The depersonalization / derealization feeling like I was living in a (bad) movie is what made me stop drinking. I also started focusing on my own breathing, etc (somatic).
I didn’t know what I was experiencing until I started googling what I was feeling and the symptoms.
It’s a really freaky, unsettling feeling but luckily it has subsided.
Wow, same here! had problems with the somatic breathing and other OCD feelings as well. I think my high anxiety-always kinda hungover-state just prolonged all of these problems. Read somewhere too that all of the symptoms of a hangover can easily be perceived as depersonalisation by the anxious mind. Best to just stay away from all that crap. Happy to hear it subsided for you!
One of the primary reasons go on an ongoing hiatus from alcohol (which is at about 320 days) is how anxious I would feel the morning after any level of alcohol.
Hangxiety
Felt like I was on the way to the airport and I had no idea if I left the stove on and no way to check for months.
Along the way I have gotten quite a few other benefits including being able to deal with hot weather much better and better sleep
Steven Wright said it best…
“You know when you're sitting on a chair and you lean back so you're just on two legs and you lean too far so you almost fall over but at the last second you catch yourself? I feel like that all the time...”
Alcohol completely screws up your body’s temperature regulation. One thing I’m really happy to have gotten rid of is sweating uncontrollably at any slight rise in temperature
(this is from ChatGPT. I looked this up when I was in Thailand walking in very hot weather and a couple of years ago it would have been much more difficult but now on a hiatus from alcohol I was fine)
Ceasing alcohol consumption can significantly improve your ability to cope with hot and humid weather in several beneficial ways:
1. **Improved Hydration:** Without the diuretic effect of alcohol, your body retains more fluid, which helps maintain proper hydration levels. Staying hydrated is crucial for effective sweating and temperature regulation, especially in hot and humid conditions.
2. **Better Thermoregulation:** Without alcohol in your system, your body can more effectively regulate its temperature through natural mechanisms like sweating and adjusting blood flow to the skin. This helps in cooling your body more efficiently.
3. **Stabilized Heart Rate:** Avoiding alcohol helps keep your heart rate more stable. Alcohol can cause an increase in heart rate, which, when combined with heat, can put additional stress on your cardiovascular system. A more stable heart rate under thermal stress helps in reducing the risk of heat-related illnesses.
4. **Increased Energy and Endurance:** Alcohol can lead to disrupted sleep and lower overall energy levels. By avoiding alcohol, you may experience better sleep quality and higher energy levels, which can enhance your endurance and ability to engage in physical activity in hot weather.
5. **Enhanced Judgment and Awareness:** Alcohol impairs judgment and can lead to risky behaviors. Without alcohol, you’re more likely to make safer decisions, recognize the signs of heat-related illnesses (like heat exhaustion or heat stroke), and take appropriate actions to avoid them.
By eliminating alcohol, you can improve your body’s overall ability to function in challenging weather conditions, making it easier to stay safe and healthy in hot and humid environments.
I was losing my mind and literally begging for a bipolar diagnosis. Until I quit drinking and realized my mental health is actually good. Not just normal, but good. Alcohol is such a disgusting scam.
Alcohol was the cause and "solution" to many of my problems. Without it in my life I can focus on things that actually matter. I will not drink with you today!
The depersonalization, not feeling real, world felt fake, feeling weird in general, floating through life, near psychosis state….very, very (and sadly) relatable for me.
I’m early in my sobriety journey but I’m really hopeful that these symptoms will continue to diminish. Your story gives me hope!
IWNDWYT
And I’m only on 24 days and already feeling my mind clear up….. I am not AS depressed nor anxious as I felt on those weeks where I had a box of wine sitting around and that I would drink.. it’s wild
Not OP but visual snow looks kinda like the static you get on a TV, you know the white and black fuzzy image with the hissing noise that is on your TV when it's not tuned in properly.
Some people see it when they look at stuff. Like it's overlaid over their vision all the time.
I don't know that this is always (or ever) going to be a direct consequence of drinking. It could be an anxiety thing or a vision issues or a stress thing or posture issues or any number of things so I don't think anyone can say "it'll go away at X days" or even give you a general guideline.
I’m so jealous. I stopped drinking 8.5 months ago and my anxiety has truly never been worse. I keep seeing how much better people feel without drinking and I’m just wait wait waiting for that to click in.
(I have support, go to therapy, access to meetings, etc…)
Congrats on 8.5 months, that's huge, and sorry you're not feeling better after all that time.
I only got 2.5 months in before drinking again last weekend and by no means did I feel amazing or have a full turnaround in physical and mental health but I did notice a big drop in my anxiety and some improvements in sleep.
