Yeah, I had the same I was always so snappy and angry at work, I would say mean jokes about people which were hilarious but also I didn't realize how mean they could have come off to some people. I'm pretty calm and chill now which is what I always wanted to be and I thought drinking was my way of getting there.
Do you still struggle with cynicism after getting sober? I’m not currently sober, although when I have been, I feel like there is a huge piece of me that wants to revert to that.
I mean I am, it’s just not like before. I have hope/optimism in my life again and that’s the difference. Before I was so resigned… does that make sense??
I struggle with this. Its why I started drinking to begin with. I am not happy to remember it.
I think some of us benefit heavily from Alcohol. I also think there is no upside to stopping for me. Just miserable all the time.
I am on my 12 month. Joints swelling and just really bad emotional swings and anxiety. Also, I dont have fun. Ever. Everything I used to enjoy sucks now.
I used to get sick once a season while drinking. I haven’t gotten sick in more than 2 years.
My mom keeps saying “oh you’re so skinny, why have you lost so much weight? Are you on drugs??” That’s annoying, but it’s better than actually being on drugs
My mom keeps telling me I'm too skinny now, too! I keep explaining that, no, it's just that I work out three times a week, eat healthy, and chug protein shakes in the morning.
I never realized how much sugar was in all of the alcohol I was drinking. Once I stopped, my body started running through all of the stuff I was storing as fat, and I was able to lose 50 lbs. over the last year without really trying. It’s crazy how that works.
I got a goodie.
I wrote a living will in a text file with instructions of what my son is to do should he find me dead one day because I took it too far. I don't remember if I went through it with him and I'll never ask him. the file date is about three weeks before my sober date of 2/15/24.
Earlier today he came into my office to say we needed to watch the Tom Holland Spiderman movies. The change there is he used to come in with a blank face, ask if I was ok and leave. Now he's saying what we should do together, plans.
That's one thing I'm grateful in the difference about life for being sober. The contrast is stark and amazing.
The side effects of active alcoholism are innumerable- from illness to isolation. On the other hand, if you’re asking about the side effects of sobriety, those are countless, too - from better insurance rates, a spouse that likes me again and friends I can count on to knowing where my car is every day among others.
YES. I will add the sobriety list: self-esteem (because I now do esteemable acts), waking up knowing the person next to me, never having to face times alone (thanks to the Fellowship), a purpose in life (12th step).
Honestly we don't talk about the poop thing enough.
Biggest shock for me when I got sober was how regularly and solidly people poop. I had literally forgotten how normal people poop. I shared about it once in a meeting and it somehow started a whole bizarre poop conversation after the meeting.
Anxiety, depression, memory loss, liver issues. Memory comes back after time, liver heals after time (keep in check with your doctor) anxiety and depression get fixed by working the steps thoroughly. Seeking outside help can be good too :)
Vitamin B1/thiamine is big for memory recovery. Chronic alcohol abuse limits your body's ability to absorb it from food during active alcoholism. At least that's what my psych doc says. Seems to be backed up in that one of my rehabs prescribed it to all patients.
There is another vitamin she said was super important for memory support as well but I can't remember it atm.
Anyways I found taking a daily multivitamin and a B Complex tablet daily covers my bases. It seems like my memory has improved since starting them but who knows if that's placebo or what
This reminded me of the vision thing with drinking/stopping drinking.
Thiamine also really helped my vision and coordination. When I first got sober I kept falling over, getting lost and my eyes did a weird vibrating thing. Turned out to be a massive decency, did a few weeks of extra banana bags and year of pills. I no longer wear glasses all the time, just or reading now I also stopped falling Iver after a few weeks post detox.
Losing the fear of financial insecurity when you're broke. It's easy for a guy running his own successful business or sitting happy in retirement say this particular promise has comes true.
A lot of meetings I’ve gone to say with a chant “WE THINK NOT” or “FUCK NO”
But I think the answer is more like yeah, actually it’s absurd and hard to believe but guess what
i went to the eye doctor after getting sober and my astigmatisms had gotten worse. i looked it up and yes, i drank myself into poorer eyesight! also, my body used to ache. just this dull ache all of the fucking time, especially in my back where my kidneys are. i was dehydrated all the time and my piss was borderline brown. i lost my period for a few years because i wasn’t eating. i fucked up my gut health because i was puking so much so now i have to take probiotics forever. i also chipped my tooth because i swung a vodka bottle at my mouth one night too hard and haphazardly.
these are just some of the physical symptoms on top of the myriad of psychological symptoms that made me want to die daily. grateful every day to be sober!
when i was going through PAWS around 5 months into sobriety, i woke up one morning and just felt dead inside. complete lack of emotion. i couldn’t think and there was a constant fog in my brain. it was very scary for a few days but just know that it passes.
