Do any of you have any advice on ways to deal with initial mood-swings and crankiness that comes about when first quitting?
I got into the stupidest fight with my girlfriend today and totally bit her head off. I was a going to eat a piece of pizza but all the small plates were in the dishwasher. I noticed her plate from breakfast on the counter so I just used it. Halfway through eating I realized that the plate was completely clean, not a crumb on it, so I asked her "what did you eat off of this?". I could instantly tell by the look on her face that the plate she watched me pick up off the counter and eat my food off of was not from her breakfast. She said "Oh I had apple pie last night". I asked her "Why is it so clean? Did you rinse it?" she said "Um, uh, not exactly." Just as I had suspected she let our dog lick it clean and then put it on the counter. I was really, really grossed out and pissed off. There was a lot of yelling and insulting of intelligence. I guess you could say I overreacted. I would have never freaked out if I wasn't so cranky from lack of booze. I still would have been grossed out (the dog licks his own junk for crying out loud) but I wouldn't have been so mean about it.
Anyhoo...I just had to get that off of my chest. I feel better now but any advice would be helpful. Someone told me to try St. Johns Wort but I don't know if putting anything in my body that isn't food is a good idea right now.
This is the filthy beast whose saliva and dog breath I consumed :|
-- Edited by Tipsy McStagger on Thursday 30th of July 2009 12:43:50 PM
not sure how helpful this will be - but here goes - try the serenity prayer, in your head right at the point when you are gonna loose it - or just say straight - "i need to walk away right now"- and then try an affirmation which helps.
HALT always helps me to remember why i'm struggling - Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired at the point when i'm about to lose it at least 3 of these are going on for me!
My dog eats cat pooh out of the litter, then licks my face while asleeps, I've had counselling, but that dog looks so cute, I think I'd get over it, By the way I got food poisoning today from a top class hotel, so I think your friend's house was a lot more hygienic,
You sound like a good guy, as opposed to any "spaz" with one heck of a good sense of humor, that just shares the same reason we are here and for the...Problem with not being able to stop, once we start drinking, like.......... Alcoholism.
Are you planning of going tonight or tomorrow, in the Meetings, they are just like all of us here, including you, just have to take the time to get to know them.
Was just thinking about that window of opportunity, and hope you go before you think it over and change your mind. Hope you will go , we all do.
PS: Dont know if it is now accepted, but what helped me a lot when I was going thru that initial withdrawal, I had a bunch of Milky Way candy bars, ( my favorite) and ate about 6 a day, it helped with the body craving that sugar from the Alcohol I had just stopped drinking. Think it helped more with the Cravings, but the mood swings are going to be there, to some degree. You've conditioned your body to respond to most everything with drinking, and the real goal in Recovery always is balance, but that is hard to find in the early days, BUT IT DOES PASS.
Drinking lots of water, getting some good exercise would help too. And the MOST beneficial thing, my opinion, is to take that question into a meeting, and BRING it up. Are there any Newcomers Meetings near you. That would be a big plus, but back to what I started to say, that talking about anything, from a bad mood swing, or a resentment, always takes most of the Power out of whatever it is that is going on. I have done that so many times, and it amazes me, how it was "red hot" when I walked in, and when I left, almost like what was that I said, many times, even now forgotton.
Toodles again, and have to say, even with his faults as you see them, that is one adorable little doggie.
toni
-- Edited by toni baloney on Thursday 30th of July 2009 07:52:09 PM
not sure how helpful this will be - but here goes - try the serenity prayer, in your head right at the point when you are gonna loose it - or just say straight - "i need to walk away right now"- and then try an affirmation which helps.
lmao, Tipsy is about 1.25 anxiety attacks away from a straight jacket and some thorozine j/k
Hey TM, you got any cats? you know how those dogs like to munch on the liter box.
TM... there are lots of stuff you will learn over time in the program some of which I learned also...Feelings are choices...you always get to choose the one you want to have at the moment. If you're feeling crappy and set upon you've chose to feel that way. Also when I am feeling crappy I also spend a lot of time trying to "set someone up" for an argument or fight. Leave others be and take care of what I am allowing to take me down. Another was that the world wasn't waking up in the morning with my name at the top of the list; everyone ready to just piss me off or generally give me a bad time. There's lots more however it comes at me best from inside the meetings or face to face with a sponsor.
Have a favoring slogan of mine...for free!! I got it for free also...ready" "Don't react!!" Give yourself 3 - 4 seconds between the trigger and your reaction and give what you'd like to receive. And if you have any doubt at all that you will not respond is an acceptable manner...Don't, respond!! When in doubt...Don't!!
It's a wonder to me now how far I've gotten away from the "Dog butt" issue. I'm gonna have to be more alert now.
I use two methods for mood-swings anxiety etc... the first is counting..I'll count in my head until I calm down (Usually for line cutters or traffic snarls or stuff like that) for bigger stuff I ask my self "Will this harm small children? Or matter for eternity?" If the answer is no -- I apply the HALT (Hungry/angry/lonely/tired) as already mentioned --usually for me I am lonely)
You know you're going to have the mood swings. I know I'm going to have the mood swings....and so does everyone else. The best part about a good person is that after a short time passes your relalize, 'god that was dumb', apologize, and be on your way. A LOT of people can NOT do that. The fact that you did (or it seems that you did) makes you a very fine person : )
Damn! Man! How many times have you traveled this road? You really should know the answers to your own questions by now! LOL
Whoa...maybe you should consider asking for some advice about mood-swings ya big grouch! And if I had found the answers do you think I would've had to travel the road "so many times"?
-- Edited by Tipsy McStagger on Tuesday 4th of August 2009 12:32:31 PM
j/k 
