MARCH MOTIVATORS

[Unwasted]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

ML, we'll have to keep each other posted about our meetings. I'm thinking of going tomorrow afternoon. Hey - good job falling back asleep. I can do that now too - in the drinking days I would have been awake the rest of the night. Horror, really - then I'd feel awful the entire next day - exhausted. The more distance from drinking I get, the more I realize how human bodies should not be ingesting alcohol - it's not natural. Sure, mankind has done for eons, but it's still no good.

Snapdragon, welcome to the thread. Let's do this! Be sure to tell us more about you when you have time. - Oh, Snap, I just found a long introductory post by you - I'll go read that!

Hugs to all :lilheart:

[mylife]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

Ishybit;1272654 wrote: Hello Everyone,
I went to a few AA meetings several years ago. The first one I went to was an all women's group, there were only 4 others there at the time. I felt sooo exposed and raw and there was nothing anonymous about being there. I cried through the whole meeting. I'm not sure that AA is for me but what I did find was that everyone was incredibly supportive, welcoming, forgiving and nonjudgmental.
I think the key is finding the right group. I think MWO is the right group for me now!
Thanks everyone, Happy Friday.
Ishy

Hi Ishy - The all womens group I went to had about 15 women - for the most part they were great and I noticed several who attended only that meeting now and then. I wish I had followed their example! I moved on to a bigger meeting with loads of people and got caught up in a whirlwind and felt a little out of control about the whole thing after that...!! If I return I'll be attending meetings occasionaly as PART of my recovery program.

UW - I'll be interested to hear your experience!

[Unwasted]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

Ishy - X post - wow this is going to be a great group - thanks for joining. I totally hear you about AA. It doesn't seem like me at all, but I'm just hesitant not to try to keep adding other things to my "arsenal" of AF tools. You know, I don't care about working the steps...although I know they would say it was a must...I would just like to have a person or two I could contact, have coffee with occasionally. We'll see - just thought it was worth a try. But, like you, MWO is working for me right now. Don't know what I'd do without it, really.

Welcome to the group - here's hoping you can get a full 30 days for yourself!

[K9Lover]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

Good Morning Marchies!

Welcome to Ishy and Snapdragon! Glad to have you with us (and other new ones I probably missed). I was forced to go to AA meetings years ago due to my DUI's, and I thought they were ok at the time, but it never really stuck with me...I find MWO to be much more helpful to me...so thank you all!

Happy Friday to everyone! I can't wait to get to the weekend. I have some chores to do tomorrow including replacing my old washing machine with a new (used) one...ugh I dread all the shifting and moving around, but I'll be happy when it's done. Then Sunday it's a girls day, me, my daughter, her best friend, and best friends mom are going to see the play Little Women...then dinner...what a fun day! I'm so glad to be sober and have these experiences with my girl...years ago I would have never agreed to such an outing, knowing in advance that I'd be too hungover on Sunday. I sure do NOT miss those days of laying on the couch then sprinting to the bathroom to dry heave. All I have to do is think of that when I start romanticizing alcohol!

It's funny how even this far into sobriety that Friday automatically brings on thoughts of "a few" drinks (like I ever just had a few!). We are so conditioned to think that drinking is a treat and we deserve it at the end of a hard week. But deserve what really? To act foolishly, blackout and wake up hungover? No, the REAL treat is waking up feeling good on a Saturday morning!

I hope you all do well tonight and this weekend, remember that cravings never last as long as hangovers, so just ride them out, and definitely come here for support.

Everyone have a great day!

K9

[Unwasted]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

K9, you're sounding so good. Isn't it wonderful that you're now able to be more involved with your daughter and looking forward to your AF time with her?! And, yes, the weekends are just other days of the week! Soon, though, we won't associate them so strongly with drinking. Stay safe!

[allswell]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

Hi everyone, also shooting to making it through March without the monster. Looking forward to the beginning of spring clean and sober.

