "normal". Normal being the way I used to feel when I'd take a week or 2 off from drinking in past. I know that still isnt truly my normal, as it will take weeks maybe months and lots of work (probable anti-depression meds & meetings) before I get there.

Im still having major sleep anxiety issues. Went to bed around 1am last night, took 1 5mg Ambien pill. Then took another half-pill 3 hours later, then the 2nd half (10mg dose total) around 5am. Didnt get to sleep till around 9am, and maybe logged 5 hours. Talked to my Dr. today and she suggested just take the full 10mg dose at bedtime. Also talk of sending me to Psychiatrist to better regulate any possible future meds (anxiety/depression meds to tackle the reason I drank). And Im sure I could use someone to talk to outside of my usual friends & fam.

Im working on seriously changing my diet (Grilled chicken, green beans & corn tonight...was good!) & started going on "brisk" walks each night. Been several years since I truly exercised regularly (cost of local gym going up was my lame excuse not to), so I started with just 30 minutes. And have added 1 minute each day. In a couple weeks I hope to add weights & whatever else...maybe find a cheaper gym.

Anyways. Thanks for listening, I hope everyone is doing well. I am still very new to this site (and focusing on staying sober for good) so any helping hands I will gladly accept.

-Shane
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Old 02-02-2012, 06:36 PM
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Awesome Shane I also got out for a nice walk & a game of tennis with my father today.

So happy to hear that you are doing well. Keep posting & keep rocking it
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Old 02-02-2012, 06:39 PM
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Welcome Shane - It's wonderful you found us, & I'm so glad you're feeling better.

I could take or leave alcohol in my early drinking years. I didn't understand what was meant when they said it's a 'progressive disease'. I kept trying to manage the amounts I drank because I didn't want to give it up all together, but in the end I was completely dependent on it. I'm proud of you for recognizing what needs to be done and taking action - you'll never crash & burn the way many of us did later in life.

It sounds like you're on your way to a whole new beginning. Everything can turn around for you as you get well. Keep posting & let us know your progress - we care.
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Old 02-02-2012, 07:38 PM
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for sure know where you're coming from here. Although I didn't drink that much as you did I still drank so much it was a 4 day hard liquor binge and when I finally sobered up it was very scary for I was vomiting for a full day straight and it wouldn't stop. I couldn't eat or drink anything without it coming up and out. I had a small personal trash bucket and filled it to the top with nothing but vomit. I was unable to sleep for I feared I would not wake up because as I started to doze off I could feel my heart beat slowing down too much and weakening so I was up for 3 days straight with no rest, none stop drinking and slowly killing myself.

I still get panic attacks, and anxiety especially when it comes to going to bed. It seems to be a trait in some of us alcoholics. As for advice, I'm not sure what you can do honestly. And the board rules do say NOT to give medical advice really except a doctor visit or maybe you should do a detox center especially if it's your first shot at trying to not drink. When I went to detox for the first time they watched me like a hawk night and day because I was diabetic and detoxing. They had to make sure I could eat and always made sure I was okay when in the washroom. But it was an extreme case because of my health issue with diabetes and I realized that, that was one of my character defects. Feeling sorry for myself that I had diabetes and couldn't drink anymore due to it.... well that didn't stop me from drinking.

Here's an example just to show how sick I was. WHen I was diagnosed with diabetes I was told I could still drink if I wanted to but only 1 max 2 drinks. I took it upon myself that I could deal with that. Wrong. AS I tried moderation it soon became binging again and my diabetes specialist said that it was okay for me to drink a bit but not too much. Again I over did it and soon learned from a book that it's very deadly if I take insulin and drink because they both reduced blood sugar levels. except alcohol could drop it ALOT and too fast. So me being sick in the head I stopped taking my insulin when I planned to drink. THAT was a bad mistake for it threw my blood sugar readings off the charts again.

I also was reading a book to watch my calorie intake and carb intake and I was reading a section of alcohol consumption and misread how men can have up to 4 drinks... my alcoholic mind was excited so I started binging again.... now that my head is clear what does the passage really say? 1-4 and above alcoholic beverages in 1 sitting is considered binge drinking for men. I took out binge and put in my own crazy head "1-4 and above for alcoholic beverages in 1 sitting for men is considered okay for a man." See the difference and how my alcoholic mind took over?

Anyways just wanted to show you that snippet of my craziness. It does work if you want to quit and judging from your post you do want to. I'm 5 months sober and never been happier in my life till now. Good luck and I hope this gave you some courage to go on!
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Old 02-02-2012, 08:46 PM
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Thank you all for the encouraging words and for sharing your own experiences. Every time I come to this site I get excited about moving forward sober.

If I can sleep tonight (lame excuse, I know), I hope to find a nearby Beginners AA meeting for tomorrow.

I really hope my sleep pattern evens out soon. Im pumped to move forward with my life in recovery and finding new job etc, but feel a little like Im running in place because insomnia/anxiety has me as I said in thread title, underwater.

Ive been dipping into the chat room here at times as well...hope to see some of you there.
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Old 02-02-2012, 09:14 PM
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Hi Shane,
My husband has attempted to quit several times (longest was 2 weeks)...He complained of sleep problems and was up with night sweats, night terrors, the whole bit. Psychiatrist prescribed gabapentin at first (helps with anxiety) and now camprol to help with the sleep. Everyone is different, but he's sleeping MUCH better. Still struggling with the fully quitting part, but at least there's sleep.

Be careful with Ambien as it's a controlled narcotic and can be addictive if used for more than two weeks. Good luck and stay strong!
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