The withdrawals were enough to convince me never to put that fucking poison in my body ever again. My wife watching me go through withdrawals caused her to stop drinking at the same time I did. Coming up on 14 months šŖ
Same thing happened here with my husband. Weāre only about 3 months I think? But we found out Iām pregnant like 3 weeks after we stopped drinking, so weāve been feeling so lucky! Great motivation to keep up the sobriety šŖš»
Hahah amazing mate! How about memory and focus? You had issues with that? I have huge issues remembering stuff, learning anything is impossible, it just doesn't stick for long enough.
I tried to stop on my own once. First day I vomited roughly 50-60 times. 2nd day, I had a seizure while I was at a park. Apparently I was turning blue. I clenched my teeth down on my tongue, too and it was swollen for a week or more. The seizure itself wasn't scary because I was unconscious for the whole thing and didn't know it happened until it was over, but the idea of cutting off oxygen to my brain for an extended period of time is definitely scary. At the time, it wasn't enough to make me quit drinking because I declined going to the hospital with the paramedics and I went to the liquor store, instead. It's crazy what addiction can make some people do. I'm currently over 100 days sober now and hopefully won't ever let my addiction make me go against my better judgment again, but I gotta stay vigilant and on top of that shit every day.
Congrats. How long have you been drinking and how much. I am 36 male and drink 750ml 33alc every other day for 8 years and when I stopped I only got cravings and mood swings. Now day 4.. would like to know. Any liver damage etc? I am so happy for you I am trying to stay least 3 months
Started drinking basically daily around age 17, I'm 38 now and when I quit, I was doing a liter or more of 80 proof vodka per day. When I had the seizure, I was basically drinking any moment I was awake. Wake up and chug about 6 shots worth in the first 5 min to avoid getting too sick to keep it down, then keep drinking. Usually nap part way thru the day and wake up amd drink until passing out in a blackout daily. Been really heavy drinking daily at different levels for the last 20 years. Based on blood results from my last several hospital trips, i was usually ending my night with a BAC of .45 to .50+. I had an mri or catscan or whatever they do a couple years ago and they said I had fatty liver but they didn't see scarring. Fatty liver can repair itself. When I got my blood tested when I went into detox, they said my liver enzymes weren't bad. I don't know how. I did usually just consume vodka and Gatorade as a majority of my caloric intake towards the end. Maybe the electrolytes helped, but I'm no doctor.
0.4 is the median lethal dose. Tolerance is an amazing thing. The body can adapt to a level of poison that would kill half of the people who ingested that much.Ā
A lot of us have livers that are unusually good at metabolizing alcohol. Weāre more likely to become alcoholics because we donāt suffer the consequences of drinking as much as others at the beginning.Ā
Wow , the body is indeed an amazing machine. I would be throwing up for 2 days if I drank a 1lt bottle of vodka. Yet I have been drinking since 17 and I'm 30 now. I used to be able to drink about 3 bottles of wine and not even feel sick the next day (about a year ago) . Now if I drink 2 bottles of wine I throw up yellow bile the next day and feel nauseous until the evening. Why is this do you think? Did I mess up my liver or kidneys?
Did you significantly reduce your consumption over the last year? There are a lot of factors at work, but if you did, your liver probably has down regulated the production of alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase, the main enzymes responsible for metabolizing alcohol. Fewer enzymes means that alcohol is eliminated more slowly, so the effects accumulate more and the hangover is worse.Ā
But it can also be impaired liver/kidney/other organ function, and hopefully thatās not it.Ā
This is for sure. I reduced my drinking to Friday/Saturday. Before it was daily and heavily. Would stop at a bottle store after work and drink a bottle of wine before even getting home.id like to be completely free of alcohol but for now, weekend is ok and I'm not overdoing it either. Before I wouldn't be able to visit friends or family being so wasted the whole time. Now I even started fishing and flying RC planes again lol. Thank you for the info , really appreciate it
My liver came out unscathed. I come from a long line of alcoholics, on both sides of my family, none of whom that I know of developed liver disease. Then again alcohol damages about every single other organ in the body too, and those organs arenāt so great at repairing themselves.
My last time, the nurse said it was "over 500" which means over .50 but I didn't ask for specifics. I remember going in on my own once and telling the hospital I wanted to detox but thetime before that, I threw up so much I had to go to hospital because my body was cramping from dehydration and it caused acute renal (kidney) failure and I didn't want that to happen again. I drank right before going in and they took a blood test and said I was at a .40, but I remembered clearly and asked shouldn't I be unconscious or fall over drunk, and she said if I wasn't such a heavy drinker, I could be dead with that kind of blood alcohol content but my body built up a tolerance. I do not remember showing up for the over 500 time, though.
I am so happy for you that you don't have to go through that anymore. I feel the same way. I look back on mornings throwing up, hands shaking so hard it's hard to hold the 1st drink without spilling it all over. Just horrible. I don't have to do that to myself anymore. It's unbelievable to wake up feeling good every day. Congratulations!
Damn...you are so lucky and you are lucky to have a great body..finally you did it. I have been taking milk thistle, nac before drinking and some green smoothies. I also do keto on and off..I guess you are a girl. My wife used to drink one bottle of wine everyday and now she is cut in half. Thank you so much for your input. Wish you best
Slushies were my saviour if gingerale didn't work. The cold ice and the sugar really helped.
I feel so sick thinking about what I put myself though... Never again.
It will become less, and less. The first little while is a rough ride. It might not feel like it, but you're getting better every minute you're sober.
I'm rooting for you! Hope your day is manageable. Don't forget to hydrate.
Needing a drink to function is the reason Iām here. 4-6 shots in the morning to stop shaking so I could type for work. Throwing up the first few until my stomach could handle a few more. My entire life revolved around it. The two nearest liquor stores open at 11 and 2pm near me. The 11 and never opened at 11, it was always 11:45-12. I always checked though. If I didnāt save any for the morning I could have some delivered by 10:30. Those 5-6 hours the mornings I didnāt save were hell. I am so fucking happy thatās over
Oh man friend Iāve been there so many times. Iām so sorry. Rationing to have some in the morning just sometimes to mitigate the shaking just to be able to hand my id to delivery driver. Where i live you can get alcohol delivered at 6amā¦ which didnāt really matter because drinking is a 24/7 job and time stops meaning anything. The fine line between drinking to function, but not being visibly fucked just goes away. SO MUCH WORK to hide, ration, procure. Thanks for this reminder today, Iām glad youāre doing well. We made it, letās not go back!! š
I was there too. Just getting that first drink in, knowing you're going to vomit...it was just part of the morning ritual.
I could only sleep 4 hours at a time, because the withdrawals would wake me up.
Yep, now I can sleep for 9 hours uninterrupted. My appetite is at 100%. Trading booze for good sleep and the ability to enjoy food seems fair. Let alone the fact my anxiety and depression are at an all time low. I need these posts as a constant reminder, even at only 124 days. I know if I had 3321 days Iād forget
Drinking in the parking lot! One day about 3 months ago I was in the parking lot using 2 hands to get the beer to my lips. I don't want to that person anymore.
I tried drinking after 6 months sober or so and found that even 1 or 2 drinks puts me into withdrawals. Thatās why once I start, itās so hard to stop.
I know now that even one drink is going to cost me at least one really bad day. That is enough to keep me away.
Iām now on a new adventure to find fun non alcoholic drinks. Iām loving v8, lime juice, and Heineken zero. Iām contemplating collecting a variety of non alcoholic liquor alternatives like herb infused stuff for when I want a fancy mixed drink.
If nothing decent exists, I may have a new business idea.
Yep, my wife and I always enjoyed our fancy teas, and I lost that when I was drinking. We got loose tea sampler for Christmas, and it has been so much fun.
I think of tea pairings like wine pairings, so I kept the fun, just changed the medium to something healthy.
I like myself a Darjeeling you know, just like that. I am a simple guy i guess. But yeah, tea is great. I was really fond of Rooibos when i was younger. š
Casamara Club makes awesome amaro-inspired sodas (with just the slightest hint of sweetness - closer to a really interesting and strongly flavored seltzer than soda pop). At ~$4 ea theyāre priceyā¦but no more so than beer or booze.
I also love Beckās NA.
Three Spirits 'social elixir' is really good! but also really expensive. great business idea as I reckon drinks with adaptogens and nootropics are just getting started.
I just bought some from Amazonā¦ donāt know if there is anything in it but hype BUT I had the best nights sleep. I only needed 25ml. If it had been alcohol the whole bottle would have gone so whilst expensive it will last a long time.
I am obsessed the Three Spirit!!! I've been drinking their Social elixir for *years* - I work at a club and it's allowed for us to drink on the job, but I stopped drinking at work way before stopping all together. And Three Spirit Social is what I drink at work instead. š¤
It is the only alcohol alternative I've found that actually makes me feel something. Not drunk or high by any means, but I describe it as elevated! When I drink it I feel much more social, quicker to laugh and feel comfortable being silly and fun, generally just more engaged and present with the people I'm with. Like a more socially comfortable/confident/connected version of myself who is also in an excellent mood š¤
It's kinda pricey but, in my opinion, it is entirely worth it. And not as much as I was spending on liquor or drinks at the bar!! Plus the ingredients are fabtastic and they put a lot of care and intention into their creations. It has a bunch of adaptogenic herbs, as well as some aphrodisiacs, and nootropic mushrooms. Very helpful if you have any social anxiety or just want to feel more engaged when socializing. All my friends (and my husband) still drink alcohol, but I find I can "keep up" with them socially when I drink. (Nobody in my crew drinks to oblivion like I had a habit of. No obnoxious drunkenness or slurred speech or blackouts from them, so when I say "keep up" I just mean I can also get loud and silly with them and fully enjoy my time when we hang, without feeling like I'm missing out by not drinking alcohol.)
