Did anyone feel the same?

[supermario]

Hello everyone, I've been sober for 80 days now but this past few days have been really bad.. When I stopped drinking, the first 2-3 weeks were the worst, I thought I was going insane, I couldn't concentrate, left really nervous, anxious, etc. Then I started feeling a lot better.. 30 days later I felt much better, in fact, I felt liberated and hopeful, I wanted to shout from top of a mounted that I was finally free! Somehow, this exhilarating feeling is gone and I now feel down, sad, bored, almost hangovered.. I just don't get it.. I haven't drank despite the constant temptations, but I just feel like all my passion and drive is gone.. I am really starting to miss getting drunk, letting it all loose, worry free and relax, which I know I can't have.. I somehow feel that I was much happier when I drank which doesn't make any sense..! I am so confused..!! Did anyone go through this after say 3 months sober?

[madmans]

Did anyone feel the same?

I think a lot of people do , i did the first time i quit at 60 days there about's , i ended up drinking that time, you will find more info on it if you google " The pink cloud effect" .
Some people believe in it and some don't , it will pass if you stay sober but understanding why your feeling like this will help , it helped me with out a doubt.

[Overit44]

Did anyone feel the same?

Hi, I'm with you. I'm at day 99 today and this weekend was horrible. I guess it is kind of the "let down" effect but I'm OK with it. I wrote to myself way back in the beginning so when I would get like this, which I was sure would come, I could go back and remind myself why I was doing it in the first place.

Try going back and reading your posts in the beginning of your journey. I'm sure it wasn't, as you said 'I am really starting to miss getting drunk, letting it all loose, worry free and relax' Mine was definately not worry free the next morning as I was trying to remember the night before and there was no relaxation dealing with the after effects either.

Stick with us!

[Overit44]

Did anyone feel the same?

Pink Cloud Effect

OMG, I googled it and it is right on the money as far as I'm concerned. Read on:

The ?pink cloud? is best described as a period of time where the addict or alcoholic experiences a reprieve from the struggles associated with early recovery. These struggles are generally associated with the feelings of depression, anger, resentment, self pity and the realization of where their drug addiction or alcoholism has taken them.

Upon experiencing this phenomenon for the first time, the addict or alcoholic is understandably excited. They begin to believe they now ?hold the key? to their recovery. This is where the seed for relapse is planted. They begin to believe more in themselves than in the process they have been following. Without the pain as a daily reminder, they tend to forget about what it took for them to embrace recovery. Denial rears its ugly head and they minimize how devastating their drug addiction and alcoholism really was and that they have a disease of drug addiction and alcoholism that requires attention on a daily basis. Relapse prevention becomes an afterthought as the person becomes defiant and rebellious regarding suggestions contrary to their desires. Without resorting to drugs or alcohol, the individual in recovery is one step away from relapse. Remember, relapse is not an event, it is a process
.

[kuya]

Did anyone feel the same?

SUPER.......between a month sober and four months my moods were all over the place......days of feeling down and irritable then days OK.

Suddenly, at four months it just stopped.

TRY and see the bad feelings as your brain rewiring, the worse it is, the quicker repair is happening. Make sure you look after diet, rest and take supplements to help.

Remember if you drink you undo the repair, relapse makes the next quit harder and you just have to go through this again.

I am only a short time ahead of you......it gets REALLY good......I promise :h

[Byrdlady]

Did anyone feel the same?

Supermario, we were discussing this in the 100 day maintenance thread...please feel free to check it out. I had a real flat period between 6 and 9 months where it was like, 'now what?' Others are experiencing it, too! But as I was saying over there, I had heard to 'fake it til you make it' So I did, and pretty soon after my 9 months, the fog lifted and I was good to go. You might just have to fake it a while until your head catches up!!! IT IS WORTH IT!
Byrdie

[jenniech]

Did anyone feel the same?

this has been a very helpful thread for me right now. Thanks!!! I am suffering from "poor me" syndrome which if left unchecked, turns into "pour me" as in pour me a drink. I am acknowledging that. I think it is important to admit when the pink cloud goes away .... and when I am craving. Yes, it is admitting weakness. But hell, I am powerless when it comes to alcohol so that makes me weak in this one area. In all others, I like to think I pretty much kick ass So, I am licking my wounds and treating myself as if I were physically sick. Mental sickness is just as debilitating and if I drink, like Kuya said, I will be right back to square one. I need to continue healing. Patience plays a VERY important part in this process.

