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Day 5....Need Sleepie!!!
Well....I am sitting here at work hours early (which being early for me is RARE) because yet again I was only able to get 4 hours of sleep. I load up with Melatonine and Valerian Root around 8:30 and can get to sleep fairly easily but every night I wake up around 2 am. I toss and turn from then on so I have just been getting up and going to work. I defintely can tell the difference between day 5 and day 3 but I still have a lot of anxious behavior, wrestless leg, and oh yeah.....LACK OF SLEEP!!!! Against my new AA buddies wishes I have been chugging down a couple vodka and squirts but I will say that it takes the edge off a little at night and help me to get to sleep. Last night was the last night of that I just use a few cocktails in the very beginning to get past the worst of the withdrawals. I by no means am condoning alcohol but it works for me.
I have also maintained my vitamin, supplement, and protien drinks which I truly believe help shorten the withdrawal effects considerably. I was able to ride my exercise bike for about 20 out of my normal 40 minutes which made me feel ok for a little bit. My energy levels are definitely still below sactisfactory levels but I was able to drag my way through it. I am going to attempt to get at least 25 minutes in today. Any of you out there in the first few weeks of withdrawal please try exercise in conjunction with the amino protocol suppliments along with protien shakes. Exercise will literally shorten your detox time by weeks.....I am sad to say that I am a veteran when it comes to detox's and exercise has gotten me through each one in fairly quick order and helped me get through methadone withdrawal as well. It will seem like the very last thing in the world that you would want to do but trust me....IT WORKS!!!! I also am a firm believe in lots of fluids. I use pure squeezed orange juice and pour about 1-2 ounces in a large glass. I then take cold cold water and mix in with juice. It is an excellent hydrator and the electrolites are good for brain function. The faster you can get the toxins out of your body the faster you will start to feel better.....You cannot get enough water into your system the first week of detox! Anyways, I just wanted to write down a few things that help me and if anyone has any other questions about home remedies let me know....I have another appointment with my councelor today and I am looking forward to that. I just have to mention as well that I am still struggeling with the lower end stuff which is annoying but hopefully I feel better each day. Thanks for listenting!
I have also maintained my vitamin, supplement, and protien drinks which I truly believe help shorten the withdrawal effects considerably. I was able to ride my exercise bike for about 20 out of my normal 40 minutes which made me feel ok for a little bit. My energy levels are definitely still below sactisfactory levels but I was able to drag my way through it. I am going to attempt to get at least 25 minutes in today. Any of you out there in the first few weeks of withdrawal please try exercise in conjunction with the amino protocol suppliments along with protien shakes. Exercise will literally shorten your detox time by weeks.....I am sad to say that I am a veteran when it comes to detox's and exercise has gotten me through each one in fairly quick order and helped me get through methadone withdrawal as well. It will seem like the very last thing in the world that you would want to do but trust me....IT WORKS!!!! I also am a firm believe in lots of fluids. I use pure squeezed orange juice and pour about 1-2 ounces in a large glass. I then take cold cold water and mix in with juice. It is an excellent hydrator and the electrolites are good for brain function. The faster you can get the toxins out of your body the faster you will start to feel better.....You cannot get enough water into your system the first week of detox! Anyways, I just wanted to write down a few things that help me and if anyone has any other questions about home remedies let me know....I have another appointment with my councelor today and I am looking forward to that. I just have to mention as well that I am still struggeling with the lower end stuff which is annoying but hopefully I feel better each day. Thanks for listenting!
Thanks for the support.....I was a nutrition minor in college and they say that 7-8 hours of sleep in nominal but everyone is different....Even on the pills I have a hard time sleeping but I refuse to take the narcotic based sleeping pills, it is just another addiction. I tried taking my sleep aids later last night which got me to around 3 am instead of 2. I agree that time tables for recovery are just stresses that I do not need right now....Thanks again and wish me luck.....Am feeling a little better today but the lack of sleep is really getting to me.
Hi-- I just wanted to throw some support your way! You are in a HUGE cycle and I know it well. It's so damn MENTAL and I know how hard it is to stop because I never could,for years. I just knew I would die in misery and never gave myself a chance to prove what I could really do! IBK and I'mDONE gave you some great advice.They're wise to the deal!!
