Rough evening
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 104
Rough evening
Today is day 15. I’ve been feeling so good. Happy, healthy, feeling like I’m getting a grip on this thing. Then all of a sudden I’m a huge mess. First, I’ve been dealing with heart palps (skipped beats kind) for a few days. I’ve had them often in the past and been checked several times with ekg’s, stress tests, Holter monitor. Just PVC’s. I would usually drink to stop these, but I’m not doing that anymore so I just suffer through them. Then I started getting anxiety and chest pain and I’m a huge cardiophobe, so that led to fears of a heart attack that I just can’t shake. I’ve been to the ER loads of times over the years because I think I’m having heart attack so that’s nothing new either. I thought all of this end when I quit the wine, and having a day so bad as this has me nearly in tears. I’m tempted to take one of the Librium I have left from my alcohol withdrawal just to settle myself and not rush to the hospital. Sorry, I just need to get this out because I feel like a crazy person. Thanks.
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,469
Good job on 15 days of sobriety. The thing is that stopping drinking doesn't fix all the problems we have in life. We will still have to deal with the ups and downs that come along, but we will be much better equipped to manage.
Anxiety is quite common in early recovery and it seems to be something that many of us here have to deal with. If you have been to your doctor and the ER multiple times, and feel there is no health risk, then you can begin to manage the anxiety.
I always give myself a grounding moment. You find 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 emotion you feel. This (at least in my case) reminds me that the things around me are concrete and not changing all that much in this very moment. This should help you to feel a little more at peace with your surroundings.
Try this breathing exercise. Take deep breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly. Belly-Breathing: Sit comfortably with shoulders, head and neck relaxed. Breath in slowly through your nose so that your stomach expands. Tighten stomach muscles, letting them fall inward as you exhale slowly through your mouth.
Anxiety is quite common in early recovery and it seems to be something that many of us here have to deal with. If you have been to your doctor and the ER multiple times, and feel there is no health risk, then you can begin to manage the anxiety.
I always give myself a grounding moment. You find 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 emotion you feel. This (at least in my case) reminds me that the things around me are concrete and not changing all that much in this very moment. This should help you to feel a little more at peace with your surroundings.
Try this breathing exercise. Take deep breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly. Belly-Breathing: Sit comfortably with shoulders, head and neck relaxed. Breath in slowly through your nose so that your stomach expands. Tighten stomach muscles, letting them fall inward as you exhale slowly through your mouth.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 67
Health anxiety is the worst! The number of times I had myself convinced that I had cancer or some other sinister disease... I know now that alcohol was a way for me to cope with health anxiety, ironically. It made me forget that I was afraid.
Im seeing a therapist for cognitive behaviour therapy to help replace those unhelpful thoughts. Something that is helping me is knowing how good health care is, and that most really bad things are picked up if you get your health checked regularly. I can’t speak much for the heart issue, but I get a tightening in my chest and rapid heart rate when I am having a bad anxiety episode. It almost feels like my heart is beating erratically and skipping beats, but it’s not.
Good luck, and keep going! Alcohol is definitely, definitely not going to help your health.
Im seeing a therapist for cognitive behaviour therapy to help replace those unhelpful thoughts. Something that is helping me is knowing how good health care is, and that most really bad things are picked up if you get your health checked regularly. I can’t speak much for the heart issue, but I get a tightening in my chest and rapid heart rate when I am having a bad anxiety episode. It almost feels like my heart is beating erratically and skipping beats, but it’s not.
Good luck, and keep going! Alcohol is definitely, definitely not going to help your health.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,408
Also keep in mind that 15 days isn't that long in the scheme of healing the nervous system from years of drinking. (I know it feels that way, I've been there)
Your body has only had about a day or 2 without any alcohol in it, so it's likely to be freaking out and wondering why the next "fix" hasn't arrived.
Your body has only had about a day or 2 without any alcohol in it, so it's likely to be freaking out and wondering why the next "fix" hasn't arrived.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 104
Thank you all for the responses! According to my doctor it seems like what I experienced was a gallbladder attack. I was diagnosed earlier this year with polyps, so that may be the cause. Looks like I may need to have it removed, have to schedule an appt with a surgeon. I’ve never had surgery, so the thought is pretty stressful, but anything would be better than going through that again I guess.
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