fantail

I'm on my tenth day alcohol-free and I feel incredibly out of it. I've canceled my plans for tonight because I doubt I could hold a conversation. I honestly feel like I'm on drugs.

Anyone have any tricks for snapping out of it? I've been reading that this kind of feeling can come and go throughout the first year (!!) and I don't really like the idea of putting my life on hold.

I'm also trying to avoid caffeine because of insomnia issues... I'm planning an outdoorsy day tomorrow with the hopes that exercise will help.

Dee74

Hi fantail - I think it's pretty common.

We put our selves through a lot as drinkers, in both mind and body - it takes time to recuperate.

I'm sure there's all kind of supplements and potions out there but in the end it's about healing, and it takes what it takes IMO.

The best advice I can give is be patient.

D

Booniecat

I am only 8 days sober and know what you mean. Mine comes and goes. Something about serotonin and brain receptors. I am finding lots of water and walking seem to help.

freshstart57

I think your instincts are great, fantail. I was pretty jittery during the first week or so with insomnia too, and coffee would not have been a great idea.

I think I had the same fog in my ability to think clearly, but I have a feeling it was still better than when I was drunk all the time, I just wasn't aware of it. I found that I was a lot more aware of a lot of things and this made me realize how much of everything I had been missing. I think the last time I was still aware of asking myself about the fog was about six or nine months after my last drink - things continued to improve almost daily until then.

Continue to look after yourself - eat well, with lots of liquids, fruits and vegetables. Exercise is a really good idea, and a powerful aid in getting your brain to get back to normal brain chemical levels and swings. It also just plain feels good knowing that you are performing another death defying act!

fantail

The irony of course is that I've paid good money to feel this way before. A little disconcerting when I haven't done it intentionally!

Great advice, thanks everyone. I'm going to settle in with a mango salad and some movies and wait for this to blow over.

paul99

Time is about the only real thing that will lift that fog. I was a zombie for quite a while, but like freshstart57 said, you're still performing better than you would have drunk. Eating properly, liquids and exercise...they all help...they certainly can't hurt.

Enjoy that mango salad!

LexieCat

It took me two years before I quit getting "fog attacks". Still, as time went on they became further apart and briefer in duration. Afraid it's one of those things you just have to be patient with. It gets better as you get further from that last drink. Drink again and you will only prolong the agony.

Booniecat

I agree with all the others have said. Last night was a tough one for me. Really foggy and depressed feeling. I spent a lot of time on the SR forums and even the chat room. Anything to get through a tough time. Woke up today refreshed and not hung over. Yea!!!!!

hollowx

I think it will just take time. Before you even realize though it will become like second nature. Feeling quite foggy today. SR very helpful

nomis

Hang in there fantail, you're doing great! 10 days, for an alcoholic, is a lifetime. Give yourself a HUGE pat on the back for getting here.

You're hitting, for me, what was the toughest patch in the sobriety rollercoaster.

Everybody is different, but maybe my experience can give you some idea of what to expect:

The first two weeks were brutal. Somebody mentioned Zombie. Sounds about right. Super foggy, lethargic, depressed and generally glued to the sofa. Then the fog lifted somewhat for the next two weeks and I started to feel a little like a human again for a couple of weeks. Alas, the fog returned for a good month and it was tough to get through, but not as bad anyways as those first two weeks. Things have been generally very good (loads of energy, optimistic, getting lots of work done) for the past six weeks, but there was as a bit of a rough patch last week. Sensitive, foggy, too emotional, etc.

So things have gotten much better, and there has been a general upward trajectory over my 3 and a half months, but it hasn't been a straight line, that's for sure.

Hope this helps . BTW, Day 10 was the absolute worst for me and then the fogginess slowly began to lift. So if you get through today, you might just be through the worst of it, fingers crossed.