Honeymoon over for anyone else?

[Nelz]

Hey all,

I was just curious if anyone else fell into the honeymoon over trap? I was lucky enough to not experience any withdrawl symptons, and the first few days were relatively easy to get through.

I always suffered from insomnia, that went away the very day I quit, I was so tired by 10 I couldnt keep my eyes open. When I woke I felt better, and wayyyyyy more energetic.

But lately my insomnia is creeping back, and Im just dead tired in the am. Grated this is my busy season, and I am a blue collar guy, but Im kind of lost.

I dont really "feel" a lot different now, than when I was drinking up to 10 beers a night.


Anyone.........bueller...............bueller?

[ItsJustMe]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

Hey Nelz –

I hear ya. I am 21 days into my AF live but before I fell off the wagon I went 6 months. I’m still in that honeymoon state now but I’m prepared for that to end (something that I didn’t think would happen last time).

What I plan to do is to keep it interesting and as the newness wears off, add something to re-excite it. Right now I am doing weight loss along with my AF life. That sort of goes hand in hand. So will marking days off I am marking pounds off. When the newness wears off I will most likely embrace some sort of physical exercise that I would enjoy. I was running a lot and until I twisted my ankle was doing pretty good. Once I stopped I couldn’t get motivated so I turned to AL and junk food – thus started my failure.

As far as the insomnia goes, if you have a good physician, check into a sleep aid. I use Ambien. Most docs that know anything are ok with this drug because there are few side effects and unlike some of the others, there are little addictive properties. Typically you will not build up a tolerance to Ambien. I know that I gently float to sleep and wake up energized every morning.

If you google Ambien you will see some bad press but a lot of this is blown out or proportion. My bride has been on it for almost a year with no real side effects other than thinking I’m a stud muffin…..

Finally, if you really feel yourself drifting, you should reach out for help before it goes too far. I’ve tried it on my own several times and gave up. This time I admitted my issue to my doc and got all the support I needed from the medical perspective. If you don’t have that kind of relationship with your physician, you need to shop for another one. There are lots of good ones out there along with a handful of a$$holes.

Ok, let’s see, create new things to keep you interested, reach out for help….Oh yea – hang out on MWO! When I start getting weak I turn to the folks on this site.

There are many more on here that have much more experience than I do. But that is my two cents (actually a buck and a quarter).

Take care and good luck to you!
IJM

[JackieClaire]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

Hi Nelz,

Completely normal, love. Just wondering if you the pink cloud may be over. This article may explain it better than I can.

Recovery And The Pink Cloud | Sober Recovery Articles

I tend to call it the 'What nows'

I've got over the early hideous cravings.............What now?

I've done my first AF party................................What now?

I've done my first AF birthday............................What now?

Anyway I'm sure you get my drift.

Sorry I can't help you with the sleeping thing but my sleep pattern is still all over the place even after 2 years AF. I sometimes use an over counter remedy but still have to remind myself that the sleep I get now is real sleep not passed out drunk on the sofa drunk sleep.

Now then 100 days tomorrow (:goodjob: BTW) are we having a party?

J x
:l

[Nelz]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

IJM oh yeah, Ive tried Ambien before, its the best stuff ever. The only problem is I was mixing it with my usual 10 beers, and who knows how many shots of JD. I REALLY wanted it to work, I just hate not being able to sleep. I thought if I fueled it with AL Id go right to sleep.

But it made me do some really stupid, and harmful things, both physically to me, and mentally to my wife.

When I wasnt drinking it worked great, hell there was times after ambien and large amounts of AL I was too wired to sleep.

JC Great article. Im not really worried about relapsing(not saying it cant happen) I just feel very strongly that I can handle saying no. My favorite coping mechanism to date is still to just say either out loud or in my head, I DONT DRINK and redirect myself. So far so good.

I was more pointing out that I dont have that same bounce in my step that I did after the first few days, sounds corny but that almost reborn feeling, daym near euphoric. I want that back, it was like a total rush it felt good to be AF.

Now it just seems mundane and short of the weight loss, I dont have the same drive.


Does that make any sense?

[JackieClaire]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

Yes it makes sense.

It's like it's all shiny and all new. All I can liken it to is a brand new car. New seats, new tyres, new stereo system. Protected, washed and polished. Then one day you just realise you're just driving it. It's just another every day routine.

Crikey, just remembered this. About August last year I really had a bad case of the blues. So took myself off to the doctor turned out I was suffering from depression and have been on anti -depressants since. It might be worth having a word with a health professional if the mood doesn't lift.

J x
:l

[stirly-girly]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

Nelz - first of all - huge congrats on 100 days sober. That is a major accomplishment. I really can't add anything to what has already been posted - especially by Jackie.

ItsJustMe;1160228 wrote: Hey Nelz ?

I hear ya. I am 21 days into my AF live but before I fell off the wagon I went 6 months. I?m still in that honeymoon state now but I?m prepared for that to end (something that I didn?t think would happen last time).And congrats to you too, IJM. Wishing each of you continued success on your AF journey.

However, I must comment on this part of your post...