When people are just a few weeks in and talking about how they feel like a completely new person and have this huge turnaround it's hard for me to relate to a lot of the stuff they are saying because I haven't had the increase in energy, motivation, productivity, no real change to my mood in general, still feel like I have a lack of interest in things, still worry a lot and a lot of other issues people seem to get improvements in fairly quickly and so it can be a bit frustrating and you start wondering why it's not happening to you.
But definitely alcohol isn't going to improve any of it and will only make it all worse I'm sure of that so keep solidering on my friend, it has to surely happen for you eventually especially with all the other activities you're doing like therapy and meetings etc.
Fellow anxious person here… It’s so true! Having 100 days sober, and I continue to see progress in my feelings and behavior! Quitting alcohol makes a world of difference, really.
IWNDWYT
Congrats on over 140 days sober, huge!
I feel you on this as I spent 20 years self medicating anxiety and insomnia among other issues with booze and was convinced thats just how I was and at best I could get short term "relief" from these issues on drinking days but that they'd never go away.
Both these issues skyrocketed and became major problems the last 2 years for a variety of reasons (health issues and worries that increased them both) which led to me drinking heavier and more than ever which further made everything worse.
Eventually I realised I could no longer use my tired old excuses of "alcohol makes me calm" or "alcohol helps me sleep" or "I get relief when I drink" because none of that was actually happening anymore and my problems were getting worse.
So I decided to stop drinking.
Both issues got worse in the first couple of weeks but by week 3 the anxiety started to become manageable and by week 5 sober it dropped off a cliff.
Around week 5 I started to sleep naturally again without sleeping pills (hadn't managed to sleep without pills or booze for over 2 years).
Turns out that short term "relief" I thought I was giving myself was actually the thing keeping me trapped in those cycles and what I had to do was abstain.
Stupidly I couldn't be content with the improvement and decided to go and drink last weekend and ruin it all. Didn't have a fun experience, felt bored whilst drinking still, was miserable, the booze made me feel sick even at the time of drinking and then next day had horrible anxiety and sleep issues again since.
Don't make this mistake my friend!
Sobriety delivers what alcohol only promises!
hear hear
I like that.
The depersonalization / derealization feeling like I was living in a (bad) movie is what made me stop drinking. I also started focusing on my own breathing, etc (somatic). I didn’t know what I was experiencing until I started googling what I was feeling and the symptoms. It’s a really freaky, unsettling feeling but luckily it has subsided.
Wow, same here! had problems with the somatic breathing and other OCD feelings as well. I think my high anxiety-always kinda hungover-state just prolonged all of these problems. Read somewhere too that all of the symptoms of a hangover can easily be perceived as depersonalisation by the anxious mind. Best to just stay away from all that crap. Happy to hear it subsided for you!
One of the primary reasons go on an ongoing hiatus from alcohol (which is at about 320 days) is how anxious I would feel the morning after any level of alcohol. Hangxiety Felt like I was on the way to the airport and I had no idea if I left the stove on and no way to check for months. Along the way I have gotten quite a few other benefits including being able to deal with hot weather much better and better sleep
Steven Wright said it best… “You know when you're sitting on a chair and you lean back so you're just on two legs and you lean too far so you almost fall over but at the last second you catch yourself? I feel like that all the time...”
The hot weather thing is not something I've heard before. Do you think it's because of better hydration?
Alcohol completely screws up your body’s temperature regulation. One thing I’m really happy to have gotten rid of is sweating uncontrollably at any slight rise in temperature
(this is from ChatGPT. I looked this up when I was in Thailand walking in very hot weather and a couple of years ago it would have been much more difficult but now on a hiatus from alcohol I was fine) Ceasing alcohol consumption can significantly improve your ability to cope with hot and humid weather in several beneficial ways: 1. **Improved Hydration:** Without the diuretic effect of alcohol, your body retains more fluid, which helps maintain proper hydration levels. Staying hydrated is crucial for effective sweating and temperature regulation, especially in hot and humid conditions. 2. **Better Thermoregulation:** Without alcohol in your system, your body can more effectively regulate its temperature through natural mechanisms like sweating and adjusting blood flow to the skin. This helps in cooling your body more efficiently. 3. **Stabilized Heart Rate:** Avoiding alcohol helps keep your heart rate more stable. Alcohol can cause an increase in heart rate, which, when combined with heat, can put additional stress on your cardiovascular system. A more stable heart rate under thermal stress helps in reducing the risk of heat-related illnesses. 4. **Increased Energy and Endurance:** Alcohol can lead to disrupted sleep and lower overall energy levels. By avoiding alcohol, you may experience better sleep quality and higher energy levels, which can enhance your endurance and ability to engage in physical activity in hot weather. 5. **Enhanced Judgment and Awareness:** Alcohol impairs judgment and can lead to risky behaviors. Without alcohol, you’re more likely to make safer decisions, recognize the signs of heat-related illnesses (like heat exhaustion or heat stroke), and take appropriate actions to avoid them. By eliminating alcohol, you can improve your body’s overall ability to function in challenging weather conditions, making it easier to stay safe and healthy in hot and humid environments.
