Day 4 today but I feel like it is day 1 again. Is this normal?

[CarrieJ]

Good morning - things were going great - I was feeling good and lively. Wasn't thinking of drinking or smoking. - now all of a sudden day 4 comes and I am feeling. Stressed. Annoyed. Agitated and extremely short fused. And my nerves are shaking. Why? There is nothing that upset or irritated me and I keep telling myself to stop this feeling - I want to go have a smoke but know I shouldn't
I feel out of sorts - hope this passes soon

[Pie]

Hi Carrie, what you're experiencing is completely normal, as you start to free your body and mind from the effects of alcohol. For me in the early days, I had to completely refuse to entertain thoughts of drinking, else I'd get overwhelmed and panicky. Trying to kick nicotine at the same time is a tall order. I tried and couldn't manage it. I had to free myself from alcohol first, before worrying about anything else.

Best to you,
Pie

[Pie]

One more thing. I had to completely tap in to my personal power to do this. The slideshow below was, and remains very helpful to me.

Rational Recovery from alcoholism, drug addiction, non AA, crank, meth

[mario]

Yes it passes CarrieJ, this is quite normal & when you think about it why wouldn't it be.

For years you have been poisoning your body, then you stop, Your body will of course react to the changes & your mind be screaming out for a quick fix to calm the nerves & shaking.

Boredom is the enemy of both sobriety and anxiety. When you're bored, your mind tends to focus too much on your stresses and your anxiety, and with nothing better to do you may find yourself looking for unhealthy outlets or letting your stress run wild.

Be patient. You can't hurry recovery. But you can get through it one day at a time. If you resent post-acute withdrawal, or try to bulldoze your way through it, you will become exhausted. And when you're exhausted you will think of using to escape.

Post-acute withdrawal symptoms are a sign that your brain is recovering. Therefore don't resent them. .

Go with the flow. Withdrawal symptoms are uncomfortable. But the more you resent them the worse they'll seem. You'll have lots of good days, Enjoy them. You'll also have lots of bad days. On those days, don't try to do too much. Take care of yourself, focus on your recovery, and you'll get through this.

Practice self-care. Give yourself lots of little breaks over the next few weeks if you can,. Tell yourself "what I am doing is enough." Be good to yourself. That is what most addicts can't do, and that's what you must learn in recovery. Recovery is the opposite of addiction.

Sometimes you'll have little energy or enthusiasm for anything. Understand this and don't over book your life. Give yourself permission to focus on your recovery.

Post-acute withdrawal can be a trigger for relapse. You'll go for weeks without any withdrawal symptoms, and then one day you'll wake up and your withdrawal will hit you like a ton of bricks. You'll have slept badly. You'll be in a bad mood. Your energy will be low. And if you're not prepared for it, if you think that post-acute withdrawal only lasts for a few months, or if you think that you'll be different and it won't be as bad for you, then you'll get caught off guard. But if you know what to expect you can do this.

Being able to relax will help you through post-acute withdrawal. When you're tense you tend to dwell on your symptoms and make them worse. When you're relaxed it's easier to not get caught up in them. You aren't as triggered by your symptoms which means you're less likely to relapse.

Keep going Carrie, your not alone.

[YouKayBee]

As the others have said, it's part of withdrawl. I find that things start to settle after day 10, sorry if that sounds like a long time. I'll bet compared to your drinking that it's not a long time.

[Orimus]

It is completely normal Carrie as has been said. If you google around you'll find plenty of information on what to expect such as What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking | 12 Keys Rehab12 Keys Rehab. The first three to five days is generally considered the initial detox period and generally the hardest which you're almost through. Full detox can take up to two weeks which is no piece of cake as I'm discovering again but is better then the first stage. Then we get into the Post Acute Withdrawal that Mario mentions above. (PAWS (Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome)) Unfortunately these do focus on the negative symptoms. The best I have been able to find in regards to a timeline of the positives is My attempt at an alcohol recovery timeline : stopdrinking and What Happens When You Quit Drinking | Sunny Sanguinity.

