5 Days Sober: Why am I so grouchy, irritable and angry?

It feels like I’m losing my mind.

Today I’ve been a major asshole. Most of it I’ve kept silent, but all my fellow humans are walking on eggshells. It’s been a parade of habit triggers and things are bad.

If I didn’t know this was coming, I’d be utterly discouraged. That’s why those recovery books and sobriety blogs have been such a big help to me. Phrases like angry, grouchy, irritable, and inappropriate frustration come up frequently when talking about withdrawal.

I feel like I hate everyone and everything.

Looking at the big picture, I know it’s only a feeling with two likely causes.

1. My defunct brain is fighting sobriety because of physical dependence.
2. For a years I’ve simply drank my way out of stress. So I just don’t have the emotional skills to not overreact.

Everything I’ve read says it gets better, but a few weeks of this roller coaster are coming. So, please let me know if you have any decent coping strategies. I’m jogging everyday and getting to bed early. I’m even trying a little meditation with stretching.

I have to move forward, to get well, to learn to handle wide awake. My only real option is to get past this stage and until things get better.

So grouchy me is going to bed sober.