Newbies Nest

[KENSHO]

Newbies Nest

Really struggling today. Anxiety is through the roof. Last quit, business was slow. No late nights. Not an option this time. My anxious, ADD brain wants a drink and tells me if will bring me back to normal. I know I need a new normal. Not sure I know how to make it through a late night tonight. Going to find something wonderfully unhealthy to eat now... I HATE that this feels hard.

[available]

Newbies Nest

Kensho dont drink, it wont make you feel any better in the long run. My anxiety was through the roof when i was drinking and when i gave up drinking also for the first few days to a week. I had some valium that the doctor prescribed which i took for a bit. Some on here took some herbal remedies also which i cant remember the name. Its not easy and i totally relate to what you are going through but if you can get through it tomorrow is another day to be free of al. Can you go to the doctors and talk to him/her?

giving up al is hard, really hard but it gets better. Watch some doco's on alcoholism that puts your head in a place where you think "you dont want that drink". I know i didnt after watching them. Eat and eat some more, put on some music. Do you have any relaxation cd's? A friend you can just ring to say hi to take your mind off your thoughts.

The thoughts will recede and another day will be done. You can do this Kensho. Hugs to you.

[Samstone]

Newbies Nest

KENSHO;1683219 wrote: Really struggling today. Anxiety is through the roof. Last quit, business was slow. No late nights. Not an option this time. My anxious, ADD brain wants a drink and tells me if will bring me back to normal. I know I need a new normal. Not sure I know how to make it through a late night tonight. Going to find something wonderfully unhealthy to eat now... I HATE that this feels hard.

Kensho,
try not fighting your quit, rather, enjoy the moments of being sober, knowing you're not going to face feeling hung over. It is a matter of how we view things that changes our approach. Living the thought of hot damn I'm sober and it feels good beats the heck out of agonizing over whether to drink or not and knowing if you do, you end up feeling like shit.
Hang in there!!
Sam

[wagmore]

Newbies Nest

KENSHO;1683219 wrote: Really struggling today. Anxiety is through the roof. Last quit, business was slow. No late nights. Not an option this time. My anxious, ADD brain wants a drink and tells me if will bring me back to normal. I know I need a new normal. Not sure I know how to make it through a late night tonight. Going to find something wonderfully unhealthy to eat now... I HATE that this feels hard.

Kensho - thanks for reaching out and letting us know you're struggling. Your anxious AL brain is lying to you, but you know that. Eat anything that helps you get through. You mentioned that you like to workout - can you fit in some exercise to distract yourself and release some of the stress/anxiety?

You CAN do this. :l

[Pavati]

Newbies Nest

Hi, All:

DD - I can't imagine facing chemo with a hangover! Stay strong for you and your mother, and I my thoughts are with you.

You, too, Byrdie - So sorry about your friend. She is lucky she has you there with her. xo

Kensho - Great on you for posting when you had an urge. Did you ever read the toolbox on urge surfing? I hope your night gets (got? not sure where you are) better.

SFx - Hope you're well today.

Petrel - You still around? After that marathon are you just laying low?

Juju? Cherokeer? BND? Mo3? Hope all is well. Check in and let us know.

I hiked 10 miles today - 2,000 feet ascent and descent - something I would NOT have attempted with a hangover or in my drinking days.

Have great MAEs everyone.

Pav

[KENSHO]

Newbies Nest

So, this is what you forget when you start drinking again... how damn hard it is to quit for the first few days. (You veterans must get so tired of repeating yourselves on this topic). Thanks for the support... somehow it feels like more then just words - I truly feel your help and well wishes and I can't thank you enough. Send me some calm energy too, if you can muster it because I feel like jumping out of my skin! Here I come chamomile! Have a good night all... I will make it through, but trying to get my work done after the kids are in bed will be interesting - maybe it just won't get done.

Byrdie, my thoughts are with you tonight. :h

[bran new day]

Newbies Nest

Kensho ,
One can never have too much Chamomile .

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

Hang in the Kensho - do anything but drink!
You really don't want to drink, it's just the habitual voice of AL that you are hearing Focus on waking up happy, proud & not hungover

Hello to all & wishing all of us a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

Hang in the Kensho - do anything but drink!
You really don't want to drink, it's just the habitual voice of AL that you are hearing Focus on waking up happy, proud & not hungover

Hello to all & wishing all of us a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[wagmore]

Newbies Nest

Kensho - Keep checking in here, as often as you need to. Tea is good, yoga, a bath, mellow music, anything that will help you move through this rough patch. It will pass. As Pav mentioned, check out the toolbox post on urge surfing for additional help.

