Emotions

[LibraryGirl]

I have noticed that my emotions are so on the surface these days, I cry at the drop of a hat, and god forbid something major happens. I literally fall apart. Is it because of the changes my body is going through after being AF or something else? I have been more or less AF since February 23. I say more or less because I did have wine on 4 or 5 occasions but never more than 3 drinks, and only one the last time, and none for over 30 days to begin with. I am not trying to debate whether I've been 3 months AF or 1 day. The point is, the effects of drink 1/2 or 3/4 of a 750 ml bottle of rum every night should be gone.

So, are my hormones completely out of whack or is this normal in the journey to AF? Experienced ppl please reply, as well as anyone else who wants to weigh in.

[JackieClaire]

Emotions

Aww LG,hun.:l

I reckon completely normal. We've battered our bodies for so long with alcohol that it takes a while to return to normal. I can't put a time on it as we're all so different ( thank goodness).

I was exactly like you when I first went AF. Happy as a sand boy one minute and the depths of despair the next. I know you've been a bit poorly lately so that may make it a bit harder at the moment but honestly it will pass.

J x
:l

[Rusty]

Emotions

Hi LibraryGirl,

I have been following your journey avidly, as I was so impressed with your honesty and bravery when you posted in "Tell Us Your Story,"...it was so compelling that ever since then, whenever I see your name, I click on your post.

Good job on all your AF days.:goodjob: As far as your emotions being all over the map...it could be one, some or all of several things: hormones......I don't know how close you are to menopause, but that could be one reason. I'm 51 and have been on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for 2 years, and it helps tremendously with my emtions, as I suffer from horrible anxiety. I know you mentioned on another thread that you had been suffering from horrific intestinal/stomach problems and for me, that's enough to make me bawl any day. But what is probably happening is that when you were drinking so heavily, when a crisis happened, or not even a crisis maybe.....anything the LEAST bit stressful/uncomfortable, you drank on it. .......you start sipping, and before you know it, the bottle is half gone and you've passed out, right? So, you don't DEAL with anything...you just get numb and sit there, right? I know I did.

When we are AF, we don't use AL as a crutch, we feel all the emotions of the situations, good or bad, sad or happy. My sober-for-a-decade friend says when she first stopped drinking (not on her own....her husband forced her to go to rehab), she cried A LOT, because she felt like she had lost her best friend. She had soooo many hours to fill in her week, but then she switched from Deprivation to Gratitude Thinking, she was much better. But she still had find things to fill her day, because she was a stay-at-home-mom (to a teenager) at the time.

Keep reading and keep posting, and PM me if you need to talk some more.

[LibraryGirl]

Emotions

Thank you sweet ladies. I am still suffering from the intestinal problems. Ugh. That alone is enough. I need to also consider HRT, as I'm quite certain some of what I suffer is pre-menopausal.

I will write more later when I'm feeling a bit better, but thank you so much for your replies and considerate thoughts. You are the best, and I feel blessed to be here.

[hillsidetime]

Emotions

Hi Library girl,
you certainly got some great ideas to think about from JC and Rusty. From a man's perspective, I too remember the transition stage from drinking to living sober. The brain goes through a great deal of changes. Not having the poison of alcohol is one thing. Another, is the fact that sugar is essentially a poison to us as well, so not having the sugar in our system all the time takes a while to get used to. These are real physiological adaptations that affect us in many ways. Learning how to sleep well, sober, can also take some time.

I think, I used to drink whenever the emotional times got tough. So I didn't really deal with anything, I just got drunk. If we chose to face our problems, and think about them, and work through them, we are bound to experience a whole host of emotions. This process took me a while to get used to, but now I wouldn't change it for the world.

Take care,
Hill

[angel77]

Emotions

Hi Librarygirl,

I noticed I was a lot more sensitive and got irritated by things I normally didn't get irritated by when I stopped drinking. I don't think the alcohol completely leaves our system, until about 3 days after drinking. So you are not thinking as clearly as when you have no alcohol in your system and are still a little bit numb, and that could be why when you stop drinking or are drinking a lot less everything is still the same but you are thinking more clearly and have nothing numbing your emotions. I'm not really that experienced, but I guess I'm just going on how I feel now that I've stopped drinking. Hope you are feeling better today! xx

[K9Lover]

Emotions

Hi LG!

How are you feeling today? I hope your intestinal issues are getting better...I was in the exact same place as you a few weeks ago and it is NO FUN! Is the yogurt helping at all? As far as emotions go, I was a MESS the first month when I quit. My poor kid walked on eggshells around me, and I felt like I was always apologizing to her, telling her "I'm sorry, you know what I'm going through is not easy". She was patient with me, and now I'm a lot more stable. I hope things even out for you soon too...they should if you just keep at it. I know you will, I have faith in you!

K9

[SKendall]

Emotions

, Hi LG. I think it takes a while for our bodies to balance out. In 7 Weeks of Sobriety the list of supplements, etc. really helped me. Gaba is one of them, as well as otc probiotics for intestinal problems. I hope you start feeling better soon.

[Byrdlady]

Emotions

I will chime in with the rest of the group. Your emotions will be all over the place until you hit about 90 days....it's nuts, someone mentioned feeling fragile recently and that is the truth. You are finding your way and dealing with stuff that has been swept under the rugs for a long time. But you know what? It DOES get sorted! The bad stuff goes in one corner and the immediate stuff goes in another and before you know it...things look pretty dam good! You will have good days and bad days...but you will never have 2 bad days in a row. Hang tough and fight thru it, it is so worth it. Byrdie

[LibraryGirl]

Emotions

Thanks for all the input guys. I am feeling a wee bit better, stomach wise. I think the yogurt is helping. I need another case, because I ate the last one this morning. I'm not used to keeping yogurt that handy, lol. It's like making sure there's AL in the house ffs!:H

Yeah my emotions are a bit better as well...It comes and goes, so I know it will come back. I saw pics from our family get together, and boy do I look like a porker. If I look better than I did while downing AL by the half gallon every night, then I shudder to think what my friends and family were looking at before. That's what drinking like a fish for 10+ years will do to you (not to mention not giving a rat's ass about what I ate, or whether I exercised at all).

So that's kinda where I am. Feeling a little better, but depressed that I have so far to go to get to LOOKing better, lol.

LG

[K9Lover]

Emotions

LG - LOL at keeping yogurt handy. I know the feeling...I have to go to the store at lunch today and stock up again. You're right, I'm counting yogurt cartons like I used to count beer bottles...doing the math and seeing if I have enough. Better yogurt than beer though eh?

My 10+ years of drowning in alcohol wasn't kind to me either....I don't have many pictures of those days because frankly, I wouldn't go anywhere picture-worthy. Thank goodness because I shudder to think of what those pictures would look like. Be patient with yourself, in time you will start focusing on all the little things again. I know it took me a long while, but now I pamper myself...too much probably. And I always say, "for what?", to impress the dogs? LOL Seriously, I do it for me. You will too. Be patient. Now have some yogurt! LOL

K9