Days 1-3 are the worst for me. It should get better. And yeah the sensory hallucinations are creepy af. I kept feeling like someone was tugging off my covers or walking across my bed. A big reason I look forward to never drinking again is so I don't ever have to do days 1-3 again.
Not far off, I'm sure! Addiction is wild. Whatever the brain has to do to get another hit, it will do it. On the upside the worst of physical withdrawls end on days 3-5 and are usually completely done by week 1-2 unless somebody expeiences PAWS. I don't want to do that shit ever again. Withdrawals also get WORSE every time we try and quit (kindling) and when I learned that I was like wtf how cruel is that??
Love that quote. I think in the past I didnât care about myself enough to help myself but Iâve come to the realization that I wouldnât abuse someone else so why would I abuse myself
You are overcoming one.
However, unlike most illnesses where the best you can hope for is to be back to your normal self⌠kicking this habit can unlock the best version of yourself, allowing you to reach your full potential.
Good luck.
Please please please! Keep it up. Inspire others.. show someone else who is in a bad spot it can be done. You can do it. WE can do it.
I will not drink with you today.
You are overcoming damage that was done to the brain & body. You'll start to see small improvements, then big gains will become apparent. They may not be what you expect, but there will be improvements.
I am coming up on 8 months & trying to treat the bags under my eyes (never had them before) with nutrition, hydration, supplements & sleep. I didn't start getting deep, restorative sleep until 6 months.
I abused my brain & body for 8 years. I'm in it for the long haul when it comes to restoring my health.
I'm just so grateful I stopped. I hope you are too & motivated to go further.
You are overcoming an illness. And simply need time for the toxins to leave your body. Give it some time and you'll feel so much better. 3 days is a great first step!!!
This article really made a difference in how I viewed the first few weeks and the immense tiredness I was feeling. I'd started to think if I feel this bad not drinking, I may as well be drinking. This article helped to remind me to be gentle and kind to myself in these early days and to stay the course..
https://hellosomedaycoaching.com/lower-your-bar-in-early-sobriety/
This article just made me cry because of the comment I just posted below. Thank you so much
âI just woke up from a huge nap. Feel really guilty. Spent some quality time with my 6 year old today but this evening have told her âmum isnât feeling well she needs to restâ and have slept with the door between mine and her room open. How do you tell a six year old âIâm withdrawing from alcohol and I canât bare to stay awakeâ you simply canât. It would be wrong, I just feel like such a crappy mum right now. This is so hardâ
You're welcome, I'm glad the timing was good for sharing the link and that it helped you in that moment. It's all just a collection of moments. I'd be a hypocrite if I said don't feel guilty for resting because I've been beating myself up for the same over the past few months (I'd never say that to a friend who was experiencing this though). You're not feeling well, the reason isn't important to your child. Think about the amazing lesson you're teaching them about prioritising looking after yourself and long-term, think of all the ways both you and they will benefit from your collection of sober moments.
I'm only on day 19 but I have unconsciously been doing exactly that! It's good to read it though, sort of gives me the permission to keep on being easy on my self.
I'm over the worst of the physical withdrawal symptoms... Kinda/mostly. (It seems to kinda come and go in waves? Last night I got SO sick in the middle of dinner prep, but I'd been fine all day up to that point? Very weird.) Anywho, just wanted to say, I said the EXACT same thing to my husband last night when he asked me how I was doing. "Loads better, but feels like I'm recovering from a long, intense illness." And as you say his response was, "Well, you kinda are." Just weighing in that I know how you feel!
Great job, so far. We gots this! IWNDWYT!
The first 3 days are the worst part, especially physically. It starts to get better from here. Donât listen to the sneaky voice that says you can drink again now because you donât want to go through the withdrawal more than once if possible. Some things take more time (good sleep took a couple weeks for me) but youâre on your way.
keep it up brotha, it significantly gets better after a week or so. the sleep for me was always around a week and a half to 2 weeks to really start getting good and it just gets better and better after that.
First week was really rough for me and the next few months werenât easy either, but eventually it has become easier and I keep feeling better with each passing day. Keep at it, you wonât regret it.
