Hevyn

How is it going today, Owen? I'm so glad you joined us and decided to make this big change in your life. I wish I had when I was your age. So much needless misery and damage done. You're saving yourself a lot of grief.

anxiousrock

I'm around the same age and kind of similar story. Not many people know about my problems and, also understand the wanting to seek help online. I get social anxiety and anxiety around people in person. Plus with covid now online is way safer to me!

owen90

Hey guys, i'm still sober. My doctor has signed me off for a couple of weeks from work and i'm trying to put a new exercise bike together to give me something positive to do. My withdrawal mainly manifests itself as anxiety & insomnia at the moment.

LumenandNyx

Yay! Staying focused and busy is the ISNITZ in early sobriety!!

Kaily

I am pleased to hear your Dr is being supportive. Good plan with the bike. Keeping busy and exercise are good AV busters.

I am keen to follow your progress.

owen90

Thanks

Hevyn

You're doing great. Things are about to get so much better.

Surrendered19

Hi Owen. Don't be scared. It is such a better way to live and you are wise beyond your years getting on top of this thing while you are so young.

Don't go shouting anything from the mountain tops announcing to the world that you are sober. It is a very personal thing and discrimination against people with addictions is alive and well. It is your business and like most of us self-centered addicts, most folks won't even notice or care what you are drinking or not.

Just tell the few who might ask that until there is a widespread vaccine for COVID, you've decided not to drink in the mean time to stay healthy. Tell those you really trust and are close with but beyond that, there is no need for pronouncements and announcements.

Good luck and don't be scared. It is a great life you are embarking on. So much easier, quieter, healthier, simpler.

owen90

Thanks for that Surrendered. I will heed your advice. So far only my immediate boss, a couple of close friends and my parents know. I think it will stay at that for now.

saoutchik

Well done owen. I wish I had quit at 30.

BTW another reason for not telling too many people you have quit is that it increases the pressure on yourself for example when people ask how the no drinking is going, it's like an unwanted reminder.

kenton

Glad it's going well Owen... And full respect to you for even attempting to put together an exercise bike. I tried to build something from Ikea once. Didn't go well. One thing I noticed when I stopped drinking is that a lot of people don't drink...far more than I imagined. When I drank, I was always in the middle of all the drunk people.... And I always assumed everyone was drunk. Turns out loads of people are sober. These days .... Well, before lockdown when I used to go out more, I really enjoy social events because I get to talk to people and I get to remember what they say. And in my experience, no one's really that interested in why I'm not drinking....and if anyone ever does ask, I just tell them that I don't like hangovers. Which is true. No one likes hangovers. And waking up every morning without a hangover never ever gets dull. Keep going Owen

least

Anxiety and insomnia are the two parts of withdrawal that usually got me drinking again, anything for relief from the crippling anxiety. But the last time I got sober, I gritted my teeth and got thru the anxiety until it got better, and it did.

I've been sober over 10 and a half yrs now and never once have I woken up wishing I had drank the night before.

Stay sober, it gets better. And waking up feeling good never gets old.

TiredCarpenter

Welcome Owen90
You’ll find great support here.

check this link:
https://www.verywellmind.com/is-this...-it-last-80197

It helps me.

Be well.

owen90

Thanks for the support all. It's going ok still (Day 5). Had a few cravings but rode them out until they went away. The anxiety has relaxed a bit. Still got major insomnia but i'm off work until August 3rd so hopefully it will be better by then. I do appreciate you all taking the time to help me.

slyker

When I first went to AA my anxiety was terrible.But 14 years later not all sober about 1/7th sober it was worth going to over 2000 meetings.

Surrendered19

Don't worry too much about sleep Owen. A bit tired but with a clear and quiet head is so preferable to swimming up out of some false abyss of "sleep" which provided no rest either and left you shattered for the day. Sleep is a bugger for some. 8 months sober I still have at least one night per week during which I just cannot seem to manage sleep. But even at 3 a.m., I love relishing the knowledge that tomorrow when the sun comes up, I will be just fine. It never gets old and so I just try to be grateful for those awake moments, even when they come at inconvenient times.

Anna

Welcome, Owen. Don't feel a need to tell anyone in your life that you're stopping drinking. It can be a bit overwhelming in early recovery to have to deal with that. The main thing is that you focus on stopping drinking. I hope you continue to post.

Kaily

How are you getting on with the exercise bike?

My go to was, and still is, walking. Miles and miles, preferably out in the countryside or forests. No shops and no temptation. Don't see the squirrels or birds drinking...

Keep on going, you are doing great.

owen90

Hey Kaily, well, it took me 30 minutes to figure out how to get it out of the box lol So the bike is just lying in 5000 different parts on my floor right now haha. Like you I'm going out for walks at the moment as I live next to a large woodland. The fresh air is awesome. My brother is visiting tomorrow to help me with the bike. He's more technically minded than me (and doesnt have brain fog) Thanks for the support hope you are well

Kaily

Yikes I hate flat packs!

Good plan to let your brother tackle that. You don't need the stress.