Mornings are always the worse. Opening my eyes and realizing that I have to be sober literally drives me to the edge. As soon as I realize that I have to start my day sober, I think I probably cry most days. What are some ways to deal with that morning depression and anxiety? Anyone have any advice on having the energy and motivation to even get out of bed? I work from home so I stay in pajamas all day. I think the fact that I do not have to get up and face the world everyday just makes the depression worse. How do I adjust to take on the world without my substances?
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U need a routine get up make your bed take a shower do your hair and makeup! Even if you don’t need to leave the house. I know for me just doing those things makes me feel better and more confident with life.
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I’m only on day 6 so I don’t have a ton of wisdom for you. I just want to tell you I experience anxiety and depression worst in the mornings as well.
I try to distract myself with dumb games on my phone while I drink my morning tea, then start my mornings routine.
The saying is one day at a time, but sometimes you have to take it by the hour, or even minute by minute.
Stay strong!
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Change your routine. That’s what’s helped me. FIND something to look forward to. A favorite show, a good meal you’re planning, maybe planning to go on a walk and get out of the house for 30 mins. Things like that. Productive things that are good for your physical and mental health! Get up and get yourself ready in the morning. Do it for yourself! You don’t have to have any other reason.
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Set an alarm, wake up, buy an Alexa or google play, put on some music, workout, take a shower get ready for the day. Write down one positive thought and go about your day. 
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Hi Duchess 
The two things I try to do every single day is take a walk and express gratitude. It doesn’t always chase all of my sadness away but it always helps.
I hope you join us I’m happy you are here
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It’s the most terrible gut dropping feeling! I can so relate.l feel it’s a feeling of loss,grief and disbelief really-like someone very close to us has died(our DOC).l hope that with time,the feeling will become less intense-Day 3
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Dont think of it as you have to be sober. The reality is none of us HAVE to be.
We GET to be.
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Set the alarm, get out immediately, before you even have a chance to let the negative thoughts flow. Have a schedule of what to do that morning/day ready. Make your bed, leave the bedroom, close the door, only go back when it’s bedtime. Take a cold shower, do some exercises you like, prepare and put on clothes for work as if you would have to go work outside the door. Have a healthy and tasty breakfast you look forward to having. You can already (pre-)prepare it in the evening. Thank yourself for being good to yourself.
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I’m 44days without a drink and I don’t know how I’d do it without my 9month pup Roxie. Do you have any pets?
I’m not saying to go out and get a dog, just saying she’s been a literal life saver for me.
I second what @Bubonicphoniks says, I don’t have to be sober.
In some it is maybe true but I want to to be sober as I saw that being drunk every night was not changing anything. I was so deep down that the whole day was structured to be home at a decent time to have my daily dose of wine and get myself up in the morning to go to work. That was sprinkled with self hate and self pity and panic. I pushed the repeat button every afternoon when heading to the supermarket making the wrong decision. Some days I stayed strong enough but only to permit myself the double dose the next days.
Now, I don’t want to have to drink anymore. It seems stupid. At first we have to fight the urge, break most of our routines. I was lucky that in early sobriety a switch was pushed and I had no cravings or desire at all, all of a sudden. They came later on in my sobriety.
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Yes I have 3 dogs. And we currently have a 4 month old puppy. My husband walks the dogs in the morning, mostly because my big dog is too strong for me to control. When they were smaller, I would take them on their walks in the morning, but that was alsonnefore I began using.
I do have Alexa but my kid usually gets up about an hour after I get up. My husband and I go to the gym in the mornings after he walks the dogs. So I do het up and exercise, I still have a hard time with it and after the gym, I come back and throw my pjs on and crawl back into bed depressed until I have to clock in for work
Might be time to consider some professional help for your anxiety and depression. That could mean meds, it could mean therapy, it could mean a combination of the 2. Whatever your comfortable with and works for you. Just a suggestion.
Yes. Absolutely. At first for me it was much more of a struggle.
Here is what they say.
“In my addiction I gave up everything for one thing. In sobriety I gave up for thing to gain everything.”
OP if you aren’t sold on the whole thing - thats totally normal…but let that out. Talk to us about it. I guarantee you will read someone with eerily similar story/thoughts.
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Okay, I get it. But I’m hoping that both of you will start seeing this differently. Value is clearly being assigned to the DOC. And in my case, when I assigned value to it, the moping began. Feeling all doom and gloom. How am I ever going to enjoy life without the bestest best thing in the world???
Lies… It’s all lies.
That’s what my addiction fed me. Because the truth is that my addiction has no value. It has no benefit. It offers me nothing. And whatever pleasure I got was simply a relief of the cravings that were caused by the addiction to begin with. After which followed periods of irritability, moodiness, craving, obsession, anxiety, and stress in between cravings. The fact is my addiction doesn’t give me pleasure, It doesn’t reduce stress, anxiety, or depression. In fact, it doesn’t exactly the opposite. This depression that’s being referred to above is actually directly caused or increased by the addiction.
Non-users never have to feel this. They never wake up feeling depressed nor deprived because of a lack their DOC.
See the addiction for what it is; something that takes away and leaves us wanting more, and we will never regret sobriety again.
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