This week and abstinence, withdrawal symptoms, and daily life changed by sobriety!

 

 

I drank one bottle of soju daily. Or about 2 to 3 cans of beer... I drank alcohol every day for a week.

 

I don't drink heavily, but I do enjoy alcohol, especially watching dramas or movies alone while drinking. After putting the kids to sleep, it's my only personal time. Maybe my only act of rebellion?

 

But at some point, I noticed that I was drinking beer from the refrigerator regardless of the time, and my solo drinking time, which I used to enjoy with just one bottle of soju, turned into one and a half bottles, then two bottles. When I painfully opened my eyes in the morning, I thought, "If I drink again today, I'm not human," but by around 5 p.m., I couldn't help but think about alcohol. To make matters worse, even this started happening earlier and earlier.

 

Honestly, aside from sleeping, I think about alcohol all day long...

 

Suddenly, I felt that I might not be able to see my child grow up, and I thought I wouldn't be able to be a support when my child is going through difficult times.

 

So I decided. Abstain from alcohol!

 

Let's try to hold on for just a week. If you can't even endure a week and end up breaking down and turning to alcohol, then admit it and go to the hospital.

 

I think it could be one of these three: alcohol addiction, alcohol dependence, or habitual alcohol use, and my husband also agrees.

I was worried, but I couldn't speak because I knew I would get angry and annoyed, so I was just sitting nearby, feeling anxious.

 

My journey of sobriety began like that! I want to list the withdrawal symptoms that appeared along with the start of my sobriety.

 

Perhaps I have come to understand a little more the hearts of those who are quitting smoking along with this week.

 

Insomnia / I could only sleep 2 to 3 hours a day. Having experienced insomnia due to postpartum depression in 2017, I knew how difficult it was, but this insomnia was clearly different from that time.

 

It was exhausting to go through daily life repeating without sleep until the fifth day.

 

From the sixth day onward, falling asleep wasn't difficult, but I wonder if the quality of sleep has decreased. I fell asleep early and woke up late, but kept waking up intermittently, feeling semi-conscious and dazed...

 

Should I say that I kept feeling drunk?

 

Feeling just like a sick chicken...

 

The headache that started on the third day of abstinence from alcohol was on a different level.

 

I was suffering from a headache all day long except when I was sleeping. It was so painful that tears were coming out...

I endured a headache severe enough to interfere with daily life, and eventually I started taking painkillers.

I took medicine three times a day for ten full days.

 

I can't say I haven't had constipation, but I've experienced the most severe constipation in my life so far. My stomach felt like it was going to burst, and my back hurt too. (If you have severe constipation, does your back hurt too, or is it just me?)

 

I found out that the phenomenon occurs because the stimulant (alcohol) that刺激 the intestines has disappeared.

Even if I wanted to take a laxative, I was already taking painkillers, and if the constipation was caused by a stimulant (such as alcohol), I thought I shouldn't use medication.

 

All of this started last Friday and was the symptoms that made me struggle for 15 days. (Thank you to my husband who endured my irritability and encouraged me for 15 days!)

 

 

And I will record any changes that occur after 100 days of sobriety.

 

 

Skin beauty / My skin has noticeably improved.

 

Since I started drinking at 20, my pores have become increasingly enlarged, my complexion has become dull, and my skin, which was dry and dull, is now brighter and much less flaky.

 

Dieting becomes easier / I used to be a lifelong dieter and maintenance eater.

Once the fat started accumulating, it was uncontrollable.

 

Thanks to COVID-19, I took a break from exercising, but I also ate spicy, salty, sweet, and high-calorie snacks while drinking at night.

 

That's why I can lose weight...

After this week, I will not overeat or binge eat. I think dieting became easier when I started exercising again and combined it with a proper diet.

 

Happiness index UP / It's not a risk but a warning stage when doing depression tests... I have already had counseling and treatment for depression, but after quitting alcohol and during a health checkup, I was surprised when diagnosed with depression myself.

 

I'm happy and joyful these days.

 

My family is happy / If I had to choose the best thing after this week, I think it would be this.

 

Because I am happy and joyful, everything tends to become positive.

 

Of course, there are some aspects that could be more GR, but since I get less annoyed and angry, my relationship with my child improves.

 

My strict and irritable mother started to become more lenient.

 

Not all the time spent with my child is enjoyable, but still, because our relationship improved, the whole family became happy.

 

This is also recognized by the groom! He has maintained a sobriety period of three years through abstinence, and he is currently abstaining from alcohol.

 

Instead of drinking alone, I enjoy a happy life once a week with my husband, casually having a few pieces of jerky, salad, and cucumber pickle with cider as snacks while sipping one or two glasses of whiskey. Of course, it would be better if I didn't drink at all, but I am quite satisfied with myself right now 🤗

 

I hope my writing can be a little help and encouragement to those aiming for sobriety this week.