ItsJustMe;1160228 wrote: As far as the insomnia goes, if you have a good physician, check into a sleep aid. I use Ambien. Most docs that know anything are ok with this drug because there are few side effects and unlike some of the others, there are little addictive properties. Typically you will not build up a tolerance to Ambien. I know that I gently float to sleep and wake up energized every morning.

If you google Ambien you will see some bad press but a lot of this is blown out or proportion. My bride has been on it for almost a year with no real side effects other than thinking I?m a stud muffin?..

I'm glad that your bride has had no side effects and that she thinks you're a SM. However, I have to disagree about the bad press being blown out of proportion. I have my own horror stories about the drug - I took the same drug but under a different name. And I have heard really scary stories from others about the same drug. Freaky things like waking up in the night - driving to a 24-hour gas station and buying cigs and not remembering a thing about it the next day. Or making a whole batch of lasagna, baking it and portions put into tupperware containers in the fridge that were discovered the next day and the "chef" didn't remember a single moment of preparing, baking and storing. Personally, I am lucky to be alive after my personal experiences with it. Mind you, I was taking it and still drinking but seriously, it was life-threatening. And I see that Nelz agrees with me according to the following post. It is a dangerous drug and should be used carefully.
Nelz;1160242 wrote: IJM oh yeah, Ive tried Ambien before, its the best stuff ever. The only problem is I was mixing it with my usual 10 beers, and who knows how many shots of JD. I REALLY wanted it to work, I just hate not being able to sleep. I thought if I fueled it with AL Id go right to sleep.

But it made me do some really stupid, and harmful things, both physically to me, and mentally to my wife.

When I wasnt drinking it worked great, hell there was times after ambien and large amounts of AL I was too wired to sleep.

Nelz - do what I did and flush those pills down the toilet. Again, congrats on 100 days AF. :goodjob:

[ItsJustMe]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

I understand how you feel. I was not necessarily recommending any particular drug. I happen to have experience with Ambien and my treatment as well as my spouse has been very successful. I would argue that many drugs would have some adverse affect when combined with alcohol. What works for me may not work for others. It all depends on lots of factors such as diet, alcohol and/or drug use, presence of depression or anxiety, past medical conditions, etc. The important thing is that insomnia over an extended period of time should be addressed by a professional care giver. That professional can determine what makes sense for the given situation.

Again, just my two cents.

IJM

[Lavande]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

Nelz,

Your 100 AF anni is tomorrow!
That is a major accomplishment, give yourself a pat on the back

My insomnia started 15+ years ago - totally hormone related. I've had the hormones adjusted but the sleep issues continued. Then came the anxiety/depresion partly due to chronic exhaustion. That was when I started to drink wine - to go to sleep. It actually worked for a while but of course things got out of control. Went the Rx antidepressant route but felt worse & continued to drink. So I finally quit all that when I found a good herbal product called Amoryn. It kicked the anxiety/depression, I quit drinking & here I am today
Take a look at this:
AMORYN Mood Booster | Natural Antidepressant | Supplement for Depression & Anxiety

They also make a product for sleep called Mellodyn which I use
I love both of these products because they work with no side effects whatsoever.
btw - I don't work for the company :H

Lav

[Nelz]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

Hey IDJ I wasnt knocking the Ambien, it was the absolute bomb! I just dont know that my wife wants me to take it, she is a bit gun shy, trust me, Id LOVE to have a bottle or 12 layin around.....LOL


Lav, thats the second person thats mentioned depression, I may get that checked out. Id never even have considered that, only cuz my wife actually does have depression, I didnt think I was anything like that.


Ill check out your links, :thanks:

[Mia]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

YEP NELZ my honeymoon has ended! DAY 75 for me and I feel depressed! I don't even feel like posting anymore.

[Nelz]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

Mia;1160374 wrote: YEP NELZ my honeymoon has ended! DAY 75 for me and I feel depressed! I don't even feel like posting anymore.

Yeah, I noticed that Mia, I was wondering what happened to your daily posting. Hope everything starts going better for you, but good job on the 75 days, thats AWESOME keep it up

[Lavande]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

Read this & see if anything fits....

Depression in Men - Symptoms and Physical Effects

[DogLvr]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

Nelz - CONGRATULATONS on 100 DAYS!!!!

Mia - GREAT JOB on 75 Days - that is great!!!

[Mia]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

Thank you DogLvr I have 3 dogs and my little one on my avatar has saved me today she has always been my rock!

[mario]

Honeymoon over for anyone else?

People,mia & nelz
After the initial challenge of everyday fighting & succeeding in this battle,the honeymoon does indeed get a bit stale,You notice the world hasn't changed,other people are still the same and the initial goals that you have gone for don't seem as appetizing anymore.This all has to be expected so now its time for you to up your goals & plan, Instead of posting your day by day alcohol free success, post or join in one of the daily threads that are here,Take your pick from the monthly absence,The army thread,and others or post in all of them or others you may choose,In your home life,spice it up get involved more with things going on around you,may it be your partner,family and community,In this journey it is always up to us to take the initiative and as you have proven already your good at that.Keep moving forward & up :-)