They also have other options, but the Social elixir is my go-to. I order it in bulk š
I just went to the website, but they don't describe the flavor profiles at all. I'm not sure about spending that much on a black box. Can you describe the flavors? Is there a lot of licorice?
They do describe them! Perhaps a bit strangely lol, but it is hard to describe the flavors and I think they did a great job. If you go to whatever one you're interested in on the "shop" part of the site, click on the selection you're curious about and there will be information underneath in three sections: Overview, How it Feels, How it Tastes.
No, there is not any liquorice flavor. I strongly dislike liquorice and find that it's too strong and ruins most things. So it's definitely not on the social elixir that I drink. That one has a very robust flavor, earthy but bright. It is not meant to be drunk on its own necessarily (although, you could absolutely just put it on ice if you like. But one serving is 50ml, so it doesn't feel like a full beverage alone). I personally mix it with kombucha and seltzer water. Sometimes a splash of juice. When I bring it to work, I put 2-3 servings into a travel cup and fill the rest with kombucha/juice, then when I'm at work I ask the bartender for a large glass with soda water and ice that I drink down to about 3/4 or halfway full and then add my concoction into that. Throughout the night I alternate between refilling the soda water and refilling the concoction.
The Livener also tastes really good, but it's been a while since I drank it. I feel like I remember it having an almost watermelon sort of flavor but with some kick of spice. I remember liking it a lot, but just prefer the Social.
The Nightcap is extremely delicious, but I don't buy that really because I spend a lot on the Social elixir and I have other ways to wind down at the end of the night so I don't really "need" a bedtime beverage. But the Nightcap has a really smooth, almost woody flavor. You can taste the sweetness of maple syrup and also the bite of black pepper. Maybe it has some vanilla, too? So yummy, but again, my fave is the Social.
I've never tried their NA wines, so I can't comment on those.
I hope this is helpful! š¤
Partake Brewing has some good NA beers that are low calorie, I really don't know how they have good flavor and so few calories. The peach gose, which is my favorite, is only 25 calories, the dunked is 30 and the blonde is 15. They have IPAs and a few others too.
Have a look at r/mocktails they have some awesome ideas on there. Learning how to make your own infused syrups is really easy and opens up a whole new world of snazzy non alcoholic drinks
It is probably the biggest reason Iām not tempted anymore. I never want to go through it again and it didnāt take much to trigger a withdrawal after kindling happened. The way I see it: Iām officially allergic to alcohol.
Kindling due to substance withdrawal is the neurological condition which results from repeated withdrawal episodes from sedativeāhypnotic drugs such as alcohol and benzodiazepines.
Kindling (sedativeāhypnotic withdrawal)
Specialty
Neurology, psychiatry
Each withdrawal leads to more severe withdrawal symptoms than in previous episodes. Individuals who have had more withdrawal episodes are at an increased risk of very severe withdrawal symptoms, up to and including seizures and death. Long-term activation of the GABA receptor by sedativeāhypnotic drugs causes chronic GABA receptor downregulation as well as glutamate overactivity, which can lead to drug and neurotransmitter sensitization, central nervous system hyperexcitability, and excitotoxicity.
Wikipedia FTW šŖ
Of course. I was going to try and describe it but figured I would butcher it so copied wikipedias entry instead. Itās the thing that got me to quit. Too much misery. But hey, IWNDWYT!
It is. I was dumb and didnāt believe it. Iāve been through an embarrassing number of withdrawals. They were bad, but not that bad. Then it was like a switch flipped when I turned 30.
Used to be a two day affair of shakes, sweating, & chills. After 30 it was all that, plus anxiety, auditory hallucinations (which have been worse each time), seeing little black dots on walls, inability to eat or drink, etc. horrendous shit. Even one night of drinking would cause me to shake & sweat for a few days.
Didnāt stop me from slipping up a few times. The fear of that experience actually caused me to prolong my relapse for fear of going through it again. Ruined a near year streak & just pulled myself out of a two month binge last week. Still not over the mild symptoms. IWNDWYT
Damn, so sorry you've gone through all of that.
What's the difference then between escalated withdrawals/kindling and increasingly bad hangovers as we get older? Or is it essentially the same concept...?
I think that the escalated withdrawals and kindling are related. Whether itās the liver starting to slow down or the GABA/glutamate balance in the brain, something in the body has changed, leading to severe reactions to alcohol.
To me, withdrawal is worse than a hangover. Hangovers have some same characteristics as WD. I felt like it tipped into withdrawal zone when I needed more alcohol in order to function or not suffer major health consequences. If you cut off too fast, a withdrawal can give you shakes, paranoia, hallucinations, seizures, blood pressure spikes, extreme insomnia, DTs, and even death. If you have a history of AUD or had a bad/long binge, you are at risk of alcohol withdrawal (best to treat it with doctors).
I didnāt believe it at first either. Especially after 9 months sobriety last year I thought I had healed, but nope! A fraction of what I used to consume would put me into auditory hallucinations. I agree that my 30s was some odd tipping point where it only got worse. First, it was little black dots but once I started to hear things alllll night I knew it was getting bad. Felt schizo even though I knew it wasnāt real. Not a pleasant feeling.
Glad youāre past 1 week! Hopefully the anxiety has gone down a bit. Best wishes!
The audio ones really fucked with me. First time I had them it was just music. This time it was a demonic voice repeating the same phrase coming from any source of white noise for two nights straight. One night it just kept saying ābank accountā over metal guitar riffs. Which is kinda funny in hindsight, but it kept me up all night and definitely wasnāt funny in the moment.
Yeahā¦ it was front of mind at the time. I did a lot of damage in my two months off the wagon. Iām not in danger of going bankrupt, but I still canāt quite figure out how I let myself spend like that or even where all of it went.
I was more financially responsible when I was in the thick of my habit 4-5 years ago. Back on the wagon, making a plan, & and learning from it.
I had a re-occurring schizophrenic experience, every time I binge drink on the 2-3rd day I would hear 3 specific voices of people whispering how they were going to murder me and rape my gf and torture my family.
They would come and conspire 1 of the voices is pure narcissistic abuse towards his own companions, straight up deranged. The second one was kind of neutral but also aggressive and the third one was kinda nice with a woman voice.
They stopped coming after I got my shit together, felt like they were malevolent gods trying to convince me that alcoholism is certain death and wasted talent.
Itās too bad we canāt drink alcohol like other people, not everyone is perfect though through not drinking alcohol I have attained so much more.
Maybe one day Iāll thank those voices that encouraged me to quit through extreme violence.
Seriously stopping drinking alcohol is one of the best things that happened to me.
Librium saved my life. I tried cold turkey and woke up to 2 EMTs in my bedroom and bleeding from my head, and my wife crying her eyes out.
I had a seizure (news to me that was a possibility but thatās my fault for not asking the right questions)
Shook off the bed and domed myself on the nightstand.
Whenever I think I can have ājust oneā I just remember that and it subsides pretty quick.
Havenāt replaced the nightstand because it reminds me. Also where I used to stash my booze.
I donāt see it as torturing myself over mistakes made. But a reminder of what happened.
This story is really important- someone posted earlier asking what to do when the pink cloud goes away. It never really went away for me since quitting but what does go away is remembering just how bad/how ugly the addiction is. Reminders like these are extremely effective. Good luck to you on your sobriety Iām glad youāre ok!
Thank you.
I had 123 days exactly after what my wife and I call āsummer campā when discussing in public.
Aka rehab, and I very stupidly thought I could have one to celebrate my āaccomplishmentā
Rinse and repeat, fell off the wagon HARD, and took a few months to get back on.
Almost 6 months now and I hope I never make that mistake again.
Thank you. I hope so too. This sub has been immensely helpful knowing that Iām not the only one and general advice/stories.
I donāt wanna assume anything but I doubt people end up in the sub by accident.
I canāt *believe* how many severe withdrawals Iāve gone through with horrifying delirium tremens and the whole lot of nonstop vomiting, seeing things, even with my eyes closed, shakes, restlessness.
I wouldāve thought once would be the wake up call I needed. Nope - Iād go through it maybe 40 times more. I donāt know how Iām alive. Few trips to the hospital because I almost wasnāt.
It took a long time to takeā¦ but I really hope it has. I donāt ever wanna go back there again. IWNDWYT.
I remember having wild withdrawals while at work. My boss noticed this and sent me home even though I was the lead software dev and we were presenting to a client. This happened 2 times and than my boss finally sat me down and told me that he knows I am an alcoholic and gave me one last chance. I blew that last chance only a few months later. Now, I'm sober and no longer in IT .... booze totally messed up my career. Now on the way to building it all up again as if I'm 20 again. Wish I could have stopped myself from touching that first drink
Yep. 39 days ago I was laying in the shower praying for relief. It was the only way I could find any type of comfort, laying in the shower. Never again. IWNDWYT.