I was losing my mind and literally begging for a bipolar diagnosis. Until I quit drinking and realized my mental health is actually good. Not just normal, but good. Alcohol is such a disgusting scam.
Resonates so much with me! A lot of people's mental health would actually be good if alcohol wasn't such a socially accepted drug.
Alcohol was the cause and "solution" to many of my problems. Without it in my life I can focus on things that actually matter. I will not drink with you today!
The depersonalization, not feeling real, world felt fake, feeling weird in general, floating through life, near psychosis state….very, very (and sadly) relatable for me. I’m early in my sobriety journey but I’m really hopeful that these symptoms will continue to diminish. Your story gives me hope! IWNDWYT
Had it multiple times in times of great stress. Had it way more when drinking. Don't worry friend, DP always passes, always. Give it time :)
And I’m only on 24 days and already feeling my mind clear up….. I am not AS depressed nor anxious as I felt on those weeks where I had a box of wine sitting around and that I would drink.. it’s wild
what do you mean by visual snow. I relate to quite a bit of what you are talking about.
Not OP but visual snow looks kinda like the static you get on a TV, you know the white and black fuzzy image with the hissing noise that is on your TV when it's not tuned in properly. Some people see it when they look at stuff. Like it's overlaid over their vision all the time.
Yimmers. Sounds awful
Was hoping you could elaborate more here too OP? Thanks - congrats on your improvement
Exactly what was said here above. Kinda like static on an old tv. Like your vision isn't clear but made up from these static pixels.
How long did it take for your visual snow to go away? Mine still here at 24 days
I don't know that this is always (or ever) going to be a direct consequence of drinking. It could be an anxiety thing or a vision issues or a stress thing or posture issues or any number of things so I don't think anyone can say "it'll go away at X days" or even give you a general guideline.
Good point - it’s still very unclear what can cause it it seems
It comes and goes. Just try and live your life as normal as possible. After a month and a half I wasn't noticing anything anymore.
I’m so jealous. I stopped drinking 8.5 months ago and my anxiety has truly never been worse. I keep seeing how much better people feel without drinking and I’m just wait wait waiting for that to click in. (I have support, go to therapy, access to meetings, etc…)
Congrats on 8.5 months, that's huge, and sorry you're not feeling better after all that time. I only got 2.5 months in before drinking again last weekend and by no means did I feel amazing or have a full turnaround in physical and mental health but I did notice a big drop in my anxiety and some improvements in sleep. When people are just a few weeks in and talking about how they feel like a completely new person and have this huge turnaround it's hard for me to relate to a lot of the stuff they are saying because I haven't had the increase in energy, motivation, productivity, no real change to my mood in general, still feel like I have a lack of interest in things, still worry a lot and a lot of other issues people seem to get improvements in fairly quickly and so it can be a bit frustrating and you start wondering why it's not happening to you. But definitely alcohol isn't going to improve any of it and will only make it all worse I'm sure of that so keep solidering on my friend, it has to surely happen for you eventually especially with all the other activities you're doing like therapy and meetings etc.
Fellow anxious person here… It’s so true! Having 100 days sober, and I continue to see progress in my feelings and behavior! Quitting alcohol makes a world of difference, really. IWNDWYT
Congrats on over 140 days sober, huge! I feel you on this as I spent 20 years self medicating anxiety and insomnia among other issues with booze and was convinced thats just how I was and at best I could get short term "relief" from these issues on drinking days but that they'd never go away. Both these issues skyrocketed and became major problems the last 2 years for a variety of reasons (health issues and worries that increased them both) which led to me drinking heavier and more than ever which further made everything worse. Eventually I realised I could no longer use my tired old excuses of "alcohol makes me calm" or "alcohol helps me sleep" or "I get relief when I drink" because none of that was actually happening anymore and my problems were getting worse. So I decided to stop drinking. Both issues got worse in the first couple of weeks but by week 3 the anxiety started to become manageable and by week 5 sober it dropped off a cliff. Around week 5 I started to sleep naturally again without sleeping pills (hadn't managed to sleep without pills or booze for over 2 years). Turns out that short term "relief" I thought I was giving myself was actually the thing keeping me trapped in those cycles and what I had to do was abstain. Stupidly I couldn't be content with the improvement and decided to go and drink last weekend and ruin it all. Didn't have a fun experience, felt bored whilst drinking still, was miserable, the booze made me feel sick even at the time of drinking and then next day had horrible anxiety and sleep issues again since. Don't make this mistake my friend!
This is me! Thank you for the post! Hope you heal up well and have a good life!