So tired, and struggling to stay with it

[stepintime]

Hi guys,

I am reaching out for a little support right now.
I'm on day 12, and feeling shite. I don't know what's wrong with me. I am SO tired. I just have no energy at all, which is so unlike me. It's my day off today, and I didn't get out of bed until gone mid-day. Even then, I had to force myself to get up, or I'd have just slept the whole day away.
I don't remember feeling this tired when I've gone sober before. I just feel like going and buying wine, and getting bloody damn pissed. It's bizzarre, cuz when I drink I have endless energy ??
I just do, say, and eat, all the wrong things, then drink till I blackout, and remember nothing the next day.
...I don't even get hangovers. It's like there is no deterrant for me. Other than feeling useless and guilty, for upsetting the people who love me.
I just want to feel better. I've never been one of those people who feel euphoric, after getting through the first 5 days or so. My withdrawals seem to go on and on.

I don't know what to do. A huge part of me is telling myself to stick with it, and not spoil the last 11 nights, but a huge part of me is thinking, if I'm going to feel this utterly dreadful, I might just as well drink, cuz either way I feel crap.

I now have the added pressure, of not letting my partner down. he is all over me with praise, and smothering me with love, cuz he is so happy I am trying again.

The last time I quit, It took a whole 2 months before I felt remotely better. I don't know if I can go that long again, if I'm going to feel like this.

I also can't stop yawning. It's one after the other! What's that all about???

Right now, i just want to hibernate, and never come out. :upset:

[changemylife]

So tired, and struggling to stay with it

It will pass stepin, Soon you will start to feel like a youth. Back to a time when you did not need AL.

[Cinders]

So tired, and struggling to stay with it

Step,

Are you taking any of the supplements advised? Alcohol robs us of the ability to absorb many vitamins, the B vits in particular and can lead us into feeling sluggish at first.

You feel good when you drink because of the sugar rush. Which is why we tend to crave sugar when we go AF, although it is the wrong thing to do.

Please make sure you compensate for the lack of vitamins and minerals in this early stage of AF, eat well and balanced and try to get a small bit of exercise in. A quick walk will help.

hth,
Cindi

[AAthlete]

So tired, and struggling to stay with it

stepintime;695771 wrote: Hi guys,

I don't know what to do. A huge part of me is telling myself to stick with it, and not spoil the last 11 nights, but a huge part of me is thinking, if I'm going to feel this utterly dreadful, I might just as well drink, cuz either way I feel crap.

Step, thanks for posting what is going on with you - that in and of itself is big. I think all of us have felt this way - it is our disease talking to us and trying to get us to drink. Think about how long you have been drinking and how long it took you to get your body conditioned to drinking to all that alcohol. It will take awhile to undo that damage, so you can't expect miracles and have to be patient (easier said then done for us).

Have you done anything to change your daily routine? Eating healthy, drinking lots of water and exercising are HUGE benefits, as they make our body and mind feel better. Maybe volunteer somewhere.... The key is to do something different because your used to a routine.

Just think about all the time & effort that we put into getting drunk. I wonder why it is so hard for us (me included) to redirect all that energy into positive life events? In AA I believe it is called taking the 'easier and softer way.' Remember, no one EVER said this would be easy.

[Gold]

So tired, and struggling to stay with it

Stepintime,

I feel really tired too, and it's day 25 for me, but it's not all the time. I felt the same as you around where you are now, what's the point I should be feeling great by now. I persevered because I would rather feel tired and shitty and know that it will pass in time than return to the awful guilt and shame I had from drinking.

After I read Cinders post I went and looked up vitamin B deficiency. A lack of Thiamin (B1) is actually responsible in extreme cases for beri-beri (sleeping sickness ). Here is a link I found Thiamin (vitamin B1) deficiency.

After reading about it I headed out and bought the highest dose vitamin B complex I could find.

I do also feel better if I go for a walk with the dogs. A walk without dogs works too.

I hope you start to feel better soon.

[stepintime]

So tired, and struggling to stay with it

Thank's for your help, and support :thanks:
It's quite ironic, as apart from the drink, I am incredibly health consious. I take all my supp's - always have done, ...exercise at high intensity - have done since I was a child (at a competitive level), and my doctor say's he is baffled how I ended up in this mess, as he call's me a walking medical encyclopedia, and the healthiest alcoholic he has ever treated! ??
So, I don't have a clue what else I can do to make this any easier.

I know I've just got to battle it out, it's just the fact it seems to take me so long, before I feel any of the benefit. And the tiredness is just the pitt's.

X

[AAthlete]

So tired, and struggling to stay with it

Step, funny that you mention the irony in your life as it sounds like our stories are similar. I was also a very healthy eater and a semi-professional cyclist along with being an alcoholic. When I think back on it, even though I did all those things I still wasn't happy. I was a glass half-empty person for sure, and never seemed to feel optimistic about stopping (it always felt like a chore). I had to figure out how to turn that around and be excited about life without booze. I do remember that it took a good 30 days before I started sleeping soundly; certainly it takes a while to get everything out of your system and that has to play a big part in the being tired.

Sorry, at the end of this I guess I have no sage words for you. Just keep plugging along, and let us know how you are doing because you're not alone here.

[stepintime]

So tired, and struggling to stay with it

Thanks AAthlete,
It's inspiring to know you felt the same, and that you had to learn to turn everything round to find a way to be excited about life, without booze.
Only today, a friend of mine said ..."can you not find something else to give you the buzz you get from alcohol" I said NO. ....No, there is nothing that gives me the same high.
It's funny AA. I just bought myself a racer. I absolutely love it, but could do with a few tips as to breaking, signalling, and manovering ...all at the same time!! (drop handlebars are a little more complex than I thought!)
X

[Arrow]

So tired, and struggling to stay with it

As you probably know exercise is a great way of energizing yourself. Easier said than done I know but if you can get out there on the bike or hit the gym on a regular basis you will start those endorphins flowing which will make you feel happier, replace the cravings for booze with cravings for exercise, and just generally do great things for your body and mind.

As everyone above says it does take a while to get back to normal if you've been drinking heavily for a long time - but it does happen.

[AAthlete]

So tired, and struggling to stay with it

Glad to see that you came over to the dark side of cycling Step, and congrats on your new road bike! You'll fall in love with it, and my only advice is to get out there and ride (hopefully on some less-crowded streets)! That and if you also got cycling shoes with clips don' forget to unclip when you stop. Happened to me the first time I rode and I fell over!

Hang in there on the sobriety - it really does get better...