Pav - Awesome job with the hike! Isn't it great when you do something you know you couldn't have done, or would never have tried, while you were drinking and/or with a hangover? This is part of what keeps me going every day.

[peppersnow]

Newbies Nest

I'm so sorry for all who are going through such hard times right now. I hope you find positive energy to get you through these challenges, and remember self-care as you take care of others.

available;1683230 wrote: Some on here took some herbal remedies also which i cant remember the name. Its not easy and i totally relate to what you are going through but if you can get through it tomorrow is another day to be free of al. Can you go to the doctors and talk to him/her?

Hang in there, Kensho - if you can't get in to see a doctor, you might see if you can pick up some Calms Forte, which is one of the herbals Ava mentioned. It's made with botanicals and while you can find it in the sleep aid section of pharmacies, it's not a sedative -- -it can be taken during the day and won't make you sleepy, and it works on anxiety. A MWO'er recommended that to me and it and I was popping those several times a day at work when I was really struggling. I would also take them just before I knew I was going into a highly charged meeting. For me, they seemed to work fast and just helped me to calm myself down better.

Two other supps you can pick up at any health food store, whole foods coop, etc., are L-Glutamine or GABA, both of which supposedly calm down a whacked out nervous system new to AL withdrawal. I used L-Glut 2 x/day, and GABA at night. I also used Kudzu for cravings. Maybe it was psychosomatic, but I thought they definitely worked well to get me through the first several weeks.

Do you like milk? I handled a really awful case at work today involving an assault on a child, and when I got into my car tonight to leave work, I had a very fleeting but very HUGE craving for a drink (it was late and I was also hungry - HALT). I knew I wouldn't drink, but as soon as I got home I gulped down a big glass of milk, which I discovered early in my quit works well for me. There's something about a stomach full of milk that makes drinking AL seem like a much less attractive option. Or a big bowl of ice cream!

[available]

Newbies Nest

Kensho if whatever you have to do doesn't get done it doesn't matter. Nothing matters except protecting your quit. No we do not mind repeating what we say and helping, we have all been where you are, we all understand what al does and if we can help one person to get off the merry go round then every word and post is so important!

[lifechange]

Newbies Nest

Good MAE. Nesters...

Kensho, good for you for coming here last night to post. I also HATE how f****** intense that urge to drink can be. But it NEVER brings anything except the MSR (misery, shame, remorse) Brothers. It might give us a moment of "release" from our troubles, but not without huge consequences. I also have to believe that the old timers that are here to support us Newbies don't mind repeating over and over again the "basics"-- they understand what it's all about--so never let that be a reason not to talk here!! I know you know this. I think I'm writing for myself as well! Was there anything last night in particular that helped you most? Have you had a look about urge surfing in the Tool Box? There's also an herb called Valerian that helps anxiety-- it may be one of the ingredients in the Calm Forte. I know here you can buy it as a tea and it really helps. :l and strength to you today..

BND, today must be day 7 for you!! Congratulations, dear, at getting each day of the week under your belt!!:sun:

Byrdie, sending more love and strength to you. I hope you're holding up ok.:h

and for you as well, DD-- I'm thinking about you. :l

Like Sam mentioned last night, working on the "Attitude of Gratitude" is paramount in being successfully sober. That's my work for today. Really working on staying in the moment and being grateful for what and who I have in my life. I can tell from my post last night and from how I was feeling yesterday, that I WASN'T present in my life/in the moments I was living. I was more wishing to be somewhere else. Or just floating, I don't know. Today I will be present and grateful!!!

[KENSHO]

Newbies Nest

Ava, I wish I could hear you say that in an Aussie accent

You're right about making Myself the priority - I just hope that this process won't disrupt what I have worked so hard to achieve in my career. It wouldn't be that hard to lose clients if I don't maintain service and meet commitments. It's time to become a better time manager and planner so I can avoid night work. People used to ask me "how do you do it" - now I know I "drank right through it". (hee hee). Time to find another way.

Pepper, I did have some Calms Forte and it worked amazingly well! It does make me tired, but that's ok for late evening. I will remember the milk tip!! Sounds like a rough line of work you are in - I could never handle the criminal population. Good on you!

Here's to a good night's sleep!

[available]

Newbies Nest

When you are sober daily everything is easier to deal with. i was amazed at how organised i am at work now when before i thought i was but its a struggle when you are hungover daily. As time goes on you will know what i am talking about. You are the priority at the moment and each day you dont drink is a good day. Be gentle with yourself Kensho, its an emotional time giving up any addiction and learning to like ourselves again as we are lovely people underneath our addiction and you will see that in time.

Check in and let us know how you are tomorrow. Be proud that you have made it through another day af.