SigChiScooby

There's nothing wrong with yoga pants. Just sayin'!

Ruby2

I'm with you. I'm absolutely exhausted and I look a million years old. I think it's primarily stress though. I'm told it gets better. I don't know.

Verte

Hey Nuu...yeah, I hear you

Today I ran to the gas station to buy eggs for an omelet and decided to fill the tires with air...why not. In my rain boots and rain coat I went from one tire to the next and filled them all up. Felt like a huge accomplishment, like I should get life bonus points, a standing ovation, or something. And I felt like a kid

Robby, great insight as usual. One of the big times I used to drink was when I felt really sick which happens in my life with more frequency than I care for. Historically I drank to cover it up and not feel or mentally process what my body was experiencing. Now it is like oh sheet! Really? Is this necessary? Just processing all of the things I used to cover up does take quite an enormous amount of energy.

And going through the 24-hour day without the alcohol filler feels like a great space quest. And we are bringing it back to planet Earth. Ugh.

Hang in there Nuu.

LadyinBC

I felt this was too in early sobriety and at the 6 month mark I went thru a period where I was absolutely exhausted even after having an 8 hour sleep. It did pass.

Mountainmanbob

you are welcome and I hope that things pick up for you real soon

in the beginning the most important thing for me was to stay sober
about all that I did for several months was
go to AA meetings, share a little one on one time with my Sponsor
and rest and sleep
I wanted to do next to nothing here around the home

I thought that I would never have the old get up and go again
but in time -- a little burst of energy here and there did appear
started off with doing very simple things here around the house
and feeling so accomplished when completed

followed in time with the desire to take on even much more
today I lead a fairly active life for a retired guy

AA meetings, Church, bicycle riding, hiking with the wife, motorized bicycle riding, chores around the home (still not in love with some of these but most do eventually get done)
hobbies RC racing, occasional sailing

of the many friends that I have seen in AA that have sobered up
most take life very easy in the beginning of their sobriety
remember -- we are healing mind, body and soul
that is a lot going on there !

Mountainman

Luper

I can totally relate and am glad to see I am not the only one. Just keep asking myself "why the heck are you being so lazy?"

Very tired and no motivation. Trying to take small steps to at least accomplish something each day. Started walking everyday, which helps.

Great responses here. Thanks!

Nuudawn

It does ease the mind to hear others are going through or have gone through this doesn't it Luper. Yesterday was my day off. I had plans to do a number of things. All I got accomplished was a pedicure, banking and some grocery shopping. And I paid for the pedicure...I sat in a massage chair whilst someone else did it.

STILL I marked this off as an actual accomplishment lol.

Croissant

Yes, great thread Nuu, and all great responses...so true.

When I think that I was drunk every day straight for 3 years, without 1 day off, and for 95% of the time 4 years before that - I think my body has a lot of mending to do.

Drinking affects every part of how our brain operates our body, it's only natural for it to want to be "still" and mend. I too feel a bit lacklustre the last week or so, but I've been pounded with stress, so I'm fine with a bit of sofa bonding and cutting myself some slack.

Drinking fed the impatient part of me, I want a quick fix. Now I have to take in the scenery and do the slow, sensible route.

Recovery means recovering....we'll get there.

I actually read this the other day. Yes. We've been annihilating our body, our regulatory systems, everything....is focused on balancing that when we have alcohol in our systems. Now we aren't bombarding it, our bodies are like, oh, how do I do this "normal" thing again?

SnoozyQ

Good grief Nuudawn ...this is me
Every single day , yet i function at work ! What's up with that ????

Every single thing you said , i thought i was the only one ...everyone else seems to be out running bloody marathons !

Verte

Important gear-churning and energy expenditure for your day of accomplishments Nuudawn...bumblegum pink or candy apple red? As far as bill writing goes, I cannot tell you how many times I had to re-write checks and envelopes addressed while drinking which reflected obvious drunken scrawl or chicken scratches. I even had to open up and rewrite an entire night of Christmas cards this year. Oi!

Today I folded the 5 baskets of laundry in record time though which is an improvement. Laundry folding used to occupy and entire evening - considering I do not like the activity, it is a little strange that I used to make it a drawn out drinking event.