Have you thought about what you can change or are willing to change to get out of this?
It's important. You need something you can change and it can't be something stupid!!
I also,think you expect too much so you shoot yourself in the foot. That has to change.I went through withdrawal once for keeps. The other times it was because I was between deliveries and rx's. I don't count that. I finally got serious and that's what I changed. I really didn't want to. I loved the things!! But it was time to end it and I did, with a lot of help from people who knew what the hell they were doing and saying; not what I wanted to hear. I learned something during that time and it was to live in the moment. I mean,only in the moment. Right now. Just try it. Don't thingk about Monday or Wednesday. You'd be shocked at the poo that just falls away and becomes unimportant. I became a lot happier
and a lot less anxious. I stopped worrying. Changes. I still work at it and always will. It works for me. ( poo LMAO ) We get bleeped if we say ****.
Also,try taking that sleepie stuff later. I think you take it way too early. I wonder what people consider enough sleep. What is good for you? I only need about 5-6 hours and I've always thought that was normal. Is it?? What's your expectation?
When you live in the moment, time is not an enemy. I meant to say that!
Take care-
Have you thought about what you can change or are willing to change to get out of this?
It's important. You need something you can change and it can't be something stupid!!
I also,think you expect too much so you shoot yourself in the foot. That has to change.I went through withdrawal once for keeps. The other times it was because I was between deliveries and rx's. I don't count that. I finally got serious and that's what I changed. I really didn't want to. I loved the things!! But it was time to end it and I did, with a lot of help from people who knew what the hell they were doing and saying; not what I wanted to hear. I learned something during that time and it was to live in the moment. I mean,only in the moment. Right now. Just try it. Don't thingk about Monday or Wednesday. You'd be shocked at the poo that just falls away and becomes unimportant. I became a lot happier
and a lot less anxious. I stopped worrying. Changes. I still work at it and always will. It works for me. ( poo LMAO ) We get bleeped if we say ****.
Also,try taking that sleepie stuff later. I think you take it way too early. I wonder what people consider enough sleep. What is good for you? I only need about 5-6 hours and I've always thought that was normal. Is it?? What's your expectation?
When you live in the moment, time is not an enemy. I meant to say that!
Take care-
I just think it's important to remember recovery is non-linear. There will be good days and there WILL be BAD days. It's that simple - no reason to sugar-coat the situation or you'll just end up feeling bad because you aren't better in "x "amount of days. It simply does not work that way.
IB is right - TIME. And she's also right in saying it's a word that all of us addicts HATE to hear. We want instant gratification and that is why we're in the mess we are to begin with. Patience, belief and faith will become HUGE words for you. Just go easy on yourself for a while - if it means you're going to be in a bad mood for a while, SO WHAT?? It's a mere "bleep" on the radar screen of your life. It really is. Keep the expectations in check and you'll make it through, albeit a day, hour or minute at a time. I always get nervous when I see members here setting timetables for themselves, like "tomorrow" I will feel better, or "I'm sure by next week it will be over". Nope. Not that simple. Addiction is WAY too complicated for that.
I KNOW you can do this. Now it's your turn to BELIEVE that. :)
IB is right - TIME. And she's also right in saying it's a word that all of us addicts HATE to hear. We want instant gratification and that is why we're in the mess we are to begin with. Patience, belief and faith will become HUGE words for you. Just go easy on yourself for a while - if it means you're going to be in a bad mood for a while, SO WHAT?? It's a mere "bleep" on the radar screen of your life. It really is. Keep the expectations in check and you'll make it through, albeit a day, hour or minute at a time. I always get nervous when I see members here setting timetables for themselves, like "tomorrow" I will feel better, or "I'm sure by next week it will be over". Nope. Not that simple. Addiction is WAY too complicated for that.
I KNOW you can do this. Now it's your turn to BELIEVE that. :)
I just read your comment on my thread and I thank you for your words. It seems like I just hit a brick wall in the past hour. I was so happy and upbeat earllier this morning and it changed so suddenly, I am starting to freak out. I lost any energy I had and really need to sleep badly. Anyway I really admire what you have done because as you said this aint easy. Congratulations and Keep on going and I'll be doing my best to keep on following, I'll always stay 2 days behind. Good luck!
