Low Energy/Relying On Stimulants...
 

Hai guys :) I know when freshly sober it can take a while for energy to return but I recall during my last good stretch of abstinence (5 months) it still hadn't returned. I basically have to force myself to workout, clean the house, well do anything really. It seems my default setting is to sit in my bed and surf the internet. I guess that's an addiction in itself :/

I've done a ton of reading (whilst sitting on my bed) as you can imagine but not really found anything that struck a chord - in terms of how do I get my natural energy fired up again. One thing I read was that the dopamine making system is somewhat frazzled due to "fake" energy from drinking. (I'm paraphrasing). I'm taking some good vits. Sleeping well. Eating well. Drinking a ton of water. And, doing nearly everything I can to feel better but I still just want to sit on my bed. I even got my blood levels tested to see if I had developed a thyroid problem or something but everything came back clear.

Yes, I relapsed and back on day 16 sober at the moment but I'm tired of being tired. It makes me feel that nothings changed in the way of getting my life up back and running :/ It gets me a bit down and makes me feel like I have done some permanent damage to myself and doomed to live the rest of my life in inertia :(

Anything in particular help you guys to get moving? Or is it just a waiting game?

*sorry this is long. I've had coffee. Caffeine gets my mind and mouth working but not my body.
**My mood is chirpy (when I'm not worrying I'm broken) and I am alert but just no forwards motion about me.

I have to force myself to exercise and clean, too, but that was the case way before I ever tried alcohol. Do you have pre-drinking memories of flying around the house with a feather duster in your hand and a huge smile on your face? :)

One thing I realized after the first several months of sobriety was that I grew less dissatisfied with being "not drunk" as time passed -- more positive, more outgoing, more able to tackle long-term projects that I would have dismissed as too challenging when I was drinking, because my outlook was depressed all the time when I was drinking, right?. And that helped me take on the big project of physical improvement - the learning about and the doing in areas of fitness and diet -- and after I got some of that stuff in order, now my energy is either higher or the amount of energy it costs to move around is lower (probably both).

Nothing wrong with a cup of joe or three . .

I was wondering the same thing. I am coming up on two months and most days, while I feel good, I am just so tired. I can finish the work day strong but that's about all I have left in me. I have been forcing myself to go to the gym. Last night I just wanted to take a nap after work but ended up sleeping for 6 hours!! When does the energy come back???

Hmmmm, sounds like you're doing everything right. Perhaps a visit to the doctor to explain your concerns couldn't hurt?

Have you spoken to a Dr JDM ?

I remember you feeling a bit like this before

(((JDM)))

Same here. Never made it long enough to feel energetic again. I feel like I'm 90.
I sleep 10 hours a wake up feeling sluggish.

Not going back over it, if it takes 10 years so be it. At least I'll have a few years left.

I know the feeling. I've been relying on coffee - but I'm looking into Rhodiola as a potential alternative.

@notmyname - lol true, I don't think I ever looked forwards to cleaning but I have run marathons. Infact I got addicted to running in those days. Sounds like the cloud really lifted for you. I think I depress myself about not being where I want to be in life. I've worked so hard internally, clearing up issues and what not and feel great in mood/mentally most of the time until I remember I'm no closer to my goals. Then I get low and obviously that doesn't help! It's a bit of a vicious circle. If only I could get cracking on a project or obsessed about something healthy like running again.

@angd1978 mmm yes I feel you except I don't have to go to work. I'm freelance aka leave it till the last minute. There might be something in not having a routine as well. They say humans are creatures of habit afterall.

@nomis & soberwolf - I went and they checked my thyroid but after all was clear I kinda just presumed I've got a srs case of lazyitis lol. Do you think it's worth going back again? I really worry I've messed up my brain chemicals :/ It's like they can't manufacture normal energy anymore.

@Thepatman. Yessss, I feel 90 too lol and I'm with you. I don't wana set myself back ever again. Was reading something here - can't remember which thread now but it was about brain healing being set back after a relapse. No thank you! Let's crack on no matter what :)

Oh Rhodiola that's on my possible to try list. I've trawled through so much info on vits and supps and wrote down several possible combinations. Will you PM and let me know how it works out for you? If you remember :) I decided to give L-tyrosine a try (it hasn't come yet). It's supposed to re-encourage the brain to start making dopamine again.

