3 weeks in and I Help and advice please

[gmc38609]

Hi, Started Antabuse 3 weeks ago and stopping Alcohol was gong perfect, I found it easy tbh.
However I now do not really think of alcohol and certainly have no physical cravings for it.
But I used to drink everyday and think about it all day"in a good way and bad" now that that has gone I feel like a part of me is missing almost like I am in mourning. I can imagine this is how you would feel if you lifelong wife had died, I feel lost and keep hoping in a strange way it will come back.
In all the years I had thought about not drinking I never imagined a feeling like this would appear .
I really do feel empty and like a big part of me has gone :O(
Is this the bit where you start a new life and do new things with new people to take up your time or is it just me.
I was talking to some life long friends yesterday about things people had done when they were drunk yesterday almost as though | was looking through an old photo album of alcohol OMG
Please tell me this the the letting go period or something and I have not gone mad?

[JackieClaire]

3 weeks in and I Help and advice please

gmc38609;1534817 wrote:
Please tell me this the the letting go period or something and I have not gone mad?

Nope, you're not bonkers at all. It's a completely normal feeling and hand on heart it will pass.

For me it was like having a broken leg for years and then having to learn to walk again without a crutch. Starting of with baby steps as we think we may fall to learning to run again and live life on our terms.

Oh and by the way 3 weeks AF. Wonderful. :goodjob:

[treetops]

3 weeks in and I Help and advice please

Hi there GMC. That's exactly how I felt a few weeks into my quit over 9 months ago. The grieving happened now and again for the next 3 months but I think it's pretty much gone now. I also used Antabuse during that period. I don't grieve now and I no longer use AB. But I am AL free. I had a full life even when drinking and so didn't need to find things to replace the AL. I just had loads more time to do what I had been doing. Plus I could do nothing which in my recovery was important. relaxing and chilling

So hang on in there as you are doing fab. The sense of loss is so normal and you are not going mad. Poisoning Your body and wrecking our mind is crazy.

The sadness about AL will gradually pass.
Well done and take care as you are not alone.

[mylife]

3 weeks in and I Help and advice please

Hi GMC,

I can completely relate. Once we get past the first hard days there are a lot of new feelings that crop up and for me there is definitely a sense of mourning. In my case, it's not only mourning the loss of my old friend Alcohol, but the whole addicition, and how did I get here, etc. Anyway, I know I can't go back to it, so I'm just moving ahead with the knowledge from all the old timers around here that my life will get better and better without it and someday I'll look back and think "why did I feel that way?"

Hang in there! We can do it! :l Good job on 3 weeks! :goodjob::goodjob:

[gmc38609]

3 weeks in and I Help and advice please

Thanks for the reassuring words guys, I have snapped out of it for now phew never see that one coming.
I was expecting cravings frustration anxiety but not mourning lol
I have enough AB for 6 months but could not face taking any for the last 2 days because of how I was feeling but I am back on track now.
Thank goodness for you guys and this forum I thought I was loosing it

[Samstone]

3 weeks in and I Help and advice please

hello GMC
In Allen Carr's "Easy Way to Stop Drinking" one of his steps is
' Do not, I repeat, do not try to avoid thinking about the fact that you no longer drink'. The advice is 'not to think about "I'd love to have a drink" or "when will I be free?" If you are thinking "Eureka! I'm already free!" you'll enjoy thinking about it and the more you think about, the happier you will be.'

Sometimes easier than it sounds but habits are made can be remade. Best to you!
Sam

[hazeleyes]

3 weeks in and I Help and advice please

When the sense of loss or mourning comes, be still for a moment, then ask yourself what could I do right now that would make me feel happier (music, walking, stroking the cat...) then do the thing that comes to mind.

If you keep repeating this step each time the urge comes it will become less and less a part of your automatic reaction. This worked for me after years of Al abuse.

Good Luck

[paulywogg]

3 weeks in and I Help and advice please

i was watching something the other day and one of the guests had written a book on overcoming addiction,in his top ten triggers for relapse was sharing "war stories"basically things you did while abusing,no matter how stupid,or bad they may be,i guess thinking about those times adds fuel to the fire

[gmc38609]

3 weeks in and I Help and advice please

It was the sense of loss that blew me away, craving urges etc I expected but they never really happened just 3 weeks in and whack a tremendous feeling of loss and I felt like a big part of me had gone it was very odd I felt emotional and tearful. Maybe because of the AB I have no choice I cant drink and that brought it on. Although I do know is if I could not put it on here how I was feeling it would of gone on for much longer :O)

[Tink13]

3 weeks in and I Help and advice please

Hi Gmc,

I'm totally with you there. Three weeks today, but last night after having a really good day, came home and suddenly felt really low and had a few tears. Thinking all the things i wouldnt be doing anymore. This was really horrid after having the initial buzz of not drinking and feeling so great in the morning. But I'm just trusting that it will come back, cause I'm sure not going back to drinking. And I guess in time better things will come in its place.

Thanks for posting anyway, thought I was on my own.

All the best

Tink