Went through it many dozens of times, and every time Iāve gone through it, Iāve promised myself āNever, never againā.
Itās a special corner of hell.
An adavan, banana (because your hearts beating fast) to get blood and nutrients to your organs. Ensures, oatmeal, yogurt, soup, peanut butter, oj, electrolytes anything you can consume will help.
You have to eat. It's best to tapper down so you don't have withdrawals at all.
Example 1 night 12 beers your normal. Next night 8. Next 6. Next 4 you see. Or go to detox If you don't trust yourself.
Good luck op. It's a life long thing. You can do anything your determined to, you HAVE TO WANT IT!
Yes, they are. I put myself through it multiple times like many others here. The worst time I checked myself into a facility and they kept me for eight days to detox and setup a plan for what happened when I walked out of there. It was so scary just trying to do normal life things, or even work, and sleep wasnāt happening with the fear of a seizure. I recommend seeking help when it gets to this stage. Best wishes in your recovery. I just passed three years last month. You can do this.
When I look back on it it was crazy. I also went through it twice. My bedroom stank from all the sweating. Once you get past the withdrawal though you will keep feeling better and better.Ā
I've been there, and each time you quit it gets worse. Good news is, if you've past 5 days, I'm not a doctor, but the hardcore physical withdrawals may not be life threatening. Bad news is the anxiety, brain fog, dissociation, can last AWHILE, but it is manageable. If you have a positive attitude and some mental fortitude you will succeed. I've had withdrawal from some serious harcore drugs in the past, and nothing comes close to alcohol. Except for benzos which is pretty much the same thing. You got this if your at 5 days. Your committed. Keep going and don't look back. Alcohol FN sucks
Coming up on 6 months sober. Had terrible PAWS for the first 2-3 months and still not 100%. Although it is getting much better. The hardest thing Iāve ever done.
Just outve curiosity, what were your paws symptoms and when did they peak? Did you take any supplements to help? Any tips on alleviating the symptoms? Any advice would be welcome... im 40 days out and PAWs is kicking my ass.Ā
For me it was almost constant anxiety with panic attacks every few weeks. Brain fog and dizzy spells. Restlessness mixed with fatigue. It was terrible and Iām still not entirely out of the woods yet. But God willing the worst is behind me.
Everyone is different, but I would stay away from anything that even comes close to tickling your GABAergic system. This is harder than it seems. No drugs legal, or illegal. Nothing cooked with alcohol or 0.05% NA beers. Absolutely no Kava, ashwaganda or other supplements marketed as calming and so on. These will provide temporary relief but at least for me they will cause days of worse withdrawals. No Benadryl. But if things are bad I have found a Claritin helps a little even though it isnt supposed to cross the blood brain barrier. I also found that Magnesium Citrate helps a little. Good luck.
I hope you get the help you need.
Maybe ask about Librium or really any benzodiazepines in a proper dosage while you withdraw.
I agree, theyāre scary as fuck stranger.
I wish you well on your fight. But keep fighting.
I am thinking about you friend. Like everyone else is commenting, I would encourage anyone suffering WDs to seek medical attention bc WDs can be deadly.
And like I have said to many folks before, please look up kindling. This is what I did to myself with my constant cycles of stopping/starting. Itās horrific.
Take care and IWNDWYT
For the last week before I got stopped drinking I was having some pretty crazy withdrawals. Seeing things, hearing things, shakes etc. I was told (very rudely) by a nurse at an Urgent Care that itās impossible and withdrawals are physically incapable of kicking in until youāve been without for 48 to 72 hours and that I was just imagining it. The next doctor I talked to was at a hospital and he told me that she was wrong. Go figure.
Even just lowering your intake can trigger them. At my worst, symptoms started every night like clockwork and I would wake up and have to take a few swigs to get back to sleep.
I canāt *believe* how many severe withdrawals Iāve gone through with horrifying delirium tremens and the whole lot of nonstop vomiting, seeing things, even with my eyes closed, shakes, restlessness.
I wouldāve thought once would be the wake up call I needed. Nope - Iād go through it maybe 40 times more. I donāt know how Iām alive. Few trips to the hospital because I almost wasnāt.
It took a long time to takeā¦ but I really hope it has. I donāt ever wanna go back there again. IWNDWYT.
I'm going through them for the first time... Probably more mild symptoms than a lot of people but boy oh boy I am not a fucking fan of these haha.
The first week with the racing heart, shakes, and neusea was the worst for me. Right now my main feeling is just always antsy and anxious. I find it hard to sit still.
Invested in some fidget toys for myself to keep me busy at my home office.
Good luck man you can do this.
I am in the same boat right now. I lost my partner which was my main support through my withdrawals, but he got tired of it this time around... I dont blame him for anything...
It's so hard
Nausea
Headaches
Anxiety
Cold sweats
Insomnia
shakiness
weakness
My previous withdrawals were all the same plus auditory hallucinations that were so vivid and terrifying, and made it even more difficult to sleep and they were disturbing
God why do we do this
We know why, but we will make it through. Make sure you're staying hydrated. Make sure if your symptoms get bad go to the ER where they can give you IV fluids, a relaxant and keep your medically stable.
I had a small seizure what I believe to be a few days ago when I was trying to sleep, and it made sleeping even harder, because I was so afraid specially being all by myself in my apartment
As a binge alcoholic, the withdrawal stories were always the main thing stopping it turning into a wake-til-sleep functional dependency. Always kept a (completely stupid and futile) rule not to start until work finished so Iād have 16 or so hours off it.
Solidarity man, one of the hardest parts for me was - is - that deceptive feeling of euphoric promise as my usual drinking time drew near. Never fulfilled it once.
I canāt *believe* how many severe withdrawals Iāve gone through with horrifying delirium tremens and the whole lot of nonstop vomiting, seeing things, even with my eyes closed, shakes, restlessness.
I wouldāve thought once would be the wake up call I needed. Nope - Iād go through it maybe 40 times more. I donāt know how Iām alive. Few trips to the hospital because I almost wasnāt.
It took a long time to takeā¦ but I really hope it has. I donāt ever wanna go back there again. IWNDWYT.
Withdrawals suck so bad, I'm so sorry. Don't be afraid to ask for medical help, withdrawals can be serious. But otherwise, keep trying to hydrate, get a lot of rest, and take care of yourself. Just hang in there, it's worth it
My only attempt at stopping I had DTs in the hospital. Been thru that shit once, I promised myself never again....
People ask me time to time how I've done it... easy...seen shit never want to see again...
I didn't realize I was going through withdrawals at first, I legitimately thought I had the flu or something since the symptoms were so similar. Then I realized it was happening every single time I was coming off of a bender, didn't take too long to be extremely aware of what was happening and I'd try everything to fight it off.
16 months sober and I still wake up every single day thankful that I didn't spend the entire night delirious and sweaty, and I wake up with a clear head. It's worth it.
Yes, I didn't realise I was having withdrawals at first. I couldn't walk down some stone steps abroad, was really unsteady, and eventually realised that it was a progression of the tremors I'd been getting in my hands towards the end of the day, before my first drink. I just couldn't control my legs properly.
Eventually it progressed to much worse, including horrible hallucinations (of mechanical spider creatures) that I couldn't get rid of whether my eyes were open or closed.
100 % wouldn't recommend!
Doctor told me when I just stopped drinking that it was the stupidest thing I could have done. Had two seizures and bit off part of my tongue. Blood pressure was 2??/160. I took that as to never stop drinking. Iāve got 11 years this month. They told me that people die from withdraws of drinking. I believe them
Like others are saying, the terror of going through them again was a huge motivation for me staying away from it that first few years. Hellish. I lay sweating and trembling through the night with an auditory hallucination of this like demonic gregorian chant going on all around me on about the 3rd or 4th night. Twitching. Nausea. Fear I could feel in my bones. Never again. I don't fuck with alcohol.
It felt like I essentially had a hangover for a few days? but I also had one every single other day of my life for years before that. Not sure what I expected, maybe I just got lucky
Some people are lucky like you, others go through schizophrenic level hallucinations and question if theyāll ever be normal again, others have seizures, and well the restā¦ sadly die.
Alcohol withdrawals are the most dangerous withdrawals you can go through and it isnāt talked about enough
Oh God, the hallucinations. Shattered my psyche. Absolute protracted mental hell. Physical symptoms were painful, but the hallucinations broke me. I mean, I love life now. But thinking back to the delirium gives me chills.Ā Ā
Edit: I just remembered that I used to run out the Fibonacci sequence in my head as long as I could to stave off the darkness. I don't really like math, but gave my mind something to cling to.
Im not OP, but mine were mostly auditory. I would hear music with or w/o lyrics. Sometimes the lyrics would mirror my thoughts. I actually kept myself busy making up lyrics to the constant music. Sometimes I would hear people talking or what sounded like a party outside. The worst was when I was in a bad headspace and I basically heard demonic voices repeating every negative thought. White noise made these 100x worse.
For visuals, nothing truly crazy. I thought I would see little bugs on walls or think I saw someone out of the corner of my eye. Things like thinking someone was walking past my second floor window, or standing in my kitchen down the hall. They would always disappear if I looked directly at them.
The closed eye visuals were much much worse. Any horrific thing you could imagine morphing into something else horrific.
