[PinkFloyd]

I've been off the alcohol for 5 days now and have gradually noticed I'm becomming more and more hyper active as the days go by! Like I could run a mile or beat the crap out of a punchbag for hours..... I really don't have an urge to drink but I really don't like this feeling like I want to run about dancing and singing and jumping up and down like a mexican bean.

I think this was probably one of the reasons I started drinking all those years ago to calm me down as I was always on the go and didn't know the meaning of sitting down on a chair and relaxing. Still 4 days of the "detox" to go which involves a reducing dosage of chlordiazepoxide but, at this rate, I'll be well and truly "wired" when the detox meds are out of my system.

My clarity of thought and physical health seem to have returned as if by magic and the words are flowing out of my head onto the keyboard naturally and in rapid succession, my only fear is that once the detox is over I'll be in the same position as I was before I started drinking..... hyperactive and totally unable to relax and I don't want to go back and use drink as a medication to slow me down again.

I do drink a lot of tea and this is possibly contributing to the hyperactivity but I'm wondering if any of you guys have experience of a good natural remedy that I can take that will "tone" me down a bit. I don't want to replace the alcohol with a chemical substitute such as diazepam or prozac yet again I don't want to spend the rest of my life being hyper and unable to relax.

I've never felt this good in 15 years and I want it to last but just need to tone this feeling of elation and physical energy down a bit or is it just the way I "should" be feeling after 15 years of pretty heavy alcohol abuse? I seriously feel like I could sprint a mile, chop a tree down, eat a horse or beat the hell out of a punchbag for a few hours...... this time last week I could barely think or get a sentence out and simple things like walking up a set of stairs felt like I'd run a marathon.

My god, the damage that stuff can do to a person is frightening and It's only when you stop you realise just "how" much of a negative effect it has played on your health, your mind and your life. This time last week my blood pressure was 180 / 110 this morning it was 124 / 78, this time last week I felt like **** today I feel great.

Any tips on relaxation techniques (non chemical) that work for any of you guys would be appreciated

Mike.

 

[TWIFOSP]

Valerian root can calm you down and give you focus. If taken in large enough quantity and towards bed time, it will also put you to sleep rather quickly. It's a natural product, so I don't think it counts as a "chemical".

Start bike riding or jogging and see the country side. Or start an outside garden...

Anything that requires lots of focus will help relax you. Try painting.

Also consider meditation and breathing excercises. I use breathing excercises, such as slowing my breathing down to 11-12 per minute when I have a hard time falling asleep.

Perhaps give yoga a shot. Great way to meet women too!

Basically the entire idea is to find something that requires all of your attention and focus. If that activitey is also physically demanding, all the better. We aren't idle creatures. Spending your entire focus and attention on things will calm and relax you. Also the sense of accomplishment will quell that sense of idleness that is so annoying when you're hyper. I'm the same way.

 

[fogia.4]

I'll give you one bit of advice - never start smoking weed

 

[braillediver]

Congratulations Mike- One Day at a Time as it were.

Take advantage of the focus and energy and work out? Then you'll have to carry a stick to fight off the women?

You can't just change one aspect of your life if you want to be successful.


I'll miss the occasional time you went off here on Head-Fi.

Work out though- you’ll sleep better and it’ll help remedy the damage you’ve done to your body. Walk etc. There’s lots of things to do with the energy.

I’ve been sober since 1984 and will never go back to drinking.


Mitch

 

[viator122]

PF, you should wait to finish your detox program and then see how you feel.

If you're still feeling like you've got too much energy, I would start doing some of those things you mentioned: go hit a punching bag, go for a run, go for a hike (Scotland is beautiful), take long walks, buy a bike. You'll use up some of that energy and get yourself into shape as well.

 

[bg4533]

Exercise.

I have similar problems with hyperactivity. I bike a lot in the summer and the exercise really helps balance things out. Biking also seems to be the only way I can completely relax and it is good for my physical health.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fogia.4 I'll give you one bit of advice - never start smoking weed

That's one thing I certainly won't be doing.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braillediver I'll miss the occasional time you went off here on Head-Fi.

I may still occasionally go off on one Mitch but this time it'll be with a clear, sharp mind

 

[XxATOLxX]

The heavy bag makes for hours of fun and its an excuse to listen to music loud

 

[redshifter]

hi mike,
good job and i'm in the same boat as you.

i'd suggest joining a gym. it'll fill the time and give you good energy instead of hyper.

avoid doing the stuff you did when you drank, like watch tv for example.

this is a great breathing technique that really works to relax. just don't eat 2 hours before you do it.
http://www.ucop.edu/humres/eap/relaxationrespone.html

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redshifter hi mike, good job and i'm in the same boat as you. i'd suggest joining a gym. it'll fill the time and give you good energy instead of hyper. avoid doing the stuff you did when you drank, like watch tv for example. this is a great breathing technique that really works to relax. just don't eat 2 hours before you do it. http://www.ucop.edu/humres/eap/relaxationrespone.html

Cheers redshifter I'll try that breathing technique out, can you do it listening to calming music?

The guy who has been visiting me twice a day watching over me during the initial detox period gave me a printout from this site so I'll try some of that as well, he reckons it all takes quite a bit of practice but once you get the hang of it it's pretty easy to practice?

Mike.

 

[skiingemt]

I can't say enough good things about Bikram Yoga as a way to focus, relax, and exercise. It wears you out and wakes you up at the same time. It's also great for detoxing because you sweat so much. If you try it, make sure you go at least three times the first week to decide if you like it. The first time or two are pretty rough, but after that it's great.

I also find skydiving to be relaxing, but that's just me.

G

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redshifter good job and i'm in the same boat as you.

Do the waves subside after a while or is it a pretty choppy sail for quite some time?

Quote:

Originally Posted by redshifter avoid doing the stuff you did when you drank, like watch tv for example.

That would be Head-Fi. I'm gonna take in a couple of meetings per week which will break the pattern and may even start using this DVD player I bought sometime! I may even start making bird tables and getting active outdoors again weather permitting. I know what you mean though redshifter, it's pretty much essential to break the pattern but I won't do anything radical until I feel the need.

this is a great breathing technique that really works to relax. just don't eat 2 hours before you do it.
http://www.ucop.edu/humres/eap/relaxationrespone.html[/QUOTE]

 

[steel102]

well if you feel like running a mile or beating a punching bag, why don't you go just that? It's good for your health, and will help you expend your extra energy!

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steel102 well if you feel like running a mile or beating a punching bag, why don't you go just that? It's good for your health, and will help you expend your extra energy!

More like a gentle walk or slapping a punchbag in reality, If I run 100 yards they'd have to cart me away in an ambulance....... I think I'd probably be best slowly working up to a mile and punching a bag!