6 weeks in - is there a chemical/neurological reason..

[Hamsham]

...that I suddenly feel down?

Nothing to do with craving alcohol or missing alcohol, as I'm really not thinking about it all. I have no desire to drink, which is amazing.

I've read all the books and I'm sure there's some neurological reason why I might feel low and anxious at this stage. The whole dopamine/homeostasis thing maybe? My neurons adjusting.

Thanks in advance if anyone can shed any light.

Alcohol messes with brain chemistry. It
targets neurotransmitters GABA, glutamate, dopamine and serotonin. I guess it takes time to try to regain balance when we abstain.

There are websites that list things you can do to counteract the imbalance.

medium.com/@eileenpurdymsw/20-natural-ways-to-increase-gaba-and-serotonin-to-help-your-anxiety-90b45bc2be51

I’m definitely no expert though! Just fascinated by the science linked to drinking alcohol and abstaining from it.

I started taking Vit D at the start of lock down and thought it improved my mood. So possibly I was low before. You could take that.

6 weeks is brilliant Hamsham. yes, heatseeker is right your brain chemistry is readjusting back to normal. After the initial withdrawal phase.

I've also been reading up on this and it's quite common - it's known as Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome. Worth a google:

"Post-acute withdrawal, whether mild or serious, is a necessary process in early recovery from alcohol or other drug dependence. Think of the withdrawal syndrome as the brain's way of correcting the chemical imbalances suffered during active addiction. Symptoms will come and go, usually only lasting a few days each time. Commonly experienced are periods of:

Depression
Anxiety
Mood swings
Low energy and fatigue
Sleep disruption, including insomnia
Limited ability to focus or think clearly"

I hope it passes for you soon. If not it's definitely worth having a word with your doctor.

for me, anxiety was always part of the issue and it's now under control with sertraline. but wow the tiredness it can be crippling. so amazing to have a really good night's sleep though after so long without.

Thanks very much! Really sensible advice, links and info.

I did wonder about the PAWS thing as I'd read about it in The Sober Diaries. I'll look into it more.

Also, I guess the important thing to remember is that there are bound to be low times. Stopping alcohol doesn't take all our life problems away.. but my god does it make it easier to cope when you're sober! Couldn't have done this lockdown with 3 young children if I'd been drinking.

@VoldemortsKitten I'm absolutely loving sober sleep! I'm having such deep fuzzy stress-free sleeps for the first time in years (well as good as I can get with a wakeful toddler in the room!)

Well done OP! 🙌🙌🙌
Only on week 3 here. And I'm quite teary at some point most days. But omg the SLEEP is sooo good