jakec

I really can't take this depression any more. I have 0 motivation to do anything. Life seems pointless and meaningless. I'm irritable and lazy. All I want to do is just sleep all day... the only thing that seems like a "good" idea anymore is getting high.

I try to do my step work but I can't focus or concentrate.. I HATE not being on ADHD meds, I can't get anything done. I don't know what to do with myself anymore. I'm on Wellbutrin but it doesn't seem to be doing anything.

What did you guys do to get through the depression of the early days of recovery?

ScottFromWI

I kept myself as busy as I could with anything. Reorganize your music collection. Plant something, go fishing, really anything BUT drinking. Make a schedule for the day...literally write it down and carry it around with you. The first days suck to be certain, but there is no way of avoiding it completely. You've got to pay your dues...and it is worth it.

FatallyUncool

Yeah, in my early recovery, I just tried to do things to cheer myself up. Exercise helped, even when I didn't feel like it. I like to do art and had lots of time so I made gifts for my friends. Took baths, bought fancy coffee drinks. Made myself go to meetings and told everyone I was feeling crappy. Tried new things like taking karate lessons.

Mostly I just accepted that it was going to be difficult for a while and that it's ok to feel crappy sometimes. Sometimes all I could do was get through the day and not get high and give myself a break and acknowledge that was good enough. If you're going through hell, keep going!

ChefUK

In my first weekend i just sat down and played video games.

Amajorityofone

Amen!

This morning I got up at 5:30am to get a head start on the day. After making my bed, brushing my teeth, cutting my hair, (yes, I cut my own hair), doing the dishes and starting a load of laundry, I read for an hour before jumping in the shower.

By this time my 6 year old son woke up, so I made him breakfast, got his clothes ready and then prepared his lunch. ( I'm a single Dad & own my own Business. Today was an off day for me.)

Once I dropped my son off at school, I filled up my gas can, went back home and filled up my mower with gas, then called AAA and got my girlfriend's car towed, and went to the gym.

At the gym I did 13 pull ups, 15 tri cep extensions, 40 push ups, 100 sit ups and ran 3 miles.

After my workout I went to the bookstore and picked up Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles. ( I LOVE Sherlock Holmes stories). After leaving the book store I went to cracker barrel, and read through the introduction while having a late breakfast.

After cracker barrel I went to Home Depot and got some paint, came home, threw the clothes from the washer into the dryer, started another load, and repainted the trim around the front door of my house. After I repainted the trim, I pruned my garden, made my son lunch and decided to log on to this site for a few minutes before reading my new book.

After reading, it will be time to fold all of the laundry, then make dinner, clean up the house, give my son a bath, read him a bedtime story and then hopefully watch a bit of the Cardinals Pirates baseball game before going to bed! At most, I allow myself 30 minutes a day to watch television.

Today has been a fairly normal day for me.
I'm on day 359

Moral of the story?
Get Busy and STAY BUSY!

Good luck and God Bless