Re: High cortisol. Do I have it?

Thanks for the reply. No, I'm not in any support groups or counseling. I lean on friends and family from time to time for support.

I was never physically addicted to alcohol (but probably emotionally). It's hard to say if what I'm going through is being caused by an endocrine/adrenal imbalance triggered by the withdrawal, or if it's being caused by an overactive nervous system triggering the release of (what I suspect) cortisol, which in turn causes my symptoms. It could be PAWS, but I'm not sure.

Either way, it's really uncomfortable. No matter how much I try to relax or ignore it, it doesn't go away.

The symptoms are more manageable now than they were 4-5 months ago. So it's probably moving in the right direction. But by the looks of it it's going to be a v-e-r-y slow healing process. I just hope I can endure it.

"Engaging in strong group support and\or counseling therapy with an addiction specialist will provide more benefit to you than ANY test results ever possibly could."

There is some truth to this. I find that when I have meaningful conversations with people close to me that it relieves some of my anxiety and feelings of hopelessness, temporarily at least. I feel pretty lonely and understimulated most of the time.
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