sleeplessinco

Hi everyone. This is my first post although I've been lurking for awhile. I am 6 days sober and keep waiting to feel better and not struggle so much. I have so much anxiety, I am exhausted, and so so crabby. I also feel like I have a mild flu. Not to mention how sad i feel. I was wondering when all of you started to feel like you were gaining some ground. Im feeling discouraged and that voice keeps telling me I would feel better if I drank.

Delilah1

Hang in there, I will be on day 50 tomorrow and it gets easier. I wish I could say I never think about pouring a glass of wine, but I can say I haven't done it and I am feeling better physically and mentally.

Keep reading and posting on here, you will find great advice and inspiration. SR has been my biggest support and I am grateful for this site.

AnotherPaul

First of all, congrats on day 6. That's an accomplishment to be proud of.

I can't tell you when it will get better for you. Everyone reacts differently to withdrawals and recovery. But it will get better as long as you keep making progress.

You mentioned being exhausted - are you dealing with insomnia? If so, the best way to combat that is with exercise, which will also help with anxiety and your overall mood.

And don't listen to that voice telling you that you'll feel better if you drink. That voice is a liar. At best, you'll feel numb for a few hours then you'll feel much worse the following morning. Don't give up the progress you've already made no matter what. Six days is a great start. If you can make it six days, you can make it seven. It will get better.

nomis

I had the exact same symptoms and for me anyways, they peaked around the tenth day and have slowly started to feel better since then.

freshstart57

I was better able to deal with the withdrawal anxiety we all go through by telling myself that I was finally doing the right thing for myself, and that I was proud of myself for a change. That guilt and self loathing I had been drowning in was done with. This self encouragement really helped to strengthen my resolve and belief in myself that I could quit and stay quit. You can do it too, Sleepless. Keep posting, OK?

sleeplessinco

I guess part of my discouragement is that last time I quit I felt better by now (so much better I started drinking again, duh). Maybe it takes longer each time?

prettymenace

Every recovery is different. Were you drinking more this last time than previous times when you stopped? I've been told by lots of people that when you relapse, you pick up exactly where you left off, so it may be harder for your body to adjust to sobriety this time. But don't give up. Take it one day at a time, one minute at a time if you have to, and just tell yourself "right now, for these five minutes, I won't drink." Then in five minutes, say it again. Soon, you'll be through the physical withdrawals and you'll feel amazing for sticking it out!

FreeFall

I find that it comes and goes in waves. I had weeks early on where I felt great, and others where I felt like I was trudging through quicksand. I learned to take naps whenever I could, try to cut back on responsibilities that I could let go a little, and cut myself some slack. Vitamins are a huge help, so is exercise which I don't do enough of. Keep going forward and you'll feel better-your body has a lot to adjust to and it's working hard.

nogard

Just dont pick up today or this hour or this minute and now that it is getting better all the time, how we feel is not always a great judge of what actually is. Do you have a recovery plan? Some support?

Posting and reading here is a life saver.

Kevin

CodysDad

Hi Sleepless and Delilah et al.

I can tell you what it was like for me:

The first 30 days were the hardest thing I've ever done. That said, even within those first 30 days I began to feel better.

My best advice would be to stay active in your own recovery: get a sponsor, take direction, and be willing to go to any lengths to stay sober. Remember that your body is not used to sobriety yet, and you will go through biological changes for quite a while. I found it helpful to remember that these sometimes uncomfortable changes were literally the result of my body, mind and spirit becoming healthier again.

My sponsor puts it like this: "When we get sober, we FEEL better."
That isn't to say that we feel GOOD all the time, but rather we feel whatever we are feeling more completely. We spent a long time putting sh*tuff in our bodies that dulled feelings and put a gray shroud over everything we saw.

I have been sober a little shy of a year and four months, and I can tell you it's the best thing I've ever done. I hope you will stick around, work a program that is not your own, and find the gifts that come with hanging on to this thing.

Life is still unmanageable, but I can deal with its unmanageability now, and can find SOLUTIONS to problems. My sleeping is much better than it has been for years -since I was 10- (I take tryptophan to help with sleep issues- I don't know if anyone here would find that objectionable, but it's been a big help to me).

I have found that meetings, staying accountable to my sponsor, and working the AA program thoroughly help me quite a bit. I am incredibly grateful for my sobriety and my program; and I hope anything I or anyone else has said will help you find what I've been able to find in sobriety. Stick with it!

Natom

Hey Sleepless,

Whilst everyones recovery, and mental and physical health are different, it is widely considered that after the first 30 days your body and mind start feeling significantly better. I felt very rough throughout the first few weeks of my recovery when I was actually going through a withdrawal.

Your best bet is:

1. Get lots of vitamins, multivitamins, thiamine, calcium (pretty much whatever you can) and take them as directed on the bottle.

2. Drink lots of water.

3. Eat meals high in protein, carbs, and veg.

Just do the whole healthy living bit for a while and I think you will be surprised with how quickly you will start to feel better physically. In regards to the mental aspect of things. If you pick up a drink you will feel worse than you do now. You have to give your mind time to sort itself out. You have been abusing it for so long that it doesn't quite know what to think or how to feel. Give it another week or so and it should simmer down.

Natom.

dragon12

Well done - keep it up!

Dts

Great going!!!!

Keep it up and it WILL get better. It takes time, but when we set our minds to anything we can succeed!

sleeplessinco

I just wanted to say thank you for all of the support. I made it through those first dark days and am feeling better. I still have cravings but they aren't as intense and they pass more quickly. @Kevin, I have support on here only at this point and am not sure what you mean by a recovery plan?? I'm choosing every moment and every day not to drink. Is there a more formal approach to a plan? I'm open to learning as much as I can. Again, thank you all for the support. It really really helped me when I was feeling desperate and continues to help to read all of your support and wisdom for others.