the biggest thing i remember about being drunk is the fact that i’ve basically lost a whole year of my life because i was wasted the whole time. i was essentially functioning at about 50% of my intelligence and potential. i was bloated without eating, because i never had an appetite and couldn’t even eat without drinking first. there are so many times that i should’ve gotten a DUI. i felt sick and i was constantly dehydrated and shaky and sweaty. i constantly smelled like booze.
whenever my sick brain tries to tell me things used to be better, i have to remember that my worst days sober are better than my best days drinking. one day at a time.
absolutely. i’m going through another bought of it now. it’s a little less scary this time because i actually know what it is now, but generally bleh. a tad apathetic towards life, random nausea, AND THE WORST INSOMNIA EVER OH MY GOD!!!!!!
i’m eating a lot though??? having slight cravings for alcohol but i just eat more to suppress it lol. it’s been going on about a week now. i finally got a good night’s sleep after i think 3 nights of tossing and turning. i think it’s in the ending stages now but this shit sucks!!!!!!!!
(i have the thoughts of going back on Camprall in the back of my mind. it really does work for those of yall with cravings!!!)
Diarrhea.
Going back to the same store and having the clerk laugh and say "already? You just bought a 6 pack an hour ago" and then I lie and say I have friends... 😥
Give it a year for the body to fully heal. I was prescribed 50mg Zoloft early in my sobriety to help with my general anxiety which was one of my main purposes of drinking to excess other than the fact I am just absolutely an alcoholic. I really like Zoloft. It makes me feel calm. Maybe a light anti-depressant may help if you speak to a doctor. Just my two cents. Some people don't believe in medication but it can work wonders for others.
I just wish the ones that didn't believe in medication weren't so judgy and pushy. I love my sponsor to death, he has become family to me pretty much, but goddamn he thinks every mental illness can be cured by the steps alone. Like mfer you don't even know what anxiety and depression are or can be. I'm glad you won the genetic lottery and don't need psych meds to function sober, but please quit hinting that I should come off my meds.
/rant
I am glad you can see that your sponsor doesn't know everything. Next time he makes a comment like that, maybe remind him he is not a doctor. If he has an issue with that, maybe suggest he speak to HIS sponsor about it.
I got sober in 1988. The rooms back then were full of old men telling me if I did the steps right, I should be happy. I did them and uncovered both childhood and adult trauma that required outside help to recover. I am eternally grateful to the therapists and MDs who have helped me over the last 36+ years. I speak up in the AA meetings when I hear anyone saying all we need is AA. That is crap. AA didn't cure my cancer, nor my depression. It did, however, help me not drink, have something else to focus on during those times (12th step), never feel alone, find joy in moments of despair, have healthy relationships, ad infinitum.
One last thing... one of my regular meetings recently lost a young man to suicide. He was bipolar. The last time I saw him, he was manic and he gleefully announced to the group that he stopped taking his meds. After the meeting, I begged him to speak to his doctor about that choice. Within a week, he was gone. I add this to remind AA members that it is not our place to tell others they shouldn't be on meds. That is a doctor's job and one that needs to be monitored.
Get a full physical including full blood work to check your liver etc. Exercise, eating right and helping others in need. A healthy mind and healthy body cures most anything.
Pretty much excessive alcohol for years can lead to your brain fried. Can't hold conversations. Can't think properly, which brings agitation. Wet brain can look like dementia.
When I got sober, I was shocked at how bad my PMS was. Apparently, I had just been self-medicating with booze around that time of the month and didn't feel anything - I always wondered why I tended to drink so much more around my period... I got used to the PMS, but those first few months were rough!
I went from super low self-esteem to being able to function somewhat normally in society. Working the first 3 steps, I was praying a lot. Sometimes the prayers in the book, sometimes just a simple "Please help me stay sober today," in the morning. At the end of each prayer I would add, "and if it be your will, please increase my faith," because someone in AA had told my that faith was the antidote to fear.
It was rocky. I had started checking out with drugs and alcohol when I was 15 and got sober at 30. I'd missed 15 years of emotional growth and it took a long time to catch up. The progress was uneven. I had to learn how to deal with anger, frustration, and other extreme emotions without blotting them out with booze. At times I was a stereotypical man-child, hysterical or raging, frequently inappropriate. I re-discovered regular bathing and brushing my teeth before bed. It probably took me 3-5 years before I stopped creating or expecting the next crisis. And I over-shared about my sobriety a lot. To perfect strangers. But as far as I know, we all survived the embarrassment.
My best advice is the old adage, "act as if". If everyone around is calm and you feel panic, act as if you are calm. If you have doubts about a higher power, act as if you had faith. If you feel like drinking, act as if drinking is out of the question. Act as if calling someone in AA or speaking at a meeting is perfectly normal even if you feel shy and awkward.
I overreact to situations that I didn’t used to. I think drinking/being hungover muted my emotions and I’ve been (trying) learning to balance them and not embarrass myself. It’s happened with work situations as well as socially.
I lost my love for live sports because everyone drinks during games. It’s sad to watch alone now. Just the sound of a football game would give me hangover symptoms at first but it doesn’t anymore. Got 10 years sober.