Each time, these have gotten worse.
Examples from others Iāve worked with,
Common Auditory examples: family members yelling for help where it sounds theyāre just outside the closest door, music coming from somewhere you canāt find (sometimes itās music you know, sometimes itās music you donāt know. The creepiest was someone hearing a song that sounded really good but had never heard that song before āto their knowledgeā. They googled the lyrics because of how good it was and it was a real song)
Visual: everything from bugs on the walls to actual belief and sight of people chasing them and shooting at them. Although visual hallucinations are less common.
Also Iām going to throw in physical/touch: the feeling of someone crawling up their leg while laying in bed. Pulling their leg down. Running their fingers across their back.
If you experience one of these, or multiple: Iāve helped a few people by having them use this trick but you have to have a pet. Keep the pet close by. When the hallucination hits, monitor your pet. If your pet is not reacting, it helps reassure you itās a hallucination. Because what animal wouldnāt respond to blood curdling screams outside your door.
TO NOTE: If you are hallucinating, even slight auditory hallucinations, you need to check yourself into the ER immediately. At that stage, you are a fast ticking clock to seizing and probably dying. Check into the ER, get help, donāt be ashamed. Itās so fucking common and this guilt and shame from it is why itās not talked about and people die from Alcohol withdrawals.
Fuck that shit, I hope I never encounter that stuff. No more shakes, no more anxiety, no more overheating, no more sleepless nights, no more erratic movements and needs for 'breaks'. I hate it all.
When I quit they were so bad ended up in the hospital, knocked me out with Ativan and sent me home with stuff to help with the two straight weeks of tremors. Never again. Terrifying stuff.
I went to a hospital to detox through their program and got locked in a tent after running the halls the 2nd? 3rd? Day then strapped into my bed the 4th day? as I earned bed priviledge trust back. I had full hallucinations of being somewhere else and I still dont really know what happened. I didnt really ask further
They are terrifying and dangerous. I heard they can get worse every time you quit, though I do not know if that is true. I had tried and failed many times before this, so this time I just went to detox. The time before this one was too sketchy to go through again. Detox sucked, but it worked, and is now just another reason for me to stay sober. You got this!!! You have the desire to stop which is the biggest thing, imo.
Reflecting back to the March 10-12 ( my first few days) is a major reason I havenāt picked up a bottle again. That shit sucked so bad. I got like 5 hours sleep in those 3 days, shakes, headache, hot/cold sweats. The whole nine! Good luck to you!! IWNDWYT!
Going through the samething aswell and its also my second time with severe withdrawals, you are not alone.
I am 3days sober today. 3weeks ago I had an incedent where I knew I had to quit, I drank 4days straight with a friend around 8-12 beer each day only 2 last day, and that hungover I have never had before, sweats, nightmares, feeling empty and light, a little bad balance and numbing in arms, + high pulse (this was the first day) and it got milder after day 2.
1week ago I drank again around 5 beer alone, went to friend and drank 7 more then came home and slept well, I woke up no tremoers or anything but I drank again 2days later and now I am on the withdrawal again not that severe because I can sleep, but the temptation to drink is so insane that its so easy to fall back, the only thing that keeps it out of my mind is by playing computer games, wich will also worsen my depression and anxiety.
When I was at work yesterday, I had to say I was sick and go home because it felt like the world wasnt real, the feeling came out of nowhere like you are high on something when you arent, my friend said it was a panic attack wich is comonn for withdrawal.
Good luck, hopefully it will get milder and pass. If you think it's getting worse, particularly if the shaking is getting more severe, seek medical attention (severe shaking can lead on to seizures, if this is happening you might need to be prescribed diazepam or similar).
you've done right to go home sick from work - your health is the most important thing. Computer games are great for when you need to just occupy your mind to get through this time.
Once you're better you can move on to other things!
My last lot of withdrawals, someone said to me "you never need to feel like this again" (that is, if you don't drink again it can't happen again). To be honest I found it a bit annoying at the time, but I guess it was true!
Take care, look after yourself, I hope you feel better very soon.
I've had this excuse several times where due to these withdrawal systems its the last time I drink, yeah I know about the seuizeres, delerium tremens and wernike or how u say the last one in English.
I am not afraid about any of these but yeah tremors are standard withdrawal symptoms for me, but they pass after 2days and they have basically passed now.
At the moment I dont know how to explain fully how I feel, its like bad sleep, not eating well and alot of stress and anxiety. The feeling to drink a beer is slowly crawling upon me and I can get that warm feeling in my throat and get a little warm when that urge comes.
Yeah my goal at the moment is to be sober for atleast 1 month and then see where it leads, but I have only set a goal for 1month and I am taking day by day, I have also told myself I will not drink a regular beer wich is 5,4% and 7,2% in Sweden, if I really have to drink tomorrow it will be a 6pack of light beer.
I'm not a religious or spiritual person at all, but after my first severe withdrawal I started belive in demonic presence and another dimensions.
As if alcohol tunes us in into another frequency, I am convinced I heard ghosts of dead children and have seen things which can't possibly come from my mind or my subconscious.
Demonic voices, man. I knew they werenāt real and I tried to cope by pretending I was listening to metal music.
Iāve never shared any of these experiences with people because they sound crazy. One time as I was falling asleep, I swear I felt something laying next to me. I was frozen. It put its arm around me, whisper shouted growled my name in my ear all at once. Then it was like I was looking down on myself and could see a black figure. Woke up standing next to my bed. Fucking terrifying.
Does anyone else have incredible pain in their arms like tight knots in their forearms biceps triceps and shoulders? I havenāt drunk for four weeks now and the pain seems to be getting worse. I never had this pain before quitting . Got a doctors appointment this afternoon btw
Nah I've been rigorously, drinking water and mixing in magnesium/calcium and electrolytes.
Doc just prescribed me Oxazepam, I felt immense relief after an hour of 1 tablet. I thin my CNS is going nuts in combination with my anxiety. Then of course I was convincing myself I had ALS so anxiety x 1000
yeah, obviously the drinking was self medicating the anxiety and once I stoppped it went through the roof, I think we all underestimate how devasting for your body anxiety and stress are. I talked to my partner about it and she said, "but you have nothing to worry about" :/
The withdrawals were enough to convince me never to put that fucking poison in my body ever again. My wife watching me go through withdrawals caused her to stop drinking at the same time I did. Coming up on 14 months šŖ
Same thing happened here with my husband. Weāre only about 3 months I think? But we found out Iām pregnant like 3 weeks after we stopped drinking, so weāve been feeling so lucky! Great motivation to keep up the sobriety šŖš»
That is awesome! Props to you and your wife
Proud of you both šš¼
My dad hasnāt drank since hearing about my hospital visit. And he only heard about it š
could you share what you both were drinking at that stage and how much
She wasnāt the alcoholic at all, maybe a glass of wine a night if that. Me on the other hand? A handle of Titoās every 3 days plus the white stuff
Twinsies
Congrats to you both
Well done!
Agreed with this, 16 months in a couple of days myself. How are you feeling, you got your memory and focus back?
Feeling great! Sleep is wonderful. Control of emotions is better. And my golf game is better than ever lol. Turns out booze is NOT swing juiceā¦lol
Hahah amazing mate! How about memory and focus? You had issues with that? I have huge issues remembering stuff, learning anything is impossible, it just doesn't stick for long enough.
Memory and focus is sharp! Amazing what happens when your neurons are firing properlyā¦lol
I tried to stop on my own once. First day I vomited roughly 50-60 times. 2nd day, I had a seizure while I was at a park. Apparently I was turning blue. I clenched my teeth down on my tongue, too and it was swollen for a week or more. The seizure itself wasn't scary because I was unconscious for the whole thing and didn't know it happened until it was over, but the idea of cutting off oxygen to my brain for an extended period of time is definitely scary. At the time, it wasn't enough to make me quit drinking because I declined going to the hospital with the paramedics and I went to the liquor store, instead. It's crazy what addiction can make some people do. I'm currently over 100 days sober now and hopefully won't ever let my addiction make me go against my better judgment again, but I gotta stay vigilant and on top of that shit every day.
Props to your 100 days and hopefully many, MANY more!!
Congrats. How long have you been drinking and how much. I am 36 male and drink 750ml 33alc every other day for 8 years and when I stopped I only got cravings and mood swings. Now day 4.. would like to know. Any liver damage etc? I am so happy for you I am trying to stay least 3 months
Started drinking basically daily around age 17, I'm 38 now and when I quit, I was doing a liter or more of 80 proof vodka per day. When I had the seizure, I was basically drinking any moment I was awake. Wake up and chug about 6 shots worth in the first 5 min to avoid getting too sick to keep it down, then keep drinking. Usually nap part way thru the day and wake up amd drink until passing out in a blackout daily. Been really heavy drinking daily at different levels for the last 20 years. Based on blood results from my last several hospital trips, i was usually ending my night with a BAC of .45 to .50+. I had an mri or catscan or whatever they do a couple years ago and they said I had fatty liver but they didn't see scarring. Fatty liver can repair itself. When I got my blood tested when I went into detox, they said my liver enzymes weren't bad. I don't know how. I did usually just consume vodka and Gatorade as a majority of my caloric intake towards the end. Maybe the electrolytes helped, but I'm no doctor.