**While I do not endorse a specific brand of yoga pants, Lululemon pants are pretty much a slam dunk

Hereandnow2

33 days and the same for me. Some days I feel like I'm walking around on sleeping pills! Getting a little better now though.

Nuudawn

Love this. I remember once saying to my mom "geez, making conversation with people sober is kind of ...work". She paused for a moment and said "I think it's supposed to be".

It really kind of astonishes me how I let alcohol lead in everything. It's like toddlers who have an older brother or sister who do the talking for them take longer to start talking? I let alcohol do my socializing for me in effect...so doing that now is indeed tiring I guess.

And it makes sense that taking in the scenery via the slow, sensible route simply expends more energy. Healing takes energy. Okay...maybe I can cut myself a little slack here. I appreciate all this because the lethargy has been really troubling me and causing me a great deal of shame and self battery actually.

Sigh...breathe...it's all normal.

SnoozyQ

Quote:
Originally Posted by Croissant
Drinking fed the impatient part of me, I want a quick fix. Now I have to take in the scenery and do the slow, sensible route.

Crois ! That is so true ! Wow

courage2

Hi Nuudawn --

Obviously from responses on this thread, exhaustion is common. It's probably a lot of strains -- the various strains of physiological withdrawal, learning to live with so many more conscious minutes of the day, coping with a lot of emotional baggage that we carried to our bottom.

I cut myself a lot of slack. I suit up and show up when I'm needed, but I've become a lot more selective about what I show up for. And when I'm not needed, I'm in total down mode -- working on re-energizing for the next round. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Don't assume that it's reasonable to expect that in sobriety you'll feel like superwoman 24 hours a day. If you have a big day in the city with a friend, why wouldn't you feel exhausted at the end of it? It's just that now you notice that you're exhausted, whereas before you'd be too drunk to know.

Carlotta

I was like you Nuudawn, exhausted for probably the firs 6 to 9 months. I think it's because we are finally getting some real sleep instead of passing out and also because our body and brain are repairing themselves so it takes a lot of energy out.
It was scaring me: I would sleep 12 hours a night and crash for an afternoon nap whenever possible. Thank goodness for SR and others sharing their experience, if I had been alone or just going to AA (the subject of sleeping pattern changes does not really come up) I would have thought something was very wrong with me.

Croissant

Uggggh...I'm not one for war stories, but your Christmas cards reminded me of the time i worked full on right up til Christmas Eve and frantically did ALL my Christmas shopping in a 2 hour marathon with a friend. We then went back to hers for way too much Christmas cheer and so I could wrap my presents secretly away from family.

Bright spark here decides it would be hilarious and so much fun to just wrap the presents with NO name tags, because how much fun would it be for everyone to figure out which present was theirs Christmas morning. What a fun game that would be! Ummm.

Fatal error....how was I to know which bloody present was which the next morning at our family get together? I barely recalled buying the damn things, let alone who's package was which the next day. Had to open and reseal all of them.

Leshar

Hey, Nuudawn, sweetheart, yes, please do cut yourself some slack!! Veg and veg all you need! Nothing shameful about it at all!

Great post and love the responses. I'm right there with you. I do think it is especially difficult when you live alone.
Yes, talking, socializing is for me very tough, but I'm working on it!
I'm treating myself to a pedi today!
Have a restful day!

Tamerua

I'm almost 19 months sober and I just want to live in yoga pants.

It will get better, give it time. Just put yourself in auto pilot and be good to yourself by eating healthy and trying to get some exercise, even if it is just walking.

Nuudawn

Oh dear Lord. I don't know how many times a night of laundry turned out with me passed out still with wet clothes in the washing machine and clothes folded here there and everywhere. It always only got half done.

Yup...laundry parties I am VERY familiar with.

360shoes

Have you had your thyroid checked Nuudawn?

I got sober. Felt pretty good after the first month not drinking. Then several months later. Kapow. Lifting my arms above my head exhausted me. It was my thyroid. Or lack of it.

Not trying to be a doctor...I just know it can be common for women. Hope it's just your body adjusting to sober city but it wouldn't hurt to check if you haven't had it checked.

It was an exhaustion I can't even describe. It was horrible. No matter how much I slept it never went away. Had bags under my eyes even after 10 hours of sleep. A cheap little thyroid pill got me fix up pretty good.

Just my experience. Hope you get feeling better.