Now, my medicine for this evening will be chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and camomile tea .... and of course the blessed sleep I enjoy now that I am sober. I no longer stay awake hours on end in the middle of the night after I come to after passing out at 8pm. What a pathetic life that was!!

Stay strong and treat yourself with tender loving care!!

[FlyAway]

Did anyone feel the same?

supermario;1480480 wrote: Hello everyone, I've been sober for 80 days now but this past few days have been really bad.. When I stopped drinking, the first 2-3 weeks were the worst, I thought I was going insane, I couldn't concentrate, left really nervous, anxious, etc. Then I started feeling a lot better.. 30 days later I felt much better, in fact, I felt liberated and hopeful, I wanted to shout from top of a mounted that I was finally free! Somehow, this exhilarating feeling is gone and I now feel down, sad, bored, almost hangovered.. I just don't get it.. I haven't drank despite the constant temptations, but I just feel like all my passion and drive is gone.. I am really starting to miss getting drunk, letting it all loose, worry free and relax, which I know I can't have.. I somehow feel that I was much happier when I drank which doesn't make any sense..! I am so confused..!! Did anyone go through this after say 3 months sober?

You don't really miss getting drunk, but you haven't yet figured out how to self-soothe, how to relax, how to celebrate, and how to live without alcohol. Just like when you lose a loved one to death, your recovery from the grief is much about learning to live your life without that person in it anymore. Your recovery from alcohol is the same, learning to live your life without alcohol in it anymore. How do you have passion and drive without alcohol? How do you relax and let it all hang out without alcohol? It can be done; I'm currently doing it! But your job is to find out what works for you.

For me personally I was up and down like you until around the 4 month mark. Then I noticed a discernible shift. I also noticed a shift at the 10 month mark. I figure I drank a lot longer than 10 months, it's only normal for it to take some time to get back on your feet. But it is definitely worth it.

[Elliesmom]

Did anyone feel the same?

Overit44;1480530 wrote: OMG, I googled it and it is right on the money as far as I'm concerned. Read on:

The ?pink cloud? is best described as a period of time where the addict or alcoholic experiences a reprieve from the struggles associated with early recovery. These struggles are generally associated with the feelings of depression, anger, resentment, self pity and the realization of where their drug addiction or alcoholism has taken them.

Upon experiencing this phenomenon for the first time, the addict or alcoholic is understandably excited. They begin to believe they now ?hold the key? to their recovery. This is where the seed for relapse is planted. They begin to believe more in themselves than in the process they have been following. Without the pain as a daily reminder, they tend to forget about what it took for them to embrace recovery. Denial rears its ugly head and they minimize how devastating their drug addiction and alcoholism really was and that they have a disease of drug addiction and alcoholism that requires attention on a daily basis. Relapse prevention becomes an afterthought as the person becomes defiant and rebellious regarding suggestions contrary to their desires. Without resorting to drugs or alcohol, the individual in recovery is one step away from relapse. Remember, relapse is not an event, it is a process
.

I've also read another explanation for this that's physiological --- that long-term alcohol abuse has toxic effects on the brain's serotonin system, both short and long-term, and while the worst of the depression is early on, the brain can take years to permanently go back to normal working order with regard to the producing normal levels of the chemicals that inhibit depression. When we're active drinkers, production of serotonin (the brain's happy chemical) and norepinephrines like dopamine (another happy chemical) is suppressed, which is why many of us were so extraordinarily depressed in between drinking bouts, and struggle especially the first several days and weeks after quitting. Without the AL to dull the pain of very little serotonin or dopamine in our systems - and add to that mix real-life problems, shame, guilt, crisis and tragedies, well, you get the point because we've all lived it -- a major life-sucks-fest. But when we drink again to dull the pain, we're just further damaging serotonin neuro-transmitters in the brain and continuously increasing the frequency and severity of depression we'll experience. While the brain can begin producing normal serotonin again within a week or two of quitting, apparently the long-term damage to our systems can take a year or years before the kinks and glitches with serotonin are worked out, which means we're all at risk for bouts of depression that are due to the brain trying to figure things out again in the first year of having quit.

