Please try to identify triggers that disrupt you, for some it's family tension, for others, well who knows.

Allow yourself to eat something instead.

Be mindful that any amount is too much.

I could go on, I don't want to preach, just do what your body and soul are telling you to do and knock it off.

Not to mention that having kids, even 10 years later, terrifies the shit out of me

I love them and that's why I feel this way

And, the chief trigger - - boredom

When I am involved in something my mind is off of it

I never want a drink at the gym, or while I'm driving, or while I'm working

I could get over the cravings - that's just a mind game

It's the withdrawals that are killing me

Not to say the solution is that simple, but it might be.

Depression is countered with physical activity, and boredom is by definition a lack of activity.

Walk. If it's raining then walk in the rain in a rain coat.

Or something else.

Don't be sedentary.

You can do it!

withdrawal can be dangerous, given multiple indiv. factors.
If it gets too high, you need to seek help.
3rd and 4th day are usually the toughest.

Ya know, in all my years in Sub. Abuse Treatment work, the single most common issue that clients identified was
"boredom".
what they meant was when they did have nothing to occupy their minds, they tended to sit around and worry and get anxious and restless.
Which is a problem that gets addressed in the recovery phase.

You have taken the biggest step, in that you recognized you were in a drinking pattern that is problamatic for you.
And that having withdrawals is indeed a sign of dependence.

I am SO wishing you luck.

Usually I get it to 130...so I had to go slower

at one point my BP was 235/185

yes. that isn't a typo. I didn't stroke out, but i could have. Alcohol detox is the only detox that can KILL you. so watch your blood pressure. and a bad head ache that doesn't ease up is a red flag.

I will be doing a fasting blood test tomorrow morning...so if something is dangerous they might tell me

you are having severe headache, very rapid pulse or very HBP.
But DO tell staff tomorrow that you are on Day x of abruptly (important word) abstaining from ETOH:
you are having ETOH withdrawal symptoms, including insomnia, anxiety, ( sweats????) anything else you notice.

420 makes some people's heart beat faster.

sativa, different story

sweats all night - covers on and I sweat, covers off and I shiver

feel free to take an many warm showers or hot baths as you feel like..
sorta our american version of a sweat lodge purification.


See if helps just to observe what your body is doing, and listen to it and focus on NOW, pull your thoughts away from
"futuring" when you notice that happening.
A nice gentle Zen approach, it really really helps.

However, quantum physics suggests there is no past, only future....

on the outside it says:

Happy Zen birthday..
there is no past
there is no furture

and on the inside it says:
"there is no present".

as is the nervous energy.

they will pass, but not quickly without medical intervention. I think it was a few weeks before i started sleeping again for any length of time.

you have done a lot already Tav, this is just the next thing. look for online real time sobriety communities. In the Rooms is a good one, deals with all the 'isms' ( http://www.intherooms.com/ )

the worst of it is the first 72 hours, so you're almost home.

hang in there, reach out, take it a heartbeat at a time.



edit to add, eat some sugar. candy, ice cream, cake anything with real sugar. it will help a LOT with the cravings.

I cannot lie, 420 has helped me

But I do not need to control my 420 - I need to control my drinking

see my edit.

sugar REALLY helps the jitters.

Fear, Fellowship and a high sugar diet kept me sober the first 3 months I think.

21 years (and 25 pounds) later, i'm still sober

Drinking it on your recommendation!

i have had friends who had a daily ritual of their 1/2 pint Ben & Jerrys or milkshake.

it really does help

try to do orange juice, fruit juice, anything high in natural sugar.
reason is, your body turns alcohol into sugar, and your body becomes used to a certain amount of it, and is craving the source it is familiar with.
You can deal with sugar reduction later down the road, right now abstinence from booze is the goal.

Thhink how good you will feel to take back control of your life.

who don't even know you but are keeping you in our thoughts. Here's to recovery!

Last edited Sat Jun 1, 2013, 04:29 PM - Edit history (1)

I found that when I managed to control it, I wasn't enjoying it, I just wanted more. Anyway, so true for me. I keep it in my head as an acronym "CoEnBo" - for Control Enjoy Both. YMMV.

(On Edit I should say this doesn't apply to many A.A.-ers -- some are not capable of ANY controlled drinking sessions. As for me, I was able to, *sometimes*, but none of those controlled sessions were ones that I remembered with any particular positive feelings -- they were kind of blah, particularly having the enjoyable feelings of a minor buzz being cancelled out by the desire for the next one).

Another one: If I have the 1st drink, I'll want the 2nd drink more than the first. And the 3rd drink more than the second. And and ... Acronym: 1 < 2 < 3 < ...

Good luck!