My emotions were really heightened at the start. I believe it is the increased awareness that kind of shines a very bright light on ourselves. So bright I found it uncomfortable.
I read from Buddhist teachings and have been practicing meditation and yoga for a while. The focus on following your breath to quiet the busy mind helps me to take on One emotion at a time and see it through. I find this acceptance is key.
Sorry about your mum. You can still ask for her guidance. She’s alive in your heart.

when the booze is gone the feelings return sad glad etc see booze just handled all my problems , problem was they were still there when i sobered up . I was the stuff the dirty laundry down deeper and not deal with it type. I only wanted the good feelings, life is ups and downs. today i try to stay away from extremes . on my side of the street. Ha ha the right side here in us. lol.
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There is a saying Youre gonna feel better, feel happy better , sad better etc... good luck . post your progress I joined here about 7 years ago.

7 years 1-2 that's great. I did my 8 units and feel really anxious, not doing very much in the way of housework etc and not sleeping and when I finally do for a couple of hours my dreams are weird. Talked to hubby and he suggested I now drop 1 unit a day now, I wanted this to be over quick but I need to function for my grandson, today I didn't take him out for fresh air and exercise so I am going to do the 2 unit a day. Hubby doesn't drink but he buys my units daily so I am not tempted, I asked him to do this. I am beginning to understand the need for support. It's getting harder the lower I go. The restrictions through this virus is not helping, I can't lose myself on a wonderful day out. The weather here is carp right now and forecast to be this way for awhile. I need a distraction ..........

Meant to say I am going to do the 1 unit a day. I have altered the text on my tablet to large and I keep typing the wrong letters or numbers !!!!

Finally, she sure is still in my heart, thank you for reminding me, although I am now crying again. I am also becoming very forgetful, is this normal?

It took me about three months to feel like the fog had lifted from my mind. I quit in November and was unable to walk or use my rt arm for a few months. (fall and broken bones) I don’t watch tv so I read a Lot.
As soon as I was able I began walking to strengthen even though it was still winter in New England.
I put all my energy into healing my body and the emotional/mental health just naturally followed. Exercise is a great distraction.
Keep up the great work:)

I am an avid reader too Finally, its a good distraction and also the light stuff I read before bed. Today was 7 units, I wish I had more understanding of tapering, what happens when I get down to 2/3 units??? I have already explained I would drink from 12pm until 7/8 pm but that was 15 units. I never really functioned until that 1st glass so now I have pushed it back until 2pm and finish at 6, but of course not a lot happens until I have that 1st drink. I don't know if I have to go to zero or can I stop at 2 units, Not a lot of info on the net.Sure there are taper plans but not much of anyone talking about it except 1 guy who worked from home and drank zillions, it took him months and he says he has a couple of drinks now and again. Not me I never want to touch another drop, its hasn't been pleasurable for a few years I just regarded it as my medicine. My mind didn't crave it my body does. How many years did you drink for if its ok to ask. Sorry so many questions. I only slept from 4am til 7am ish last night and I am now wide awake at 23.30.. wish this virus was gone I would have checked into a hotel for 3 days and white knuckled it from 6 units xxx

I had been drinking for a decade alone. Mostly on my ride home from work. But bourbon so the effect lasted till sleep. This is the reason that I craved sugar so badly for the first year. My body was so used to the sugars in the alcohol. The last four years before I quit I was drinking a beer and a pint of whiskey.
When I quit I didn’t have much in the way of dt which I’m still surprised at. Especially because the year leading to my sober start I had increased the ‘units’ (I love that, it almost sounds cute and elusive of the seriousness of the reality)

Just checking in. Stay strong. This is a mind over matter thing. Training the mind to resist habit behavior is possible. Big picture is good but just today is perfect. Funny thing, my wife is in Hawaii (6 hours earlier) and I assume you’re in UK. Getting close to ‘magic hour’? This is your gift to yourself. Remember that?

Booze should be treated like a band aid. Slowly stopping is more painful than just stopping.