[Nelso]

Yes, its a rollercoaster ride for a little bit. Take the good with the bad, just keep fighting, because it WILL get easier....I promise

If not you can get your money back!

[paulywogg]

Day 4 was always terrible for me, I even nicknamed it "the day foursies" just hold on,tomorrow will be better,get a hot chocolate made with real milk,a v-8, do some walking even just around the house

[JackieM]

Carrie-
Your recovery will go through many phases. I am sure everyone on this forum can attest to the ups and downs of the healing process.
Good on you for posting your concerns. Knowing that so many others have gone through the exact same things I did helped me a lot. There really is strength in numbers.
Take care,
JackieM

[tonyniceday]

Totally agree with what everyone is saying...my Shrink say day 3 to 5 is when the real detox has taken hold...get through that and you'll still get pangs sometimes but you will be through the worst of it in the next day or 2

One day at a time, or one hour at a time if necessary...just hang in there and you'll be fine

[Wildflowers]

Good morning - things were going great - I was feeling good and lively. Wasn't thinking of drinking or smoking. - now all of a sudden day 4 comes and I am feeling. Stressed. Annoyed. Agitated and extremely short fused. And my nerves are shaking. Why? There is nothing that upset or irritated me and I keep telling myself to stop this feeling - I want to go have a smoke but know I shouldn't
I feel out of sorts - hope this passes soon

With my many starts and stops, I use to feel better by day three. Last few times over the years it was day five. Kindling effect. Neurotransmitters within your neural pathways are going under reconstruction. Your receptors are going a bit bonkers. Your brain is likely releasing noreprinephrine/noradrenaline, cortisol. Thus, why you feel stressed, agitated, etc. This will pass! Time takes time!.. Depends an several factors. Your age, how long you've been drinking-smoking, how much, other medical issues, how many starts and stops, other stressors in life, support system, motivation. Healing time can be different for everyone.

Not sure if you have knowledge in neuroscience, or care to research. I tend to be a bit pragmatic. Found some of this helpful and interesting. Your limbic system is the primitive part of your brain (lizard brain), this system is where your amygdala is. Responsible for flight and fight response. Think of this area as your AV (addictive voice). Your pre-frontal cortex is the rational part of your brain. It understands the consequences of behaviour. Think of this as YOU. They are in a tug of war with each other.

Any time you hear, go have a drink or smoke it will make you feel better, this is AV activity (lizard brain.) Tell IT/the BEAST, go to hell. Take action quickly, engage YOU (frontal cortex) by physical movement, sing, dance, eat, call someone, post here, clean out a drawer, take the garbage out, anything. YOU acting quickly against IT/the BEAST will give YOU the best odds at kicking IT/ the BEAST ass.

Speed your healing time by eating healthy proteins, veggies, nuts, seeds, fruit and hydrate. Get good rest. Take supplements. Smile even when you don't feel like it. For every negative thought, replace with three positive ones.

Known people who've quit both at same time and others who quit one addiction first before tackling another. I'm a bit rusty on neuroscience. Somebody may come by with more knowledge than myself. Correct knowledge can be a powerful tool.

Here's another link: Truth Of Addiction

Congratulations Carrie on day four! :smile: You can do this!.. It will get easier, you won't regret becoming healthier and happier. :hug:

I just checked this link & it takes you to a video. Sorry! If interested Google frontal cortex overrides limbic system. Scroll down to: Having a balanced brain is the secret to success.

[Wildflowers]

Hope your doing better!... Please ck in when you have time. We care!... :hug:

[Neo]

I found it was best to do quit alcohol and cigs at same time. Why go through pain twice. I suggest full blood test to find out if anything you need to work on + Valium prescription to have on standby for first few days. Nothing worse than alcohol anxiety especially at 3am in morning. I have full strength multi Vit B, protein powder and keep off coffee cordial, sugar, preservatives. 3 weeks you should be fine but I know how much of a struggle this is

Have had a few great runs over the last 12 months and screw it after a few months but if you slip and continue to drink for a few days, you will fall back into old ways