missingtheoldme

Hi Friends....I am 16 days sober today and since the first week having been doing quite well. I have had my bouts of depression which is not uncommon for me....but I have this no care I don't like you attitude. I am not sure why or how to fix it. The only thing that I can thing of is for the moment booze made me happy and now I don't know how to be. I don't want to pick up the phone when it rings and don't want to call anyone back when they leave a message. I feel like I am just here and nothing nice to say or feel. It is extreme today. A few days ago I was on top of the world. For those of you who know what I am feeling, any advice or how long I can expect this or something. I feel like telling strangers nasty things. It is so wrong. My boyfriend is picking up his new car tonight and I have been anything but happy and excited for him. I picked up my new truck 2 months ago and he was over the moon for me. I feel like such a selfish mean individual. I originally thought I was missingtheoldme, thus my profile name, now I am literally missingtheoldme in some respects from 16 days ago. Thank you for your insight.

Happier

All I can tell you is that you are not alone. I've been there. It doesn't take much reading on this site to realize that it is a very common occurrence in early recovery. Maybe it helps to just know that it is often part of the process.
Hang in there. I think length of the "irritable phase" varies but the first couple of months were always the hardest for me in my 3 attempts. Good luck

Anna

I think most people find it difficult to try to navigate through life without the numbing effect of the alcohol we've been used to.

Could you get out of the house and go for a long walk, or try some yoga, listen to soothing music? I also found that a Gratitude Journal was extremely helpful, because it pushed me to focus on the positive.

Spinach

I found up to thirty days I didn't control my feelings , then things got easier.
I guess that is depression.
Keep,going your doing well.
Regards,John.

Dee74

I think what you're going through is very normal.

I wanted change and I wanted it now - it was a shock to me when things didn't immediately get better once I quit.

Then I thought about it - alcohol had been the one constant in my life for 20 years - now it wasn't there...that would take some getting used to for anybody.

It's natural to mourn or grieve, or be a little depressed or just want to be alone...but look into it...recognise where it's coming from, then store it away.

I dunno about you, but I was grieving for the wrong me.

The man I was at the end of my drinking days may have felt like me - but looking back I know he wasn't.

There was a real me, an authentic me that years of drinking had made me forget about.

He was still there...waiting to reemerge

You have a great new life ahead of you...and a you to rediscover, missing

D

CaiHong

It takes time, can't give you a timeline all I can say it does get better. Besides SR what else are you doing to help you through this?

I use AA, SR and Eckhart Tolle.

All the best
caiHong

Toss

As others have said, it's very normal. Sobriety, at least the first couple of months makes me crazy. A combination of not blotting out the noise (drinking) and just being mad because I crave it.

I'm on Day 4 and the first three I was ok, today I am SO irratated. Exercise has helped me in the past. It will pass slowly (unfortunately I know from stopping for long periods of time).

Toss

waynemali

Hi Missingtheoldme

Trust me, we all have good days and bad days, days when we just want to scream, I lost it a bit at work last week, I took my anger out on a filing cabinet, it now sports three knuckle shaped indents on the side, I hit it hard and shocked the people I worked with, I wish now I had gone outside took a few long breaths and then come back inside, I wasn't happy with myself, but even after all these days I still have my moments.

Just try to rise above them, stay strong and remember what your goal is, keep the faith and stay in touch.