Dubstar

hey all. I'm in and out of this forum, so clearly still a f*ck up! Anyway I was partying pretty much full on for 2 weeks on vacation here in Spain, booze all day and night, cocaine a few times...
I'm now staying with my family in Spain for 10 days and my bender is hopefully over.
Last 2 nights I've had none, but haven't had a wink of sleep. Just gone into some horrific nightmares a few times and found myself screaming myself awake. It was pretty terrifying.
I actually don't feel so bad now even though no sleep, but I'm also dreading lying in a dark room again later wide awake. I feel like I'll never sleep again.
What have you done in this case? I don't want meds because they're just a band aid solution in my opinion.
I'm going to try and exercise today in the gym, and swim at the beach and eat well. It's nice to be with my family and normality resumed.
Long term, when I get home, I'm going to start again and try to be sober, but any advice on my current issue would be great.

ScottFromWI

That's the insanity of Alcoholism for you Dubstar. Think what you would say if I told you that I've been smashing myself in the head with a hammer all day long for two weeks and now I have a headache..:.and what can I do to make it go away?

Time and no drinking is the only solution. And after a 2 week long binge, it could take at least that long or longer to get some normalcy to your sleep schedule.

ChloeRose63

Relaxing teas and no caffeine.
Sounds like you really "did a number" on your body. Hope you realize that your body will not be able to take that abuse for long. We are not indestructable. Consider taking your sobriety more seriously.

Dubstar

Thanks Chloe. I've pretty much been drunk since I'm 15, I'm 37 now. The only way I've ever known how to have fun. I do other things during the week, I eat well, exercise, but am drunk 3 or 4 nights a week and sometimes more.
So my body seems to be able to take an awful lot while looking healthy from the outside!

misscostalot

I'm the same . . . I've been drinking since I was 15 and I'm 37 now. I have had enough though as falling over drunk and doing things I regret just aren't cute or fun anymore. I always get "the fear" the next day! Hope you manage to stop and get some quality rest.
Oh btw, love your name! I love the band "Dubstar." :-)

Dubstar

Well I liked those 2 songs they had in the 90s, and it also relates to the city I'm from if you can work that out!

misscostalot

Newcastle?!

I'm from near Glasgow. :-)

Dubstar

Well, if there's a drunker city than Glasgow it might just be mine... the clue is in the name!

misscostalot

Auch Dublin!!
I thought of Newcastle as the band were from there! 😄

Dubstar

Also is it some alcoholic gene or something that causes all this stress after a bender? I have a friend who'll go drink for drink with me for 2 nights in a row, wake up on the sunday feeling a little fuzzy, go to bed early that night and he'll be right as rain on the Monday at work having slept like a baby. I was telling him my situation today and he just can't understand why I don't just sleep. It does my head in how he can just switch off like that! I know a few people like this. They wouldn't drink as much as me in general but would keep up when we're out together. Meanwhile I'm going through horrors mentally and physically and wont sleep for days.

Jules714

Chances are your friend is not an alcoholic.
Other people can drink a couple a couple days a week and can be fine.
We drink much more than our fair share, add cocaine (or what have you) and do it for weeks on end.
Different actions beg different reactions.
If you stop, *stay stopped, and be patient, you will see things get better and easier.
We didn't get sick overnight. We don't recover that quickly either.
GL,
Jules

SoberTyger

Alcohol affects us all differently. My father in law drinks heavily all day, wine and booze, still always works in the house, garden, helps friends, and wakes up full of energy and goes to work 5 am every morning. When I drink i turn into a drunken vegetable state where all i can do is drink, drink, drink and drink - not eat, not shower, not sleep unless passed out - just do nothing but drinking.
Both drinking patters are dangerous - mine just immidiately ruins every aspect of my life, where as other can go on for years and years seemingly having functional lives, yet i am sure their liver are damaged too.

Zebra1275

So my body seems to be able to take an awful lot while looking healthy from the outside!

I guarantee you, that will change.

hpdw

Aye be sure and it will change for the worst if you keep this up as zebra says I also garuntee that .
I hope you can give yourself a change and stay sober .

Don,t compare drinkers were all diffeent . I used to drink with half a dozen mates and have a good old session or two sat sun . I was the only one who couldnt make work on monday and that was in my early 20s. .

tomsteve

drinking for that long and how much ya drank over time, i think ya have some rather insane expectations of your body and mind being healed instantly.
thats not recovery happens- IF you want recovery.

like breaking a leg. a person isnt magically walking after 2 days. it takes time to heal.
because they are recovering.

" and my bender is hopefully over."

it either is or it isnt. period.
ya either want to stop drinkin or ya dont. period.

Dee74

I think insomnia is one of the prices you pay for a period of heavy drinking.

The smart money would be on continuing not to drink for the rest of your vacation...that way you should have started to fall back into a regular sleep pattern when you get home and quit in earnest.

D

Dubstar

Another night of no sleep! I stupidly had about 6 beers thinking it would help ween me off but it did nothing. So back to cold turkey tonight. I'll just have to ride it out and I have another week off to do so.
I was so wrecked today but eventually managed to cycle and go for a long walk on the beach, how romantic. So a tiny bit of positivity creeping back in but not very much.

ScottFromWI

Generally returning to drinking "resets" the withdrawal cycle too - so you may be in for a long ride again unfortunately.

Have you considered seeking some local help/support to get you on track during the early days of quitting? It can be very helpful to have local people to meet/call and work through the early days.