Please help! I feel like I'm losing the plot
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 324
Please help! I feel like I'm losing the plot
I have just used an online calculator to work out the time elapsed since my last drink (Monday, 11 November 2019; 08:00 hrs):
= 5 days, 6 hours
On Monday I took 10 mg of diazepam (valium).
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I was totally clean (no nicotine, even) and not particularly anxious.
Last night I was sorely tempted to drink. I wasn't particularly anxious at this point, but craving alcohol and so I (stupidly) took 5 mg of diazepam in order to induce sleep, and bought some cigarettes. But out of nowhere I began to feel really anxious.
I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder 15 years ago, and have ups and downs, but for the last few years I have generally been okay, though I have drunk a lot.
On Monday I didn't even drink a lot (9.5 UK units). My last real binge was Wednesday/Thursday (6th and 7th November) and prior to that it was Sunday 3rd November, as I have been desperately trying to reduce my alcohol intake.
I'm basically unsure whether I'm experiencing a mental health crisis or whether this really is a result of alcohol withdrawal (kindling). I know I have posted this on the November Class thread, but I really need to know whether anybody else has experienced this. I woke up okay this morning, but then my anxiety increased massively and I started panicking.
Can anybody relate to this? Will it pass? I know everybody's different, but it would really help me to know how other have coped and I'd like to think this will blow over in a few days.
Thanks.
= 5 days, 6 hours
On Monday I took 10 mg of diazepam (valium).
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I was totally clean (no nicotine, even) and not particularly anxious.
Last night I was sorely tempted to drink. I wasn't particularly anxious at this point, but craving alcohol and so I (stupidly) took 5 mg of diazepam in order to induce sleep, and bought some cigarettes. But out of nowhere I began to feel really anxious.
I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder 15 years ago, and have ups and downs, but for the last few years I have generally been okay, though I have drunk a lot.
On Monday I didn't even drink a lot (9.5 UK units). My last real binge was Wednesday/Thursday (6th and 7th November) and prior to that it was Sunday 3rd November, as I have been desperately trying to reduce my alcohol intake.
I'm basically unsure whether I'm experiencing a mental health crisis or whether this really is a result of alcohol withdrawal (kindling). I know I have posted this on the November Class thread, but I really need to know whether anybody else has experienced this. I woke up okay this morning, but then my anxiety increased massively and I started panicking.
Can anybody relate to this? Will it pass? I know everybody's different, but it would really help me to know how other have coped and I'd like to think this will blow over in a few days.
Thanks.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 18
It will get better
The anxiety is normal when you stop drinking and I will be honest it comes and goes but it does go away and the impending doom feeling will pass find something positive to do some thing constructive and it will help with the anxiety. We tend to have obsessive thinking and distract that by something positive. Taking Valium is very much like drinking and will make you want to drink...been there...try not to do that
Im 5 months in and still have bouts with anxiety actually today has been really hard but IT DOES GET BETTER your mind takes time to adjust without the alcohol, alcohol does a lot of damage to our minds and time will heal it. But know that you are not alone in this there are many people fighting that same thing as you even right now
change your focus as hard as that may seem and it will pass you can do this without alcohol you are the one in control don’t give that control up
Im 5 months in and still have bouts with anxiety actually today has been really hard but IT DOES GET BETTER your mind takes time to adjust without the alcohol, alcohol does a lot of damage to our minds and time will heal it. But know that you are not alone in this there are many people fighting that same thing as you even right now
change your focus as hard as that may seem and it will pass you can do this without alcohol you are the one in control don’t give that control up
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 324
Originally Posted by wiscsober 
In recovery I've noticed we are a lot more the same than different.
The first week is rough....don't drink...treat your body kindly...positive changes will come.
The first week is rough....don't drink...treat your body kindly...positive changes will come.
