hpdw

This is weird and for no apparent reason I feel so bad with anxiety symptoms , inner shaking ,all over body and head zaps , feeling of doom , muscles ache everywhere ,tingling with weird crawling sensations like a cold wind is on my skin , restless legs and a general all over weakness.
I know it seems like i'm looking for reassurance ,well I kind of am but in a general way IE have any of you had decent spells of wellness then to find you have a big dip like this . My GP has reassured me it's anxiety and that I need to try and breath better ,get more exercise etc .
I feel like screaming , can't sit still , iv'e been like this for 3 days . The thing is Iv'e done some positive work around the house clearing out years of horded junk to the disposal yard but when I try to relax the symptoms come on strong . I don't want to take Diazepam but I might need to for a short time .

serious

sounds like my early days after a good bender...

if you can move around and do some positive things, stick with that. eat more fruit. go for walks, do a light workout if you can. try yoga.

keep busy. and tire yourself before sleep... sleep is important now.

ScottFromWI

I know all too well what you are feeling Thomas. If you've been to a doc and they've assure you it's anxiety I've been there too. My anxiety improved a lot after getting sober but never quite "got better". It still came and went in waves.

For the immediate bad anxiety, taking a walk or listening to some music helped me, also any breathing/relaxation exercises.

Long term I finally started seeing a counselor about a year ago, there are a lot of non-med ways of controlling it long term - i'd suggest giving that a try if you get a chance.

One thing I still tell myself though ( because I still have flare-ups ), is that anxiety NEVER killed me, and that anxiety itself is a perfectly normal reaction - everyone gets it. We just overreact a bit and need to learn how to calm ourselves when we do.

hpdw

I though I had this anxiety thing under control . Iv'e read 2 dozen books and Gigabytes of web information from good sources and yet I still struggle with it . I'm so fed up with this . Im sober 5 weeks .

ScottFromWI

I googled it for months too. The problem was that gathering information doesn't do anything to fix the problem - i had to start taking action. For me that meant therapy, meditation, exercise, changing my sleep habits, my diet, a whole bunch of things. But when I finally started "doing" instead of "thinking" it really helped a lot. And believe me, I was stuck in that contemplation/information gathering mode for months, probably years to be honest.

Wastinglife

I can relate. I am nearing a month sober but still dealing with anxiety on a daily basis. I'm not anxious about anything in particular, just on edge all the time. Mornings are the worst for me as I wake up with racing thoughts and pounding heart. I regularly go out for walks and attend an AA meeting everyday. I am seeing slight improvements each week so I think the anxiety is just my mind and body healing itself after years of alcohol abuse.

I'm sure this too shall pass with time and sobriety

hpdw

Your spot on Scott , too much thinking not enough doing . I think also it's not a good idea that I offer advice on how to manage anxiety as I have done in the past while I am climbing the walls myself .

january161992

EXERCISE

is a huge healer for me

Ruby2

I'm sorry you're feeling the anxiety Thomas. Moving helps me along with no caffeine.

You're not alone in this boat, as yucky as it is. I hope you get some relief soon.

IWalkTheLine

It sounds exactly like I feeel when im going through opiate withdrawl, try a bath with Epson salts for your legs.

Forward12

I've been dealing with horrible anxiety and depression most all of my life, so I know exactly how you feel. Unfortunately for many of us, it can come at any time, sometimes daily, sometimes not for weeks, but it can often times be a lifetime problem. Don't be afraid to take your meds when the panic hits, that's what your doc prescribed them to you for.

entropy1964

I have anxiety too and it can come out of no where. When I can't pinpoint the anxiety and none of my usual tactics help, it can be low blood sugar, for me anyway. The symptoms are very similar.

D122y

It gets better...

depending on your drinking past..it could take a year to really settle down...that is what I learned here...

I'm at a year and it is 1000x better then at 5 weeks.

I didn't even start to really freak out until about 80 days...11 weeks...

Just don't give in...if not for SR I would have relapsed a bunch by now...

Not sure if AA could have saved me...

It took an SR village...lol

It does get better every day.

REsoberALITY

Like D122y said, I also experienced this and have had bouts with it since I stopped drinking. At almost 10 months for me, it is much more manageable and even the anxiety I do get is nothing like what I went through the first 3 months or so of sobriety. Almost like clockwork, every thirty days or so it would come back..... However, it did start to lessen each time after the third or fourth month. Hang in there... It should get better.

AdelineRose

I'm sorry you are feeling so antsy and your anxiety is through the roof. If you have a doctor I would give him or her a call and ask for an appointment and maybe your doctor could prescribe some medicines to help you get through this rough path.

Vitamins and supplements can be a huge help also. A lot of supplements can adversely interact with other medicines so speaking to the pharmacist, or calling and asking your doctor if there are any interactions would be step one. At any walmart, rite aid, or cvs etc. you can find Valerian Root which helps with anxiety. A step up from Valerian Root would be going to a GNC and getting Ashwagandha Root which is the next supplement I personally tried when I found Valerian Root wasn't making a large enough difference.

It is also important to exercise , eat properly, get enough sleep (whether you have to take medicine for that or not), and taking a good multi vitamin. Yoga, breathing techniques, meditation, and journaling have also helped me with my anxiety.

I hope you find something that works for you, I know how hard it can be to get through this phase in sobriety. Keep your head up and keep moving forward.

hpdw

Thanks for all your replies I take on board all that you say , it's time to put ideas into action . Too much moping in between chores around the house .
Its good to know i'm not alone in this, that's what I love about SR you all speak from experience .

Thank you

Steely

Me too Thomas. Time for action.

hpdw

It is gravely important that I do the work required to bring back a more stable state of mind or else I could be in danger of going back out there . The calm , rational part of me never wants to drink again but I don't trust the neurotic insecure part of me which is what I need to work on .

thekl0wn

The things that have helped me most were:

1. Limiting my caffeine. This is something I still very much have to watch out for.

2. Prayer. Doesn't matter what I'm praying for, or who I'm praying to... it has a calming effect.

3. Getting up and doing one thing. Doing just one thing gives the slightest sense of accomplishment, and usually gets me moving to do more.

4. Time. I know this one doesn't seem like one you can control, but every day you make it through is one more learning experience.

stillpooh19

My anxiety was just getting started around 5 weeks. I finally went to the doctor and started gabapentin which helps. BUT I hear ashwaghanda really helps. I am also in therapy which helps as does AA meetings. The good news is it gets better day by day, it just takes a little time. Best wishes to you!