Prolonged withdrawal symptoms

[prolonged recovery]

Hello all.  I have been clean from alcohol for approximately 14 mo's.  I still experience occasional anxiety attacks, feelings that things aren't quite well, fearful thoughts about health, irritability, changes in sleep patterns, mood swings, etc..  Although these symptoms have decreased considerably.  I list just a few of the conditions that persist to give an idea of what I'm going through. What I would like to know does it ever get all the way better?  Will my brain chemistry, "right", itself?  Is there a return to normalcy? I have endured these conditions without any help from prescription or over the counter drugs so please don't recommend.  Please inform.  

[marcatj]

hey, i'm just tossing this out there, but perhaps these are psychological issues (all the symptoms you mentioned very much can be, btw...)

have you ever considered any type of therapy?

i can only speak from personal experience, but a number of things you just mentioned changed DRAMATICALY for me when i went to see a therapist a number of years ago.

it was the best gift i ever gave myself.

as i said, just tossin' it out there...

warmly,
mj

[fishmeal]

Can u get the doc to prescribe ATIVAN???  i REALL WORKS IN TIME LIKE THESE///

[ode2shel]

hey!  I know how hard it can be, and the first step to "righting" our brain chemistry as addicts is to cut out the addict part..I went through something similair 7 yrs ago.  I had completed a 4 mos rehad program, worked at the facility for another 3-4 mos, and then decided to move back home with my family.  I found a job working 50 hrs a week, paying off my bills, decided to finish my associates degree..then it hapenned driving down the road going to the library to work on a research paper; shallow breathing, my hands went numb, i almost blacked out driving.  I startde to have these episodes more frequently, and my doc put me on a benzo, whixh I took not knowing much about it at the time.  Not a good choice.  Now 7 yrs later, I cant come off the benzos, and I take a lose dose exaclty as prescribed.  And those kinds of attacks are scary, not only did they happen to be in stressful situations, but then started coming on out of the blue.  The best thing I did for myself was to go to therapy.  There were many issues re my family I have never worked out, etc etc, but it helped me feel in control of myself again.  I know this can be a hard time for you, but stick with it, I agree, stay away from meds, but definitely go to therapy.  We all as addicts do things we regret while we are in our throws of addivction.  Some of those things can be hard to talk about later on when we're sober, so we try to push them away, but they always manage to resurface somehow, either thu anxiety, depression, relapse, etc

[prolonged recovery]

Thanks for the replies.  They are greatly appreciated.  I guess I may have been looking for more difinitive answers from people who may have had similar alcohol withdrawal symptoms.  Marcatj, maybe there are some therapeutic remedies.  I just don't sense that within myself.