Plure

Hey everyone,

Hope you had a good Christmas with friends and family. I went over to my parents and had a nice time.

I'm feeling a bit down today. My anxiety has been unrelenting lately and has me really depressed. More than a few times I've wanted to grab a bottle of wine, which would be a total mistake, but just want some relief.

I'm not going to cave, but just looking for some moral support.

Spacegoat

Hey. My head is pretty minced after a particularly zany relapse.

But I will try to offer support. Don't reach for the bottle of wine!

You have been sober for a while now, and you know it won't do any good. Just think of the anxiety tomorrow if you did! Providing of course it didn't turn into a binge.

Have you ever tried guided meditation? There are lots of resources online.

It can really take the edge off anxiety for some, works best alone.

Anyway I hope this helps

Soberwolf

Hi Plure i also came home today this was my 2nd sober christmas but after my 1st last year i felt like you did now

i didnt have SR and it was tough for around a hour i reinforced my sobriety by using every tool i could use

read & print these off to keep very very useful

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-cravings.html

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-recovery.html

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...e-surfing.html

bignasty

I just noticed your sobriety date which equates to 11 weeksish(?).

It WILL get easier with every passing hour, day, month and year!

11 weeks isn't a long time if you have been on the road to destruction for so long. It's when people say to me about how long it is taking them to get to a certain weight when dieting and I always say to them, think how long it has taken you to get to this point of obesity, it doesn't happen overnight.

I don't know if this comparison helps but to do damage to yourself for so long, you cannot expect things to be back to normal so quickly. You have all my wishes of good luck and know you can do it, hang in there, IT WILL GET EASIER

SarahB60

Anxiety stinks! The good news is the feeling is transient. Try and do something completely out the ordinary. Basically change the channel in your head. Wine will only make things worse. You can do this!

Plure

Thanks everyone; really appreciate the support. My problem is that I get sometimes get scared about things...will my symptoms improve? Stay the same? Do I turn this way? Do I turn that way?

Alwyshope12

I was just thinking today how I just hit 7 weeks and I am still feeling anxiety and uncertainty, but the fact is that 7 weeks, while a great start, is not much time at all.

We are all on a life long journey of healing and self improvement. It takes time, and I need to be patient. Comparing my currently state to my state 2 weeks ago is night and day.

Plure, stay the course, think of all the things you have to be grateful for, let your higher power have some control and let that heal you. It will happen.

This is also why a journal can be good, as you can see how you are progressing.

Best of luck.

bignasty

Have you talked this through with your doctor? Where he/she may be able to get you to talk to a councillor who can get you on to a wide range of things i.e. CBT, medication etc.

Also don't discount medication because your feelings may have something to do with a chemical imbalance in your brain i.e. depression and may have been masked by being inebriated

least

If your anxiety is getting to be too much, ask your doctor for some help. (just don't get on benzos, they are addictive) There are other anti anxiety meds that aren't addicting.

Plure

Thanks for the feedback. I am on Lexapro, but a relatively small dose at 5mg per day...started taking it about 3 weeks ago. Problem is that any higher really gets me wired.

zerothehero

My anxiety was off the charts in my first few months of sobriety, but around four months started to subside. What works for me:

Valerian root
Reduce caffeine and sugar
Vipassana meditation
Binaural beats (search for free binaural beats)
Writing
Reminding myself it will pass - surfing
Self-compassion

A lot of people post that anxiety is rough the first few months. It will very likely get better.

Plure

Thanks zerothehero, this gives me hope. Self-compassion is something I could use a bit more of. Having a cup of coffee late last night didn't help...need to realize that when I'm feeling better not to think I'm back 100% just yet.

Hevyn

Yes, Plure - please do be kind to yourself, and patient.

You have some decent sober time, but it's still early days yet. Plus, the first sober holidays for me were very challenging. I was still feeling a little sorry for myself - but of course that was ridiculous, since being numb & foggy is no way to celebrate. I felt so much calmer and better after I got over all the holiday hurdles. Glad you are with us - we truly understand.

Nuudawn

Anxiety has been my undoing in the past. I had NO idea how bad mine until facing the vast expanse of life sans nicotine and alcohol. It is only very recently how aggressively I must attack it...must prevent it from leading my life.

Thank you for your map Zero... it reaffirmed all the tools I suspect I must vigorously include in my life.

OklaBH

I am a very anxious person by nature. When it gets really out of control I drink chamomille tea. I went to the doctor those as well. A check up may be in order.

Aellyce

Hi Plure. Anxiety has also been a culprit throughout my life and I've experienced different forms of it. Like for most of us, it reached extreme levels during the worst phases of my drinking, in withdrawal, and then the same kind of anxiety lingered for a long time during my first few sober months. It was unpleasant, but like others said, time and learning new coping strategies, including accepting it as a part of who I am, has made a difference. I also use some of the things Zero mentioned above.

Something else I've started to seriously realize and experience recently. I used to think that meditative type practices might be the best to curb my anxiety. They do help somewhat. However, I've figured out (with some professional help) that a lot of my kind of anxiety is actually situational, it's not just "that's how my brain is", but even more the consequence of how I tend to handle certain things. Procrastination, neglecting some responsibilities, cutting myself off from some of the very things I enjoy doing best (or need the most) due to insecurities and fears of failure, etc. I've been trying to work on these things in the past few months and I'm experiencing pretty good results. I often find that if I go ahead, push my limits a bit, and do the things I need or want to do without delay, it can really erase my anxiety, I sleep better, and am calmer in general. Feel more comfortable with conflicts. I think this is because some of my fears and insecurities add to an already existing, "default" anxiety and I often don't even notice how this happens. So by changing these behaviors sometimes against the current of my feelings, it can influence the negative, anxious or depressive feelings in turn. These days I'm finding this strategy more helpful than any meditation in the past, although I do believe in that as well.

Like any self work, dealing with anxiety can take a lot of effort, but there is really a lot we can do. And again, not fighting it but accepting a certain level of anxiety as integral part of ourselves can be helpful, too. Also, there are several interesting old and newer theories that anxiety is often associated with creativity, or can be used (transformed into) creative pursuits, which is not a bad thing at all Google "anxiety creativity" for reading.

Hope you find some relief soon!

Dee74

Early recovery can be rough - but it can does and will get better Plure. That's a promise

D