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    #1

    Hello

    Hi everyone,
    This is my first time here - a friend recommended this website and i thought i'd make use of the forum.
    I've not had a drink for 11 days and on the whole have been feeling great. Every morning is a revelation! SOme afternoons though are a real struggle. Not so much with craving a drink but headaches, dizziness, tetchiness (apologies to my poor children, 5 & 7). Today is one such day, though my GP prescribed valium and two of those have helped somewhat.
    I'm interested in the stages of withdrawal - Ik now it can be very individual, but generally. I've been drinking heavily for years - a bottle of wine most nights for over a year but that crept up to two bottles, sometimes with whiskey or some such thrown in. I've gone cold turkey so it's a long way to come down.
    Any ideas what to expect after the first 2 weeks? I've heard the worst os over but I can imagine there are real downers amongst the general upward trend….
    Advice welcome :-)
    - Oh, I forgot to say that I don't think I can drink again. I am addicted. I have no off switch when it comes to drinking. :-(
    Tags: None
    #2
    Hello

    :welcome: Polyanna

    Go here to start out The Newbie's Nest
    'nestle in' and feel safe as they help support one another. I encourage you to visit each and every day and stay 'plugged in' and get know everyone.

    Comment

      #3
      Hello

      Thanks Benji - will do

      Comment

        #4
        Hello

        And change your mood from 'crappy' to 'hopeful' Polly ...... you will never feel as crappy again as you do today :l

        Comment

          #5
          Hello

          Ok Benji, I'll change it and i know you're right

          Comment

            #6
            Hello

            Hi Polly, at day 11, you're past acute withdrawals. What you're going to be dealing with now is post-acute withdrawal syndrome, commonly called PAWS:

            Post-Acute Withdrawal Symptoms - Relapse Prevention Strategies

            Take it easy on the valium. It's helpful in the stages of acute withdrawal, but it affects the brain in exactly the same way as alcohol (both valium and alcohol bind to the GABAa receptor sites in the brain), so you don't want to be trading in an alcohol addiction for a valium addiction. You can read more about the effects of alcohol and medications on neurotransmitters in the brain in the meds forum if you are so inclined. Having made it to day 11, I would recommend asking about Campral next time you go see your doctor. Campral accelerates the resetting of your brain chemistry back to normal.
            In the middle of my life's journey, I found myself in a dark wood, as I had lost the straight path. It is a difficult thing to speak about, how wild, harsh and impenetrable that wood is. Just thinking about it recreates the fear. It is scarcely less bitter than death, but in order to tell of the good that I found there, I must tell of the other things I saw there. --Dante, paraphrased

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              #7
              Hello

              Hello & welcome Pollyanna,

              Glad you decided to join us & congrats on your 11 AF days!! You have a great start & are through the worst, really.
              Everyone is different so recovery will be different as well. Very often, at this point problems will be more of the emotional sort, not physical. Making a good plan to help you avoid your drinking triggers is essential. Take a look in our https://www.mywayout.org/community/f1...box-27556.html for lots of great ideas to help you make your plan.

              Drop in the Newbies Nest thread too for ongoing support
              Wishing you the best!

              Lav
              AF since 03/26/09
              NF since 05/19/09
              Success comes one day at a time :thumbs:

              Comment

                #8
                Hello

                Hi, Pollyanna--

                Welcome to MWO. I would say the worst of the physical withdrawals is over (minus the PAWS symptoms that Alky posted and the idea of which was new to me when I came here), but the mental games will start. You'll feel better and you'll look back and think, "it wasn't that bad..." When I first came here someone suggested that I write down what I was feeling the day I came here, what I had done, (I felt like a large pile of do do, fyi) - that way if my thoughts ever wander I can conjure up those feelings as a defense against ever going back.

                I concur with Satz - the Newbies Nest is a great place to start - there is a lot of traffic there, and many wise elders offer support.

                You've picked a perfect time to get sober - springtime means rebirth, and any time is a perfect time.

                Welcome!

                Comment

                  #9
                  Hello

                  Thanks

                  Thanks for your rep lie everyone.
                  I must admit I got through the first 10 days or so on a high and now have slumped. Cravings are gone but I do understand the need to address potential triggers. I'll have a look through the various parts of the site including the Toolbox.
                  Thanks again - it's very good to know so many people understand what I'm going through
                  :thanks:

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Hello

                    Welcome, Polly A! I'm happy today is over, because after 3 months of no drinking, I was looking for a drink today... in my mind, I was contemplating that perhaps I had over-reacted when I stopped and perhaps tonight would have been a nice night to have "a drink".

                    The thing is: it's not "a" drink. it's "THE FIRST" drink...........

                    :groupluv: Patty
                    "God didn't give you the Strength to get back on your feet
                    so that you can run back to the same thing that knocked you down."                     :hug:

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