Day 5 - Alcohol Withdrawal (I must be an alcoholic!)
Related Topics
mrollings ...@yahoo.com (Mark)
Hi there, I am new to this NG, just found it. Great info and discussions.
I knew I had a problem, but I did not know I was an alcoholic until I stopped drinking 5 days ago. The day I stopped, I started going through what I thought was one of the scariest most painful experiences of my life.
I have been a "casual" drinker for about 5 years and it never has caused any trouble. Over the past two years though, I began drinking a little more (maybe 2 or 3 days per week swilling 3-4 beers per sitting, more on the weekends) About once a month, I would go on a drinking marathon on a weekend - killing off at least a bottle of 750ml Vodka or Whiskey by Sunday night. Still, by Monday morning I was pretty much fine. Well, this last "binge" I took had me drinking that amount per day for 4 days straight and I decided that's enough. I am lucky to be alive and to still have my job! I saw some other posts talking about you having to hit rock bottom before you can quit -
well, that was definitely the bottom for me!
When I decided to quit 5 days ago for good, I thought I must have the flu. I started doing some research online about my symptoms and found "alcohol withdrawal syndrome" by pure accident. I had never heard of it but the symptoms fit to a tee what was happening to me. I've had hangovers, but never anything like withdrawal. I had the shaking, sweating, flushed face, wild heartbeat, total insomnia, anxiety, skin crawling, scary images when I closed my eyes and very wild dreams (no nightmares though). As I learned too late, I probaly should have gone to a detox clinic - this shit can be deadly!
Well, now at day 5 it is all over. I feel fantastic. I am loving life.
I am sooooooo glad to have alcohol out of my system! I never ever want to go through that again and I do not want to ever drink again - ever.
I have pondered that just like other painful things I have gone through in my life, I might forget the severity and level of pain that this caused me. I do not want to forget this. I want to remember how bad it was. So, I decided to write a journal while I was going through the withdrawal - I wrote on several pages in as much detail as I could how horrible the withdrawal was day by day. The Horror! The Horror! If (I guess I should say when) I feel like having a drink in the future, I have the pain of withdrawal on paper to refer to. That's not my only motivation to stay sober, but it will help.
Sorry for the long post, just thought I would share my experience.
Good luck to you all!
"Kenny" m...@privacy.net
Day 12 for me and feeling good physically but am finding it difficult handling "friends" who are still drinking and inviting me to join them. One other thing is that during my last drinking bout one of these "friends" stole a considerable amount of money from me. I don't have proof in the legal sense but I am 100% sure. I have not confronted him as yet, he will deny it and I can't accuse without proof. I really don't know what to do here but I have got to resolve it some way. This is the type of thing I would use as an excuse to drink again, I would get drunk and THEN confront him leading to who knows what.
--
Kenny ...
Scott W woogawoog...@yahoo.com
In article <cghv7c$h6...@news7.svr.pol.co.uk>, m...@privacy.net says...
I've noticed that when I 'sober up' all those good ole drinking buddies want to get their hands on a little bit of your 'extra money'.
Drug dealers come out of the woodwork, too, cuz they KNOW that you're craving something to 'take the edge off'. Got to watch out for all those 'friends' out there. Well; I went for 100 days, crapped out for a week and now am getting back on my feet and already heard some sobstories from some drugdealers who are just trying to keep up on their fines. Goodtime buddies and girlfriends always want your around when they can 'suck you dry' err get you to pay for the gas and food. Falling off of the wagon is expensive enough as it is and now I'm struggling just to get some hours in during this payperiod so I can float my bank account for all the so-called 'pay day' loans to cover bills which are coming up in a few weeks again.
--
Set as Default Signature
Scott W woogawoog...@yahoo.com
Usually, it's just really miserable. What kind of weird shit did you see when you closed your eyes? I had very vivid images of really horrible shit that's so offensive to me I don't even wanna know how my brain could've generated! But I did meet my demons and they're real!
Becareful! It's usually at that point when you're feeling great that you might wanna 'little nip' of gasoline from the old liquor store. And they're always glad to see me back after horrible bout of sobriety.
--
Set as Default Signature
" readandpost?®" readandp...@yahooORhotmail.com
: ...
: > Hi there, I am new to this NG, just found it. Great info and : > discussions.
: > : welcome mark.......................besides writing in a journal, are you planning on doing anything else for your disease of alcoholism?
" readandpost?®" readandp...@yahooORhotmail.com
...