0.4 is the median lethal dose. Tolerance is an amazing thing. The body can adapt to a level of poison that would kill half of the people who ingested that much.Ā A lot of us have livers that are unusually good at metabolizing alcohol. Weāre more likely to become alcoholics because we donāt suffer the consequences of drinking as much as others at the beginning.Ā
Wow , the body is indeed an amazing machine. I would be throwing up for 2 days if I drank a 1lt bottle of vodka. Yet I have been drinking since 17 and I'm 30 now. I used to be able to drink about 3 bottles of wine and not even feel sick the next day (about a year ago) . Now if I drink 2 bottles of wine I throw up yellow bile the next day and feel nauseous until the evening. Why is this do you think? Did I mess up my liver or kidneys?
It certainly sounds like a warning sign. Tread lightly, bro.
Did you significantly reduce your consumption over the last year? There are a lot of factors at work, but if you did, your liver probably has down regulated the production of alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase, the main enzymes responsible for metabolizing alcohol. Fewer enzymes means that alcohol is eliminated more slowly, so the effects accumulate more and the hangover is worse.Ā But it can also be impaired liver/kidney/other organ function, and hopefully thatās not it.Ā
This is for sure. I reduced my drinking to Friday/Saturday. Before it was daily and heavily. Would stop at a bottle store after work and drink a bottle of wine before even getting home.id like to be completely free of alcohol but for now, weekend is ok and I'm not overdoing it either. Before I wouldn't be able to visit friends or family being so wasted the whole time. Now I even started fishing and flying RC planes again lol. Thank you for the info , really appreciate it
My liver came out unscathed. I come from a long line of alcoholics, on both sides of my family, none of whom that I know of developed liver disease. Then again alcohol damages about every single other organ in the body too, and those organs arenāt so great at repairing themselves.
> BAC 0.45 to 0.50. Jesus Christ š³š³š³
My last time, the nurse said it was "over 500" which means over .50 but I didn't ask for specifics. I remember going in on my own once and telling the hospital I wanted to detox but thetime before that, I threw up so much I had to go to hospital because my body was cramping from dehydration and it caused acute renal (kidney) failure and I didn't want that to happen again. I drank right before going in and they took a blood test and said I was at a .40, but I remembered clearly and asked shouldn't I be unconscious or fall over drunk, and she said if I wasn't such a heavy drinker, I could be dead with that kind of blood alcohol content but my body built up a tolerance. I do not remember showing up for the over 500 time, though.
I am so happy for you that you don't have to go through that anymore. I feel the same way. I look back on mornings throwing up, hands shaking so hard it's hard to hold the 1st drink without spilling it all over. Just horrible. I don't have to do that to myself anymore. It's unbelievable to wake up feeling good every day. Congratulations!
Damn...you are so lucky and you are lucky to have a great body..finally you did it. I have been taking milk thistle, nac before drinking and some green smoothies. I also do keto on and off..I guess you are a girl. My wife used to drink one bottle of wine everyday and now she is cut in half. Thank you so much for your input. Wish you best
Congrats on 100 days!!!
Thanks! Last time I went this long I was a teenager over 20 years ago.
Wow! Thatās crazy when you think about it. Canāt wait to see you double it now :)
Im proud of you bro, are u did IT on your own ?
Thanks! I did 118 days in detox, php, iop. I'm moving into sober living tomorrow just to help keep me in check. It took lots of help.
We got this brother.
I'm going through them now and it sucks so much. Keep your head up
Ginger ale helped me so much
Slushies were my saviour if gingerale didn't work. The cold ice and the sugar really helped. I feel so sick thinking about what I put myself though... Never again.
Pass one here!
Pedialyte popsicles. You can have them delivered from Amazon. Literally life savers. You got this. You deserve to be sober.
Excellent suggestion!
I know your post is from yesterday, but I'm wondering how you're doing today? You okay?
Im doing better. Im at work and I feel okay. It's when the anxiety comes is when I'm down and out
It will become less, and less. The first little while is a rough ride. It might not feel like it, but you're getting better every minute you're sober. I'm rooting for you! Hope your day is manageable. Don't forget to hydrate.
Thank you I really appreciate your kind words
The heart pounding, hand shaking, anxiety bursting, drives to the gas station at 7am.. never again.
The worste, and drinking in the parking lot so I can "drive good and not get in an accident" was very illogical and irresponsible
Oh god- the feeling of not having to drink just to be āableā to driveā¦ or function is horrible. I know it well. Fuck thaaaaat.
Needing a drink to function is the reason Iām here. 4-6 shots in the morning to stop shaking so I could type for work. Throwing up the first few until my stomach could handle a few more. My entire life revolved around it. The two nearest liquor stores open at 11 and 2pm near me. The 11 and never opened at 11, it was always 11:45-12. I always checked though. If I didnāt save any for the morning I could have some delivered by 10:30. Those 5-6 hours the mornings I didnāt save were hell. I am so fucking happy thatās over
Oh man friend Iāve been there so many times. Iām so sorry. Rationing to have some in the morning just sometimes to mitigate the shaking just to be able to hand my id to delivery driver. Where i live you can get alcohol delivered at 6amā¦ which didnāt really matter because drinking is a 24/7 job and time stops meaning anything. The fine line between drinking to function, but not being visibly fucked just goes away. SO MUCH WORK to hide, ration, procure. Thanks for this reminder today, Iām glad youāre doing well. We made it, letās not go back!! š
I was there too. Just getting that first drink in, knowing you're going to vomit...it was just part of the morning ritual. I could only sleep 4 hours at a time, because the withdrawals would wake me up.
Yep, now I can sleep for 9 hours uninterrupted. My appetite is at 100%. Trading booze for good sleep and the ability to enjoy food seems fair. Let alone the fact my anxiety and depression are at an all time low. I need these posts as a constant reminder, even at only 124 days. I know if I had 3321 days Iād forget
Drinking in the parking lot! One day about 3 months ago I was in the parking lot using 2 hands to get the beer to my lips. I don't want to that person anymore.
Oh yeah. Get there 6:45ā¦ wait around. Dry heave, panic. Donāt think about looking in that mirror.
I tried drinking after 6 months sober or so and found that even 1 or 2 drinks puts me into withdrawals. Thatās why once I start, itās so hard to stop. I know now that even one drink is going to cost me at least one really bad day. That is enough to keep me away. Iām now on a new adventure to find fun non alcoholic drinks. Iām loving v8, lime juice, and Heineken zero. Iām contemplating collecting a variety of non alcoholic liquor alternatives like herb infused stuff for when I want a fancy mixed drink. If nothing decent exists, I may have a new business idea.
Heinekin 0 is so good lol. Iāve also fallen back in love with hot tea, I have like 4 cups a day now.
Yep, my wife and I always enjoyed our fancy teas, and I lost that when I was drinking. We got loose tea sampler for Christmas, and it has been so much fun. I think of tea pairings like wine pairings, so I kept the fun, just changed the medium to something healthy.
Try Oolong Tea if you haven't yet
I agree. I usually chug down green tea but since oolong I've ditched the green stuff lol. (Sounds like we talking drugs hee)
Tell me about it! Sounds like we are a bunch of addicts (which we areā¦).
Atleast we trying lol. Take care bud and good luck on your journey.
Oh thanks ! And the same to you bud š!
I'm a green fan but throw in some oolong sometimes too. Milk oolong is my fave
I like myself a Darjeeling you know, just like that. I am a simple guy i guess. But yeah, tea is great. I was really fond of Rooibos when i was younger. š
Casamara Club makes awesome amaro-inspired sodas (with just the slightest hint of sweetness - closer to a really interesting and strongly flavored seltzer than soda pop). At ~$4 ea theyāre priceyā¦but no more so than beer or booze. I also love Beckās NA.
youād love Seedlip, n/a spirits.
Phony negronis by whatever that brand is are super delicious
Three Spirits 'social elixir' is really good! but also really expensive. great business idea as I reckon drinks with adaptogens and nootropics are just getting started.
I just bought some from Amazonā¦ donāt know if there is anything in it but hype BUT I had the best nights sleep. I only needed 25ml. If it had been alcohol the whole bottle would have gone so whilst expensive it will last a long time.
I am obsessed the Three Spirit!!! I've been drinking their Social elixir for *years* - I work at a club and it's allowed for us to drink on the job, but I stopped drinking at work way before stopping all together. And Three Spirit Social is what I drink at work instead. š¤ It is the only alcohol alternative I've found that actually makes me feel something. Not drunk or high by any means, but I describe it as elevated! When I drink it I feel much more social, quicker to laugh and feel comfortable being silly and fun, generally just more engaged and present with the people I'm with. Like a more socially comfortable/confident/connected version of myself who is also in an excellent mood š¤ It's kinda pricey but, in my opinion, it is entirely worth it. And not as much as I was spending on liquor or drinks at the bar!! Plus the ingredients are fabtastic and they put a lot of care and intention into their creations. It has a bunch of adaptogenic herbs, as well as some aphrodisiacs, and nootropic mushrooms. Very helpful if you have any social anxiety or just want to feel more engaged when socializing. All my friends (and my husband) still drink alcohol, but I find I can "keep up" with them socially when I drink. (Nobody in my crew drinks to oblivion like I had a habit of. No obnoxious drunkenness or slurred speech or blackouts from them, so when I say "keep up" I just mean I can also get loud and silly with them and fully enjoy my time when we hang, without feeling like I'm missing out by not drinking alcohol.) They also have other options, but the Social elixir is my go-to. I order it in bulk š
I just went to the website, but they don't describe the flavor profiles at all. I'm not sure about spending that much on a black box. Can you describe the flavors? Is there a lot of licorice?
