Newbies Unite, June 08'

[SunDaisy]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

JMT, welcome back, I don't know you well, but I'm looking forward to getting to know you.

Without asking too many questions, what was the "other team" like? I had never seen another site quite like this one so I wondered why you left.

I'm so happy you are doing so well.

Happy Friday

Sun

[57Shelby]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

Although, I haven't been posting, I do read this thread. I am glad you chose not to leave JMT, I was worried that you had just given up.

Renewal, congratulations on 10 days AF! That is great!!!! I understand how you feel, as I sit here half way through my 27th day! I am 3 days away from my goal of 30 days AF. It is like I am living in somebody else's body and brain. When I started this challenge, my goal was to be able to moderate my drinking. As I come to the end of my 30 days I am afraid to consider drinking. I have friends coming to visit for the 4th of july weekend. They and my husband will all be drinking. Both my girlfriend and her husband have both battled with drinking issues, so they understand. I already told my girlfriend, I may not drink. I am afraid if I have one, all the success I have experienced will be lost. I enjoy going out, having AF beer and waking up feeling great the next day.

Anyway, Renewal, I wanted to say good job on starting this thread for the Newbies. It has been a safe place for people to fall into when they come to MWO. I felt a little lost when I first joined and didn't know where I fit in at first. So, good job!!!!

However, I encourage everyone to branch out. Visit other threads and meet the other members if you haven't already done so. There is a wealth of wisdom and support out there. Those who have been here longer have valuable lessons to share. They may not visit this thread and their support will not be available if you don't venture out.

You are an awesome group!! Keep it up!

Have a great weekend!
Shelby

[JMT]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

Sundaisy, hey girl, it wasn't so much the "other team" as it was I just had to step back and look at some things here that upset me and move past them. It was my doing and my fault so I had to just admit it, apologize and move forward. I always RUN when I get upset and I'm not going to RUN this time. I'm here to stay for the duration, unless I get run off! LOL
Shelby, thank you! No haven't given up, I've come this far, I can't go back, I've done it too many times and I always end up where I started. I figure after 10 yers it wasn't working so I'll try something new. :0)

[SunDaisy]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

Well, good to have you back and nice to meet you. Being from the land of Enchantment, you can regroup and move on, right? Right! Good then. Be with us. We're up. We're down. But we're together. That's what counts.

Be well today.

Sun

[renewal]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

Sun Daisy, couldn't have said it better myself...we're up, we're down, but we're together'...well put.
JMT, what a nice suprise....welcome back my dear....great to have you home again. Shelby, nice point. Branch out an explore the sight and the other forums....."just remember where your bread is buttered though"....(hey, a little humor)......one last thought before I leave. Yep, it's only been 10 days....and yep, don't know what the future holds with my drinking.....but, what I DO KNOW is that the insurmountable mountain that I've called drinking all these years......really isn't THAT big.....or insurmountable.....it just takes a few days of sober living to see that. I'm NOT saying it's easy at all...but I am saying it's much more possible than you think. I have given drinking WAAAAAY to much power and prestige than it ever deserved.
Have a great day ducklings.............stay in line.......
Renewal

[Lucy Van Pelt]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

WOW-

Where the H**l have I been??? I am on this site constantly and have not checked out this thread. Geez!!! I guess I hadn't read through it because I don't consider myself a "newbie" as I have been on MWO for over 2 years. BUT, THIS IS SOOOO WHERE I BELONG!!! I have struggled, had some success...many, many failures, but refuse to give up. After trying so many things I started Antabuse in March. Had 26 days and went off...fell on my face. Since then, I have had a few days good, and then off I go. I am back on Antabuse and on day 7 today. The support of others in these early days is just what I need for sure. Renewal-You are amazing for starting this thread. The popularity based on the number of responses it has racked up so quickly is apparent. And I may be an old duck but i am still a ducklng learning how to waddle!!!

I plan to stick around here, and looking forward to getting to know you all a little better.

