Help! Feeling very down / stressed

[satori]

HEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!

I am experiencing really wild mood swings.
Is this normal???

I've been feeling tired / stressed / very depressed all day - same yesterday.
I've just had a major yelling match with my eldest son over something totally unimportant.

Result, - no-one in my house is speaking to me right now.
I feel like sh*t! :upset:

I thought kicking the booze was supposed to make me feel better - not worse!
All I really want to do is go and get blitzed - but I know that won't help!


Anyone else experience emotional upheaval at the beginning?

I'm not using any supps - do you think that is the problem?
Please - is there anyone out there with any suggestions?

Satori

[Beaches]

Help! Feeling very down / stressed

Satori,
The supp's take the edge off (especially the GABA and calmes forte), at least in my experience. I don't feel as on edge.

I would suggest working out the differences at home even if you don't want to in order to regain the peace so you don't feel as on edge and the urge to drink is not so overwhelming.

Take Care

[AAthlete]

Help! Feeling very down / stressed

Hang in there, my friend - what you are feeling is completely normal.

When I first started out AF I had mood swings, felt like crap, was anxious a lot , etc, etc, etc. It just takes time for your system to adjust to not having booze in your body. I'm closing in on one month and am FINALLY feeling close to 100% (especially in terms of being able to sleep through the night). I think I was a little fortunate in that I was also on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication at the time, which helped smooth things out for me (I'm now off everything).

Take it one day at a time, and if it seems too much maybe a visit to the doc? Explain what is going on and I'm betting that he/she could help you out.

Best wishes to you.

[satori]

Help! Feeling very down / stressed

Thanks guys - at least I now know that it is not just me being an a**hole. (well - not ONLY me bein' an a**hole):blush:

I just remembered that there is some calmes forte type stuff downstairs.
I guess I'll swallow a few and then go swallow my pride and sort out the strife downstairs.

Just having you guys to talk to here has helped me to feel better already!


I'll look into the GABA too - I really do not want to feel like this!


take care
and thanks again for your support!

Satori

[xtexan]

Help! Feeling very down / stressed

Hi Satori:

This is from a fellow, that is now approaching 14 months AF. Me!

The mood swings in my case still continue. I drank hard for 35 years, and I never expected to be all healed up in just a few weeks, or months.

However, the nature of the swing changes. It is like a rollercoaster that evens out with the climbs an descents getting less violent with the passing months. The lows are not as low. The highs are not as high. Also, the swings are slower in approaching, and slower in receding. I fully expected this in my case, and just knowing has helped me.

I still take my supplements, and I still exercise, and meditate. I do these things as a new part of my life. Not as just a "fix" to get away from drinking Neil, but as part of sober Neils new life.

I have recieved a few PM's from others who had hit a crisis at nine months. It is as if there is a "hump" there, that will hammer you. Just like that big wave Tom Hanks had to get over, to get out to the ocean in that movie "Cast Away". This is completely normal I am beginning to believe. DO NOT let it scare you.

The forum helped me over my nine month "hump", and I still learn every day about new things to grow, mature, and develop as a sober person. I now believe that I have grown in some areas more than a person who has never taken a drink in their life. Maybe more than just a few areas.

One thing for sure. IT IS WORTH THE BATTLE!!!!!!! IT IS WORTH IT!!! NEVER EVER let "drinking" Satori try to fool you into thinking that a drink will help you get over the stress or depression. I can tell you that it has not been easy many, many days. As I ride the coaster, and the violence of the ride smoothes out, it is like life is now becoming far more managable.

It's funny, but little things that used to bug me a lot, are now just very minor annoyances. Little things that used to be only slightly amusing, are now becoming the greater joys. It is becoming sober.

I didn't want anyone to believe that "Yep, I've gone a few days, and feel great. No more dark clouds!" That would be a lie. You have to ride the waves, and soon you will get to standing on your surfboard hanging 10. The view is fantastic.

Be well.

Neil

[betty boop]

Help! Feeling very down / stressed

Hi Satori ....

Yes I too experienced mood swings,

As a man you wouldn't understand this but it is very similar to PMT ...

Welcome to our world LOL .....

Seriously, It does pass ..... Hang in there love ....

[satori]

Help! Feeling very down / stressed

Thanks Neil,

your kind words and experience are much appreciated.

Intellectually and rationally I KNOW drinking is a BAD idea. but the addiction keeps trying to derail me.
Emotionally right now I'm taking a bit of a beating - but I will keep at it.

This too will pass!


I SOOO want to be "normal" (well a "normal" as I can ever be) .

It is good to know that things even out though - this rollercoaster is way too scary for me right now.

Betty,

I understand PMS all too well - Ive been married for a long time!
I always have my rock climbing hard hat nearby at "those" times (with a bar of chocolate taped inside for extreme emergencies!)

Your support is REALLY helping me out

Thanks again - I really am feeling a lot better already - Ive apologised to my son and given him a big hug and even Mrs Satori is talking to me - I think she realises that I am taking a bit of a beating at the moment - I think she is beginning to realise that I have more of a problem than she had thought!

I also received a nice PM which helped me to get things back into focus a little again.

Thanks to everyone out there - you are truly wonderful people.

take care

Satori

[Rocky]

Help! Feeling very down / stressed

Satori,

All I can say as I completely understand the emotional thing. For myself it was an issue even when I did not drink...if I can remember that far back...So I'm sure the additional stress of dealing with fighting a habit and withdraw aggravates things...

Ask for grace and patience my friend...

[changing]

Help! Feeling very down / stressed

Hi Satori....
Hang in there. As you say yourself you will keep at it and it will pass. You are normal....just going through a hard time at the moment......others here said to me things would ease with time......I found that hard to believe when I was feeling awful but they were right....it does ease......take care....

[Rags]

Help! Feeling very down / stressed

Hello Sartori,

Hope all the advice helps. I haven't been AF long enough yet to go through what I think you're experiencing, but I have swings that range from suicidal to those few wonderful times of a calm and peaceful mind. (All of this with no one to talk to about it...........bit sad really, that many of us rely on this site as our sole source of companionship).
But reading what Texan says, things will even out for you.
Pride can get in the way of lots of things at times, but you just need to be patient and gentle with yourself.
My post probably hasn't helped you other than to let you know there are others who understand how you must be feeling, and that they have empathy with you and what you are experiencing. And that I care what is happening to you .
I hope you soon get over what is troubling you.
Way you be well. May you be happy.
Fran

[Rocky]

Help! Feeling very down / stressed

May the Lord grant us all grace and strength to win this..one day at a time...

blessing to all! Catch you tomorrow

[satori]

Help! Feeling very down / stressed

Thanks to all - I'm off to bed now - another day AF under my belt!

This one was a struggle, but it would have been a lot worse without all you guys help.

Good Night


Satori

[YoungAtHeart]

Help! Feeling very down / stressed

I just wanted to point out, Satori, that with all the wonderful advice here, you did the most wonderful thing of all--you reached out, and that took courage. Thanks for making it easy for the good people here to reach out back. I'm glad everyone was able to help.