I have been sober for almost 3 weeks, going to a lot of AA meetings. Trying to do everything right. Had to stop before I lost everything I hold dear (Kids, Home, Wife job etc.) Now that I'm sober I find that I am angry very often. Is this normal?

I'm betting that your drinking was, in part, a way to numb and distract yourself from the unpleasant feelings present when you're sober... a bit of self-medication.

So now your opportunity is to get truly free: to get to the root of those issues and pull it out, rather than simply burying the symptoms in alcohol. That may be a somewhat unpleasant and lengthy process, but in general the chance to recover yourself and your power over your own life is worth the price.

Yup... I would say that's pretty normal. When you say "trying to do everything right" in itself, suggests an attempt to abide by someone else's agenda. In my opinion, that's not the formula for success.
Addiction is a curious thing, in that it convinces you that the opposite is true. Understanding that, really is the key. Let's take a Heroin addiction as an example... I know that seems rather extreme, but here's the deal, addictions regardless of the chemical, are fairly similar.
 
Fear is the motivating psychological force behind addiction. With Heroin, there's extreme physical pain... like a dull but intolerable toothache in the marrow of your bones. Those symptoms begin within a few hours. If you know what's coming, you try to brace yourself with will.... thinking (and we're talking after a day or two) that it couldn't possibly get any worse... but yet it does... it gets much, much worse... beyond imagination worse. That creates fear.... no terror, I think is the better word.
 
Then.... a hit... ahhh... the pain is gone, and even more importantly, the terror has turned to euphoria.
 
If we look at this objectively, we see that our thought processes have changed. We now think of the chemical as a cure. We not only think of it that way, but on a subconscious level, we're convinced of it... not only out of pain, but what is most convincing... the irrational, fear.
 
So, what do we do? I'm thinking if you really want to beat this, you have to reverse how you think. Not just openly, but take yourself in hand and convince yourself that the chemical isn't the cure for your moods, but the cause. Once you're completely convinced of that, you may find a change in your moods for the better.

HasntBeen makes a good point, but it may also just be a symptom of withdrawal. I'm normally an easy going guy, drinking or not, and when I quit I became short-tempered for a few weeks. I would get angry at little annoyances that wouldn't have bothered me before, and that do not now bother me. And when there was something that was worthy of making me angry, I got much angrier than normal. I can't do better than 'a few weeks' because, frankly, I was a little muddled as well.

Stick to it, it's worth it. Best of luck.

Yes, it's normal. I know this is a strange thing to suggest: eat chocolate. Really. Alcohol is a sugar, and you need to replace it. So, you have permission to eat all the chocolate you want.

yes, its normal....and good that you realize....congrats.....and you will find you did right...alcohol will clean you out; house, wife, kids, job....the best, Steve...

You sound like a "dry drunk" I bet you are not working the steps, and since your angry now you have an excuse to go back and drink. Cheers

Share your answer...

Let it all out and why you think you feel the way you feel at your meetings. IT HELPS =) (at least it helps me and other people I know)

Your still learning to be your self with out it.


Think of it like cancer.. meetings are your meds. Find a sponser..

Good luck to you.