Stoogy

I am sober almost 6 months and up to now After the initial withdrawals I have been feeling good,I still feel great about kicking the booze but lately I have been feeling a bit low, physical good and mentally as good as I have, it's hard to say what exactly which renders this thread probably a bit pointless to read but a bit depressed and anxious about the future, I have also just been told I am losing my job due to the company going under which may explain the anxiety but I'm not a depressed type of guy and I have been a bit moody with certain good pholk (sorry Dee) but was just wondering if any of you guys have experienced and sense of depression after a sustained period of abstinence?

doggonecarl

I was feeling out of sorts at 6 months. Someone mentioned PAWS. Knowing that it was part of long term withdrawals helped. Didn't make the feelings go away, but it was good to know I wasn't going crazy or going to relapse.

Stoogy

Thank you, it does help that I'm not going crazy here.
Really appreciate your help.

Aellyce

Hi Stoogy. Only 3.5 months sober; my emotions have been all over the map lately. From quazi manic state to angry to very low. Today, for example, I'm in a very dark mood that's similar to some of my worse depressed days and totally lethargic. I hope it'll go away by tomorrow because I really don't like the thoughts I'm having. I have no external reason for any of this, I think it's just my brain playing games.

What you describe sounds normal to me even just considering the uncertainty of your situation, and yeah it seems to me that at 6 months most people are not too stable yet. Hang in there!

yeahgr8

Go to your doctor, its all very well putting out the PAWS thing but you need to go and take medical advice and suggestions. How long you going to hang in there for and why?

Dee74

Hi Stoogy

If you're really concerned about this, the best thing to do is get a check up - here may be a clinical cause.

Other than that, look at your life - your job future is uncertain, so thats clearly a factor.

I wonder too how many other things have you changed in your life since you stopped drinking? Sometimes we try to live the same old life and find it wanting?

and PAWs? Could be - no one here is a Dr - but check pout this link and see if it rings any bells:

PAWS | Digital Dharma

D

Boleo

Sometimes I feel like this whole sobriety thing is worse than the consequences of drinking. At least when I drank I was able to escape from the trials and tribulations this world brings for a few hours each day.

Simply not-drinking gives me zero hours of escape from life's challenges. I must get at least a little bit of POMJSOP (peace of mind, joy & sense of purpose) once in a while in order for sobriety to seem worth while. Not-drinking alone does not give me that.

I figured out a long time ago that in order for me to feel good I must do good first. Call it Karma, Dharma or ther Law of Reciprocity but the actions I take each day makes me a co-creator of my internal (emotional) world.

"Each is his own master".
(Siddhārtha Gautama)

Stoogy

Hi Dee, thanx for the link it is a very interesting read indeed, I am actually not overly worried about a bit of depression etc as generally I feel good and getting better each day I remain sober, I think at times I am just overthinking situations like employment etc.

Take care guys.

Stoogy

Thanx for the advice but I do think it is just me running things over and over in my brain, when I just have to accept in life only to worry about things I can control and not things I can't.

Cheers guys

BHappy2014

J do this too. It's hard not to think when it's an innate part of you. I obsess about things and now that Im not drinking it's worse. Learning to control what you can is key. Good luck. All I can hope is this gets better the longer I'm sober.

Stoogy

Thank you, hope you are doing well.

Aiko

Hi Stoogy,

I think it is normal that the uncertainty makes you worried...
Non alcoholic people suffer it too...

Life is full of ups and downs.
What you have to remember is this is temporal, nothing ever remains the same.
Sometimes things happens for a Good reason behind.
Maybe is a blessing in disguise!

But if you feel you do not overcome it and are suffering from depression
you need to go to a doctor.

Be careful that the wave makes you tumble!
do not let your head convince you to go back!
Sober you can overcome anything life throws at you!

Big Hug,
Aiko

Stoogy

Hey Aiko, great to see you again my friend and thanks for the advice.
Take care buddy.

Aiko

HI Stoogy,

Just a story It might help
When I was 22 I was made redundant...
I cried my eyes out...

But I got the money I had left in my pocket
I bought a one way plane ticket to England and 40 Pounds in my pocket...

I got out of drugs and party friends... 10 years of peace!!!
I learned English, went to UNI, bought a flat, got a stable job now,...

At the end It was a blessing!!!

WE ARE SCARED OF CHANGES...
We are SCARED to leave THE NEST!
Sometimes we need a push to FLY!
CHANGES SOMETIMES ARE A GOOD THING!

Hope you feel better and remember we are here for you!
Big Hug,
Aiko

jdooner

Aiko - perhaps complacency has something to do with your addictions, I know it did mine. As an addict, we find new things that we can focus our compulsions on. In the example above, moving to England, beginning a new life etc. So what happened to pull you back to Spain? How did it unravel form the seemingly utopia life you describe above?

Part of recovery for me is developing mindfulness/awareness. I cannot rewire my brain immediately. But if I become aware of my tendencies I can create safety nets to save me from going off the cliff.

I am curious to learn more about what pulled you back to Spain and how YOU see the progression back towards drugs and alcohol.

Thanks

Boleo

That's exactly the sort of thing that Meditation is good for.

PrinceLoner

Everyone on earth gets the blues. To paraphrase: "Life is nasty, brutish and short".

Have some fun...make yourself feel better in a clean and sober sort of way.