cusper

I know that this happened to me last time I was in early recovery but I am still very on edge. Every random symptom I feel sends me into a panic attack. Today it is a twitch on the side of my head, yesterday it was a mild headache. ( I still have a mild sinus infection) I know that I suffer from GAD/health anxiety. When I sobered up last time I was super sensitive to every bodily sensation I was feeling. So much so that my dr. was getting fed up with me. I am back in that boat right now and I feel like there is nowhere I can run to deal with it. I am at the point where I just want to go to bed until I feel better. We went out for a 3 hour walk today and I was fine then, it's just when I get home I start thinking about everything and the anxiety sets in. ahhhh this part is so hard!

Ekohe

My situation with regards to anxiety is the exact same, I have health anxiety. My hangover days were hell on earth. I have somehow managed to not pick up since august and it has been a bumpy road of anxiety these last few months, but I can tell you this. It is so much easier to deal with sober, I never want to go back to a day 1 when I checked my pulse every 5 minutes, or monitored every symptom leaving little else to my thoughts.

A therapist, and quitting drinking for good is the best advice I can give you.

cusper

Thanks Ekohe! Yes if I could, I would be in therapy five days out of the week. I love therapy. However we don't have much money and now our boiler has just broken(last night) let alone mortgage payments. I think I would be in therapy the rest of my life if I could. I am just on edge. What would be worse is googling symptoms (which was a past addiction I had to give up as well!!) I just want to feel comfortable in my own skin. To drink would just be wasting the progress I have already made and I cannot start at day one again. It took almost a year to level out the last time. I knew this time was going to be tough.

Ekohe

Always is, though it does get easier. I know how you feel, and I too don't feel all that comfortable yet, especially in certain settings such as waiting rooms or interviews where I seem to get the worst of panic symptoms for no reason. Step by step we better ourselves.

Forward12

Therapy would be something to strongly look into, but if funds are tight, AA would be a great option. They're free and you can go every day if you want.

cusper

Ekohe! Hahaha, interviews, waiting rooms I feel are specifically designed to create anxiety! I am terrible in the aisles of dollar stores, Wallmart, Concerts where there are too many people I get overwhelmed. I know it will just take time to even out. Again thank you for post.

Dee74

Anxiety can be really debiliating.

Don't worry about Drs getting sick of you - it's their job to help.

If your usual Dr is not being helpful, maybe see another one Cusper?

D

cusper

Hi Forward,
Yes, you know I think I will go to a meeting. I think there is a woman's one nearby. The last one I felt really awkward at because I was the only woman! (I had no idea there were options for co-ed/mens/womens at the time)

Andante

Don't know how long you've been sober, but could alcohol withdrawal be part of the problem? It can take a while for the brain and nervous system to restore equilibrium after sobering up, and meanwhile, extreme anxiety and hypersensitivity are common symptoms.

cusper

Hi Dee!
My doctor has her faults for sure but I know that if I don't keep myself in check I would be asking her for her cell #! she is really quite wonderful, it's me that worries about every little twinge. I am going to go see her for a full work up this week.

cusper

Andante,
I have been sober a little over a month, so not long and I do think this is normal in early recovery but still my anxiety can skyrocket.

Andante

Good job on a month! There's no specific timeline on these things. When I had extreme anxiety early on, it helped me to step outside the feelings, so to speak, and think of it as my brain just doing its thing as it rewired and healed.

Part of recovery for me was learning to accept that sometimes I was just going to feel awful. I got too used to reaching for the bottle as an instant cure to all that ailed me, so it was very hard not to expect quick results when I finally put it down for good.