new and anxious...
 

Hello everyone, my name is Nicole. I am newly recovering from alcohol. I've made many mistakes in my life, most have included my drinking. Now I really want to stop (I have tried before, but it was under the suggestion of my family). This is only day 2 for me, and although I feel good about this, I have a really unnerving anxious feeling in my stomach. I am attending a meeting in a few hours, but I joined this site so I could have support in between all the other things I must do. I tried out the chat room and enjoyed it. However, I'm still a bit scared and nervous. This high anxiety is probably what got me drinking in the first place! Does anyone have any suggestions? I've been trying to follow this acronym I've heard in therapy before, G.R.A.P.E.S. It stands for G-gentle with self, R-relaxation, A-accomplishment, P-pleasure, E-exercise, and S-social. You are supposed to come up with an activity/thing for each category. I feel like I have some tools, but I need more! Please respond/comment if you have any input. Anything would be helpful!
Thank you for taking the time to read my post :)
-Nicole

Hi, Nicole. Welcome to SR!

First, don't be anxious when posting here - you'll find a lot of encouragement and understanding.

As for anxiety in general it's quite common in early sobriety.

Deep breathing and relaxation techniques help me. You can google it and find something for beginners.

Exercising is great as well - it works wonders with me.

Best wishes to you. Keep posting.

I'm on day two as well and my anxiety is near crippling at the moment. I'm right here with you. I just keep repeating "this too shall pass", and deep breaths. Keep breathing! Hopefully once the alcohol is flushed out, our anxiety will get better too.

Hi and welcome to SR

:welcome

That crippling anxiety is awful, I remember it well. The good thing is that it does fade in time, and you won't ever have to do a day 2 again as long as you don't pick up a drink.

Keep posting and reading, we all understand. You are amongst friends here x

Hi and Welcome,

Lots of us here deal with anxiety.

You might want to try meditation and breathing techniques, which seem to work very well controlling the racing mind. I find that music is a staple in my life to help through ups and downs. And, nature, getting outside and moving. :)

thank you everyone for your tips and support! Any and every kind thought or word mean so much to me. I'm off to my first meeting, (over 30 minutes early) and I still feel nervous, but I know the people there will be as kind as you all were for me this morning. Thank you and enjoy the rest of all of your days!
xoxo
Nicole

Good luck with your meeting, Nicole.

Everything will be fine)

:welcome Nicole!

"I feel like I have some tools, but I need more!"

Browse through this site, a lot of great stuff here. Try searching for SMART, that seems along the lines of GRAPE, there's a very active AA support community here and also people that pull a lot of different stuff (tools) together to work their own program. Have a great meeting and welcome!

Thank you Nicole87 for your post. I came onto Sober Recovery Site today as my anxiety has been high today. I always remember HALT... Hungry, Angry (frustrated or emotional), Lonely, Tired. I add an "s" at the end of HALT(s) for sick... if I have a cold or allergies are messing with me....etc. So, First, I had some food (that helped). Second, I said out loud, yes, I feel anxious and took several deep slow breathes and paid close attention to my breathe (in and out) 5 or 6 counts in and 5 or 6 counts out..... I accept that I am anxious and will not fight it.... but embrace it..... and do more deep breathes...... I turned on some meditation music that I found on youtube (it is nice to listen to and I continue to practice my slow breathe)...... it is helping. Enjoy your meeting. Get some phone #'s from women so you can call them and start sober phone network relationships.... making a phone call and reaching out to another woman in recovery can help so much.... just knowing someone else is out there and keeping sober too and someone who has had success one day at a time (one minute at a time) (one hour at a time). Next, I will get up and take "right action".... (and not take a drink today.... just for today)..... I plan on getting some exercise in a little bit to help lower the anxiety by going for a nice long walk with my dog and enjoy the cooler air we are having here in my town. Take care. Thank you for posting. It helps to know I am not alone as I stay sober and have anxiety today..... cmNJ

Hi and welcome Nicole :)

Early recovery can be rough - but you're not alone here - there's a ton of support and good ideas.

It's completely normal to feel apprehensive but you can do this :)

why not join the Class of May thread - it's for everyone quitting this month?
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...2013-a-13.html

D

Best of luck at the meeting Nicole.. I too as many others here have anxiety. Since joining here though have begun to see this is quite normal given what we put ours minds and bodies through. But besides that you will find the nicest most supportive people around! Well done on making positive steps to your new life :)x be well

Thank you all again. My meeting went so well. I admit, i was crying, shaking and sweating through the entire hour. But I met some really nice people, and i left feeling more hopeful then i went in. However I can't seem to shake this constant butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling. I can only distract myself for a few minutes at a time before the nerves come back and hit me like a ton of bricks! I not only stopped drinking alcohol, but i went off both of my psych meds (adderall and clonzapam). I know you're not supposed to stop taking rx without talking to a doctor, but i think since these are both controlled substances, and my doctor never said I had to take them every day, that it is okay. But it is making me physically ill. I have eaten plenty and exercised today, so I know its just stress and anxiety, but boy i forgot how bad this feeling was. I understand a little better now why I started drinking/taking prescription drugs (though I didn't abuse the rx pills). I have severe anxiety. I sure hope this gets better soon!
xo, thank you for supporting me!
-Nicole

Thank you, I will check out the Class of May thread as well!
xo-Nicole

Nicole welcome and glad you made your meeting. I am very concerned about stopping your psych meds cold turkey if you've been taking them daily. Please call your doctor about this.

thank you for your concern, as I have been very worried about this as well. But I have been to rehab in the past and they had both of these drugs banned in that specific program. So I didn't feel like I was truly sober unless I stopped them as well. My doctor has said many times that I can take the drugs as I need them, and it isn't necessary to take them daily. Before I quit drinking, I hadn't taken my psych meds in several days because I had already been thinking about getting off them due to a change in my health insurance. I will call my doctor tomorrow. Thanks TryingHarder.
xo-Nicole

Good. Hopefully it's not a deal but better to discuss it.

Hi Nicole

Well done on getting to a meeting. I was depressed rather than anxious to begin with. The early days can be tough but it does get much easier over time. The sp.eed of things seems to vary between people. Keep up with the meetings, read the Big Book, come here, and don't drink and your life will become much easier to handle.

Thank you Michael! I just had coffee with a woman I met in AA yesterday. I feel very hopeful right now. I appreciate everyone's kind words. This is an amazing outlet, I feel so blessed for finding soberrecovery.com :)