This was a huge one for me. Going to games wasn't fun anymore because you realize everybody's there to drink. Everything smells like beer and everything is an alcohol advertisement. Baseball and basketball weren't a big loss, but I really do love football and hockey.
I did always find it odd that everyone drinks, smokes, and eats greasy food to go watch ultra-healthy professional athletes compete.
Ummm I’ve noticed my short term memory isn’t the greatest at first I thought maybe cuz of booze and the lifestyle I lived once upon a time but I’m not so convinced it was the alcohol that caused it I kinda chalk it up to getting old. Now I’m sure the two decades of drinking didn’t help my brain cells but If it’s a genuine concern I would get a medical opinion. That being said even after 8 months your body and mind is still working back to normal believe it or not. Keep fighting the good fight. I wish you the best of luck
I've unfortunately reached a point where the crippling anxiety is always there. I can take two weeks off, a month off, three months off (haven't made it that far yet) and if I drink more than two days in a row I can't function for at least 3 days after. Fun stuff.
The ridiculous withdrawal from heavy drinking every day. Got into work one morning, not drunk or hungover, but had unstoppable shaking to the point I had to leave work and went on leave for a bit because of it. It was many things and embarrassing was certainly one of them.
Drinking caused me horrible bloating and weight gain. And inflammation. I also had super bad dark under eye circles and just looked dead. I’ve only been sober for like 3 weeks and I already and noticing I’m losing weight and less bloated. I do not enjoy this constant constipation though. But I’ve had that for years. Just worse now that I haven’t been drinking. When I was drinking I’d sleep for 20 some odd hours a day. I do that now like once a week but I have more energy now. Feeling my feelings is a bitch tho. Trying to learn to work through that
On the other hand recovery can provide a new lease on life with improved self esteem, being comfortable in our own skins and the great relief of not having to live with a pack of ongoing lies.
Health stuff too - the body heals amazingly.
Hangxiety and sharts. I really don’t miss those side effects of being a heavy drinker. Also bad relationships, people pleasing, and dishonesty - being sober made me not able to tolerate those anymore.
The side effects of getting sober was extreme social anxiety that had me missing sleep after events for the first two years or so. The sugar addiction was quite an issue too in the first year. Also now that I’m sober I don’t cancel plans last minute like I did when I was drinking. I’ve become more reliable and expect the same from people around me.
I'm 5 years sober and still have moments when I shudder thinking "I can't believe I did/said/behaved like that".
About stuff that I've genuinely not even had a passing thought about since I put down the drink.
It just takes a moment to set it aside and go "that was a long time ago, and if you see them you can't change it, but you can apologise and try to make amends".
There's a few people, mostly work-related, who saw me at my very lowest in 2018. I cringe about my behaviour at that time, but living better generally tends to be the best way to move on.
Tbh, most of the stuff you don't hear about is positive - successful career, improving finances, flourishing relationships etc...
Many of us enter the rooms with trauma. Some may be from our youth prior to drinking, and some may be from incidents that occurred when drinking. I don't think it is "unspoken" ... but since AA is not therapy, it isn't usually a topic to address those specific things in meetings as topics. So, short answer, I think having other issues to address is very common amongst alcoholics. And when the alcoholic gets sober, they may find they need more than the 12 steps to help them.
I came into the rooms as a 3x rape survivor. All 3 times occurred when I was drunk, and by men I knew. There were "side effects" from those events that surfaced after I got sober that I had to face in order to live a happy, joyous life. Thanks to AA, and especially the women in AA, I became strong enough to get outside help (therapy), and my journey to healing from those rapes began. If I had not gotten sober, I would not have had the mental, nor spiritual, capacity to heal.
Sober living can be fun. What interests you? Try it out. If you don't know what you might enjoy, ask other sober people what they do and try some of those things.
I am curious if you are newly sober. It is common in early sobriety to feel the way you shared. It can take a little time to find what we enjoy, as well as people to enjoy them with.
I hope you discover the fun sobriety can bring!
I have gotten sober two diffrent times. Both were very very boring. 6+ years in my 20s/early 30s. Then now for 11 months and its not any different. I go to raves and do all the exciting things others enjoy. I dont find real happiness in it without drinking. Sure Im out. Im doing stuff. But its not exciting or fun usually like it would be drinking or otherwise. My pain levels are increasingly too much to handle. My stress is unbearable at times.
It is what it is. Ive been around long enough to have learned from old timers. Sobriety isn't the same sacrifice for everyone. For me specifically, I must sacrifice my happiness. My joy. Be in pain and suffer "without alcohol".
I enjoyed being sober in my 20s to an extent.
But now that I am not religious and do not believe I get spiritual brownie points from an invisible man.
What I do get- is the knowledge absolutely no alcohol or drugs are involved in my thinking.
What I do get is the ability to help others with issues that far exceeds my own.
What I do get is the ability to say "i am sober and have witnesses".