Oh, outside of drinking, I am a relatively happily married 47 year old with two teens...the oldest now in college. Outside of this d*mn drinking crap, my life is actually pretty good. If I werent struggling with alcohol I imagine I would actually be quite happy-lol

With Love,

Lucy Van Pelt aka Beth from Florida

[Foxypoxy]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

Hi everyone - I am still inline waddling along. I am actually quite pleased with myself as am now on day 3 and that includes going to work in London and spending 2 nights out with the team (who love to wine & dine) - yeh

Really well done Renewal - you are an inspiration :goodjob

[renewal]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

Welcome Beth!! Hey, we've only been on this thread for a week and a half now, so don't feel bad for not seeing us earlier....we weren't here. You CAN do this....let's have the drinking aspect of your life match the other successes you currently enjoy. I feel similar to you....drinking does not define who I am as a person whatsoever, yet I give it so much attention and power. I AM BETTER than this....but now I need to prove it....as do you....and the rest of you. Foxypoxy, way to go on day 3...especially with the temptations you have faced. This first week or so is the toughest. Let us help get you there. Well, I gotta get ready for work.....make yourselves proud today! Quack!
Renewal

[JMT]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

Crap!

Crap, crap and more crap. I've failed. The trip tomorrow is just too much to deal with for this fragile choice known as "sobriety". My MIL whom we are going back to AZ to see since my FIL died May 16 in his sleep after a 3 year battle with ALS was pretty blunt and rude to me..........nothing new. I guess the sting and pain of what she said; being sober was 10 times worse then my fog I lived in an listened to her tell me..."Your husband (her son) was going to leave me, it's just a matter of time." "You are a negative influence on this famliy", but she goes NUTS over our daughter.
OMG, I'm sorry my fellow ducklings, I feel lower then, well hell, I don't have anything to compare it to becuase I'm beneath anything I could imagine.
Please forgive me. I HATE the way I feel, I HATE that I HAVE to go on this trip......hell, I HATE that I had to post this. But, maybe out of this misery and BAD choices I will save someone from doing the same.
DAMN, sorry ya'll Friday night, and I'm boo hooing over petty crap....:upset:

[cpn1004]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

not all that new, but need this group

Greetings all,
I have been around this site for over 2 years but yet have not made the 30 days AF. I can relate to most of the stories here and thought I would post mine. This is copied from an earlier post I did in "Tell us your story". For all of us that struggle with "Day 1" again and again, we just need to do it.
Hope some of you can relate:

Greetings all,
I have been around this site for about two years and yet have not gone 30 days without drinking. I drink beer just about everyday. And it has to be Budweiser. Now I can hear the Euros and Aussies saying "that ain't beer, mate". And they are probably correct. The taste seems unimportant to me, but I must want the buzz.

So how much beer? Well it seems to be 7 to 12 a day. I work from a home office so around 2pm I get the strong psychological urge to open a beer. If I do, then it is on. No stopping until the beast is satisfied.

Well Phil why don't you read some books about this? I have. In no particular order I have read:
"Drinking: A Love Story" by Caroline Knapp
"The Easy Way to Stop Drinking" by Allen Carr
"A Drinking Life: A Memoir" by Pete Hamill
"The TAO of Sobriety" by David Gregson & Jay Efran
"Seven Weeks to Sobriety" by Joan Mathews Larson
"Staying Sober in AA" by Rick A
"My Way Out" by Roberta Jewell
"The Thinking Person's Guide to Sobriety" by Bert Pluymen.

If I am not completely stupid, I must be stubborn. Obviously the intellectual knowledge has not been sufficient in this battle.
As for supplements I do vitamins, L-Glutamine and sometimes Kudzu.

I have been lucky on the health side and legal side. No DUI's ever in almost 30 years of drinking. For my weight, height and age my calorie intake should be around 1400. Well if the numbers are correct I get 1450 calories from 10 Bud's a day. YIKES!

Last year I had 55 days without drinking with at best 10 in row. Not real good but better than 2006.