[Running4life]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

Hi Everybody:
I had a great morning. A friend and I went snowshoeing up the mountain trails. It was so beautiful and such a great workout. What a wonderful way to start a weekend.
I just wanted to weigh in on the AA thing. I found an all woman's group to attend and I find it is helpful.
I have been thinking about attending other mixed groups to see what they are like but I have not had the courage yet. I feel safe with the woman's group and have been attending off and on for the last 5 years or so. I must admit that I am not as faithful to it as I should be but I am working on it. This site is fantastic but I think that AA and some of the friendships that can be formed there are helpful too.
I am still struggling with the 12 steps but I think they are always a work in progress.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Unwasted, great job! You are only days behind me reaching 4 months. Thanks so much for all your support. We are doing this, isn't it fantastic?
Take care,
R4L

[Unwasted]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

Hi Allswell - welcome to the thread!

R4L - Thanks for that feedback about AA. The meeting I'm thinking of is also women only. I thought that might be a little less intimidating at first. I'm not sure why it should be intimidating but.........Anyway, I'm going to give it a whirl tomorrow unless I chicken out. From what I can gather so much depends on the actual group of people. I imagine meetings are as varied as the people. I hope I like it because I could sure stand to meet some non-drinkers who understand trying to live a non-drinking life! It's getting better for me, but I still have times I feel challenged - not craving so much as just trying to create a new life -- filling the void. I'm glad you have a group you like! Thanks again.

[Guitarista]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

Unwasted;1272700 wrote: I totally hear you about AA. It doesn't seem like me at all, but I'm just hesitant not to try to keep adding other things to my "arsenal" of AF tools. You know, I don't care about working the steps...although I know they would say it was a must...I would just like to have a person or two I could contact, have coffee with occasionally. We'll see - just thought it was worth a try.

Hi UW and MM's near and far!

These are my thoughts too. I go to the occassional AA meeting, and i find them very powerful. The face to face contact, and just being in one room with such a wide variety of people and their stories, i always find to be real, raw, inspiring, and humbling. The steps are there if people wish to try them, but for me at this point, i'm happy with the huge positive boost, and sense of gratitude i feel when i walk out of those rooms. I take what i believe i need (face to face contact with folk who understand), and leave the rest. I am finding occassional AA meetings at the moment to be a great addition to my AF tools.

Wishing everyone a safe, sober, happy and magical month.

G-bloke. :h

[allswell]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

Hello everyone, ML and UW please let us know how your meetings go. I've thought a lot about the positives of making contacts with a group of people who identify with what we're doing. Although the battle does seem to get easier with time, it's always a lonely fight. When the social circle revolves around alcohol and you no longer participate, you discover a lot of your "friends" don't really seem to care about you, just what you did for them.

[Unwasted]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

Good Morning Marchers,

Guitarista thanks so much for your post. That's exactly what I wanted to hear, and what I hope happens for me!

Allswell, it is a lonely fight. I know when I was drinking I couldn't imagine hanging out with people who didn't drink. Although, I only met an occasional person here and there. I wish I had known then what I know now. It's still strange to me........when that rare person said something to me about not drinking, I would look at them like they were nuts. I absolutely couldn't fathom not drinking as recently as a couple of years ago. Wow, how things can change! By the way, congrats on your running! I saw your post on another thread - I'm impressed. That's such an achievement Allswell. Way to go!

Well, day 110 for me today everyone.........feeling wonderful physically and am off for a five mile jog (it's not as impressive as it sounds cuz it's really as slow as a fast walk, but it works for me LOL). I'll post later about my meeting......it's this afternoon.

Have a great AF day everyone..........keep marching toward the good life free from the grips of alcohol!!. :lilheart:

[westiesrock]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

Hi March Motivators!
I'm fairly new here and would love to join. On Day 11 and feeling great! Depression and anxiety have for the most part lifted. Start at the gym next week. My life has expanded so much in the last week & a half, without the AL - I have no desire for it anymore (thank you Jason Vale!). None whatsoever....even the thought of modding doesn't appeal to me. Who would have thought!! Why did it take me a couple of decades to figure out?

