Ceedaily

I don't have much to say. I have three weeks sober and I'm still not out of early days, but my patience is shot after years of going for instant gratification. I'll one can do is wait. I am just having my worst anxiety attack, worse than when I had hangover panic. This site is helping me not completely freak out. I'm starting to think my addictive voice is manipulating my anxiety voice. I don't consciously have a desire to drink, but the longer my attacks last, I think that might change. I'm thinking about therapy, but I take care of two invalid relatives so I'm thinking phone/skype therapy until I can get help with my family. Just want to stay on this site because it's the only place I can be truly honest. I never liked to talk about myself, now it can't seem to stop. I need to get out of the whining phase, but I am there for now. My insomnia was getting better, but now it's back with a vengeance and it's making me crazy.

Dee74

I'd try not to panic and give it some time Cee...3 weeks is still a pretty normal timeframe for anxiety...and if you had pre-existing anxiety it may take a little time and effort to deal with that.

there's always support here too

D

Resolv

I attended a support group meeting this morning and upon conclusion of the meeting, some folks were talking about cravings. The meeting facilitator stated she was taught physical cravings last no longer than 10 minutes. Mental cravings can last much longer, but physical cravings only 10 minutes. Gum, ice-cream, self affirmations.

Ceedaily

Thanks for the encouragement. I was an anxiety suffer prior to being an alcoholic. I hope to find a therapist that has more experience with my issues than I have in the past. I am trying to tell myself that it's a waiting game and that waiting means this part will end.

Soberwolf

Gp can always help with anxiety

Breathing techniques work meditation works

I would book gp/doc apt

PurpleKnight

3 weeks is still early days, the body needs time to adjust!!

Hang in there!!

MariahGayle

Ceedaily - Amazon has a great workbook, recommended by a counselor, called "The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook". It has great information & exercises to help with anxiety. Great job on 3 weeks!

HeartsAfire

I'm a little over 3 weeks and although they have subsided for the most part, I still have mini-bouts every now & again. Mostly it's when I'm shopping. Yesterday it happened for about 30 seconds until I realized I was in a particular grocery store where I used to go on special occasions for "nice" booze. And I was right next to the wine aisle! I couldn't help it - that's where their produce is. Once I realized what was actually going on it stopped. I talked myself off the ledge.

Now I wonder if (like you suggested) the anxiety is not some sort of last-ditch effort on my AV's part. Maybe it knows I'm finally 100% committed to sobriety so it's trying to come up w/another way to get me to cave. It's very insidious.

Either way, it does get better. Maybe take notice of your surroundings next time & see if you too can figure out why.

Ceedaily

I'll have to checkout that workbook, Mariah, it sounds promising. Thanks for the suggestion.

Ceedaily

Good advice, Hearts

jezza

Hi Ceedaily... Here is something I posted a few months back.. which might help.

A.W.A.R.E.

When I work with someone who has panic attacks we discuss in detail when they happen, and where, and what may be triggering them etc. Also how they actually experience them.
Panic starts with a fear response, and the adrenalin and 'fight or flight' mechanism kicks in, leaving people feeling varing degrees of panic and fear. What can then happen is that people start to fear the panic attack itself, as well as whatever it is (often unknown) that triggers it, so the situation gets worse.
Either they avoid similar situations, out of fear of a panic attack happening, or as soon as one starts they respond with despair and even more fear/panic, making everything feel worse.
What helped me (and it seems to work for others, too) is to accept the panic. Like we accept backache, or a sneezing fit, or a dose of flu. Instead of "Oh my God!! I'm having a panic attack! Its awful, I can't cope" I learned to recognise the earliest signs of it, and say to mayself "Oh ****. I'm having a panic attack. How annoying is that" and then talk to myself in more positive ways.
"OK its a panic attack. It won't kill me. Its a horrible feeling, but it will pass. I will get over this"
Then I would put a lot of effort into just monitoring it, watching my symptoms in a kind of clinical way (Heart beating too fast, hard to breathe properly, sweating, shaking etc etc) as though I was someone else watching me in as detached a way as possible (not easy I have to say, but it was easier everytime I did it)
I refused to let it stop me doing things. If I got a panic attack in a shop, I refused to leave the shop, but would find a corner I could just stop and wait for it to ease up. If I panicked while driving (fear of getting lost would be a big trigger for me) then I'd stop, put some soothing music on the tape deck, and give myself the positive talk, and breathe steadily till it was possible to continue. I didn't head for home, or stop driving to places, however tempting it was.

The whole process was described to me as the 'AWARE' technique.
A - Accept what's happening (don't have to like it, just accept it. Don't fight it!)
W - Watch what's happening to you as clinically and calmly as possible
A - Act as normal as possible (Don't allow the panic attack to make you change your plans)
R - Repeat these steps as often as you need to, (meanwhile breathing slowly. PLB helps)
E - Expect things to get better. They will!

Ceedaily

Thanks for the A.W.A.R.E. technique, jezza, it sounds like something I can start practicing right away. It's so nice to hear from people who have both issues. I'm start to feel better thanks to all the members' advice and support. I plan on coming here as often as I need to, even if I start to feel like a pest.

robgt350

ceedaily
yea i had bad innsomina also, it lasted for about a week. getting alot better now. for me i had to establish a set bed time and something prior to bed to relax me such as reading or coming here. but working night shift is no help for that too, which i do.

Ceedaily

I think I'm still getting the insomnia because my mom sleeps all day and my grandma sleeps at night. Leaves me very tense because it's a given I will have sleep interrupted.