Anyone else experience this?
 

I've been problem drinking for 5 or 6 years now (I'm 29), and I put together about 6 months of sobriety last year, but relapsed in April.

I get a new feeling when I'm not drinking now though - it could be a few hours since my last drink, and once I've sobered up, I just can't sit still. Time crawls, and I get up and walk around the house, doing absolutely nothing, feeling so bored that I can't think about doing anything besides going to the liquor store. I can *think* of other things to do, but I have zero desire to do them. It's persistent too - it doesn't just go away in an hour like cravings usually do, and drinking seems to be the only thing that makes this awkward feeling stop.

Has this happened to anyone else? How did you get past it?

By quitting completely and then riding out the urges. The further away from that last drink, the less frequent the urges.

That's addiction you're experiencing. A physical need.

I get that way, too. It could just be behavioral. You have become use to responding to restlessness or bordom with having a drink. It is "something to do" and solves a "need". The longer this goes on unchecked the harder it is to break the habits. Then you risk heading for addiction and being controlled by that nasty addictive voice that demands that chemical.

I get that and lump it in with anxiety. It's restlessness. To get rid of it I can normally take a brisk walk around the block or do the dishes or something. Just have to get up and move. Do something menial since concentrating is tough when it happens

Why not try going to an AA meeting ? Better than pacing the house....

6 months is nice.
You going to try again ?
You are young enough not to destroy yourself. And old enough to start doing serious damage.

Join the good fight.

It's your brain releasing extra neurotransmitters.

When people drink a lot, their brain compensates for the depressive effects of alcohol by consistently releasing more GABA - an excitatory neurotransmitter. When you quit drinking, your brain still produces the excess GABA, often for a long time. The brain takes awhile to calm down. GABA's role is literally to pump you up. That's why newly sober people are so worked up, anxious, tense, nervous, restless, etc.

There are other things going in with you chemically that are part of the body's biochemistry of addiction. You can google "biochemistry of alcoholism" if you are good at the internets. I also recommend reading "Beyond the Influence - Understanding and defeating alcoholism." I enjoyed it and learned a lot.

Alternately, there are spiritual, emotional, and mental explanations for what you are feeling. None is necessarily better than the other if they help you out.

Good luck.

It doesn't stop it though. It just makes you feel nothing for a few hours. You want some REALLY bad news? Keep doing that and after a time the drinking won't even make that feeling go away for a few hours.

You really want that feeling to stop? Quit giving it what it wants. You can't negotiate with it, educate it, or placate it.

It must be starved.

Don't drink for 90 days and then let us know if you're still having that feeling.

You can do this. :ring

When I was in early recovery and got an urge to drink, I'd walk my dogs. By the time we were home again, the urge was gone. I felt better after the walk and the dogs loved going for so many walks. :) It was a win all the way around. :)

i too got sober at 29 by going to aa meetings

its like a big fun sober social club


:tyou



:Xmasmc

So true.... Im actually on something called Gabapentin to help with that. Im also on a once a month shot called Vivitrol. Its to ease cravings... My doctor prescribed them so I said yes as I am ready and willing to try anything to stay sober and happy :)

I also go to AA and was very surprised to find out how cool the people are there. It can be very social and amazing, just make sure to find the right group for you. I swore "I'll do anything but go to AA. Never, ever." And now it's something I look forward to!

This is so true. I'm at 6 months and honestly the feeling you describe decreased a lot at 30 days and has continued to decrease from there. I enjoy just relaxing and "doing nothing" now to get some R&R. I promise ethanol only INCREASES anxiety longterm. I even started seeing things that weren't there. Scary. It only gets worse from here until you quit for good.