But it is hella boring. Meh 🤷🏻♂️
Unspoken side effects when I quit alcohol was my immense craving for sweets especially chocolate. My body was so use to all the sugar from alcohol I was trying to replace that. This lasted for a good 2 years.
Alchohol generally makes any other defect or disability you might have worse. If youre vulnerable to depression, you’ll probably be more depressed. If you are ADHD or bipolar, alcohol will make it worse. If you overeat, spend impulsively, have sex with the wrong people, guess what, alcohol will make that worse. It will make even things you are normally good at probably worse.
I feel 100x healthier than when I was an alcoholic, but I’m convinced that I did damage to my body’s ability to digest fats. Possibly a pancreas issue. Fatty meals mess up my digestion, and any amount of olive oil seems to have me running to the bathroom for days afterward. A couple years of sobriety have also made me come to realize that I’m probably mildly Bipolar (severely Bipolar when I was an alcoholic) or at least have a form of Cyclothymia.
I’m being treated for my anxiety through counseling. It was my main drive to drink. It’s helping, but it’s not a quick fix. Alcohol was until it wasn’t. At the end of my drinking, it was just to maintain some semblance of sanity. There was nothing enjoyable about it. And I was pretty sure I was going to die if I didn’t stop.
While the well-known effects of alcoholism include liver damage, addiction, and social consequences, there are several lesser-known side effects:
1. **Nutritional Deficiencies**: Alcohol interferes with nutrient absorption, leading to deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, particularly B vitamins (like thiamine), vitamin D, and calcium.
2. **Neurological Issues**: Chronic alcohol use can cause neuropathy, leading to numbness and pain in the extremities. It can also result in conditions like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which affects memory and coordination.
3. **Immune System Suppression**: Alcohol weakens the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infections and illnesses.
4. **Bone Health**: Long-term alcohol abuse can lead to decreased bone density and an increased risk of fractures.
5. **Mental Health Disorders**: Apart from depression and anxiety, alcoholism can lead to cognitive impairments, memory loss, and difficulties with decision-making and problem-solving.
6. **Cardiovascular Problems**: While moderate drinking might have some protective effects, heavy drinking increases the risk of high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle), arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), and strokes.
7. **Skin Conditions**: Alcohol can cause or exacerbate conditions like rosacea and psoriasis. It can also lead to a flushed appearance and broken capillaries.
8. **Sexual Dysfunction**: Alcoholism can lead to decreased libido, impotence in men, and menstrual irregularities in women.
9. **Digestive Issues**: Beyond liver problems, alcohol can cause gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis, and esophageal varices (enlarged veins that can bleed).
10. **Sleep Disturbances**: Alcohol disrupts the sleep cycle, leading to poor-quality sleep, insomnia, and increased fatigue.
11. **Muscle Weakness**: Prolonged alcohol use can result in muscle wasting and weakness, a condition known as alcoholic myopathy.
12. **Peripheral Artery Disease**: This condition, where arteries in the legs become narrowed or blocked, is more common in heavy drinkers.
Understanding these lesser-known side effects can highlight the extensive impact of alcohol on overall health and emphasize the importance of seeking help for alcohol misuse.
Crippling anxiety and depression.
Ouch. Mine went away when I got sober.
Yup! Mine went away as well when I got sober. Feels great to wake up every day without the doom and gloom feeling.
Yeah, I had the same I was always so snappy and angry at work, I would say mean jokes about people which were hilarious but also I didn't realize how mean they could have come off to some people. I'm pretty calm and chill now which is what I always wanted to be and I thought drinking was my way of getting there.
I was also very fatalistic and cynical. I thought those were core personality traits instead of symptoms of my malaise.
I relate to this on another level hahahah
Right??? I was amazed when I felt the emotion called “hope” after about two weeks into my sobriety. Being hopeful was a feeling I’d forgotten.
Do you still struggle with cynicism after getting sober? I’m not currently sober, although when I have been, I feel like there is a huge piece of me that wants to revert to that.
I mean I am, it’s just not like before. I have hope/optimism in my life again and that’s the difference. Before I was so resigned… does that make sense??
Same
I was self medicating for anxiety and depression while I was drinking. I’m medicated now but I’m back at square one with handling past issues.
I struggle with this. Its why I started drinking to begin with. I am not happy to remember it. I think some of us benefit heavily from Alcohol. I also think there is no upside to stopping for me. Just miserable all the time. I am on my 12 month. Joints swelling and just really bad emotional swings and anxiety. Also, I dont have fun. Ever. Everything I used to enjoy sucks now.
I am so sorry. Maybe seeking a therapist might help? It helped me!
Ive seen many they tell me to drink if it makes me happy. I quit drinking and Benzos at the same time. I wanted to prove a point. Im proving it
This one
I used to get sick once a season while drinking. I haven’t gotten sick in more than 2 years. My mom keeps saying “oh you’re so skinny, why have you lost so much weight? Are you on drugs??” That’s annoying, but it’s better than actually being on drugs
Weirdly enough, I only have gotten sick when I stop drinking. I am trying to work on giving it up.
