Racing negative thoughts
 

Anybody else get this? Is it common in early sobriety? Head is RACING and won't stop.

Early sobriety could exacerbate negative thinking. But I know people who aren't drinkers and are plagued by Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANT).

There are techniques to address ANT.

Fighting them is only making it worse, I'll look up some techniques.

I found some simple breathing exercises helped me to stop it momentarily. It will pass, but I know that's not going to make you feel much better right now. I remember feeling like it could actually kill me. Stone dead. Right there and then.

My favourite breathing exercise (which I still use to get myself grounded if I get in a momentary tizz about anything) is to put thumb on one nostril, 1st and 2nd fingers lightly on centre of forehead at top of nose, and finger on other nostril. Now, push down lightly to close one nostril and breath in the other on e slowly. Then chaange which nostril is covered and breathe out of the other nostril. Now breathe in through that nostril and out of the first one. Repeat about 8 times.

A little meditation I liked was to simply focus on each of my senses in turn. So, first close your eyes and focus on what you can hear, then what you can smell, then how different parts of your body feel.

Hope it passes soon.
BB

Thanks guys, I know the last few days I've been moaning, just battling right now :-)

Been busy in my garden today which is something positive.

hey there,chilled!! WHY did you change yer lil avatar!?!?!?! i was laughin at the....umm...yeah... :)
anyways, i dont think i had a thought that wasnt negative for some time. i did one helluva job for many years of making regretful,embarrassing, remorseful moments.plus i really made a mess of my life. there was a LOT of negativity going on in my melon.
but as i worked at recovery- at lookin at causes and conditions for why i was how i was who i was, and worked at sweeping away the wreckage, the negativity subsided

Hang in there buddy
 

This was really bad for me early on - and it still happens. BerryBean is pretty much on top of it. I thought I was seriously dying. And when I didn't drop dead, that only made feel worse. It gets better, and learning a few coping mechanisms helped me.

1. Formal mindfulness-based meditation (google Tara Brach guided mediation).
2. Grounding. I will sit in my chair, feel the contour of the armrest, identify smells, sounds, light patterns - something to identify the moment and the things that are ACTUAL and REAL (not the racing negative thoughts).
3. Distraction through exercise and hobbies.
4. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). think about what your mind is telling you with the racing thoughts and evaluate them for reasonableness.

Also, don't be afraid to reach out to a legit counselor to help you through it.

:lmao my coconuts could turn the newcomers away!

It's just frightening thoughts at the moment, will pass in time im sure, just wanted to know I wasnt the only one.

Thanks all, just wanted to know I wasn't alone on this :-)

H.A.L.T. is also a could SIMPLE technique - make sure you are never too:

Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired

physically your body is going thru a lot of changes right now. you body CHEMISTRY is undergoing a significant CHANGE right now. your neuro transmitters are zinging and zapping. thoughts and emotions that have been numbed out in the constant river of alcohol are now, just now, surfacing.

recovery is a process. this is still very early days. expect the unexpected. devote yourself to good self care. eat well. hydrate. REST. find ways to quiet the mind.......there are a lot of good auditory meditative options, guided or just ambient.

Drinking a lot of green juice, eating is difficult right now so getting the nutrition down me that way.

It's an emotional roller coaster for sure, I go through all kinds of waves of depressed, anxious, angry, but it's lessening more and more all the time. Once I realized it was my brain freaking out it became easier to deal with.

So in reality this could just be my brain adapting to soberiety?

I had the racing thoughts during the first 6 weeks or so. It was like my brain came back to life and started working in hyperdrive. It passed on its own and now I'm very even, it was just my body and brain healing from polluting myself with alcohol. I started doing yoga and taking guitar lessons, it helped to have something to focus my mind and energy on. Keep at it! It will get better :)

Changed my avatar, your dog inspired me too lol

Drinking a lot of green juice, eating is difficult right now so getting the nutrition down me that way.

that's good but your body REALLY needs good healthy protein right now too! do the best you can!

Hey Chilled Ice..
Just sending some positive healing thoughts your way.

-MR

Absolutely. I had a tough time with racing thoughts at the beginning. Tons of anxiety and obsessive thoughts. It got better over time, and now I'm "normal." Better than I ever was before I even had an alcohol problem, actually, because I learned a bunch of coping techniques (breathing exercises, mindfulness, exercise, picking up the phone, etc.)

you might find this information about PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome) comforting. Lots of things you are probably going through are normal as your body and brain learn to live without alcohol.

https://www.elementsbehavioralhealth...ages-symptoms/

it very well could.
early recovery can be an extreme emotional roller coaster- the peeks can be way up in the pink cloud and the valleys can be quite low.
as T.I.M.E. goes on, the peaks and valleys usually get closer together and the ride evens out.
HOWEVER
please dont look for the ride to be one even horizontal ride. 2 times i know that happens:
1- when im drinkin and numbed.
2- on a heart monitor.:dee

imo, the ups and downs arent part of recovery( not the extremes that they were in early recovery)- at least for me any more.
they are just part of life.
when down low, keep on trudging knowing
this,too,shall pass.

when high in the clouds, ride it out knowing
this,too,shall pass.

Chill & TomSteve- You guys are totally cracking me up over Chill's avatar...:c008:

Chill...hang in there...and remember...This Too Shall Pass. You got this!