Gollumina1215

Hi could anyone share their experiences about the first few weeks/ months after stopping drinking. I felt great when I managed to beat the cravings over first week. Now the cravings are much weaker but I feel irritable tired and depressed.im taking multi vits, minerals, l-tyrosine eating really healthily.im waking up at 5am every morning too. Any advice welcome!!

biminiblue

It takes time. Lots of it. It was a year before I felt normal. It's recovery from a very serious illness. Lots of damage done. The one thing I will say is it takes continuous complete sober-time for full healing, and when it happens it's amazing. Well worth the wait.

Read around the Newcomers forum, you'll see lots of stories.

Welcome to the site.

Anna

Here is a Sticky we have:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html

least

It can be rough for a while. Emotions all over the map. It gets better the longer you're sober.

Rubaduck

Expect a combination of a mood roller coaster and AV (Addicted Voice / Alcohol Voice), especially in the first 90 days. You'll bargain with yourself when you're happy that you deserve a drink and can control your drinking. You'll bargain with yourself when you're stressed or sad that you should drink.

But if you ignore that voice instead of bargaining with it, you'll do very well. Don't trust your brain too much in the first few months (minor problems might seem like huge hassles etc), just take it one day at a time. Exercise and outdoors time will do wonders for you as well.

Enjoy sobriety, and recovery will come.

Good luck and welcome!

Kachal

Physically I was really itchy for a few weeks. Mentally I felt really flat for long periods of time. Cravings still hit like a freight train in those early weeks but they do start to get less frequent. I found they changed from physical cravings (body screaming for a drink) to mental cravings as time went on (tricksy mind says it would be ok if I just had one..)
I'm nearly at 4 months and there are still times of feeling flat but overall I have more energy and more motivation. I'm still not incredibly social but starting to come out of my self imposed shell. My house is cleaner than it has been in years.
It really really does get better and easier, promise.

SimplyFree

The first 30 days were filled with headaches, goofy dreams, sleep problems, mood swings, but as times passes that all improves. The first 90-100 days are filled will moments that are challenging, but continually improving. I’m at just over 8 months and the cravings and impulsive pushes have disappeared. I still think about drinking, but know better. I’ve had to work hard to put positive things in my life to take up the drinking time and to be around good sober people. I still check in at SR, but if I miss a day I don’t feel in immediate danger. I still am very careful to keep my head on straight, so the work is on going. Stay strong it is totally worth it!

D122y

Goll,

Every cell in my body was obviously poisoned by alcohol.

My brain and heart.... into their deepest recesses....damaged.

The physical healing took well into a year.

The mental healing is ongoing. I was agoraphobic for 6 months.

I still have mini panic attacks. I still obsess daily.

I use every available tool to survive. I didn't ever see a Dr. about my drinking.

Once it is in the medical records, it is for life. Dr.s are helpful but the write ups are cold and emotionless.

E.g. patient claims to suffer from constant fear of driving on the freeway. Recommended he stop driving.

I don't need that.

Anyway...

It was a living hell getting this clean.

I am free now and ready to take on the rest of my life as a proudly sober man.

Thanks.