Although - I will prob go to the DR again too. I just don't want any anti-depressants because they make me even more of a zombie. I probably just need a kick up the azz if anyone has one of those :D

JackDsMissus sometimes you just have to get up and start moving, even if you don't feel like it. I find that the mind tends to follow the body. If you act alive you'll feel alive. It's like when you wake up in the morning and you don't want to leave your cozy bed, you just want to roll over and go back to sleep. But if you summon the will to just get up and go make coffee or whatever, your mind quickly perks up as well.

I've been in your position before. You just need to keep busy and eventually your energy levels just may start to catch up.

That's the only suggestion I have it seems like you've exhausted most other options.

Good luck!

This might sound incredibly basic but have you tried getting outside everyday for brisk walk to get some fresh air and sunlight?

Yes, it's a battle of the will in some cases lol. Like I can do the minimum requirements just because I have to. Get up for the school run (just), bathe (just) wash the pots mainly because I have to cook and need them lol, laundry when we're down to our last set of pants ahah, even haul my behind to the gym - there is a ghost of a habit here. But it's like I'm just itching to get back here on the bed. Where's the momentum? I'll keep trying this though thank you :)

Hmm, guilty as charged. I went through a phase of trying to walk everyday but I found an excuse one day not to go and haven't resumed. I have a lovely reservoir near my house which I get urges to go to but never follow through. I don't think it being dark here at 4pm helps either. I guess I have to just throw myself out the door.

*Hope I'm not seeming like a "yeah but" person. They're annoying lol I guess I'm wondering where that natural get up and go is compared to this brutal force I'm having to take. And, will it come back/is there anything I can do to bring it back. So far I've got:

-Visit Doctors again
-Force myself :D

Hi Jack! I'm just over 6 mths and still lack energy and motivation. I got more done while drinking, as I made myself finish tasks before I could start my daily drinking. I am hoping the next few months I'll be feeling more up to task. I workout 4 or 5x per week, eat healthy, drink plenty of water and herbal teas, take vitamins and get plenty of sleep. I do know I've been abusing my body for years, so I must be patient with myself while I find my new normal. Maybe I was always a low-key homebody under the alcohol haze. What I do know though, it's so awesome to know that on a Saturday night I won't be drunk at a bar making bad decisions and waking up Sunday morning full of regret.

I am seriously thinking about making a doctors appointment but I don't feel comfortable disclosing all of my drinking to him. I just want to approach it as, I am concerned because of all of the years of anti-depressants, benzos and other medication... plus I quit drinking due to concerns about over consumption to medicate my problems. I still am weaning myself off of the benzos. I took 1mg of klonopin for 4 years and then was switched to valium to get off of the klonopin, which had stopped working. I have gone from 2-3 pills a day( during my grandfather's funeral down to one a day now. I am not an addict when it comes to the benzos because I have never abused them and want to cautiously remove them too from my life. I am afraid that I will be labeled an addict by my doctor. I also know that I have had a b-12 deficiency which caused anemia. I am now wondering if the years of alcohol caused the deficiency and it will come back or if I had it before the drinking. That may very well be the cause of my lack of energy. Ugghhhh... I don't feel like paying for all the blood tests, but I guess it is time to get checked out again.

I vote for faking it until it comes naturally. lol

Hi JDM -

Yes, I had a case of the tireds, so frustrating!

For me I felt similar to when I had mono (another inflamed liver issue). Not sure if you drank enough to stress your liver, but I certainly did.

I read that we are tired because our bodies are making up for doing a lot of repair work that they couldn't do while we were drinking. The body normally does this while we sleep. Viewed in this context, I wasn't so frustrated with my body asking for rest, and found if I gave it what it wanted, it did heal and my energy did come back.

Visiting a nututrionist/natural path who had experience with addictions helped me get on the right vitamins and diet. This helped quicken my recovery.

Looking at pictures 2 years later, I don't look like the same person. Today I radiate health. Keep it up - it's worth it!

Good luck to you!

Yes, absolutely. I've been meaning to give it a go for a while now, I'll let you know.

Hey JDM - for me it took about 3 months.

There is some value here in the comments about just getting up and doing what needs to be done anyway. I always felt better after cleaning up or whatever.

It may have been a placebo but I felt a multivitamin helped too...

D