Mood swings when sober

[bacon]

I have another post regarding supplements but this one is more specific. A little background... I have been a heavy drinker for several years and have managed only to cut back. Longest I have been sober in the past 3 years is 4 days. I am trying for complete sobriety. I am taking a Multi, B complex, folate, L glut, Vit D, omega 3, and a probiotic. I have some gut issues.
So, I was great yesterday morning. It was day 2. I was very happy and my confidence was high. I felt great. I went to my moms and my sisters were there drinking mimosas. I declined (very rare) and they pushed. I was good at saying no until my sisters started talking about what there husbands got them for mothers day blah blah. I have been a single mom for the past 12 years. I got sad. My mood completely switched and I drank a mimosa. Then I went to the store and drank some more.
My mood switches so quickly and it is hard to control. I know that the neurotransmitters and hormones get all messed up with alcohol abuse. I am wondering if this is contributing to my mood swings? A former doc had mentioned ADD. I have a dx of OCD (pretty stable).
If the mood swings are due to lack of alcohol to my brain, then how do I restore whatever is missing or not working.

[Kradle123]

Mood swings when sober

Hi Bacon and Welcome :welcome:

This is such a great question and post. I believe these physical hobgoblins are mostly responsible for our situations and are tough to sort out as they are pretty much particular to each of us.

I myself am moderately bi polar so my mood swings are controlled mostly with one medication. When I stopped drinking it was awful. I have a wonderful dr who upped the dose somewhat but what has helped the most is

1. Getting farther and farther away from AL
2. Maintaining a healthy diet without lots of sugar or heavy carbs (I juice which helps a lot)
3. Daily excercise even if it's just walking the dog.
4. Top make ridding my life of AL a priority. Working every day, little by little at it like I would practice a musical instrument. Reading here, posting-reading as much as possible, comfortable.

Do I still swing and slip? Yes but I am NO WHERE near where i Was a year ago. I am light years from there.
I am now moving into menopause which of course has brought on some new emotional ups and downs. Back to the Dr. I go as well as looking at my natural supplements options. Excessive is now more important than ever. I would love to just pop a vitamin but...

Regarding the mimosa...well, IMO I probably would have done the same thing not long ago, not necessarily because I had a mood swing but because drinking as been my coping mechanism for sadness for so long....my coping mechanism for just about everything if truth be told. . Also, you are just starting out on your journey so people pressuring you to drink...well, that's incredibly difficult to resist when starting.

Please don't beat yourself up. It's all part and parcel of the journey. Please stay close and looking forward to getting to know you,
:l

[bacon]

Mood swings when sober

Thanks for the reply. Any recommendations on a brand of multi amino?

[mama bear]

Mood swings when sober

Bacon
you need sober time...that's it...some sober time
I found it took six months to feel close to normal......
I still have stress and mood issues related to my life, but AL caused me to depressed and cry and all sorts of bad stuff.....
Vitamins are GREAT and necessary
but sober time will help those mood swings
and you may have to stay away from drinkers for awhile....that makes quitting so much easier!!!
Good Luck Sweetie!!

[bcp2013]

Mood swings when sober

Hi,well you have to keep trying,it,s not easy but it's so worth it,today LM day 46 and am okay without it,l was frustrated yesterday and thought why did l quit,we all know why we need to quit,but l rode it out and didn't drink'l want this for life,l like being in the now,my medically induced ed met a pause ,hot flashes are way better now l quit the wine,that's worth it just in having less and less severe flashes,diet plays aot in wanting a drink,when I'm hu try l think of alcohol,so keep full,anyway you'll get there ,remember it's just a thought and a thought can be changed,just change your frame of mind,that might help,all the best on your journey,you can do it,your worth it!!!

[YouKayBee]

Mood swings when sober

I also believe you have to learn to live sober once you are no longer relying on alcohol as a crutch. This does mean you will experience mood swings and notice things that you previously hid behind a blanket of alcohol. In time this smooths out and you learn to live, dealing with yourself and others a lot better.

[drinkingal]

Mood swings when sober

Ukblonde;1506414 wrote: I also believe you have to learn to live sober once you are no longer relying on alcohol as a crutch. This does mean you will experience mood swings and notice things that you previously hid behind a blanket of alcohol. In time this smooths out and you learn to live, dealing with yourself and others a lot better.

I think ukblonde hit the nail on the head. when we drink for a long time it just becomes our coping strategy for just about every emotion we don't want to feel and we need to learn how to deal with our feelings again. But I think if being around certain people makes you feel inadequate and depressed then you may have to limit your time with them. If you can talk to them and tell them how it makes you feel when they talk about things like this, as if you're sitting there with two heads because you don't fit in, then maybe they'll be more sensitive to it, but then again they might not.

[dixon]

Mood swings when sober

Agreed with both of you.
An alive mood swings but a dead one never !!
Its so simple but its our choice how to keep it alive get entertained.
Dix