I joined this site in August 2010 after lurking for months, I?d reached a point where I was drinking a couple of bottles of wine a night and more on weekends. I was struggling to hold down my job and I?d isolated myself so much because I lived alone and I could drink away to my heart?s content, I blamed pressure of work on my lack of social life and not being there for my family. I?d been working from home to get an important report finished, went out to buy some milk and catfood at 11am and came home with a box of wine and started drinking. I continued all day and most of the night and was so desperate at the state I was in the next morning I logged on looking for help.
I knew I had to stop but the thought of forever terrified me so I took it one day at a time, there was a bank holiday weekend coming up so I took a few extra days off and got through 5 days, then 7 giving it my full 100%. It wasn?t easy in the beginning, headaches that lasted for days, sleepless nights, anxiety etc but I logged on here every day and read everything I could, took the supplements, started meditating and I focussed on 30 days. What a difference I felt a month in, my anxiety was gone, I lost weight, was sleeping better, taking regular exercise and eating well ? it?s a no brainer really! I took it a month at a time thanks to a great bunch of people on the monthly thread in GD but at nearly 7 months I started a new relationship and moderated over a weekend away. When I woke on the Sunday morning all I could think of was where was I going to get my drink for the day and the cravings came back with a vengeance. I finished the relationship, nothing was more important than being AF. The following week was worse than the first week I went AF but I knew if I didn?t stop now I?d be sucked right back into the depths of despair. So I white knuckled it and stayed on track, used all the tools here, and all the support from my MWO friends and I?ve been AF since. Again the next 30 days made a huge difference to how I felt and how I looked.
Like everyone else stopping the booze is just the first step, it takes months and years to work on the rest but it is so worthwhile to have a life to look forward to. All I know is I sleep well, I cope with stress and life pressures much better (and believe me I?ve had a few) and I have much better relationships with all my family and friends. I love my grandchildren and I am fully present with them enjoying every minute I have with them. I have a future and it looks good because I am responsible for the choices I make, I am not hiding in the bottom of a wine bottle anymore. Life really is too short to waste.
Dewdrop :h
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