I have been alcohol free for 3 months now. I feel like I have come a long way but I’m still struggling with excessive stress. This evening as I’m writing this I feel mentally drained and exhausted.
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I’m burdened by simple questions from the people around. Answering a few simple questions feels like a mentally challenging task to me. IDK what’s happening to me.
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I would appreciate any insight on this, as I do not know I feel like I’m mentally declining and my brain feels overwhelmed and it gets overwhelmed by simple mental tasks
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Have you been in touch with or are you being followed by a doctor?
Have you had any recent bloodwork done?
No I went sober cold turkey. And I haven’t done any bloodwork.
Are you sleeping? Like getting enough rest. It's four fold for me. Physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Good rest is at the top of my list for overall health. Hang in there it does get better.
Yea I try to get 8 hours of sleep every night.
Do you have a primary care doctor that you can talk to? I think it might be a good idea to get a routine check up and blood work done and talk to a healthcare professional to rule out any thing like vitamin deficiency, blood pressure, blood glucose, etc. you can let them know how you’re feeling anxiety/stress and struggling with mental tasks.
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Applaud yu for doin in on yur own. Speaking from experience. Get help tho. I did it cold turkey n got the help to keep me from lookin bak.
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Yea I should. Vitamin deficiency is valid point. As I live in area with very limited sun light exposure
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Have you been attending meetings? If you join a program that program will give you the tools to work on character defects, stress, depression, past life guilt. Also seek professional help like a therapist or psychiatrist
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When I got sober, I was like that. I found that I needed to be gentle with myself, take it easy. It took me awhile to get my health, strength and energy back.
Going to as many meetings as I could go to helped, as well as reading the big book and all of the other tools a sponsor and others in the program shared with me.
Try to drink a lot of fluids to flush the toxins out & eat as healthy as you can.
It takes time, but you cans it.
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I had similar issues at 3 months; it would have helped if I’d had a sponsor but I was winging it and that was my mistake. These are the types of situations sponsors and sobriety buddies are there for, because otherwise I was second guessing all the time or taking medical advice from unlicensed but well meaning folks.
I’ve got 15 months now and I still have moments like those you described…In the end, what I’ve learned is to not mess with my sobriety, my mental health and my physical health.
If I’m not feeling well I should discuss it with my sponsor, not take a survey…cause that usually means I’m self diagnosing or trying for an answer I want to hear.
Secondly, I should consult my primary care practitioner especially since I also have mental health issues too.
And, third, I need to remember I’m better when I’m not drinking, but I’m not “healed”, there will be ups and downs…I know more about being a good addict than being good at being sober…I can’t do this by myself but I need to have a good support community of friends to get through moments like this.
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In my experience putting alcohol down allows me to deal with everything else, one bite at a time. Nice job on three months, I'm right behind ya!
Dude go to the gym. Go for a walk outside, go for a run outside, get into habits that help relax you. I bet you don’t take time out of your day to work out or do anything relaxing.
Kay -just had another thought. Have you ever had COVID?
It can cause all kinds of long-term symptoms, including brain fog. Just another reason to see a Dr. to eliminate any other issues. I also agree with Andrew that exercise is good medicine and helps to clear the head! My own sister had issues with anemia, and has had to get iron transfusions, and my mother has had problems with thyroid that went undetected for a long time. So make sure you get checked out and take care of yourself! Wishing you the best.
I did it on my own, I always got to about two or three months and then life got personal again and I turned to the bottle. AA isn’t for everyone, I get that, but I would suggest you find some sort of support circle. I had to learn why I drink and why my body physically reacted to drinking differently than others. Then I had to learn that drinking was only part of the problem. This stuff doesn’t change overnight. I drank for thirty years and wanted it all fixed in three months. Six plus years of not drinking, five plus years of no drinking and cocaine and I’m still dealing with the stresses of life. If I didn’t have a group of drunks/addicts to support me, I would have went back numerous times. Just give it’s one thought, the first step is realizing that drinking affects your well being and you know that now. If you are a real alcoholic, you will never be able to drink normally, the sooner I realized that, things got better. You can do this, we can help 
The brain fog is normal early on in sobriety. Get to lots of meetings, eat well, and exercise. It will get better.
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