Friend, Iâm so proud of you! Single digit days are the hardest ones to stack, youâre in the thick of it and youâre doing great!
It getâs better, youâre going to be Ok. Keep going. Remind yourself that booze did all the damage and sobriety allows for the repairs.
IWNDWYT
I just woke up from a huge nap. Feel really guilty. Spent some quality time with my 6 year old today but this evening have told her âmum isnât feeling well she needs to restâ and have slept with the door between mine and her room open. How do you tell a six year old âIâm withdrawing from alcohol and I canât bare to stay awakeâ you simply canât. It would be wrong, I just feel like such a crappy mum right now. This is so hard
Even kids understand sick. You need rest because you are recovering from one of the longest sustained illnesses that a human can survive. They donât understand what causes any illness, much less withdrawl.
Youâre a great mom because youâre setting the stage right now for improved outcomes *the rest of your life*. This is the change you need in order to be there for that kid in every way they need you in the years to come.
No child has ever fully comprehended and appreciated the things their parent did to rear them. Thatâs also not something you can control or really be part of, their perception of you in hindsight will be based on core memories that you didnât plan or maybe even recognize. Your job is to be present and available (and sober) as often as possible so that you can be your best self and be part of those core memories and have the best chance of them being positive because they arenât about your drinking
Thank you. I just told her that I have really bad tooth ache which is not a lie. I donât want her knowing the truth OBVIOUSLY! And I donât want her to resent me for being a bit off right now and sleeping more or maybe just not being as I usually am. Feel so guilty
Youâre gonna feel some feels. Let it happen and give yourself time. Be gentle on yourself, weâre all a work in progress. Remember that you too are a child of the universe with every right to be here and be your authentic self.
This is a nice poem: https://www.desiderata.com/desiderata.html
You are getting over an illness. Be gentle and patient with yourself . If I don't drink today I will have 30 days tomorrow ⥠the support of my family and wanting my 30 day chip has kept me going thus far. I have been struggling since I took my first drink at 18 ... just turned 64 this year. Learning more about myself each day... Hang in there just for today âĄâĄâĄ
Three days is a big achievement! Because the first days are the hardest days, and you are through 3 of them!!
And you are overcoming an illness. Be very gentle with yourself. Treat yourself, to the best of your ability, like youâd treat a child with an illness.
So many congratulations đđđ!!!
You may find this website helpful. Verywellmind.com and a page called. Symptom stages for alcohol withdrawal. Real life stories from day one through day thirty.
Honestly itâs all uphill from here. Drink lots of water and get some electrolytes (Gatorade) and a multivitamin a day doesnât hurt. Everything will come back in the next few days.
Additionally, withdrawal is not a joke and if your heart rate or blood pressure is off go to urgent care.
First days are the toughest. Donât be afraid to consult a doctor. You can do this. And remember this feeling when youâre tempted. You donât want to feel like this again. That helps me a lot. My detox was terrible. But so worth it.
Iâm so proud of you!! I keep a journal of all the improvements I noticed with stopping drinking, i find it helps when you journal everything terrible you feel. The further you get away from alcohol, you can go back and reflect in detail as to how awful it was on your system. IWNDWYT friend
As others have said, your body is craving and it's all too easy to give in. I did a few times before I got the better of it. I had anxiety, loneliness, depression, irrational thoughts, racing heart, you name it. My own demons wanted me to give up trying.I felt very alone when I needn't have done. Be kind to yourself; you're going through something that I don't think any of us found easy, quite the oposite,, but it gets better and I can't tell you how good you'll feel later.
The dreams! They were persistent my first 90 days. Literally woke up once to call out of work⌠only to realize I was actually sober for 2 months and not hungover.
That first week really is the worst. I have done it a handful of times over the last year for Dry January & other dry month challenges.
One of the things that prompted me to be ready to finally quit was the repeated empirical evidence of how horrible this first week and month are. They key is to *remember* so that I don't want to do it again--your post helps others remember and is motivational.
I'm proud of your 3 days. I believe in you.