: Day 12 for me and feeling good physically that's great!
:but am finding it difficult : handling "friends" who are still drinking and inviting me to join them.
i made new friends when i started in recovery from alcoholism.
:................ This is the type of thing I : would use as an excuse to drink again, what are you doing to "treat" your alcoholism?
support group? AA meetings? what?
"Dan McGown" dmcg...@adelphia.net
One Well, that's one that won't change. I have a good and well meaning friend who sometimes tempts me just because he doesn't really undertsand.
Yesterday I had my 15 month birthday. He doesn't count the days, of course, and I didn't mention the 15 months, but he knew that it had been more than a year. He said: "Gee, you only got to drinking heavily because of your marriage and now you've been divorced to six months and you're doing fine.
If you can just quit drinking for a year, you must be okay. You could probably have a beer with us if you felt like it." I didn't flash on him. I just said: "What if I could and I stopped there?
On the other hand, what if I couldn't and I went right back to drinking all night, every night? A beer seems like a pretty small pleasure to justify the risk." That, he seemed to undertand.
"Fred Exley" fexly...@msn.com
I think I had the 'pre-DT's'. No hallucinations, but while resting, not quite asleep, some kind of prehistoric bird suddenly came right at me so fast it made me jump to avoid getting hit.
My sentiments exactly. Now I'm trying to remember from each relapse just what exactly tripped me up. In every case it was my thinking, not any particular event. I always get my confidence back up after a month or so dry, and quit going to meetings or these newsgroups. That's one action I'm going to take this time around -stay close to the meetings and ng's, for a constant reminder of the hell it was. -Fred
"JB" JBCa...@coldman.com
Hi Fred, Firstly, I hope that what I am about to say will not cause you to become offended.
From comments you've posted here, I've got the impression that you found Step 1 helpful. If you have chosen to follow the AA route to recovery and think you have done Step 1 to your satisfaction, do you think now would be a good time to move onto Step 2 ?
ATB JB
" readandpost?®" readandp...@yahooORhotmail.com
...
................. Now I'm trying to remember from each relapse just : what exactly tripped me up. In every case it was my thinking, not any : particular event.
congrats to you fred, for reaching this point!
way to be!
rosie
"Fred Exley" fexly...@msn.com
I'm there too, JB. The above action is in addition to believing only a higher power can keep me off the stuff. Thanks -Fred
"JB" JBCa...@coldman.com
Dear Fred, I've recently had cause to revisit Step 2 myself. In so doing, I've been thinking a great deal about the word "sanity"; what it means to me; looking at relevant posts on this NG and talking to my Sponsor.
Maybe you won't mind if I share two views on the word "sanity" that I re-discovered while Googling. At this time, I'll keep to myself the view which I favour: View 1.
"....... your post reminded me of my own struggles coming to terms with step two. Having experienced a psychic change from day one, when it dawned on my alcohol befogged mind that possibly I need never drink again, I temporarily "rewrote" step two, and changed the word "sanity" to the words "emotional maturity." After a little study, I recognised that in context, the "insanity" of step two referred to the insanity of taking the first drink, repeatedly, despite disastrous consequences.
Rewriting "insanity" back where it belonged, I then realised the operative word of the entire step was "could" (possibly) as distinct from "would" (***uredly.)"
--------------
View 2 "I know that alcohol causes me insanity. I knew that some years ago, but continued to drink anyway. To arrest the insanity I had to stop taking the substance I know causes it. But I was insane, so carried on drinking regardless. Why? Because I didn't like the person I'd become and yet the only way I knew how to avoid the feelings I was having to live with was to use drink to suppress them.
In getting sober, I had to learn how to live with myself and with bad things I had done, and was doing, and no doubt will do (because I'm human). I needed to realise I'm not perfect after all.
So, in order to become restored to "sanity" (whatever that is) I have to start by putting down the drink. But then I have to work on myself, with the help of my Higher Power. He helps initially by helping me not pick up a drink, but he helps in other ways that drive me mad too. I need to let go of anger and resentments. When I fail to do so, it hurts. I need to seek serenity, and I don't give it to myself. I feel these symptoms are all elements of my insanity, so I felt that Step 2 goes deeper than the insanity of just picking up a drink.
I'll think about this some more. But for me personally I feel Step 2 has more meaning than just the drink...just like for me personally the first part of Step 1 has more meaning than just alcohol."