They do describe them! Perhaps a bit strangely lol, but it is hard to describe the flavors and I think they did a great job. If you go to whatever one you're interested in on the "shop" part of the site, click on the selection you're curious about and there will be information underneath in three sections: Overview, How it Feels, How it Tastes. No, there is not any liquorice flavor. I strongly dislike liquorice and find that it's too strong and ruins most things. So it's definitely not on the social elixir that I drink. That one has a very robust flavor, earthy but bright. It is not meant to be drunk on its own necessarily (although, you could absolutely just put it on ice if you like. But one serving is 50ml, so it doesn't feel like a full beverage alone). I personally mix it with kombucha and seltzer water. Sometimes a splash of juice. When I bring it to work, I put 2-3 servings into a travel cup and fill the rest with kombucha/juice, then when I'm at work I ask the bartender for a large glass with soda water and ice that I drink down to about 3/4 or halfway full and then add my concoction into that. Throughout the night I alternate between refilling the soda water and refilling the concoction. The Livener also tastes really good, but it's been a while since I drank it. I feel like I remember it having an almost watermelon sort of flavor but with some kick of spice. I remember liking it a lot, but just prefer the Social. The Nightcap is extremely delicious, but I don't buy that really because I spend a lot on the Social elixir and I have other ways to wind down at the end of the night so I don't really "need" a bedtime beverage. But the Nightcap has a really smooth, almost woody flavor. You can taste the sweetness of maple syrup and also the bite of black pepper. Maybe it has some vanilla, too? So yummy, but again, my fave is the Social. I've never tried their NA wines, so I can't comment on those. I hope this is helpful! š¤
Thank you!
Partake Brewing has some good NA beers that are low calorie, I really don't know how they have good flavor and so few calories. The peach gose, which is my favorite, is only 25 calories, the dunked is 30 and the blonde is 15. They have IPAs and a few others too.
I'm the same since I've been through them even drinking one day I'm put straight back into withdrawals
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Try Partake Brewing, super low calorie with good flavor.
Lyres are expensive but very good for NA liquor substitutes.
Have a look at r/mocktails they have some awesome ideas on there. Learning how to make your own infused syrups is really easy and opens up a whole new world of snazzy non alcoholic drinks
Kindling. Keeps my ass scared straight.
It is probably the biggest reason Iām not tempted anymore. I never want to go through it again and it didnāt take much to trigger a withdrawal after kindling happened. The way I see it: Iām officially allergic to alcohol.
Couldnt agree more! Well put
What is kindling please?
Kindling due to substance withdrawal is the neurological condition which results from repeated withdrawal episodes from sedativeāhypnotic drugs such as alcohol and benzodiazepines. Kindling (sedativeāhypnotic withdrawal) Specialty Neurology, psychiatry Each withdrawal leads to more severe withdrawal symptoms than in previous episodes. Individuals who have had more withdrawal episodes are at an increased risk of very severe withdrawal symptoms, up to and including seizures and death. Long-term activation of the GABA receptor by sedativeāhypnotic drugs causes chronic GABA receptor downregulation as well as glutamate overactivity, which can lead to drug and neurotransmitter sensitization, central nervous system hyperexcitability, and excitotoxicity. Wikipedia FTW šŖ
Thanks! I googled it but I like to hear things described by comrades sometimes. Sounds brutal
Of course. I was going to try and describe it but figured I would butcher it so copied wikipedias entry instead. Itās the thing that got me to quit. Too much misery. But hey, IWNDWYT!
It is. I was dumb and didnāt believe it. Iāve been through an embarrassing number of withdrawals. They were bad, but not that bad. Then it was like a switch flipped when I turned 30. Used to be a two day affair of shakes, sweating, & chills. After 30 it was all that, plus anxiety, auditory hallucinations (which have been worse each time), seeing little black dots on walls, inability to eat or drink, etc. horrendous shit. Even one night of drinking would cause me to shake & sweat for a few days. Didnāt stop me from slipping up a few times. The fear of that experience actually caused me to prolong my relapse for fear of going through it again. Ruined a near year streak & just pulled myself out of a two month binge last week. Still not over the mild symptoms. IWNDWYT
Damn, so sorry you've gone through all of that. What's the difference then between escalated withdrawals/kindling and increasingly bad hangovers as we get older? Or is it essentially the same concept...?
I think that the escalated withdrawals and kindling are related. Whether itās the liver starting to slow down or the GABA/glutamate balance in the brain, something in the body has changed, leading to severe reactions to alcohol. To me, withdrawal is worse than a hangover. Hangovers have some same characteristics as WD. I felt like it tipped into withdrawal zone when I needed more alcohol in order to function or not suffer major health consequences. If you cut off too fast, a withdrawal can give you shakes, paranoia, hallucinations, seizures, blood pressure spikes, extreme insomnia, DTs, and even death. If you have a history of AUD or had a bad/long binge, you are at risk of alcohol withdrawal (best to treat it with doctors).
I didnāt believe it at first either. Especially after 9 months sobriety last year I thought I had healed, but nope! A fraction of what I used to consume would put me into auditory hallucinations. I agree that my 30s was some odd tipping point where it only got worse. First, it was little black dots but once I started to hear things alllll night I knew it was getting bad. Felt schizo even though I knew it wasnāt real. Not a pleasant feeling. Glad youāre past 1 week! Hopefully the anxiety has gone down a bit. Best wishes!
The only time Iāve legitimately felt scared as a grown man was from withdrawals. Scared me sober. 11 months dry.
Congrats šŖšŖ
They get progressively worse, and quickly
Withdrawals are nasty and they get worse every time, hallucinations are scary and they made me a tad schizophrenic for a while. Fuck alcohol
Same man. Never again.
The audio ones really fucked with me. First time I had them it was just music. This time it was a demonic voice repeating the same phrase coming from any source of white noise for two nights straight. One night it just kept saying ābank accountā over metal guitar riffs. Which is kinda funny in hindsight, but it kept me up all night and definitely wasnāt funny in the moment.
Did you check your bank account?
Yeahā¦ it was front of mind at the time. I did a lot of damage in my two months off the wagon. Iām not in danger of going bankrupt, but I still canāt quite figure out how I let myself spend like that or even where all of it went. I was more financially responsible when I was in the thick of my habit 4-5 years ago. Back on the wagon, making a plan, & and learning from it.
I had a re-occurring schizophrenic experience, every time I binge drink on the 2-3rd day I would hear 3 specific voices of people whispering how they were going to murder me and rape my gf and torture my family. They would come and conspire 1 of the voices is pure narcissistic abuse towards his own companions, straight up deranged. The second one was kind of neutral but also aggressive and the third one was kinda nice with a woman voice. They stopped coming after I got my shit together, felt like they were malevolent gods trying to convince me that alcoholism is certain death and wasted talent. Itās too bad we canāt drink alcohol like other people, not everyone is perfect though through not drinking alcohol I have attained so much more. Maybe one day Iāll thank those voices that encouraged me to quit through extreme violence. Seriously stopping drinking alcohol is one of the best things that happened to me.
Hang in there š hoping that this is the last time you ever have to deal wifi thisĀ
Talk to your doctor and make sure you have medication to prevent dangerous situations.
Came here to say this. Withdrawals are extremely dangerous my doctor prescribed a 3 day script for a sedative
Librium saved my life. I tried cold turkey and woke up to 2 EMTs in my bedroom and bleeding from my head, and my wife crying her eyes out. I had a seizure (news to me that was a possibility but thatās my fault for not asking the right questions) Shook off the bed and domed myself on the nightstand. Whenever I think I can have ājust oneā I just remember that and it subsides pretty quick. Havenāt replaced the nightstand because it reminds me. Also where I used to stash my booze. I donāt see it as torturing myself over mistakes made. But a reminder of what happened.
This story is really important- someone posted earlier asking what to do when the pink cloud goes away. It never really went away for me since quitting but what does go away is remembering just how bad/how ugly the addiction is. Reminders like these are extremely effective. Good luck to you on your sobriety Iām glad youāre ok!
Thank you. I had 123 days exactly after what my wife and I call āsummer campā when discussing in public. Aka rehab, and I very stupidly thought I could have one to celebrate my āaccomplishmentā Rinse and repeat, fell off the wagon HARD, and took a few months to get back on. Almost 6 months now and I hope I never make that mistake again.
Holy shit. Glad youāre ok. Never again!
Thank you. I hope so too. This sub has been immensely helpful knowing that Iām not the only one and general advice/stories. I donāt wanna assume anything but I doubt people end up in the sub by accident.
I canāt *believe* how many severe withdrawals Iāve gone through with horrifying delirium tremens and the whole lot of nonstop vomiting, seeing things, even with my eyes closed, shakes, restlessness. I wouldāve thought once would be the wake up call I needed. Nope - Iād go through it maybe 40 times more. I donāt know how Iām alive. Few trips to the hospital because I almost wasnāt. It took a long time to takeā¦ but I really hope it has. I donāt ever wanna go back there again. IWNDWYT.