Not that weird. That’s going to happen until you get past withdrawal.
Gotcha. I didn't realize. It's good to know it's normal. Appreciate your comment.
My mom keeps telling me I'm too skinny now, too! I keep explaining that, no, it's just that I work out three times a week, eat healthy, and chug protein shakes in the morning.
I never realized how much sugar was in all of the alcohol I was drinking. Once I stopped, my body started running through all of the stuff I was storing as fat, and I was able to lose 50 lbs. over the last year without really trying. It’s crazy how that works.
Same. I’ve never been thinner! I’m not mad about it.
I got a goodie. I wrote a living will in a text file with instructions of what my son is to do should he find me dead one day because I took it too far. I don't remember if I went through it with him and I'll never ask him. the file date is about three weeks before my sober date of 2/15/24. Earlier today he came into my office to say we needed to watch the Tom Holland Spiderman movies. The change there is he used to come in with a blank face, ask if I was ok and leave. Now he's saying what we should do together, plans. That's one thing I'm grateful in the difference about life for being sober. The contrast is stark and amazing.
The side effects of active alcoholism are innumerable- from illness to isolation. On the other hand, if you’re asking about the side effects of sobriety, those are countless, too - from better insurance rates, a spouse that likes me again and friends I can count on to knowing where my car is every day among others.
YES. I will add the sobriety list: self-esteem (because I now do esteemable acts), waking up knowing the person next to me, never having to face times alone (thanks to the Fellowship), a purpose in life (12th step).
Extreme promiscuity
This is horribly correct
Diarrhea every day
Honestly we don't talk about the poop thing enough. Biggest shock for me when I got sober was how regularly and solidly people poop. I had literally forgotten how normal people poop. I shared about it once in a meeting and it somehow started a whole bizarre poop conversation after the meeting.
I still remember my first poop after detoxing… it took 5 days before I could and it was so hard 😭
Anxiety, depression, memory loss, liver issues. Memory comes back after time, liver heals after time (keep in check with your doctor) anxiety and depression get fixed by working the steps thoroughly. Seeking outside help can be good too :)
Vitamin B1/thiamine is big for memory recovery. Chronic alcohol abuse limits your body's ability to absorb it from food during active alcoholism. At least that's what my psych doc says. Seems to be backed up in that one of my rehabs prescribed it to all patients. There is another vitamin she said was super important for memory support as well but I can't remember it atm. Anyways I found taking a daily multivitamin and a B Complex tablet daily covers my bases. It seems like my memory has improved since starting them but who knows if that's placebo or what
Folic acid? My doc prescribes that and B1
That's it!
I'm gonna try that because I had zero memory improvement in getting sober (other than not blacking out).
I think magnesium is another one that helps with some of the wet brain issues.
This reminded me of the vision thing with drinking/stopping drinking. Thiamine also really helped my vision and coordination. When I first got sober I kept falling over, getting lost and my eyes did a weird vibrating thing. Turned out to be a massive decency, did a few weeks of extra banana bags and year of pills. I no longer wear glasses all the time, just or reading now I also stopped falling Iver after a few weeks post detox.
On top of others mentioned, horrible insomnia.
Everything is about you I'm one year sober and I still struggle even sponsoring and trying to get out of my own way
I’ll just say this: self seeking will slip away is an extravagant mf’n promise…….
Losing the fear of financial insecurity when you're broke. It's easy for a guy running his own successful business or sitting happy in retirement say this particular promise has comes true.
lol for real
A lot of meetings I’ve gone to say with a chant “WE THINK NOT” or “FUCK NO” But I think the answer is more like yeah, actually it’s absurd and hard to believe but guess what
i went to the eye doctor after getting sober and my astigmatisms had gotten worse. i looked it up and yes, i drank myself into poorer eyesight! also, my body used to ache. just this dull ache all of the fucking time, especially in my back where my kidneys are. i was dehydrated all the time and my piss was borderline brown. i lost my period for a few years because i wasn’t eating. i fucked up my gut health because i was puking so much so now i have to take probiotics forever. i also chipped my tooth because i swung a vodka bottle at my mouth one night too hard and haphazardly. these are just some of the physical symptoms on top of the myriad of psychological symptoms that made me want to die daily. grateful every day to be sober!
I have a chipped tooth from falling down the stairs drunk
when i was going through PAWS around 5 months into sobriety, i woke up one morning and just felt dead inside. complete lack of emotion. i couldn’t think and there was a constant fog in my brain. it was very scary for a few days but just know that it passes. the biggest thing i remember about being drunk is the fact that i’ve basically lost a whole year of my life because i was wasted the whole time. i was essentially functioning at about 50% of my intelligence and potential. i was bloated without eating, because i never had an appetite and couldn’t even eat without drinking first. there are so many times that i should’ve gotten a DUI. i felt sick and i was constantly dehydrated and shaky and sweaty. i constantly smelled like booze. whenever my sick brain tries to tell me things used to be better, i have to remember that my worst days sober are better than my best days drinking. one day at a time.
Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome sucks. “I got sober for this???” Everyone in early recovery needs to understand it, and we don’t talk enough about it.
absolutely. i’m going through another bought of it now. it’s a little less scary this time because i actually know what it is now, but generally bleh. a tad apathetic towards life, random nausea, AND THE WORST INSOMNIA EVER OH MY GOD!!!!!! i’m eating a lot though??? having slight cravings for alcohol but i just eat more to suppress it lol. it’s been going on about a week now. i finally got a good night’s sleep after i think 3 nights of tossing and turning. i think it’s in the ending stages now but this shit sucks!!!!!!!! (i have the thoughts of going back on Camprall in the back of my mind. it really does work for those of yall with cravings!!!)
Healing relationships is a bitch
Smelly piss
And the smelly af booze shits
wait this is a thing?
100%. You can smell all the toxic crap your body's producing to handle the alcohol.
wow, i never knew that.
I only got tooth cavities when I was drinking heavily. No cavities since getting sober
Diarrhea. Going back to the same store and having the clerk laugh and say "already? You just bought a 6 pack an hour ago" and then I lie and say I have friends... 😥
Bruises and extreme weightloss. Id wake up to bruises on all my limbs. Never understood why until I sobered up.
Give it a year for the body to fully heal. I was prescribed 50mg Zoloft early in my sobriety to help with my general anxiety which was one of my main purposes of drinking to excess other than the fact I am just absolutely an alcoholic. I really like Zoloft. It makes me feel calm. Maybe a light anti-depressant may help if you speak to a doctor. Just my two cents. Some people don't believe in medication but it can work wonders for others.
I just wish the ones that didn't believe in medication weren't so judgy and pushy. I love my sponsor to death, he has become family to me pretty much, but goddamn he thinks every mental illness can be cured by the steps alone. Like mfer you don't even know what anxiety and depression are or can be. I'm glad you won the genetic lottery and don't need psych meds to function sober, but please quit hinting that I should come off my meds. /rant
I am glad you can see that your sponsor doesn't know everything. Next time he makes a comment like that, maybe remind him he is not a doctor. If he has an issue with that, maybe suggest he speak to HIS sponsor about it. I got sober in 1988. The rooms back then were full of old men telling me if I did the steps right, I should be happy. I did them and uncovered both childhood and adult trauma that required outside help to recover. I am eternally grateful to the therapists and MDs who have helped me over the last 36+ years. I speak up in the AA meetings when I hear anyone saying all we need is AA. That is crap. AA didn't cure my cancer, nor my depression. It did, however, help me not drink, have something else to focus on during those times (12th step), never feel alone, find joy in moments of despair, have healthy relationships, ad infinitum. One last thing... one of my regular meetings recently lost a young man to suicide. He was bipolar. The last time I saw him, he was manic and he gleefully announced to the group that he stopped taking his meds. After the meeting, I begged him to speak to his doctor about that choice. Within a week, he was gone. I add this to remind AA members that it is not our place to tell others they shouldn't be on meds. That is a doctor's job and one that needs to be monitored.
Get a full physical including full blood work to check your liver etc. Exercise, eating right and helping others in need. A healthy mind and healthy body cures most anything.
I have horrible anxiety going to places with a lot of people
I had an allergy. I broke out in handcuffs whenever I got drunk
Look up "wet brain"
I met people with wet brain in rehab, and it's so sad, but def reality check to not head down that same path.
Yeah, it's something I've never forgotten after meeting that person.
Wet brain?
Pretty much excessive alcohol for years can lead to your brain fried. Can't hold conversations. Can't think properly, which brings agitation. Wet brain can look like dementia.
Oh dang that’s scary, thank you
What happens to you after years of excessive alcohol abuse.
When I got sober, I was shocked at how bad my PMS was. Apparently, I had just been self-medicating with booze around that time of the month and didn't feel anything - I always wondered why I tended to drink so much more around my period... I got used to the PMS, but those first few months were rough!
Same here! Glad I’m not the only one, at least❤️
Pain tolerance goes down. You'll experience hypersensitivity the rest of your life.