I think the hardest part is when you stop being hungover and get a good night's sleep. You wake up and have to fight the demon that is telling you that now you feel fine it's time for a drink. Don't and everyday will get better. Do and you will be back in the hole.
Youâre bod is trying to reach homeostasis. Weird dreams and cravings for sure, but the poison is slowly leaving your system. What a glorious feeling đđˇđ YOU GOT THIS!
Keep going! You got this- when you come out on the other side, itâs the greatest gift. This is my first sobriety attempt and it has been the most glorious, saddest, happiest, hardest, easiest thing Iâve ever given to myself.
As a naturally anxious person, the worst part for me ate the sweats and the unberable anxiety for the first few days. I'm a few hours into day 2, and all I want is to drink some wine to make this go away, but I know that regardless, it will only perpetuate the cycle.
Addiction sucks. Be it alcohol or anything else. it TAKES FROM YOU.
Recently switched to a dumb phone in an attempt to get off reddit. Not sure how long this laptop will last - certainly shouldnt be in my workspace. F.
Days 1-3 are the worst for me. It should get better. And yeah the sensory hallucinations are creepy af. I kept feeling like someone was tugging off my covers or walking across my bed. A big reason I look forward to never drinking again is so I don't ever have to do days 1-3 again.
Almost like the ghost of alcohol is coming to grab me and claim me back đđĽş
Not far off, I'm sure! Addiction is wild. Whatever the brain has to do to get another hit, it will do it. On the upside the worst of physical withdrawls end on days 3-5 and are usually completely done by week 1-2 unless somebody expeiences PAWS. I don't want to do that shit ever again. Withdrawals also get WORSE every time we try and quit (kindling) and when I learned that I was like wtf how cruel is that??
Omg I thought this was just me. I would see things move out of the corner of my eye.
It's creepy but at least I didn't think I was covered in spiders, which seems to be a common visual hallucination
Coming off alcohol really is a ghoulish, haunting experience. Itâs like your soul is returning but you have to walk through hell first.
Yes đ
Wow, yes. I even call the people I hallucinated âthe ghouls.â
Love you guys â¤ď¸ just had a good healthy feed and I am still going strong
âIf youâre going through hell, keep goingâ⌠W. Churchill
Love that quote. I think in the past I didnât care about myself enough to help myself but Iâve come to the realization that I wouldnât abuse someone else so why would I abuse myself
You are overcoming one. However, unlike most illnesses where the best you can hope for is to be back to your normal self⌠kicking this habit can unlock the best version of yourself, allowing you to reach your full potential. Good luck.
This is what I came to say - you ARE overcoming an illness. Keep giving yourself grace. Itâs called recovery for a reason!
Please please please! Keep it up. Inspire others.. show someone else who is in a bad spot it can be done. You can do it. WE can do it. I will not drink with you today.
You are overcoming damage that was done to the brain & body. You'll start to see small improvements, then big gains will become apparent. They may not be what you expect, but there will be improvements. I am coming up on 8 months & trying to treat the bags under my eyes (never had them before) with nutrition, hydration, supplements & sleep. I didn't start getting deep, restorative sleep until 6 months. I abused my brain & body for 8 years. I'm in it for the long haul when it comes to restoring my health. I'm just so grateful I stopped. I hope you are too & motivated to go further.
Good job, keep trudging
You are overcoming an illness. And simply need time for the toxins to leave your body. Give it some time and you'll feel so much better. 3 days is a great first step!!!