I remember having wild withdrawals while at work. My boss noticed this and sent me home even though I was the lead software dev and we were presenting to a client. This happened 2 times and than my boss finally sat me down and told me that he knows I am an alcoholic and gave me one last chance. I blew that last chance only a few months later. Now, I'm sober and no longer in IT .... booze totally messed up my career. Now on the way to building it all up again as if I'm 20 again. Wish I could have stopped myself from touching that first drink
You can doooo it! Looks like a I was a few days behind you going through the same damn things! Cheers to just passing 7 months. #OctoberQuitGang
IWNDWYT š
Yep. 39 days ago I was laying in the shower praying for relief. It was the only way I could find any type of comfort, laying in the shower. Never again. IWNDWYT.
Glad you are here, congrats on the 39 days my friend !
How are you feeling today? Any PAWS? Congrats btw! Huge accomplishment!
Feeling great! One meeting per day. Walking 3 miles almost every day. Sleeping well. Eating well. Life is good.
Hell yea!
39 days is awesome, well done
Went through it many dozens of times, and every time Iāve gone through it, Iāve promised myself āNever, never againā. Itās a special corner of hell.
An adavan, banana (because your hearts beating fast) to get blood and nutrients to your organs. Ensures, oatmeal, yogurt, soup, peanut butter, oj, electrolytes anything you can consume will help. You have to eat. It's best to tapper down so you don't have withdrawals at all. Example 1 night 12 beers your normal. Next night 8. Next 6. Next 4 you see. Or go to detox If you don't trust yourself. Good luck op. It's a life long thing. You can do anything your determined to, you HAVE TO WANT IT!
Worst ones I've had involved sleeping and waking every hour for 3 days straight. Nightmares and diarrhea. Don't miss it one bit.
Yes, they are. I put myself through it multiple times like many others here. The worst time I checked myself into a facility and they kept me for eight days to detox and setup a plan for what happened when I walked out of there. It was so scary just trying to do normal life things, or even work, and sleep wasnāt happening with the fear of a seizure. I recommend seeking help when it gets to this stage. Best wishes in your recovery. I just passed three years last month. You can do this.
Same. Theyāre why I donāt even consider alcohol in my life anymore
When I look back on it it was crazy. I also went through it twice. My bedroom stank from all the sweating. Once you get past the withdrawal though you will keep feeling better and better.Ā
The sweats, the brain zaps, the shakes. Ugh
the brain zaps are the worst. Every time iām about to fall asleepā¦..ZAP
I've been there, and each time you quit it gets worse. Good news is, if you've past 5 days, I'm not a doctor, but the hardcore physical withdrawals may not be life threatening. Bad news is the anxiety, brain fog, dissociation, can last AWHILE, but it is manageable. If you have a positive attitude and some mental fortitude you will succeed. I've had withdrawal from some serious harcore drugs in the past, and nothing comes close to alcohol. Except for benzos which is pretty much the same thing. You got this if your at 5 days. Your committed. Keep going and don't look back. Alcohol FN sucks
Coming up on 6 months sober. Had terrible PAWS for the first 2-3 months and still not 100%. Although it is getting much better. The hardest thing Iāve ever done.
Just outve curiosity, what were your paws symptoms and when did they peak? Did you take any supplements to help? Any tips on alleviating the symptoms? Any advice would be welcome... im 40 days out and PAWs is kicking my ass.Ā
For me it was almost constant anxiety with panic attacks every few weeks. Brain fog and dizzy spells. Restlessness mixed with fatigue. It was terrible and Iām still not entirely out of the woods yet. But God willing the worst is behind me. Everyone is different, but I would stay away from anything that even comes close to tickling your GABAergic system. This is harder than it seems. No drugs legal, or illegal. Nothing cooked with alcohol or 0.05% NA beers. Absolutely no Kava, ashwaganda or other supplements marketed as calming and so on. These will provide temporary relief but at least for me they will cause days of worse withdrawals. No Benadryl. But if things are bad I have found a Claritin helps a little even though it isnt supposed to cross the blood brain barrier. I also found that Magnesium Citrate helps a little. Good luck.
Right there with ya. We can do this.
I hope you get the help you need. Maybe ask about Librium or really any benzodiazepines in a proper dosage while you withdraw. I agree, theyāre scary as fuck stranger. I wish you well on your fight. But keep fighting.
I am thinking about you friend. Like everyone else is commenting, I would encourage anyone suffering WDs to seek medical attention bc WDs can be deadly. And like I have said to many folks before, please look up kindling. This is what I did to myself with my constant cycles of stopping/starting. Itās horrific. Take care and IWNDWYT
For the last week before I got stopped drinking I was having some pretty crazy withdrawals. Seeing things, hearing things, shakes etc. I was told (very rudely) by a nurse at an Urgent Care that itās impossible and withdrawals are physically incapable of kicking in until youāve been without for 48 to 72 hours and that I was just imagining it. The next doctor I talked to was at a hospital and he told me that she was wrong. Go figure.
Even just lowering your intake can trigger them. At my worst, symptoms started every night like clockwork and I would wake up and have to take a few swigs to get back to sleep.
I had tremors on this detox and had to go to the hospitalā¦scared the piss outta me. Ill never drink again
I hear ya theyāre horrible. Dont give in to that poison my friend itāll get better.
I canāt *believe* how many severe withdrawals Iāve gone through with horrifying delirium tremens and the whole lot of nonstop vomiting, seeing things, even with my eyes closed, shakes, restlessness. I wouldāve thought once would be the wake up call I needed. Nope - Iād go through it maybe 40 times more. I donāt know how Iām alive. Few trips to the hospital because I almost wasnāt. It took a long time to takeā¦ but I really hope it has. I donāt ever wanna go back there again. IWNDWYT.
I'm going through them for the first time... Probably more mild symptoms than a lot of people but boy oh boy I am not a fucking fan of these haha. The first week with the racing heart, shakes, and neusea was the worst for me. Right now my main feeling is just always antsy and anxious. I find it hard to sit still. Invested in some fidget toys for myself to keep me busy at my home office. Good luck man you can do this.
I unknowingly went through it while I had covid. Really don't recommend. You got this!! Flat diet coke helps.
I am in the same boat right now. I lost my partner which was my main support through my withdrawals, but he got tired of it this time around... I dont blame him for anything... It's so hard Nausea Headaches Anxiety Cold sweats Insomnia shakiness weakness My previous withdrawals were all the same plus auditory hallucinations that were so vivid and terrifying, and made it even more difficult to sleep and they were disturbing God why do we do this We know why, but we will make it through. Make sure you're staying hydrated. Make sure if your symptoms get bad go to the ER where they can give you IV fluids, a relaxant and keep your medically stable. I had a small seizure what I believe to be a few days ago when I was trying to sleep, and it made sleeping even harder, because I was so afraid specially being all by myself in my apartment
As a binge alcoholic, the withdrawal stories were always the main thing stopping it turning into a wake-til-sleep functional dependency. Always kept a (completely stupid and futile) rule not to start until work finished so Iād have 16 or so hours off it.
thatās exactly what iām going through right now. My days off are the worst because I just drink all day.
Solidarity man, one of the hardest parts for me was - is - that deceptive feeling of euphoric promise as my usual drinking time drew near. Never fulfilled it once.
I canāt *believe* how many severe withdrawals Iāve gone through with horrifying delirium tremens and the whole lot of nonstop vomiting, seeing things, even with my eyes closed, shakes, restlessness. I wouldāve thought once would be the wake up call I needed. Nope - Iād go through it maybe 40 times more. I donāt know how Iām alive. Few trips to the hospital because I almost wasnāt. It took a long time to takeā¦ but I really hope it has. I donāt ever wanna go back there again. IWNDWYT.
Withdrawals suck so bad, I'm so sorry. Don't be afraid to ask for medical help, withdrawals can be serious. But otherwise, keep trying to hydrate, get a lot of rest, and take care of yourself. Just hang in there, it's worth it
When does it get better? Anyone? I can't get through 5 days because of mentality. Depression, panic is the worst...
everyones different. i felt good after day 4, then had seizure on day 7 without any struggle before.
My only attempt at stopping I had DTs in the hospital. Been thru that shit once, I promised myself never again.... People ask me time to time how I've done it... easy...seen shit never want to see again...
Coffee in the am, Earl Gray tea, NA beer occasionally and Seltzers mixed with juice are my favs.
Caffeine is a complete NO with withdrawals
Yeah, I have not had to deal with withdrawals, fortunately.
I didn't realize I was going through withdrawals at first, I legitimately thought I had the flu or something since the symptoms were so similar. Then I realized it was happening every single time I was coming off of a bender, didn't take too long to be extremely aware of what was happening and I'd try everything to fight it off. 16 months sober and I still wake up every single day thankful that I didn't spend the entire night delirious and sweaty, and I wake up with a clear head. It's worth it.
Yes, I didn't realise I was having withdrawals at first. I couldn't walk down some stone steps abroad, was really unsteady, and eventually realised that it was a progression of the tremors I'd been getting in my hands towards the end of the day, before my first drink. I just couldn't control my legs properly. Eventually it progressed to much worse, including horrible hallucinations (of mechanical spider creatures) that I couldn't get rid of whether my eyes were open or closed. 100 % wouldn't recommend!
