The cycle

CAM72 · Member

The cycle

Jane05 · MIP Old Timer

Wow!! I needed you today. I know where you are and it is awful. When we share things like this, we are helping others. Thank you! I think I started feeling some better after the first couple of months. Sleep was a problem for about a month. But,you sound like you're doing better than I was. It was suggested and I did try to eat good things and drink plenty of water. (don''t forget the sugar pick me ups) If you drink coffee you might think about a cut off time. I found if I didn't drink coffee after 2:00pm I did sleep a little better.

If you haven't talked with your doctor you may want to tell him what you're doing and he can give you some medical advise. My doc, said I would just have to go through it. He's not a member of AA, but he is a hard-nose.

Anyway, thank you again you helped to remind me of what it might be like again if I pick up a drink. The problem for me is that if I pick up a drink I might not have a chance to get sober again.

((hugs)) & ((prayers))

toni baloney · Senior Member

Hi Cam,

And Welcome!!!

When at your meetings, have you looked and/or asked for a Sponsor?? Could even be a temporary Sponsor.

You taked about a cycle, but what I read sounded like DETOXING, and that is hard for all of us. Talking to another Alcoholic, sharing it at group level, would help I believe.

I lived near and shared a few times at a Detox center about 10 years ago, and the average person would stay in this Detox Center for 5 to 6 days, so maybe that was a clue that this DETOX will not last too long. How long has this been going on, and how long have you not had a drink????

Tough to go through, but it will get better, also do you have a copy of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, reading the first 164 pages would help calm you, possible.

Just very happy you are here sharing this with us.

A big Hug to you, Toni

-- Edited by toni baloney on Thursday 23rd of April 2009 04:23:31 PM

Dave Harm · Senior Member

I don't think anybody starts right away with a "normal" sleep cycle. When I drank, I didn't sleep for years - I just past out.

There are some simple things to try which can help. An hour or so before bed time go for a nice walk. Try some herbal teas and of course prayer and meditation. If you still can't sleep don't lay in bed. Get up and do something. I use to always leave some dirty dishes in the sink and told myself that if I couldn't sleep, I'd get up and do the dishes. It's amazing how fast I went to sleep, though I woke up in the morning to a sink of dirty dishes.

One of the first things I did when I sobered up was to get a complete physical. Which included blood work and other odd tests. I abused my body for so many years that I needed to know the extent of the damage. My doctor was more then willing to help after I told him that I was an alcoholic.

One thing I had right away were the "shakes." So by going to the doctor I was able to have it documented. In time my shakes didn't go away, in fact, at times they got worse. To make a long story short I ended up being diagnosed with Essential Tremors.

There are different prescriptions for it, but most doctors will tell you that a glass or two of wine, or a mix drink will stop the Tremors. All those years I was self-medicating myself. My point is don't be afraid of going to the doctor. It could be something medically wrong that can be "fixed." If he knows that he's dealing with an addictive personality, he won't prescribe something that can damage your sobriety.

Doll · MIP Old Timer

Sleep? What's that! I didn't 'sleep' for the 25 yrs I drank. I passed out and came to~ it took a lot of months for me to adjust. I found that haveing a routine helped. Bedtime the same every night and get up at the same time every morning, 7 days a week, even weekends. I napped when my body called for it. Rule of thumb from some old timers in my HG, 'it takes about 1 month of sobriety for every year of drinking before 'normal' anything will begin to happen." LOL

Not sure how much sober time you have, but gotta agree, it sounds more like detoxing than sleep deprived.

Rest when you can. If you can see a doctor, please do so......But, most important DON"T drink and it will get better. This too shall pass.

Hugs

Jen

Jerry F · MIP Old Timer

Aloha Cam...

You got the nasties and it's not fatal unless you attempt to bury them with alcohol
again. The nasties didn't kill me and I don't know of any other alcoholic I have met
on this journey who got taken down by them.   Those that did were drunk at the
time. Too bad!!

When you quit drinking you quit a lifestyle and maybe just maybe your new lifestyle
is sooo different that your mind, body, spirit and emotions are screaming "what the
hell is happening?"   That's part of what I learned and the understanding of that
helped me to focus and replace the addiction with meetings...kinda like a trade off
but much more healthy.   Hanging around with the oldtimers back then comforted
me and gave me hope that some day I'd be okay...better than I was then and it
was true for me. Keep going to meetings, read the Big Book...slowly, talk to others
in recovery and get a sponsor and hang withit all until you get relaxed and tired.
It will happen and then sleep will come.

Be honest with your Doctors...most of them respect the disease of alcoholism. They
have seen worse cases than yours.   Meds for a medical condition are not for
partying. They are when taken as prescribed to help you (in this case) rest and
sleep.   Honestly I am going thru your condition myself and besides the shakes,
nightmares, paranoia, psycotic dreams, lack of sleep, tiredness, inability to focus,
irritability, anxiety (more?) I have not medicated with alcohol which is a depressant
and us to depress this stuff for me before. I am now on one half of a dose of a
pseudo Ambien and a light anti-depressant just before I go to sleep. You don't
party on this stuff but then again I am more useful to myself and my fellows and
to my HP when I get up in the morning after 8 to 9 hours of bottom of the pit
sleep. I kicked the other earlier stuff because my wife would signal me that I
acted and looked drunk. That was terrible for me because I didn't have the feeling
LOL.

Relax and let go and Let God...the anxiety is normal because of the lack of
alcohol.   Keep coming back here and read the book.

(((((hugs))))) smile

pinkchip · MIP Old Timer

It took me about 4 months to get back to a normal sleeping pattern. My alcoholism was tied up very much with sleep like everyone else is saying here. It was so hard to put one foot in front of the other for the first couple of months. I reminded myself that I used to function (moderately) somehow at work with a bad ass hangover for the majority of most days, so lack of sleep would not kill me. That is the only time when I actually looked back on my past drinking and drew some strength from it. I started getting sober on a host of psychotropic medications. I found that I actually had to stop taking them at night because my body would no longer allow itself to be medicated to sleep. By themselves, most meds that would give me an instant high or relaxation tend to have the opposite effect. This tells me I am a true addict. Pain killers, antihistamines, and benzodiazapines (xanax, klonopin, valium, ativan) all make me euphoric and hyped or they knock me out for a couple hours and I am up ready to party. It was counterintuitive but when I stopped taking klonopin at night (which mixed with alcohol was the only way I slept before), I started sleeping normally again. Very strange, but that's how it happened. I still have a few restless nights, but again, I know I used to function on ZERO sleep and a hangover sometimes so I get through it and that fatigue is infinitely better than the drunken hungover kind.

Sylver · Newbie

I will give you an advice I received from a Friend. Whenever you can not go to sleep turn on some cartoons and laugh your ass off! When you laugh you are working all the muscles of your body and you relieve all tensions. I do not know where you are right now, but hopefully you have the channel for Cartoon Network. The road runner and & the Tweety bird always made me laugh...