Is it just me or when you put down the bottle do you have this empty feeling? Especially at night!!! I can’t believe how much booze was a part of my evening routine. I feel anxious and an empty feeling. I’m only on day 3 sober
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Why is my.profile set at watching? Hi my name is jen and I’m new here
Yay 3 days! I am super new to sobriety too, so I don’t have all the answers, but I get the feelings of depression and anxiety too…I think the drinking masked some mental health stuff I was avoiding, but I have had time now to start learning healthy methods of coping. I’m still an emotional roller-coaster of high highs and low lows…but it’s part of feeling again. I hear it does get easier and you get better at managing the feels, there are a lot of good ideas in these forums for meditation, mindfulness, and other coping things. 
keep it up!!!
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Welcome to the community and Congratz on 3 days! 
What you are experiencing is totally normal. For me I drink on most feelings. Either happy, to become happier or to numb feelings and everything in between also. When using alcohol my “feel good” substances (dopamine and serotonin amongst others) rise. When Using for a long time in an abnormal way the whole pleasure system becomes off Balance. This can be manifested as depression, anxiety and emptiness as just some examples. I will post a picture explaining that in the brain of an addict the pleasure center does not function properly. However, this will recover, It just Takes time. The brain is complex and there is of course more to it then this. Just wanted you to know that the feelings of emptiness is normal. If you don’t pick up it will get better. It may go up and down but I can guarantee that your feelings will not last Forever.
Sending LOTs of strength and Love your way 
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Thank you. I feel so empty and I never felt like that. I feel crazy , I feel like I should be doing something when I really should just be relaxing and go to bed. My heart races … I’m glad I’m not alone
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this is beautiful and it makes sense to me tonight. Thank you. I have to keep pushing through this empty feeling . I’m not a depressed person:angry:. This visual just set me straight! Thanks!!!
MissDuse… I attend meetings and therapy but what are your suggestions for the times when I’m alone and feel this way in the beginning. This too shall pass, but I’m just climbing the hill. I want to make it! How can I be alone at night and not feel so sad
Have you heard of HALT?
Hungry - Eat
Angry - Call someone or go to a boxing class 
Lonely - Go to a meeting or call someone
Tired - Sleep
These are just simple reminders. Sometimes our basic needs are not met so we just need to look at the simple ones.
Treating emptiness, depression and anxiety don’t have one common solution. However there are ways I have found helping. I am glad to hear you are going to meetings. Make sure to get phone numbers. It may seem difficult at first but find the courage and ask. When someone asks me for a phone number I am always flattered. When they call even more. Many love to help because it helps their sobriety.
Also try and find a hobby, anything you can do with your hands. Nitting, drawing or whatever. I used Photopearls, Google that! LOTs of fun!
Listen to online speakers. I am a part of AA and personally Love a speaker called Bob D. His view on things is so interesting.
There are some occasions where nothing helps me. Now I know that. I still call My sponsor and say “Hi, today I hate the world and they all hate me” because those feelings then and there are real. Sometimes I feel better after being Honesty but there are moments where I just need to trust “this too shall pass”. Try notising when you feel better again, write it down and remember it. It will strengthen your trust next time it happens.
Most effective for me though is to try and get out of my own head and ask how someone else is doing. You can help others in small ways. A phone call is one example.
I could write even longer about this. You just need to find your own way. Continue with your meetings, get Numbers, use them! Take action even if you don’t feel like it.
Hope any of this helped!
You also have this forum for support and people cheering you on.
It will get better, trust that!
Hugs from Sweden
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Forgot to write about the importance of good music, long walks in the woods. Also meditation (guided meditation for me cause I can’t stand the silent ones yet )
I have trust in the fact that if I don’t pick up, I continue My Journey to a better life. Misery in the bottle can be refunded at any time but for me I will now do anything to not pick up. So I try to the best of My abilities!
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3 days is amazing !! Keep coming back- there are many kind and like minded people here to support you in your journey
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Day 3!! Welldone! I used to get an empty yet heavy feeling in my stomach at the time… It went away after few drinks… The feeling was unbearable and i drank to get rid of it… The feeling was the main reason why i broke promises to myself to cut down… I dreaded sobriety. Luckily i came across this book ‘how to quit without feeling sh #t’… It was god send… I took few supplements as suggested and i felt so different… My first sober attempt was 3rd of September 2016 with a planned relapse during Christmas… I would strongly suggest this book 
last time i had this feeling was in Sep good luck!
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Thank you. Those words were all so helpful and cane at a very good time.
I appreciate you. Thank you. My body us begging for booze but I’m tired if feeling sick and tired.
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I will pick up this book. I need all the help I can get right now. I have some addiction books and also on camprol. Thank you for sharing your story. Very helpful
Welcome @Vegasgrl! 3 days is a big deal! Racing heart, anxiety, sweats, and shaking all part of the process unfortunately. You will get through it. Don’t forget it. Those early days are motivations not to relapse and have to reset. @Oliverjava is spot on with exercise and meditation. Walking outdoors is the best. Check out her list of what to do instead of using. It is awesome!
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3 days is quite the accomplishment for someone who’s used to filling that emptiness with liquid light. Thats something to be very proud of!
What I’ve found is that sometimes we can’t always fill those dark empty voids within us that keep us drinking, but we can begin to enlighten ourselves and become our own shining beacons of personal truth thus taking away the power the voids can have on us.
I think most of us can relate to that empty feeling but one of the many benefits of putting down the bottle is that now we have a choice about what we will use to fill the emptiness. I usually fill mine with spiritual things and that helps to balance the physical and emotional cravings.
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It means you are watching this topic; you’ll get notifications when someone replies. It’s the default behavior when you create one.
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I will do those ideas as well, I might pick up fast food tonight! I never do that. It’s scary because my heart races and my doc. Gave me blood pressure pills. But I know my heart races and I get panicky because I can’t drink. The times I tried to stop drinking in the past I failed because as soon as I drank again my heart would calm down and I would relax again. I have drank pretty heavily for about 15 years almost everyday. I just finished getting ultra sounds and blood test because I told my doctor I wanted to know how much damaged I had cause my body. I’m working on my fatty liver right now and it’s going well. But the shakes and my heart racing and feeling dizzy and sick. I really have to fight it
Thank you. I want to do this for myself and for the people I love. I’m losing my brother in law to cirrhosis of the liver, he is on his death bed. And it was a huge awakening for me to see how he looks, and to know he did it to himself.how sick our we to drink ourselves to death!!! I don’t want my family to be looking at me in a bed like that
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The body is an amazing thing and it usually begins to repair the damage right away. Its our emotional and mental selves that often need just as much if not more TLC during the early stages of sobriety. Keep thinking positive remembering those thoughts carry much more power then we could ever know! Hugs
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