Why We Don't Get Better Immediately After Quitting Alcohol

[Choochie]

Excellent Article:

Many of the problems associated with early sobriety do not stem directly from drugs and alcohol. Instead, they are associated with physical and psychological changes that occur after the chemicals have left our bodies. When we use, our brains actually undergo physical change to cope with the presence of the drug in our body. When we remove the drugs, our brains then demand more to satisfy the desire caused by the changes. The extreme symptoms that we experience immediately after we stop using are called ?acute withdrawal.?
Acute withdrawal, unfortunately, is not the whole story. Our bodies make initial adjustments to the absence of the drug, and the major symptoms ease up. However, the changes that have occurred in our brains need time to revert back to their original state (to the extent that they ever do). During the period of time while this is occurring, they can cause a variety of problems known as Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

Rest of Articlewell worth reading)

Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) ? Why we don?t get better immediately) ? Digital Dharma

[Doggygirl]

Why We Don't Get Better Immediately After Quitting Alcohol

Thanks for sharing this Choochie. I really liked the section about sugar and diet. Very interesting.

DG

[Choochie]

Why We Don't Get Better Immediately After Quitting Alcohol

Thanks DG. I thought it was excellent. I think we all wonder why if Al is out of our system (technically) in a few days why we struggle for so long beyond that. This really put some perspective on it for me.

[peacenik]

Why We Don't Get Better Immediately After Quitting Alcohol

thank you!
if i weren't so scatter brained because of post acute withdrawal, i would have retained more...i'll have to come back to it in a few months!!!

[Choochie]

Why We Don't Get Better Immediately After Quitting Alcohol

Peacenik - lol

[Doggygirl]

Why We Don't Get Better Immediately After Quitting Alcohol

peacenik;1006658 wrote: thank you!
if i weren't so scatter brained because of post acute withdrawal, i would have retained more...i'll have to come back to it in a few months!!!

:H

[hillsidetime]

Why We Don't Get Better Immediately After Quitting Alcohol

Hi Choochie, thanks for sharing that article. Drugs and alcohol are truly destructive things. I had never thought about the entire concept, of how the brain rebounds when someone goes sober. After having gone through it, for me, it was real. The blood sugar levels, and sugar cravings were so strong for me it was nuts.

I still have cranky periods, which is not really "normal for me". I also seem to still have time periods where I am just "peopled out". I also miss my "nitro" juice. I used to drink beer, and be able to stay up really late and finish projects etc, man, I could get a lot of work done. I know that I was burning the wick a both ends, and taking time off the end of my life, but it was productive.

Have a great weekend everyone,
Hill

[Peacefull]

Why We Don't Get Better Immediately After Quitting Alcohol

:thanks: Choochie,

I think that is what I am going through presently, I will be 12 weeks sober this weekend perfect timing for PAWS to start challenging me. I am ahead of the game in that I have totally changed my eating and am at the gym 4 times a week. Still thinking of modding, but the more I do the easier it is not to drink

I am experiencing sleep problems again as well as anxiety, this is affecting my thinking - I hate having whole days ruined by intense anxiety, knowing that a couple of drinks will help arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :upset:

[Choochie]

Why We Don't Get Better Immediately After Quitting Alcohol

Peace, I know you're thinking of modding again. I really hope you'll think long and hard about that before you compromise your achievement of 12 weeks (or longer depending on when you start again). Alcohol is such a trap. I wish you would consider reading one book before you take that huge leap (and it is enormous because it starts the internal schizophrenic brain struggle again - one part wanting to drink - the other trying to control the amount and keeping it in check because anything beyond just a little makes us feel so shitty the next day). Anyway, I don't want to preach because we all have to find our own way. But, the book is The Easy Way to Stop Drinking by Allen Carr if you are so inclined.:l Regarding the anxiety - would it be worth it to try an anti-anxiety medication for a while? Just throwing it out there.

Hill - good to see you here. I think this article is really comprehensive - we tend to think about why we struggle after the alcohol is out of our bodies. This article puts it into perspective - takes a while to get back to normal (not to mention work). I've read your post about your organic diet and how you would pack your vegies into a week's worth of bags so you could take them to work - excellent! Congrats on your long-term sobriety - think you're at 9 months??

Choochie