Ah, thank you Ashley & foxman, I understand. I'm trying to get more bike riding and walking into my day, but it's a bit difficult at the moment as the weather where I live is pretty bad. As for new activities, not a lot unfortunately. I'm watching a little more tv (I'm not a huge tv person), and getting to bed early as much as possible.
Irritability and sugar cravings are normal during withdrawal. Alcohol contains a lot of sugar and both alcohol and sugar triggers the rewards area of the brain to activate so it makes sense that you would be craving sugar. Wean off the sugar slowly. And substitute healthier rewards. If you can get exercising, even a little every day, that would help.
Try to find different coping strategies. As you may have used alcohol in the past to relax. What are some new activates you can do to relax?
Remember, it's more than just getting over the physical withdrawal it is figuring out a whole new way of living. This takes time and work. But the rewards far outweigh the hardships.
The irritability is caused because you are not feeding your body with alcohol. These are signs of alcoholism. Once you stop drinking, the internal conditions come unglued. Thats why lot of people cant stay away from booze.
Hey everyone, I'm at day 22 now and while it's going along sort of ok, I'm still feeling very irritable from time to time - quick to spark up, little things getting to me etc. Does anyone have a handle on how long this generally lasts?
Also, has anyone else experienced a strong desire for sugar? I'm eating far more sugar than I used to, which feels a bit like replacement therapy. I'm trying to ease myself out of the new habit, as I want to lose weight and enjoy more of the physical benefits of not drinking. But I wonder if the irritability and sugar are linked, or is it just the alcohol withdrawals (at day 22?), or is it just me?
