Sobriety

[ThunderingHERD]

Sober for seven months. Getting the itch. :confused:

[cthomer5000]

probably not the place to come for support. I don't recall too many ping: sober guy threads around here.

[Oilers9911]

Hang in there dude, it's not worth the short term pleasure.

[ThunderingHERD]

probably not the place to come for support. I don't recall too many ping: sober guy threads around here.


Eh, I don't want support. It's just racing thorugh my head right now and getting spit out everywhere.

[ThunderingHERD]

I have anxiety and emotional disorders the only reliable suprressant of which is alcohol. I've been on you name it--Lexapro, Paxil, Remeron, Cymbalta, some antihistamine, mirtazapine, other stuff I'm forgetting. I was on Klonopin one and it was the only thing that seeemd to ahve some minor effect, but the dose was low and I ost touch with the doctor.

Now I've tried Klonopin at higher doses for the last two days and I'm getting very little benefit. Mostly I'm getting the drowyness and apoxia. I was exstatic at the thought of getting back on it and being able to lead a normal life but that myth seems shattered.

The last line of treatment seems to be MAOIs, which doctors are extremely hesistant to prescribe. Hell, I've tried twice and got a lie once and a change of subject the other time.

[Celeval]

Congrats on the seven month mark. Kinda like the seven year itch?

[Eaglesfan27]

I have anxiety and emotional disorders the only reliable suprressant of which is alcohol. I've been on you name it--Lexapro, Paxil, Remeron, Cymbalta, some antihistamine, mirtazapine, other stuff I'm forgetting. I was on Klonopin one and it was the only thing that seeemd to ahve some minor effect, but the dose was low and I ost touch with the doctor.

Now I've tried Klonopin at higher doses for the last two days and I'm getting very little benefit. Mostly I'm getting the drowyness and apoxia. I was exstatic at the thought of getting back on it and being able to lead a normal life but that myth seems shattered.

The last line of treatment seems to be MAOIs, which doctors are extremely hesistant to prescribe. Hell, I've tried twice and got a lie once and a change of subject the other time.


Yeah, I don't mind admitting MAOI's scare the shit out of me. I've used Clozaril (actually saw a teen today who has had a miraculous response to this drug in treating her schizophrenia) which can kill a patient too, but it doesn't scare me as much as using an MAOI. There are just so many foods that the patient has to avoid with an MAOI that can cause serious problems if the patient doesn't avoid them. However, I'd never lie to a patient about an MAOI. That is just ridicuolous.

I know you think that alcohol is an effective treatment for your anxiety disorder, but all studies have shown that alcohol actually worsens anxiety disorders in the long term (and to a lesser extent in the short term.) Sure, it calms people down initially but once the alcohol leaves your system, there is a serious rebound effect that leads to a heightened state of anxiety. Not to mention the bad effects on sleep archeticure which can contribute to psychiatric problems.

[ThunderingHERD]

Yeh. I don't reall consider it an achievement though. It was not hard for me to quit, even though I was an "alcoholic" by any objective measure they use. At one point I was drinking 3 half gallons of vodka a week. At other times I was drinking a case (yes, a case) a day. Even immediately before I decided to quit I was going through at least 50 beers a week.

Apart from maybe the first few days, I've never once though "damn, I'd really like to have a beer right now."

I quit more as a show of good faith to my family and to the doctors. But medicine is really letting me down. It's frustrating.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dola -

Not that you asked, but I assume you've actually been on Paxil, Zoloft etc for more than just a few weeks and on high enough doses? For anxiety disorders, SSRI's must be dosed higher than they are for depression and they can generally take 6-8 weeks to work once they are at a high enough dosage. A typical dose of Zoloft for an anxiety disorder is 150-200mg. For paxil, it is usually 60-80mg.

Finally, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is generally a very important part of treatment for anxiety disorders. CBT can treat some anxiety disorders by itself, and in combination with SSRI's the treatment response is about 90%.


Most importantly, congratulations on 7 months sober.

[ThunderingHERD]

Dola -

Not that you asked, but I assume you've actually been on Paxil, Zoloft etc for more than just a few weeks and on high enough doses? For anxiety disorders, SSRI's must be dosed higher than they are for depression and they can generally take 6-8 weeks to work once they are at a high enough dosage. A typical dose of Zoloft for an anxiety disorder is 150-200mg. For paxil, it is usually 60-80mg.

Finally, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is generally a very important part of treatment for anxiety disorders. CBT can treat some anxiety disorders by itself, and in combination with SSRI's the treatment response is about 90%.


Most importantly, congratulations on 7 months sober.