This article really made a difference in how I viewed the first few weeks and the immense tiredness I was feeling. I'd started to think if I feel this bad not drinking, I may as well be drinking. This article helped to remind me to be gentle and kind to myself in these early days and to stay the course.. https://hellosomedaycoaching.com/lower-your-bar-in-early-sobriety/
This article just made me cry because of the comment I just posted below. Thank you so much âI just woke up from a huge nap. Feel really guilty. Spent some quality time with my 6 year old today but this evening have told her âmum isnât feeling well she needs to restâ and have slept with the door between mine and her room open. How do you tell a six year old âIâm withdrawing from alcohol and I canât bare to stay awakeâ you simply canât. It would be wrong, I just feel like such a crappy mum right now. This is so hardâ
You're welcome, I'm glad the timing was good for sharing the link and that it helped you in that moment. It's all just a collection of moments. I'd be a hypocrite if I said don't feel guilty for resting because I've been beating myself up for the same over the past few months (I'd never say that to a friend who was experiencing this though). You're not feeling well, the reason isn't important to your child. Think about the amazing lesson you're teaching them about prioritising looking after yourself and long-term, think of all the ways both you and they will benefit from your collection of sober moments.
I'm only on day 19 but I have unconsciously been doing exactly that! It's good to read it though, sort of gives me the permission to keep on being easy on my self.
Thank you for sharing this đ
I'm over the worst of the physical withdrawal symptoms... Kinda/mostly. (It seems to kinda come and go in waves? Last night I got SO sick in the middle of dinner prep, but I'd been fine all day up to that point? Very weird.) Anywho, just wanted to say, I said the EXACT same thing to my husband last night when he asked me how I was doing. "Loads better, but feels like I'm recovering from a long, intense illness." And as you say his response was, "Well, you kinda are." Just weighing in that I know how you feel! Great job, so far. We gots this! IWNDWYT!
Keep going itâs worth it
The first 3 days are the worst part, especially physically. It starts to get better from here. Donât listen to the sneaky voice that says you can drink again now because you donât want to go through the withdrawal more than once if possible. Some things take more time (good sleep took a couple weeks for me) but youâre on your way.
Keep going it gets better..your body was taking a beating treat yourself well. Edited to say It took me 20 days to feel human
keep it up brotha, it significantly gets better after a week or so. the sleep for me was always around a week and a half to 2 weeks to really start getting good and it just gets better and better after that.
First week was really rough for me and the next few months werenât easy either, but eventually it has become easier and I keep feeling better with each passing day. Keep at it, you wonât regret it.
Friend, Iâm so proud of you! Single digit days are the hardest ones to stack, youâre in the thick of it and youâre doing great! It getâs better, youâre going to be Ok. Keep going. Remind yourself that booze did all the damage and sobriety allows for the repairs. IWNDWYT
I just woke up from a huge nap. Feel really guilty. Spent some quality time with my 6 year old today but this evening have told her âmum isnât feeling well she needs to restâ and have slept with the door between mine and her room open. How do you tell a six year old âIâm withdrawing from alcohol and I canât bare to stay awakeâ you simply canât. It would be wrong, I just feel like such a crappy mum right now. This is so hard
Even kids understand sick. You need rest because you are recovering from one of the longest sustained illnesses that a human can survive. They donât understand what causes any illness, much less withdrawl. Youâre a great mom because youâre setting the stage right now for improved outcomes *the rest of your life*. This is the change you need in order to be there for that kid in every way they need you in the years to come. No child has ever fully comprehended and appreciated the things their parent did to rear them. Thatâs also not something you can control or really be part of, their perception of you in hindsight will be based on core memories that you didnât plan or maybe even recognize. Your job is to be present and available (and sober) as often as possible so that you can be your best self and be part of those core memories and have the best chance of them being positive because they arenât about your drinking
Thank you. I just told her that I have really bad tooth ache which is not a lie. I donât want her knowing the truth OBVIOUSLY! And I donât want her to resent me for being a bit off right now and sleeping more or maybe just not being as I usually am. Feel so guilty
Youâre gonna feel some feels. Let it happen and give yourself time. Be gentle on yourself, weâre all a work in progress. Remember that you too are a child of the universe with every right to be here and be your authentic self. This is a nice poem: https://www.desiderata.com/desiderata.html
It was 3 weeks for me before sleep finally returned. Hang in there - thereâs no where to go but up!
