original poster wrote:
So things are going good. I still go out with buds and family for dinner and they drink but I do not feel cravings.
BUT
I am still somewhat depressed, and worst of all I am always so TIRED. I'll go to bed at midnight and want to sleep until 1 pm. I want to feel energized and awake and motivated. I have ridalin, but I rarely take it because it makes me feel jittery and I hate being on drugs.
Is there any type of supplement, like b12 or something that I can take that will help give me energy?
OP, there are actually things that can help with that. B12 does seem to be helpful for some people, but it varies.
Here's the main thing (as others have said): You *have to* let your doctor know what's going on. [I'm glad you got through the first couple of weeks okay (a belated Happy Birthday, btw), but you were basically lucky to do that--as others have noted, bad stuff happens to some who quit.]
Your doc will have the best idea of what nutrients/drugs might be best for you, in combination with what you're taking now. Let her/him know what you're doing. Dude, your primary physician *needs* this info.
And congrats on staying sober this long. Alcohol ruined my marriage and destroyed my family.
PS I know it's tough to find leg when you're used to going to a bar to do it, but do continue to stay away from bars. (And avoid hooking up with anybody at work. Experience speaks.)
You definitely need to get with some kind of a group--if not AA (works for some, didn't help in my situation), then just an interest group. (That exercise class you took was a *great* idea, btw.)
PPS If you start to get some running in, *one* way is to go to a track but leave your watch at home. Run 2-3 200s at *just faster than half-speed*. Walk at least a 200 after each. Repeat that session a couple-few days later--ideally, it should feel a little easier than the first.
If your first two sessions go okay, add a rep or two the next time. Always do the same workout twice before you try to move up. Once you get up to 8x200 (could take a month or so), hold it there and see about alternating 200m and 100m recovery walks. Continue not to time any of these. Eventually you might get to doing 100m for all your walking intervals.
Because you're a "natural" sprinter, jogging slowly is probably not a good thing for you. Better you should alternate a medium stride with walking. (The faster running is actually better for working off the gut than the lower-intensity stuff, anyway.)
Note: If you feel that 200m is too far to start with, go with 100s but DON'T sprint them. Resist that temptation--stick with a medium stride. And still don't time any part of any track session, including the total time for it.
Go with how you feel on these. If it's going really well, after a couple-three months you might wanna time something--should be okay by then, but still do it at 90% effort. Finish feeling like you had something in the tank.
Note 2: Stick with it. I admire the hell out of you. If you happen to backslide at any point, call your doc and get back on your dry routine.
And bvmp this thread whenever you want support. There've been some good posts here.