I was on Lexapro for several months at least--the dosage was upped several times as I recall. The Paxil I quit after a few weeks because of the enormouse tremors it caused. I suffer from essential tremors anyway (regardless of the situation), but Paxil + anxiety triggering situation made my entire body shake. My legs felt like they might give and my head nodded uncontrolably. Given that, and my prior experience with the inefficacy of SSRIs, I stopped taking the Paxil. Never saw the doctor again and eventually dropped out do to all the mess my life was.

As for therapy, I have no money nor insurance. The first thereapist that I went to, hen I was in school years agoI went to (prescribed most of the aforementioned medications) kept pointing me towards group therapy, with is approximately the most miserable experience I can imagine. When I both found his medication ineffective and never attetnded the groups, he pretty much verbatim told me "I'm sorry, that's all I can do for you," despite treatment alternatives that I had brought to his attention.

Second thereapist was a free clinic. She was a total condescending bitch(which, I suppose is to be expected, given the types of people she normally deals with), who, once again, demanded group therapy. She was completely unwilling to give me anything other than SSRIs and trycyclics, which I had already found to be ineffective, due to my addmission of past alcohol abuse

I'm back in school and seeing a psychologist(not a psychiatrist yet) right now, but he seems to have no familiarity with avoidant personality disorder. On my intake sheet I listed SAD, GAD, and AvpP. He asks: "avoidant, that just sort of goes with SAD right?"

Mostly he sits there in silence while I struggle to form words to his inane questions. I finally, awkwardly, spit out some key concept that gets to the very core of my problem, somehting that should be immediately indentifiable to anyone with knowledge of the subject, and he proceeds to misintrepret me entirely, asking another question based on that misintrepretation. The most he has suggested is "stress management techniques." He gave me a photocopied handout that looks like it could have come from the filing cabinet of a middle school guidance councelor.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm back in school and seeing a psychologist(not a psychiatrist yet) right now, but he seems to have no familiarity with avoidant personality disorder. On my intake sheet I listed SAD, GAD, and AvpP. He asks: "avoidant, that just sort of goes with SAD right?"



Ahh. That is not a good sign, but not all abbreviations are universal. For example, I'm very familiar with SAD and GAD, but would have to think a bit about AVpP myself. However, I certainly know about avoidant personality disorder, I just don't see that abbreviation much. I have no desire to interfere in your treatment, as it would be unethical for me to do so. However, feel free to PM me if you have any questions that a friend with some knowledge of the subject might be able to answer for you.


Again, congrats on maintaining sobriety for 7 months.

[Buccaneer]

Absolutely, congrats. It saddens me that some think that getting drunk is a badge of honor. This, on the other hand, takes courage and intelligence.

EaglesFan, be careful about advice.

[st.cronin]

What is more impressive than 7 months sober is the self-awareness that it would be a good idea to try something new. Congrats on all that, and keep doing whatever got you to that place.

[ThunderingHERD]

Sure, it calms people down initially but once the alcohol leaves your system, there is a serious rebound effect that leads to a heightened state of anxiety.

This is certainly true. I have trouble allowing myself the right of what most people take for granted. I guess I fundamentally feel (however I de-rationalize it) that I do not belong. I could never "hang out" and have fun. "Fun" doesn't enter in to my vocablulary while sober, never has. If I do get drunk and hang out, have a great time, the mornings are always tortuous. All that irrational shame (shame for attempting to function in society normally) comes over me in waves and waves until its almost unbearable. That's when you sleep till 5PM and crack open another half-gallon of Heaven Hill vodka.

It's even worse when there's a girl involved. When she's in love with you, or, rather, the drunk you(which i do consider to be a better approximation of myself, dependant on toxication level). And then you wake up with this arm around you and all you can think of is how dirty the world is and also "where's my cigarettes?"

[wade moore]

Sober for 27 years and counting and I have a great time when I go out ;).

[PSUColonel]

Sober for 4 days and counting. No joke

[Lorena]

Well ThunderingHERD, I don't know what to say other than I wish you luck and I'll keep you in my thoughts so everything goes well for you.

7 months is a heck of a long time, grats on that and it is for the better.

[cthomer5000]

sober for 45 minutes

[Greyroofoo]

should i post in here if i'm drunk?

[Sublime 2]

I honestly feel I have a problem, but being in college and living with a rooommate from home has deturred me from staying sober very long. I'm young (21) but have been drinking heavily since prob. 15-16...I can't help it, put booze in front of me it WILL be gone. It's hurt my 7 year relationship w/ my girl, my health, and just my common sense.

So, I really wanna congratulate you on 7 months, for me that would be like an eternity. Good luck and stick w/ it...despite the troubles.