Thanks and you are right! I think for me the worst part of withdrawal is the mental anguish. I try to occupy my brain with conversation and work but I find myself dwelling on the effects of the withdrawal. I get very small glimpses of what sober life was like but they are still pretty distant. I really struggle with the mental stuff early on in detox....Usually the sleep depervation, energy loss, and anxiety/cravings makes me want to relapse just to get a day or two of piece but we all know where that ends up.....Thanks for the encouragement and I greatly look forwards to your posts.....Thanks!
You will come to hate this word---TIME. You didn't abuse your mind and body overnight and it will heal overnight either. Give yourself a break, understand that you have done a good thing, pat yourself on the back every day you get further away from the madness, be good to yourself and don't use!!
That is a very good point.....I do have an unrealistic and hopeful view of feeling better....I guess I am just trying to convince myself that this will all be over soon to keep my spirits up....But you are correct that I need to be realistic and realize that it might be a few weeks before I really start feeling back to normal....I usually do not make it past two weeks sober so I truly do not even know what it is like to be completely sober for more than that time. I have a support group this time which before I never had....Also, I have mentally committed to quitting this time and am not pretending to pass time until my next score.
My toughest hurdle is going to be in a week. All of my sources usually come through around the end of each month so if I can rely on my support group and keep some sanity about me and tell them no then I think I can make it this time....I have to quit, my wife, my friends and family are all getting wise to the constant monthly sick time (which until now has been explained away). I owe it to them and I owe it to myself....I am just lying to myself each and every time I use. It is usually awesome to use for the first three days then you are chasing that great high the rest of the time and your tolerance goes up and your supply dwindles down and you are scrambling to rejuvinate your supply before the dreaded detox starts....It is a visious cycle and I am sick and tired of it! Thanks again for the support and the understanding and wish me luck.....I will need every bit of it!
My toughest hurdle is going to be in a week. All of my sources usually come through around the end of each month so if I can rely on my support group and keep some sanity about me and tell them no then I think I can make it this time....I have to quit, my wife, my friends and family are all getting wise to the constant monthly sick time (which until now has been explained away). I owe it to them and I owe it to myself....I am just lying to myself each and every time I use. It is usually awesome to use for the first three days then you are chasing that great high the rest of the time and your tolerance goes up and your supply dwindles down and you are scrambling to rejuvinate your supply before the dreaded detox starts....It is a visious cycle and I am sick and tired of it! Thanks again for the support and the understanding and wish me luck.....I will need every bit of it!
I'm SO glad to see you here again! Although I am sorry to hear you're still struggling a bit.
Sleep can be one of the LAST things to return to normal after withdrawal. And the only other thing I wanted to mention to you is to keep your expectations low for now. That may sound strange given how difficult quitting can be, but it's better to expect to feel low for a while then to set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic expectations on yourself. I think as long as you have the mindset that this process is going to take TIME it will make dealing with all of the symptoms much much easier.
And you're still early in withdrawal, so that's probably why the melatonin or valerian root aren't working as well as they might in the later days. I found that early on the OTC stuff didn't work very well for me and I truly believe it was because I had SO many narcotics in my system that the standard non-narcotic pain meds or supplements just couldn't make their way "through" my system.
Again, just focus on one day at a time. The rest will come eventually. And again, CONGRATS to you for trying again. That is great news! :)
Sleep can be one of the LAST things to return to normal after withdrawal. And the only other thing I wanted to mention to you is to keep your expectations low for now. That may sound strange given how difficult quitting can be, but it's better to expect to feel low for a while then to set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic expectations on yourself. I think as long as you have the mindset that this process is going to take TIME it will make dealing with all of the symptoms much much easier.
And you're still early in withdrawal, so that's probably why the melatonin or valerian root aren't working as well as they might in the later days. I found that early on the OTC stuff didn't work very well for me and I truly believe it was because I had SO many narcotics in my system that the standard non-narcotic pain meds or supplements just couldn't make their way "through" my system.
Again, just focus on one day at a time. The rest will come eventually. And again, CONGRATS to you for trying again. That is great news! :)
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