JUST STARTED TODAY

[TLK]

:new: HELLO, I AM STARTING MY PROGRAM WITH A BANG. ON JAN 31ST, 2006 I TOOK A LOAD OF SLEEPING PILLS WITH A LOAD OF GIN.

i'VE BEEN DRINKING HEAVILY TO EASE MANY STRESSFUL SITUATIONS THAT HAVE COME UP IN MY LIFE IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS. HOWEVER IT HAS JUST RECENTY BECOME OUT OF CONTROL.

TODAY I HAD THE COURAGE TO GO TO MY DOC AND TELL HER THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT MY HEAVY DRINKING AND SHE AGREED TO PUT ME ON THE TOPIRAMATE.

I HAVE NOT HAD A DROP TO DRINK SINCE THE 31ST, DID NOT HAVE WITHDRAWALS, BUT AM NOT EXPERIENCING BAD CRAVINGS IN THE EVENINGS (MY USUAL BOOZING TIME)

IF ANYONE HAS ANY TIPS FOR A NEWBIE, I'M ALL EARS. ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT WHERE INSOMNIA HAS BEGUN TO RULE MY WORLD.

TLK

[mangroval]

JUST STARTED TODAY

Great decision!
Sounds very familiar. For support I used to go to AA- meetings, which are great. There are nothing more relieving like understanding that you are NOT ALONE. It might work for you also.
I used to suffer greatly of insomnia. But for me it was not the lack of sleep that was bad. It was being lonely with my mind going round and round the same routines, same self-disgust, tormenting about same failures and short-comings. Well after spending time with AA I got my thoughts out of it.
Also life change in other ways helped.
I f I couldn't get sleep I went walking or did push-ups or anything. At the I ended going in night clubs to dance like crazy (not the brightest of places if you want to avoid drinking, but for some reason it worked for me) For some reason I did not mind looking probably stupid. It was the energy of music that overwhelmed me.
Dancing actually replaced my cravings to drink... Better addiction I think!

[betty boop]

JUST STARTED TODAY

Hi TLK, & :welcome:

Well done for taking this step .............

My 1st day AF were the same, I couldn't sleep, I felt that I needed the booze to make me sleep, but It will eventually kick in and you will catch up on sleep ..............

When i'm craving in an evening I tend to come on here, and the thing that works for me is tellling myself how good i'm going to feel in the morning .....

All the best, Paula xxx :h :l

[Java]

JUST STARTED TODAY

I too cant sleep so i just exercise so much that my body makes me go to sleep in the evening it still takes some time to fall asleep but not nearly as long as before.

[weemelonhead]

JUST STARTED TODAY

Hi TLK and a big welcome...yup, I think many of us can relate to time spent in insomnia land! The body gets so used to having booze as a sedative, it really seems like it's completely lost the plot about how to get to sleep without it.
I take 5htp in the evening which takes the edge off it, and have used sleeping meds once or twice when I've got really frustrated, but prefer to stick to the 5htp, as I like o keep it as natural as possible.
There are some good self hypnosis tapes/cds available also, either from here, or from normal outlets, which, when used on headphones in your bed can sometimes help you drift off.
I also use a breathing technique that I was shown when I went for a counselling session with a Human Givens therapist...lie in your bed, and breathe in as slowly and deeply as you can, pushing out the stomach to allow as much air as possible to fill the lungs. Hold the breath for as many seconds as you can comfortably, and then SLOWLY let it out again, counting seconds in your head as you do so...apparently the slower you can exhale and inhale, the better this technique works, it feels a bit weird at first, as though you are going to burst, but when you get into the swing of it, your rythmn becomes smooth, and each in/out breath can take about 30 seconds....if this doesn't put you to sleep, it DOES calm you...
I would agree with Mangroval and Newgrl too, as much exercise as possible during the day will really help...if you're not too fit, walk briskly...exercise doesn't always have to be about charging 40 kms and then swimming to Bolivia and back before breakfast...start on something that suits you and build up...
Hope you find something that will encourage those zeds to come visiting!!! Weemelonhead xx

[hidden_gem]

JUST STARTED TODAY

Hi TLK,

After about 3 days AF I started getting awful tingles in my feet and hands when I went to sleep, and also horrible thoughts.

I started taking melatonin (which you can get from a health food store) and I slept much better.

Last night (day 22 AF) I didn't take the bedtime dose, and I found it difficult to get to sleep - got the restless feeling again. So to me that shows that the melatonin was really working.

You've already got lots of great suggestions from others, this is just an extra one!

Gem x

[hidden_gem]

JUST STARTED TODAY

PS

Just reread that post...

The horrible thoughts were in my HEAD... not my feet and hands... haha!

Gem x

[Lotus]

JUST STARTED TODAY

:welcome: TLK

Unfortuntely, insomnia is something that I am too sufferring from. I can't seem to get a deep sleep like before, but as I said in another post, I still am feeling more refreshed (even after a few hours sleep) than I would have been if I'd woken from a night of drinking.

I was temted to try sleeping pills, but I think I start exercising as Newgrl suggested.

All the best TLK

Mandy x

[southernbelle47]

JUST STARTED TODAY

Sleep is a problem here also.

I've started taking melatonin before bedtime. Sometimes I also take a benadryl. The melatonin is a 5mg that I cut in half.

I've tried sleeping pills, (Ambien) and Ativan...They both work but I don't want to depend on precription drugs..I've been working on this over a year. Be patient with yourself..

Nancy:l

[Popeye]

JUST STARTED TODAY

Hello TLK and Welcome.
My sleeping pattern has changed a lot recently, but I find that I can handle it quite well. As Mandy said, I'm also waking refreshed, which is an enjoyable change.

[irishlady]

JUST STARTED TODAY

I have been sleeping much better since I stopped drinking, but I was still waking up every few hours, so now I also take melatonin about half an hour before I go to bed and I have been getting the best sleep I have had in years.....