-------
ATB JB
"Gail" sweetpawprints_...@hotmail.com
HA! HA!
JB, our resident private eye, is now working Fred's program for him.
"JB" JBCa...@coldman.com
Dear Gail, I've been told that no-one can work another person's recovery programme for them. Maybe you can think of a reason why they cannot do so.
JB
mrollings ...@yahoo.com (Mark)
Well, that is what I need to figure out. Sounds like AA is great for alot of people but it is not for me. I just don't like anything that is too structured - it makes me feel confined. I believe that is part of what drove me to drink - feeling confined by the structure of work and everyday life.
I feel like I need to focus on the things that made me drink, and address those instead of trying to fight alcoholism.
" readandpost?®" readandp...@yahooORhotmail.com
: : I feel like I need to focus on the things that made me drink, and : address those instead of trying to fight alcoholism.
that is one of my definitions of AA.................it was a place, full of wonderful people who helped me to find out WHY i drank and what i could do to change that!
i don't FIGHT my alcoholism anymore...............................
i hope you find the help that you need.
have you considered an ONLINE AA meeting with less structure?
http://www.aa-intergroup.org/ just a thought, rosie
cheggers2 ...@hotmail.com (Cheggers)
I'll add to those congrats Fred.
Chegg
cheggers2 ...@hotmail.com (Cheggers)
Notwithstanding the fact that you don't have legal proof, Kenny, what kind of a friend could this person be, I wonder? Perhaps it's worth the money to *do nothing* and therefore never have to deal with this person again? If you keep doing what you're doing now, presumably you won't be worried about this in five years time...
Anyway, you already know exactly what's going to happen - you said so yourself. Why bother?
Best Cheggs
"John Droge" jhdr...@earthlink.net
This is what AA does, but the thing may not be what you think. Most of us in AA (at least in my home group) say that the thing that made us drink is seen in the mirror--like Pogo said "We have met the enemy, and he is us". By the way how do you focus on the things that made you drink without fighting alcoholism? (serious question) Give AA a try, shop around for a group you feel comfortable in. AA can be as loose or as tight as you want it and that can change with time and growth.
Good Luck John
"Richard Brooks" richard.brook...@ntlworld.com
Post your issues on www.peoplesproblems.co.uk - it's a website for discussing issues, and learning from other's experiences.
...
Blue Moon mf...@hotmail.com
On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 12:38:53 -0500, "Gail" Such hypocrisy! Given the bullshit you got yourself into by trying to "save" a girl just because she was in "need", and your own subsequent insanity not least through failing to work your own program, in what way are you qualified to criticise anything anyone else tries to do or say for others?
--
Blue Moon
Blue Moon mf...@hotmail.com
On Thu, 26 Aug 2004 22:33:57 GMT, "Richard Brooks" This is not a spam newsgroup.
--
Blue Moon
" rosie" readandp...@yahooORhotmail.com
POT............................
--
rosie "I think Senator Kerry should be proud of his record. No, I don't think he lied." ....................................................GEORGE W. BUSH (8-25-04) ...
: On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 12:38:53 -0500, "Gail" : : >HA! HA!
: >JB, our resident private eye, is now working Fred's program for him.
: : Such hypocrisy! Given the bullshit you got yourself into by trying to : "save" a girl just because she was in "need", and your own subsequent : insanity not least through failing to work your own program, in what : way are you qualified to criticise anything anyone else tries to do or : say for others?
: : --
: Blue Moon
Blue Moon mf...@hotmail.com
On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 15:43:19 GMT, " rosie" What?
Where and when did I try to save someone and subsequently get myself into a load of insanity through failing to work my own program?
Until that happens, there's no pot, kettle or black in what I wrote, Rosie. Yours, yes. Mine, no.
--
Blue Moon
" rosie" readandp...@yahooORhotmail.com
ROTFLMAO!
google yourself, and see how you took gails inventory, while scolding her for doing the same thing!
yes, POT-KETTLE-BLACK "I think Senator Kerry should be proud of his record. No, I don't think he lied." ....................................................GEORGE W. BUSH (8-25-04) ...
: On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 15:43:19 GMT, " rosie" : : >POT............................
: : What?
: : Where and when did I try to save someone and subsequently get myself : into a load of insanity through failing to work my own program?
: : Until that happens, there's no pot, kettle or black in what I wrote, : Rosie. Yours, yes. Mine, no.
: : --
: Blue Moon
| To Top |