Does everyone take the supplements? I swear by the L-Glutamine and GABA as far as leveling out mood goes, and there appears to be a lot of science behind those two supplements in particular as far as lifting/preventing depression for recovering alcoholics. I'd totally recommend them to anyone not taking them who is dealing with the blues.

[Supercrew]

Did anyone feel the same?

I take HTP-5 for the serotonin and it has worked quite well in my opinion.

That being said the 3 month/100 day thing is more of a myth in my opinion. I think there is a suseptability to go drink again, because after 3 months you think you have it beat. The reason why people will drink again is for 2 main reasons. One, they do forget and think maybe they didn't have a problem to begin with, or two they do start feeling depression because they quit seeing those awesome results they saw in felt in the first 3 months. basically the newness wears off, and visual progress makes people happy. If you quit seeing this progress and you feel like you are at a sober standstill, your mood will deflate. That's why in my opinion it is best to pick up a new hobby or really push yourself into fitness or something to keep you motivated at the 100 day period. It should be something that you can continue to take daily action with, and something that you can see progress with.

[kuya]

Did anyone feel the same?

Supercrew;1480697 wrote: I take HTP-5 for the serotonin and it has worked quite well in my opinion.

That being said the 3 month/100 day thing is more of a myth in my opinion. I think there is a suseptability to go drink again, because after 3 months you think you have it beat. The reason why people will drink again is for 2 main reasons. One, they do forget and think maybe they didn't have a problem to begin with, or two they do start feeling depression because they quit seeing those awesome results they saw in felt in the first 3 months. basically the newness wears off, and visual progress makes people happy. If you quit seeing this progress and you feel like you are at a sober standstill, your mood will deflate. That's why in my opinion it is best to pick up a new hobby or really push yourself into fitness or something to keep you motivated at the 100 day period. It should be something that you can continue to take daily action with, and something that you can see progress with.

I find myself unsure.....it is a chicken and egg debate. I was very moody months 2-4 and then suddenly better. BUT I started exercising at that time so can't say which caused what.

I know I am continuing to expand my life, hobbies and goals ....... Boredom is NOT an issue.

Elliesmum......I found GABA very helpful for moods and theanine and inisitol.......these supplements make a huge difference IMO, we have wreaked such havoc that anything that speeds repair is good.
At nearly 7 months though I am taking very few supplements for alcohol repair, just for energy and sugar balancing and mineral depletion.

[Siren136]

Did anyone feel the same?

Here is a link I posted over in the research forum. Hopefully some of these will help you: 10 Quick Tips to Boost Your Serotonin | Mark's Daily Apple

[Siren136]

Did anyone feel the same?

Here is a link I posted over in the research forum. Hopefully some of these will help you: 10 Quick Tips to Boost Your Serotonin | Mark's Daily Apple

[paulywogg]

Did anyone feel the same?

this is an excellent thread,i wish it wouldve been here months ago,my friend at work is trying to quit drinking also and we always joke that we feel more hungover and down when we dont drink,its great to hear its just part of the process

[supermario]

Did anyone feel the same?

I believe I may be getting off this pink cloud then, the symptoms are very similar. I felt so relieved and joyful at the beginning, but now I am left with a, now what feeling. It's very bizarre because I left cured and I WAS convinced my drinking days were over.. but now, I am beginning to doubt my commitment.
I feel hangovered, bored, fed up. But you guys are right, I need a hobby!! My only "hobby" for over 25 years was drinking, so I've never had a hobby in my life! I did everything drunk..! But I can't drink anymore, so WTF am I going to do now? Oh man!! I am going insane!! If I keep feeling like this I am going to AA.. I am definitely NOT off the hook yet...
Does it get better with time? Maybe in a month or so?