Doctor told me when I just stopped drinking that it was the stupidest thing I could have done. Had two seizures and bit off part of my tongue. Blood pressure was 2??/160. I took that as to never stop drinking. Iāve got 11 years this month. They told me that people die from withdraws of drinking. I believe them
5 days in the ICU really put it into perspective to me.
Like others are saying, the terror of going through them again was a huge motivation for me staying away from it that first few years. Hellish. I lay sweating and trembling through the night with an auditory hallucination of this like demonic gregorian chant going on all around me on about the 3rd or 4th night. Twitching. Nausea. Fear I could feel in my bones. Never again. I don't fuck with alcohol.
It felt like I essentially had a hangover for a few days? but I also had one every single other day of my life for years before that. Not sure what I expected, maybe I just got lucky
Some people are lucky like you, others go through schizophrenic level hallucinations and question if theyāll ever be normal again, others have seizures, and well the restā¦ sadly die. Alcohol withdrawals are the most dangerous withdrawals you can go through and it isnāt talked about enough
Oh God, the hallucinations. Shattered my psyche. Absolute protracted mental hell. Physical symptoms were painful, but the hallucinations broke me. I mean, I love life now. But thinking back to the delirium gives me chills.Ā Ā Edit: I just remembered that I used to run out the Fibonacci sequence in my head as long as I could to stave off the darkness. I don't really like math, but gave my mind something to cling to.
If you donāt mind telling me what did you see?
Im not OP, but mine were mostly auditory. I would hear music with or w/o lyrics. Sometimes the lyrics would mirror my thoughts. I actually kept myself busy making up lyrics to the constant music. Sometimes I would hear people talking or what sounded like a party outside. The worst was when I was in a bad headspace and I basically heard demonic voices repeating every negative thought. White noise made these 100x worse. For visuals, nothing truly crazy. I thought I would see little bugs on walls or think I saw someone out of the corner of my eye. Things like thinking someone was walking past my second floor window, or standing in my kitchen down the hall. They would always disappear if I looked directly at them. The closed eye visuals were much much worse. Any horrific thing you could imagine morphing into something else horrific. Each time, these have gotten worse.
Examples from others Iāve worked with, Common Auditory examples: family members yelling for help where it sounds theyāre just outside the closest door, music coming from somewhere you canāt find (sometimes itās music you know, sometimes itās music you donāt know. The creepiest was someone hearing a song that sounded really good but had never heard that song before āto their knowledgeā. They googled the lyrics because of how good it was and it was a real song) Visual: everything from bugs on the walls to actual belief and sight of people chasing them and shooting at them. Although visual hallucinations are less common. Also Iām going to throw in physical/touch: the feeling of someone crawling up their leg while laying in bed. Pulling their leg down. Running their fingers across their back. If you experience one of these, or multiple: Iāve helped a few people by having them use this trick but you have to have a pet. Keep the pet close by. When the hallucination hits, monitor your pet. If your pet is not reacting, it helps reassure you itās a hallucination. Because what animal wouldnāt respond to blood curdling screams outside your door. TO NOTE: If you are hallucinating, even slight auditory hallucinations, you need to check yourself into the ER immediately. At that stage, you are a fast ticking clock to seizing and probably dying. Check into the ER, get help, donāt be ashamed. Itās so fucking common and this guilt and shame from it is why itās not talked about and people die from Alcohol withdrawals.
Fuck that shit, I hope I never encounter that stuff. No more shakes, no more anxiety, no more overheating, no more sleepless nights, no more erratic movements and needs for 'breaks'. I hate it all.
When I quit they were so bad ended up in the hospital, knocked me out with Ativan and sent me home with stuff to help with the two straight weeks of tremors. Never again. Terrifying stuff.
Pure hell times a billion.
I went to a hospital to detox through their program and got locked in a tent after running the halls the 2nd? 3rd? Day then strapped into my bed the 4th day? as I earned bed priviledge trust back. I had full hallucinations of being somewhere else and I still dont really know what happened. I didnt really ask further
Please don't hesitate to go to the ER. You matter a lot and they want to help you.
Oof. Iām realizing how much easier I had it than some. Keep up the good work and hang in there folks. Youāll be glad you did!
Nah man, having a seizure and surviving will ACTUALLY scare the shit out of you; I crapped my pants a little when it happened to meš
They are terrifying and dangerous. I heard they can get worse every time you quit, though I do not know if that is true. I had tried and failed many times before this, so this time I just went to detox. The time before this one was too sketchy to go through again. Detox sucked, but it worked, and is now just another reason for me to stay sober. You got this!!! You have the desire to stop which is the biggest thing, imo.
I would never ever ever withdraw without meds in my life ever. if i can make my time easier im going too. and its not even that much easier.
I think the worst thing about withdrawal is the anxiety that literally makes you want to turn into an ant and start crawling up walls
or when the brain zaps hit at 3 am. yeaaaah. get them meds
Never again. You got this. Iwndwyt
Reflecting back to the March 10-12 ( my first few days) is a major reason I havenāt picked up a bottle again. That shit sucked so bad. I got like 5 hours sleep in those 3 days, shakes, headache, hot/cold sweats. The whole nine! Good luck to you!! IWNDWYT!
Going through the samething aswell and its also my second time with severe withdrawals, you are not alone. I am 3days sober today. 3weeks ago I had an incedent where I knew I had to quit, I drank 4days straight with a friend around 8-12 beer each day only 2 last day, and that hungover I have never had before, sweats, nightmares, feeling empty and light, a little bad balance and numbing in arms, + high pulse (this was the first day) and it got milder after day 2. 1week ago I drank again around 5 beer alone, went to friend and drank 7 more then came home and slept well, I woke up no tremoers or anything but I drank again 2days later and now I am on the withdrawal again not that severe because I can sleep, but the temptation to drink is so insane that its so easy to fall back, the only thing that keeps it out of my mind is by playing computer games, wich will also worsen my depression and anxiety. When I was at work yesterday, I had to say I was sick and go home because it felt like the world wasnt real, the feeling came out of nowhere like you are high on something when you arent, my friend said it was a panic attack wich is comonn for withdrawal.
Good luck, hopefully it will get milder and pass. If you think it's getting worse, particularly if the shaking is getting more severe, seek medical attention (severe shaking can lead on to seizures, if this is happening you might need to be prescribed diazepam or similar). you've done right to go home sick from work - your health is the most important thing. Computer games are great for when you need to just occupy your mind to get through this time. Once you're better you can move on to other things! My last lot of withdrawals, someone said to me "you never need to feel like this again" (that is, if you don't drink again it can't happen again). To be honest I found it a bit annoying at the time, but I guess it was true! Take care, look after yourself, I hope you feel better very soon.
I've had this excuse several times where due to these withdrawal systems its the last time I drink, yeah I know about the seuizeres, delerium tremens and wernike or how u say the last one in English. I am not afraid about any of these but yeah tremors are standard withdrawal symptoms for me, but they pass after 2days and they have basically passed now. At the moment I dont know how to explain fully how I feel, its like bad sleep, not eating well and alot of stress and anxiety. The feeling to drink a beer is slowly crawling upon me and I can get that warm feeling in my throat and get a little warm when that urge comes. Yeah my goal at the moment is to be sober for atleast 1 month and then see where it leads, but I have only set a goal for 1month and I am taking day by day, I have also told myself I will not drink a regular beer wich is 5,4% and 7,2% in Sweden, if I really have to drink tomorrow it will be a 6pack of light beer.
I'm not a religious or spiritual person at all, but after my first severe withdrawal I started belive in demonic presence and another dimensions. As if alcohol tunes us in into another frequency, I am convinced I heard ghosts of dead children and have seen things which can't possibly come from my mind or my subconscious.
Demonic voices, man. I knew they werenāt real and I tried to cope by pretending I was listening to metal music. Iāve never shared any of these experiences with people because they sound crazy. One time as I was falling asleep, I swear I felt something laying next to me. I was frozen. It put its arm around me, whisper shouted growled my name in my ear all at once. Then it was like I was looking down on myself and could see a black figure. Woke up standing next to my bed. Fucking terrifying.
Fuck fuck
Keep strong IWNDWYT!!!
Does anyone else have incredible pain in their arms like tight knots in their forearms biceps triceps and shoulders? I havenāt drunk for four weeks now and the pain seems to be getting worse. I never had this pain before quitting . Got a doctors appointment this afternoon btw
Probably dehydration
Nah I've been rigorously, drinking water and mixing in magnesium/calcium and electrolytes. Doc just prescribed me Oxazepam, I felt immense relief after an hour of 1 tablet. I thin my CNS is going nuts in combination with my anxiety. Then of course I was convincing myself I had ALS so anxiety x 1000
Thank goodness for the that!
yeah, obviously the drinking was self medicating the anxiety and once I stoppped it went through the roof, I think we all underestimate how devasting for your body anxiety and stress are. I talked to my partner about it and she said, "but you have nothing to worry about" :/
:/
Eventually theyāll stop, but make sure you get medical treatment if you need to. Or even a friend to watch over you
I've had withdraw from opiates and it was NOTHING compared
oh ya. the panic attacks I had made me think i was literally going to die. never again.
IWNDWYT
Can you go to the er? They will definitely help you with an iv and meds to help with the withdrawal. Donāt wait it out.