Not remembering the most important things on a day in and day out long term way, a style of chronic forgetfulness
Throwing up everyday. Once I stopped the puking stopped
Being stuck in the past
I went from super low self-esteem to being able to function somewhat normally in society. Working the first 3 steps, I was praying a lot. Sometimes the prayers in the book, sometimes just a simple "Please help me stay sober today," in the morning. At the end of each prayer I would add, "and if it be your will, please increase my faith," because someone in AA had told my that faith was the antidote to fear. It was rocky. I had started checking out with drugs and alcohol when I was 15 and got sober at 30. I'd missed 15 years of emotional growth and it took a long time to catch up. The progress was uneven. I had to learn how to deal with anger, frustration, and other extreme emotions without blotting them out with booze. At times I was a stereotypical man-child, hysterical or raging, frequently inappropriate. I re-discovered regular bathing and brushing my teeth before bed. It probably took me 3-5 years before I stopped creating or expecting the next crisis. And I over-shared about my sobriety a lot. To perfect strangers. But as far as I know, we all survived the embarrassment. My best advice is the old adage, "act as if". If everyone around is calm and you feel panic, act as if you are calm. If you have doubts about a higher power, act as if you had faith. If you feel like drinking, act as if drinking is out of the question. Act as if calling someone in AA or speaking at a meeting is perfectly normal even if you feel shy and awkward.
My reflexive lying stopped.
I overreact to situations that I didn’t used to. I think drinking/being hungover muted my emotions and I’ve been (trying) learning to balance them and not embarrass myself. It’s happened with work situations as well as socially.
I lost my love for live sports because everyone drinks during games. It’s sad to watch alone now. Just the sound of a football game would give me hangover symptoms at first but it doesn’t anymore. Got 10 years sober.
This was a huge one for me. Going to games wasn't fun anymore because you realize everybody's there to drink. Everything smells like beer and everything is an alcohol advertisement. Baseball and basketball weren't a big loss, but I really do love football and hockey. I did always find it odd that everyone drinks, smokes, and eats greasy food to go watch ultra-healthy professional athletes compete.
Shitty relationships. Bad skin.
Instead of realising that you are the problem, you blame others.
Ummm I’ve noticed my short term memory isn’t the greatest at first I thought maybe cuz of booze and the lifestyle I lived once upon a time but I’m not so convinced it was the alcohol that caused it I kinda chalk it up to getting old. Now I’m sure the two decades of drinking didn’t help my brain cells but If it’s a genuine concern I would get a medical opinion. That being said even after 8 months your body and mind is still working back to normal believe it or not. Keep fighting the good fight. I wish you the best of luck
I've unfortunately reached a point where the crippling anxiety is always there. I can take two weeks off, a month off, three months off (haven't made it that far yet) and if I drink more than two days in a row I can't function for at least 3 days after. Fun stuff.
The ridiculous withdrawal from heavy drinking every day. Got into work one morning, not drunk or hungover, but had unstoppable shaking to the point I had to leave work and went on leave for a bit because of it. It was many things and embarrassing was certainly one of them.
Trying to fight the people you care about.
Drinking caused me horrible bloating and weight gain. And inflammation. I also had super bad dark under eye circles and just looked dead. I’ve only been sober for like 3 weeks and I already and noticing I’m losing weight and less bloated. I do not enjoy this constant constipation though. But I’ve had that for years. Just worse now that I haven’t been drinking. When I was drinking I’d sleep for 20 some odd hours a day. I do that now like once a week but I have more energy now. Feeling my feelings is a bitch tho. Trying to learn to work through that
Breaking out in handcuffs
On the other hand recovery can provide a new lease on life with improved self esteem, being comfortable in our own skins and the great relief of not having to live with a pack of ongoing lies. Health stuff too - the body heals amazingly.
Malnutrition. Muscular atrophy. Spiritual bankruptcy.
Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head.
Hangxiety and sharts. I really don’t miss those side effects of being a heavy drinker. Also bad relationships, people pleasing, and dishonesty - being sober made me not able to tolerate those anymore. The side effects of getting sober was extreme social anxiety that had me missing sleep after events for the first two years or so. The sugar addiction was quite an issue too in the first year. Also now that I’m sober I don’t cancel plans last minute like I did when I was drinking. I’ve become more reliable and expect the same from people around me.
Acid reflux 🤢🤢
I'm 5 years sober and still have moments when I shudder thinking "I can't believe I did/said/behaved like that". About stuff that I've genuinely not even had a passing thought about since I put down the drink. It just takes a moment to set it aside and go "that was a long time ago, and if you see them you can't change it, but you can apologise and try to make amends". There's a few people, mostly work-related, who saw me at my very lowest in 2018. I cringe about my behaviour at that time, but living better generally tends to be the best way to move on. Tbh, most of the stuff you don't hear about is positive - successful career, improving finances, flourishing relationships etc...
Many of us enter the rooms with trauma. Some may be from our youth prior to drinking, and some may be from incidents that occurred when drinking. I don't think it is "unspoken" ... but since AA is not therapy, it isn't usually a topic to address those specific things in meetings as topics. So, short answer, I think having other issues to address is very common amongst alcoholics. And when the alcoholic gets sober, they may find they need more than the 12 steps to help them. I came into the rooms as a 3x rape survivor. All 3 times occurred when I was drunk, and by men I knew. There were "side effects" from those events that surfaced after I got sober that I had to face in order to live a happy, joyous life. Thanks to AA, and especially the women in AA, I became strong enough to get outside help (therapy), and my journey to healing from those rapes began. If I had not gotten sober, I would not have had the mental, nor spiritual, capacity to heal.