[Unwasted]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

Hey Westiesrock - welcome to the thread. I don't know why it took me so long either, but this is way better! I guess the problem developed and once we figured out it was one, a few decades had gone by! Wish I had understood everything alcohol was doing to me, but oh well, better late than never. We'll look forward to knowing more about you! :lilheart:

[sunshinedaisies]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

Hey everyone - I am doing just fine - feeling tons better - maybe it was an AL thing with me feeling down - I am not sure but it is something that I need to look out for. anyway I am back to being my bouncy self thank goodness. Welcome to all the folk who have joined us in this thread - Ishy - lovely to see you here - how are you doing? I recognize a lot of the other names too - SL - good for you driving past those stores! Wine Wrangler - thank you for your thoughts too on how I was feeling.

UW - I looked at that James mercola site that you sent me - OMG there is SO much there! I am feeling loads better though so will just try not to get too ahead of myself - this is what happened last time I quit - and this time it didn't happen until 2 months in, but seems to have gone away - so I must just keep to my beliefs - that really helps - I know you understand :l

Snapdragon - thanks for the info regarding the fish oil caps - but I am a vegetarian - I used to take Flax seeds ground up, in my mucky drink every day so i might start doing that again too. Well done you for starting out with us. the first few days are not easy ones are they - but trust me - if I can do it, I believe anyone can!! Do you have a plan? that was SO important to me and made such a difference for me with quitting. I had everything all so set out and ready that by the time THE DAY came round I was READY!!! Hang here with us and post - no judging, just tons of support.

MYLife - thanks for the link to that post too - yes, I hadn't known there were times to be aware of - I guess mine came early as I am 2 months free right now. But I will be so aware of stuff like that now. How are you doing? day 16 - right? Awesome !!

Choice - are things going well with you too? Hopefully after your one slip, you have gotten things under control again. I so understand about your not wanting to have hubs know - when my hubs drank the other night, I almost felt it gave me permission to drink! But he said it was just the one time and is not going to drink any more again - however, I am sure that I smelled AL on him last night - but could be wrong. He works shifts and came to bed in the middle of the night when I was asleep - I could have imagined it. I am NOT going to drink and hopefully me not drinking will help him not to too.

Running - it seems that you are experiencing the flatness that I just had at 2 months - it seems to go along with having quit, from what I can gather. It is our getting used to not having AL in our lives and in our bodies - we just have to get through it. tough I know and a horrid feeling, but we can do it - right?

Blonde - nearly at your 14 day mark - go you - isn't it great? You must be feeling pretty chuffed right now! Keep at it - and keep popping in!!

Hi there G - glad that you are back - nice to see you... hope all is well.

Allswell - I have never been to an AA meeting - where I live the town is small and everyone knows that the cars parked 'there' are the AA cars!! LOL But it does help a lot of other people, so you might want to giove it a go if your circle of friends revolved around drinking.

ANYWAY - I know I haven't mentioned everyone and I am sorry - but must get going and do some other stuff! love and hugs to all, hang in there - we CAN do this - I know we can! Have a wonderful sober saturday,

sun X

[Unwasted]

MARCH MOTIVATORS

Hey Sun, I was hoping to hear from you -- sounds like you're back to a good place. I definitely think there are ups and downs that we just have to "go with" during all of this. We're making an enormous change in our lives, so I think moodiness is to be expected. I know that I still have a hard time during my witching hour - I just get really irritable. I hope it gets better for my husband's sake......I can be such a bitch and it just seems like he gets on my nerves big time recently. I know it's me, though, and I'm counting on getting better.......ugh......I understand your not wanting to make too many changes early on, but I just think you should be aware of the different meds and both sides of the issues....Anyway, glad you're doing well. :lilheart: