Feel weird. And different
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Utah
Posts: 920
Feel weird. And different
I've gotten sober for a week or two several times over the past two years. In the past four, I've made it up to 90 days (once) and a couple other times to 30 days.
This time, I am noticing different things (that maybe I just didn't notice before because I was less in-tune with myself?):
Major irritability.
Insomnia.
Zits
Fatigue
Anxiety galore.
Does this stuff go away? I know the zits will - I've been drinking detox tea to help get the crap out of my system and our skin is one way that happens.
But the anxiety and irritability? I have hope that the fatigue and insomnia will even out, because I have dealt with it in the past and it does go away.
Last few times I've gotten sober for a week or so, I've immediately started sleeping better and feeling good and feeling relatively serene. I'm only on day 4 this time, but feel overwhelmed. Also feel more determined to not give up. What do you guys do to deal with anxiety and irritability?
This time, I am noticing different things (that maybe I just didn't notice before because I was less in-tune with myself?):
Major irritability.
Insomnia.
Zits
Fatigue
Anxiety galore.
Does this stuff go away? I know the zits will - I've been drinking detox tea to help get the crap out of my system and our skin is one way that happens.
But the anxiety and irritability? I have hope that the fatigue and insomnia will even out, because I have dealt with it in the past and it does go away.
Last few times I've gotten sober for a week or so, I've immediately started sleeping better and feeling good and feeling relatively serene. I'm only on day 4 this time, but feel overwhelmed. Also feel more determined to not give up. What do you guys do to deal with anxiety and irritability?
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Somewhere in the sands of time
Posts: 1,462
I hang out on here...reading this and such, it seems to help. I am 2 weeks in and dealing with wanting to sleep most of the time....with small spurts of energy here and there..its tough but we can do this!
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Utah
Posts: 920
I'm on day 4 today (for the thousandth time, which is why the withdrawal symptoms seem weird this time).
Hopefully, I'll be exhausted tonight. Will workout after work, then do some chores and then an 8pm AA meeting then hopefully the sandman will visit.
Interestingly, I am not feeling nearly as exhausted today as I was yesterday. That's a plus!
Hopefully, I'll be exhausted tonight. Will workout after work, then do some chores and then an 8pm AA meeting then hopefully the sandman will visit.
Interestingly, I am not feeling nearly as exhausted today as I was yesterday. That's a plus!
Guest
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 590
Yes, I can relate to each of those things you listed. I am sure time varies from person to person but I noticed an improvement after a couple of months. I don't have much advise about anxiety and irritability other than to try and minimize how it affects others around you. Sometimes I just had to get away by myself to make sure I didn't say or act in a way that may be hurtful to others. I guess my approach was to just get through it and try to minimize the damage. Good luck! It does get better.
Not Alone
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: South East UK
Posts: 1,513
Symptoms do go away. I found that the first time I tried to get clean I was always angry, anxious and scared. This time I am a lot less anxious and I lost a lot of the fear I used to carry around with me. Time is the best healer as they say.
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Utah
Posts: 920
Woah, I read about kindling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindlin...tic_withdrawal)
That is scary that each time I go through withdrawal it's possibly (and likely) much worse and more damaging and dangerous than the last time. Maybe a little fear is good for me this time. Thanks for the tip, JHE - I had never heard of kindling before.
Another motivator: the small community where I work has lost two women not too much older than me in the past month to alcoholic death. No car crashes, nothing. Their livers just gave up as did the rest of their bodies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindlin...tic_withdrawal)
That is scary that each time I go through withdrawal it's possibly (and likely) much worse and more damaging and dangerous than the last time. Maybe a little fear is good for me this time. Thanks for the tip, JHE - I had never heard of kindling before.
Another motivator: the small community where I work has lost two women not too much older than me in the past month to alcoholic death. No car crashes, nothing. Their livers just gave up as did the rest of their bodies.
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 20,458
well there ya go.....you will sleep tonight. when I relapsed (numerous times), my withdrawal was not that much worse, but i never drank the huge quantities..they were "quick" relapses filled with guilt, i dragged myself back to the starting gate with no self-pity...sooner or later i got it right....I had a terrible sense of guilt that I was making my brother do all the work/burden for our dying mother.
(i was always a team player in sports when i was a kid too, and the family stuff became my team)
(i was always a team player in sports when i was a kid too, and the family stuff became my team)
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,180
Originally Posted by lilac0721 
Woah, I read about kindling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindlin...tic_withdrawal)
That is scary that each time I go through withdrawal it's possibly (and likely) much worse and more damaging and dangerous than the last time. Maybe a little fear is good for me this time. Thanks for the tip, JHE - I had never heard of kindling before.
Another motivator: the small community where I work has lost two women not too much older than me in the past month to alcoholic death. No car crashes, nothing. Their livers just gave up as did the rest of their bodies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindlin...tic_withdrawal)
That is scary that each time I go through withdrawal it's possibly (and likely) much worse and more damaging and dangerous than the last time. Maybe a little fear is good for me this time. Thanks for the tip, JHE - I had never heard of kindling before.
Another motivator: the small community where I work has lost two women not too much older than me in the past month to alcoholic death. No car crashes, nothing. Their livers just gave up as did the rest of their bodies.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: California
Posts: 13,044
Hi Lilac,
I am only on Day 12 (almost 13) and day 3 was really hard for me, felt like I was going to jump out of my skin. Still have some anxiety, but other than that feeling much better than 12 days ago.
On that note I better go to bed before I am exhausted tomorrow!!! Hang in there. Let us know how you are doing tomorrow.
I am only on Day 12 (almost 13) and day 3 was really hard for me, felt like I was going to jump out of my skin. Still have some anxiety, but other than that feeling much better than 12 days ago.
On that note I better go to bed before I am exhausted tomorrow!!! Hang in there. Let us know how you are doing tomorrow.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Chicago, Il
Posts: 4
Do you get the chills and the sweats? Does your head ever feel very heavy? I'm on day three and it is very hard. My story seams a lot like yourself
my questions is, why if we go through all of that, do we drink again? thanks for your post!
my questions is, why if we go through all of that, do we drink again? thanks for your post!
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Utah
Posts: 920
Quitforme, I agree that exercise is the best anxiety/depression buster out there. Beats any meds hands down. I have been making myself exercise after work the past 2 days. Last night I finally slept!
Missk, I haven't had the sweats THIS time around. But in the past I have woken up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat and freezing at the same time. Yes, indeed, if we go through withdrawals once or more, why DO we drink again? I guess that's because we are addicts. We forget how awful we felt. Maybe it helps to remember. Hopefully, now that you're on day 3, you'll start coming out of the woods. It's different for everyone. I've been exercising (not hardcore, because I can't, but something) and drinking tons of water and herbal teas. I feel a bit better today, my day 5.
The other thing that seems different is my attitude. I am much more aware of when I am making lame excuses. For example, not wanting to go to an AA meeting. The sober part of me knows it is helpful. Another part of me says I'd benefit from going to bed early instead of going to an AA meeting. I figure that I need to listen to the part of me that is urging me to do good things for recovery, not the part of me that wants to do what it wants.
Missk, I haven't had the sweats THIS time around. But in the past I have woken up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat and freezing at the same time. Yes, indeed, if we go through withdrawals once or more, why DO we drink again? I guess that's because we are addicts. We forget how awful we felt. Maybe it helps to remember. Hopefully, now that you're on day 3, you'll start coming out of the woods. It's different for everyone. I've been exercising (not hardcore, because I can't, but something) and drinking tons of water and herbal teas. I feel a bit better today, my day 5.
The other thing that seems different is my attitude. I am much more aware of when I am making lame excuses. For example, not wanting to go to an AA meeting. The sober part of me knows it is helpful. Another part of me says I'd benefit from going to bed early instead of going to an AA meeting. I figure that I need to listen to the part of me that is urging me to do good things for recovery, not the part of me that wants to do what it wants.
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