Originally Posted by Wmcclintock
The anxiety is normal when you stop drinking and I will be honest it comes and goes but it does go away and the impending doom feeling will pass find something positive to do some thing constructive and it will help with the anxiety. We tend to have obsessive thinking and distract that by something positive. Taking Valium is very much like drinking and will make you want to drink...been there...try not to do that
Im 5 months in and still have bouts with anxiety actually today has been really hard but IT DOES GET BETTER your mind takes time to adjust without the alcohol, alcohol does a lot of damage to our minds and time will heal it. But know that you are not alone in this there are many people fighting that same thing as you even right now
change your focus as hard as that may seem and it will pass you can do this without alcohol you are the one in control don’t give that control up
Im 5 months in and still have bouts with anxiety actually today has been really hard but IT DOES GET BETTER your mind takes time to adjust without the alcohol, alcohol does a lot of damage to our minds and time will heal it. But know that you are not alone in this there are many people fighting that same thing as you even right now
change your focus as hard as that may seem and it will pass you can do this without alcohol you are the one in control don’t give that control up
Originally Posted by Wmcclintock
i meant to also say that when the anxiety hits me it is normally right when I wake up and dismisses through the day also call someone and visit a friend, that helps in a big way
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
I think if you continue to grab on to these anxious thoughts and let them spin for 45 minutes like you've obviously done this morning, then you are giving them power.
We have something like 60,000 to 70,000 thoughts a day. Random thoughts, and a lot of them are garbage. Most of them are insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but recognizing and dismissing them or actively moving on from them is the key.
You are not a hostage to your mind.
Have you read this in the Anxiety forum? It's one of the sticky threads:
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...anagement.html (Emotional Memory Management)
We have something like 60,000 to 70,000 thoughts a day. Random thoughts, and a lot of them are garbage. Most of them are insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but recognizing and dismissing them or actively moving on from them is the key.
You are not a hostage to your mind.
Have you read this in the Anxiety forum? It's one of the sticky threads:
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...anagement.html (Emotional Memory Management)
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,491
5 days of sobriety is great, but for me, it took longer than that for my anxiety to diminish. I was a mess for the first week. After about 3 weeks, the anxiety became more manageable.
Blue Belt
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Soberville, USA
Posts: 4,174
I definitely had and have thoughts of impending doom. Living on borrowed time is how I recently explained it to someone.
Those thoughts go away completely when I am engaged in some activity. I don't even realize they go away. It is like falling asleep. I never realize I have just fallen asleep. I don't realize the doomy thoughts go away.
I count my blessings, gratitude, when I get gloomy sometimes. Recently I added the thought of how insignificant I am in the grand scheme of things considering the time that the galaxy etc has been doing it's thing. I pray that i will get to be an angel when i die.
I would love to be a guardian angel. Call me weird, i don't really care. We are all just blips really anyway.
But, i am a proudly sober blip. Being super clean helps me have a laugh,.
Thanks.
Those thoughts go away completely when I am engaged in some activity. I don't even realize they go away. It is like falling asleep. I never realize I have just fallen asleep. I don't realize the doomy thoughts go away.
I count my blessings, gratitude, when I get gloomy sometimes. Recently I added the thought of how insignificant I am in the grand scheme of things considering the time that the galaxy etc has been doing it's thing. I pray that i will get to be an angel when i die.
I would love to be a guardian angel. Call me weird, i don't really care. We are all just blips really anyway.
But, i am a proudly sober blip. Being super clean helps me have a laugh,.
Thanks.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,416
Hi Auchie
I think it's completely normal.
The first month was not a pleasant time for me but it got better
You can get anxiety from benzoe withdrawal too, I remember reading your doc said they're not going to give you anymore - I don't know what dose you were on or how long (and it wouldn't matter if I did as I'm not a Dr but that could be contributing as well?)
I think it's completely normal.
The first month was not a pleasant time for me but it got better
You can get anxiety from benzoe withdrawal too, I remember reading your doc said they're not going to give you anymore - I don't know what dose you were on or how long (and it wouldn't matter if I did as I'm not a Dr but that could be contributing as well?)
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