Epiphanies in sobriety?

Recovery
#1

Today was the 2nd time since getting sober that I’ve woken up in the morning and randomly felt like I was in a totally different mindset from the days/weeks prior. I was wondering if it is pretty normal to experience this earlier on in sobriety or if I am just going crazy.

To sum it up - I woke up today somewhat sad, scared, and really worried about my relationship for no major reason. Nothing bad has happened recently and no major arguments or negative situations have taken place. But, it’s almost as if I broke through a set of clouds in my sleep and experienced an epiphany by telling myself, “the relationship you have is super important and you’ve really neglected it”. It kind of threw me for a loop, feeling for the first time in a long time that I am super lucky and that I could easily lose someone who has been so kind, supportive, and patient with me in my journey.

Am I just having a weird moment that is fleeting or is it normal to have major thought changes that suddenly and randomly hit hard when you are sober for a few months? I feel like I am on an emotional roller coaster right now 😵‍💫. Looking forward to your input.

12 Likes
#2

Hey man.. completely normal! I had months of up and down realizations that would fill me with fear , anxiety, embarrassment… the major difference was I could now recognize those feelings instead of just drink it away and be selfish in my own ego. It took time and a LOT of talking. Letting myself be vulnerable with my wife on how I was feeling, what my fear was, and finally making that amends and truly meaning it. But we got past it. I was lucky, and now our relationship is stronger then it has been in over 15 years. Just keep moving forward and doing the next right thing.

1 Like
#3

Jeremy, it’s so common that the folks in AA came up with a saying “ more will be revealed”.
It’s from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Revelations and new perspectives are normal in early sobriety.It’s amazing how much I numbed away with drinking. Early on I was amazed that I hadn’t really felt much emotion in a long while.
Keep coming back. It’s a great life in sobriety.

1 Like
#4

I think it’s normal for sure. Not being drunk felt so new that it was how I felt when I started drinking I had to re learn normal. Everything you stuffed down emotionally over the years comes up when it’s ready with or without warning. We are like popcorn, we all pop on our own timeline when we are ready. It starts becoming great

1 Like
#5

Yes, especially if you ask for such things as clarity. Makes sense to have them 'on awakening' as well if you have been making it a practice.

1 Like
#6

Yep, I would call that a spiritual awakening!!

1 Like
#8

PAWS, time takes time, I just experienced the same overwhelming feelings and was momentarily suicidal and there's nothing wrong with me and I'm five yrs sober. Sometimes my brain just does a mental masturbation. I think it has something to do with neurotransmitters and those of us that are super sensitive to the slightest changes just have strange thought patterns that emerge out of no where, when certain neurotransmitters get stimulated.

#9

Completely normal. I find meditation helps me get through these types of things by helping my focus on what is important and why I feel this way. Congratulations on being sober v

#10

Think of it like this: anxiety and depression are not inherently bad; they are just our brains expressing concern for thinking about things yet to happen and processing things that already happened. You take away the substance you were using/leaning on to self medicate whatever processes you had going on, and ultimately all that stuff is going to get sorted out either via a sudden mental epiphany or nightmares/dreams. Sometimes I just randomly cry, nothing sad going on at the time, but it’s part of some sort of processing that I never attended to during all the years I was using.

#12

I realized after a while that had I been sober when I met my now ex wife she never would have made it to the second date.

#13

Maybe you can share your experience with the one you have the relationship with and share your feelings on the gratitude you feel for the person you’re involved with that is something that some people wish they could do is show their appreciation

#14

Wake up and pray.