I have witnesses around 8-900 ppl try to stop drinking. The 10 that made it , yes the odds are about 1 in 100 removed the booze from life, dealt with the emotions and feelings booze has been suppressing, and most importantly they realize that booze is not an option going forward.

Soooo. Question is prolong the pain or get it over and done.

Alcohol is a very tricky foe, it plays on your fears and makes you believe that you must taper, that because you have drank every day for x years you will ( insert die, go into DT , etc )

A bunch of us quit and went thru it. It sux for a bit but as soon as the fog lifts life is there and it IS beautiful. To wake feeling good. To go to sleep felling good. It’s all good but I honestly can say that tapering never got me sober. Quitting drinking was the solution for me. And even more important was a network of other alcoholics that told me how to deal with life and do it without my filter.

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And thanks for reminding me of my last drinking days when I would wake up and hate myself and my life and was so depressed.

Hmmmm. Wonder why? Because alcohol IS a DEPRESSANt ... go figure

Feeling really bad today, not even got out of bed and its 6pm. It has rained for 4 days and forecasting rain for the next 5. I suppose anytime to quit is the best time I just wish I had done it sooner. Everyone is depressed and grouchy here. I was always the optimist, forgive the pun 'glass was always half full not half empty. At 4 units I now quit, can't feel much worse than I do so going to end the agony, I always feel like if I just had 1 more !!!!!! Have resisted and its not easy so that's it no more, I'm done, finished with alcohol. But would like to keep hearing from you both, its so encouraging. 1-2 tell me more stories lol and Finally recommend some reading for me to get that Inner Peace. Nothing too taxing right now, my head is a bit fuzzy ( I forgot my password - it was so easy ) I can't thank you enough for your support, will keep checking in, try and stop me. Hugs

The body will start to heal itself. I suggest lots of water, Gatorade, it will come in a wave... cravings will and do pass .. if you crave... alcohol was ALL sugar so trick your brain with a chocolate shake

Honestly I was sort of fried brain wise for about 3 months. I look back now an I was a sorry piece of sh. I woke worked, drank, slept , repeat.

The thing is booze was not the problem, it was the solution. When I stopped hiding I had some issues to deal with. I talked to a therapist and also found immense support in an aa group.

You want a good story you can google Dr bobs nightmare

It’s a barnburner...

Ros

Day 2 of no drinking, don't feel much better but I don't feel any worse, thought I might after cutting out those last 2.5 drinks (US equivalent of my 4 units). Feeling good about myself for pulling off that last bit of bandaid. Lol. Never heard of a backburner ? But going to see if I can get it on my kindle. Have a great day guys x

The small paper back that’s on my night table always is ‘Fear, weathering the emotional storm’ by Thich Nhat Hahn, a gifted Buddhist monk in teaching a better way. He also has some talks on YouTube if you want to just listen.
Ram Dass, also, has hundreds of lectures that have inspired me. So much that my wife and I spent a month in India last fall staying in many places that he visited fifty years ago.
Just finishing Zen and motorcycle maintenance which has some very original thoughts but they need to be sifted through some wordy sections.
I haven’t read anything else for ‘fun’ in a while. Mostly been books on emotional/ spiritual health, gardening and philosophy. Which are all the same things, it turns out:)
I am continually amazed by how our will can be strengthened or weakened just by thoughts. I think I have been successful with my sobriety because I didn’t focus on the alcohol (or lack of) but my actions that lead me to drink. The scrambled thoughts were so chaotic that I wasn’t aware of what I was really doing to myself and family.
I am learning that my perception of my life IS my life. When I have the perception that I’m living in a healthy way, guess what? I am.
Perceive that I’m failing? Time to look close at what isn’t flowing. The thoughts that are resisting are always the problem spots to address.
With practice (and honesty) it becomes continually smother to self analyze. To feel the places where I used to shy away from is where I heal. Mind you, before I began recovery I didn’t know I needed healing.
I’m able to laugh at myself more.
I suggest you do the same. Every time your sneaky mischievous mind tries to convince you to have a unit just see it for what it is. A habit that will fade away and create room to expand the space in your heart.