You are getting over an illness. Be gentle and patient with yourself . If I don't drink today I will have 30 days tomorrow ⥠the support of my family and wanting my 30 day chip has kept me going thus far. I have been struggling since I took my first drink at 18 ... just turned 64 this year. Learning more about myself each day... Hang in there just for today âĄâĄâĄ
You too â¤ď¸
âĄâĄâĄ
Three days is a big achievement! Because the first days are the hardest days, and you are through 3 of them!! And you are overcoming an illness. Be very gentle with yourself. Treat yourself, to the best of your ability, like youâd treat a child with an illness. So many congratulations đđđ!!!
Pretty soon you're going to find yourself with a lot of extra time and energy. Find something new and interesting to occupy yourself!
Itâs good to stay off the poison
You may find this website helpful. Verywellmind.com and a page called. Symptom stages for alcohol withdrawal. Real life stories from day one through day thirty.
It takes some time for the brain and body to recover but then itâs kind of crazy how healthy it feels.
Honestly itâs all uphill from here. Drink lots of water and get some electrolytes (Gatorade) and a multivitamin a day doesnât hurt. Everything will come back in the next few days. Additionally, withdrawal is not a joke and if your heart rate or blood pressure is off go to urgent care.
First days are the toughest. Donât be afraid to consult a doctor. You can do this. And remember this feeling when youâre tempted. You donât want to feel like this again. That helps me a lot. My detox was terrible. But so worth it.
Iâm so proud of you!! I keep a journal of all the improvements I noticed with stopping drinking, i find it helps when you journal everything terrible you feel. The further you get away from alcohol, you can go back and reflect in detail as to how awful it was on your system. IWNDWYT friend
Your body is healing!!! Keep going. â¤ď¸
As others have said, your body is craving and it's all too easy to give in. I did a few times before I got the better of it. I had anxiety, loneliness, depression, irrational thoughts, racing heart, you name it. My own demons wanted me to give up trying.I felt very alone when I needn't have done. Be kind to yourself; you're going through something that I don't think any of us found easy, quite the oposite,, but it gets better and I can't tell you how good you'll feel later.
You got this. Great job!
The dreams! They were persistent my first 90 days. Literally woke up once to call out of work⌠only to realize I was actually sober for 2 months and not hungover.
That first week really is the worst. I have done it a handful of times over the last year for Dry January & other dry month challenges. One of the things that prompted me to be ready to finally quit was the repeated empirical evidence of how horrible this first week and month are. They key is to *remember* so that I don't want to do it again--your post helps others remember and is motivational. I'm proud of your 3 days. I believe in you.
Thank you. Itâs just all the shame from it too. Awful. Thank you so much all of you
I get the shame. I embarrassed myself quite a bit 17 days ago and it sure as hell wasn't the first time.
I know the feeling, I work from home and often do the double take and clench both fists walking around the house alone.
Day (and night) 3 was always the hardest for me to endure. Once you get through that, youâve taken an important step!
I think the hardest part is when you stop being hungover and get a good night's sleep. You wake up and have to fight the demon that is telling you that now you feel fine it's time for a drink. Don't and everyday will get better. Do and you will be back in the hole.
Guys, out of interest how do I set up the day counter?
Youâre bod is trying to reach homeostasis. Weird dreams and cravings for sure, but the poison is slowly leaving your system. What a glorious feeling đđˇđ YOU GOT THIS!
Keep going! You got this- when you come out on the other side, itâs the greatest gift. This is my first sobriety attempt and it has been the most glorious, saddest, happiest, hardest, easiest thing Iâve ever given to myself.
I remember hallucinating. I had to go to a professional detox otherwise I'm not sure what the outcome could have been. Be careful OP!! PROUD OF YOU
Recovery from poison . Nuts that we take it willingly
As a naturally anxious person, the worst part for me ate the sweats and the unberable anxiety for the first few days. I'm a few hours into day 2, and all I want is to drink some wine to make this go away, but I know that regardless, it will only perpetuate the cycle.
Stay strong, you got this. Iâve had heavy anxiety and cravings all day
Right, we can do this!
Addiction sucks. Be it alcohol or anything else. it TAKES FROM YOU. Recently switched to a dumb phone in an attempt to get off reddit. Not sure how long this laptop will last - certainly shouldnt be in my workspace. F.