Not sure why I posted this or what I'm looking for. Maybe I want to see if anyone can relate or someone to call me out for being in denial.
Thanks for listening,
Love and Peace to all,
Phil

[Tina Desparate]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

Hi JMT,

I had the same kind of problem last year. After I lost my job for 23 years, I binged a little too often. My MIL came to me on my birthday and told me someone called her and told her I was a bad influence on her son. The thing of it is, I never asked him to drink anything with me and still don't. Then she came over to my house one night with her boyfriend who drinks, gambles and sleeps with her yet he is a "MINISTER" and told me I need to get help. People are so quick to judge and they do not even know you as a person. Hey if he was going to leave you honey, he would have left a long time ago. I did not talk to her for 5 months. Still don't if I do not have to. She is not perfect and no one in the family is. I believe you are a good person with a craving that is just hard to beat. You will get there. It is hard enough to try to get well and stay away from A without people beating you up mentally and physically. I think you are in the same kind of situation as me. My daughter cannot stand my husband because he is so controlling. Hey but now I have a good job and if he wants to leave me, he can. I am behaving now and refuse to drink too much to cause a problem but I have not given it up completely.

It is okay for you to post things like this. Other people have the same problems. Don't worry about your MIL. She is probably just a nosy busy body like mine is.

Tina

[renewal]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

Welcome cpn1004.....I'd be happy to 'call you out'...if you are denying you have a drinking problem.....but, by the fact you are here, are have taken the steps you have, I think you're aware....again, I do want to welcome you though. Also, surely we can all relate to your story. Heck, look at the post above you from JMT......JMT, I'm so sorry about yesterday. So often we give in to temptation when certain stressors affect us....whether it's finances, work, spouses, or in this case, a mother in law. Don't let her control your sobriety...gotta prioritize not drinking way above her ranting in your direction. NOT saying it's easy, just saying I hope you'll dust yourself off and prioritize yourself and your health #1.....regain control!! You had been doing great.....yesterday was a bad day....guess what? Today is a new one. We're with ya.
Renewal

[oneness]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

hello all. i'm new to this and just read through all the posts and think it's wonderful to have a place to share what we're going through. none of my close friends seem to have a problem with alcohol like i do. so i've never had anyone to confide in. i see a therapist and i don't even talk to him about it. the shame i feel prevents me from admitting it to anyone but myself. do any of you ever wonder why we are facing this particular challenge in this life? i believe there is a reason for it; i don't think it's just bad luck. imagine how strong we'll feel, and how much confidence and self-love we'll have if we conquer this demon. we're so much more than this! for me...it's white wine. sometimes i drink it when i don't even want it. and i'm an athlete; a swimmer. my personality is such a dichotomy because half of me is so healthy and the other part is self-destructive. hopefully this forum will help me get through this to start a new and improved life in which i wake up feeling energetic and happy to be me.

[debruce]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

Good morning all,
I have just spent the last hour reading this thread from start to finish. How inspiring. It is wonderful.
I am not a newbie, but am a newbie. I joined this site over a year ago and have been struggling, mixed with a bit of success, but am so over this merry go round ride.
I have been on campral, naltrexone and still not successful. The longest I have gone AF is 15 days together.
I am back on my campral, and on day 2.
What I don't understand is............I feel so much better without alcohol.
So what is wrong with me??? I suffer hangovers badly, I black out and don't remember anything, so why do I keep going back to it?????
I know it has been a big part of my life for approx the last 36 years, and when I look back I guess it has always caused me problems here and there. I have never handled alcohol that well. Some of the things I have done, well I don't want to go there!!!!
I have been married for nearly 30 years and my hubby hates me when I drink. Says it changes my whole personality and I know that too. He drinks, but can stop when he has had enough and is still a nice person.
Why do I constantly think that I am missing out on something??
Well that is a little bit about me.
Thank you all for the inspiring posts
:l

[sosad]

Newbies Unite, June 08'

I am so pleased to find this site. I am on day 2. I am kinda grumpy.Started naltraxadone. I love to hear how well everyone is doing and that we fight similiar battles. Sometimes I feel so alone. I should be ashamed of myself. I am so blessed and yet I complain. I feel I may jump out of my skin. Weekends are easy for me to be AF it is the week that i can't make it. Thanks for listening and caring. Monday will be hard. Any suggestions?

sosad