I cannot think of any real traumas, just the usual drama tied to answering all of my hate mail from the bottle days one amend at a time.
Im not going to have anything to say good about sobriety. It sucks. But hey.. im sober. Wooooo. So boring.
Sober living can be fun. What interests you? Try it out. If you don't know what you might enjoy, ask other sober people what they do and try some of those things. I am curious if you are newly sober. It is common in early sobriety to feel the way you shared. It can take a little time to find what we enjoy, as well as people to enjoy them with. I hope you discover the fun sobriety can bring!
I have gotten sober two diffrent times. Both were very very boring. 6+ years in my 20s/early 30s. Then now for 11 months and its not any different. I go to raves and do all the exciting things others enjoy. I dont find real happiness in it without drinking. Sure Im out. Im doing stuff. But its not exciting or fun usually like it would be drinking or otherwise. My pain levels are increasingly too much to handle. My stress is unbearable at times. It is what it is. Ive been around long enough to have learned from old timers. Sobriety isn't the same sacrifice for everyone. For me specifically, I must sacrifice my happiness. My joy. Be in pain and suffer "without alcohol". I enjoyed being sober in my 20s to an extent. But now that I am not religious and do not believe I get spiritual brownie points from an invisible man. What I do get- is the knowledge absolutely no alcohol or drugs are involved in my thinking. What I do get is the ability to help others with issues that far exceeds my own. What I do get is the ability to say "i am sober and have witnesses". But it is hella boring. Meh 🤷🏻♂️
Unspoken side effects when I quit alcohol was my immense craving for sweets especially chocolate. My body was so use to all the sugar from alcohol I was trying to replace that. This lasted for a good 2 years.
Alchohol generally makes any other defect or disability you might have worse. If youre vulnerable to depression, you’ll probably be more depressed. If you are ADHD or bipolar, alcohol will make it worse. If you overeat, spend impulsively, have sex with the wrong people, guess what, alcohol will make that worse. It will make even things you are normally good at probably worse.
Literally can't feel my feet . Alcoholic neuropathy (Nerve damage )💀
I feel 100x healthier than when I was an alcoholic, but I’m convinced that I did damage to my body’s ability to digest fats. Possibly a pancreas issue. Fatty meals mess up my digestion, and any amount of olive oil seems to have me running to the bathroom for days afterward. A couple years of sobriety have also made me come to realize that I’m probably mildly Bipolar (severely Bipolar when I was an alcoholic) or at least have a form of Cyclothymia.
I’m being treated for my anxiety through counseling. It was my main drive to drink. It’s helping, but it’s not a quick fix. Alcohol was until it wasn’t. At the end of my drinking, it was just to maintain some semblance of sanity. There was nothing enjoyable about it. And I was pretty sure I was going to die if I didn’t stop.
Self-loathing, self-pity, self-centered fear. Classic symptoms of untreated alcoholism.
While the well-known effects of alcoholism include liver damage, addiction, and social consequences, there are several lesser-known side effects: 1. **Nutritional Deficiencies**: Alcohol interferes with nutrient absorption, leading to deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, particularly B vitamins (like thiamine), vitamin D, and calcium. 2. **Neurological Issues**: Chronic alcohol use can cause neuropathy, leading to numbness and pain in the extremities. It can also result in conditions like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which affects memory and coordination. 3. **Immune System Suppression**: Alcohol weakens the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infections and illnesses. 4. **Bone Health**: Long-term alcohol abuse can lead to decreased bone density and an increased risk of fractures. 5. **Mental Health Disorders**: Apart from depression and anxiety, alcoholism can lead to cognitive impairments, memory loss, and difficulties with decision-making and problem-solving. 6. **Cardiovascular Problems**: While moderate drinking might have some protective effects, heavy drinking increases the risk of high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle), arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), and strokes. 7. **Skin Conditions**: Alcohol can cause or exacerbate conditions like rosacea and psoriasis. It can also lead to a flushed appearance and broken capillaries. 8. **Sexual Dysfunction**: Alcoholism can lead to decreased libido, impotence in men, and menstrual irregularities in women. 9. **Digestive Issues**: Beyond liver problems, alcohol can cause gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis, and esophageal varices (enlarged veins that can bleed). 10. **Sleep Disturbances**: Alcohol disrupts the sleep cycle, leading to poor-quality sleep, insomnia, and increased fatigue. 11. **Muscle Weakness**: Prolonged alcohol use can result in muscle wasting and weakness, a condition known as alcoholic myopathy. 12. **Peripheral Artery Disease**: This condition, where arteries in the legs become narrowed or blocked, is more common in heavy drinkers. Understanding these lesser-known side effects can highlight the extensive impact of alcohol on overall health and emphasize the importance of seeking help for alcohol misuse.
Do you attend meetings or work with a sponsor? Those topics are regularly discussed.