No way November

[free at last]

No way November

Hi all, just checking in to report a great, AF day for me -- mostly airplanes, airports, taxis, but am now settled into my hotel and ready to start a full day tomorrow.

[free at last]

No way November

MarcPierre,
Great to have you join us. Welcome.

[Quakegirl]

No way November

Hi Nora, Free, Tom (wherever you are..,), MarcPierre and all.
Thanks for keeping the thread going, Free, it was awesome to come back here and find it still chugging along. And good to see you are back in track.
I haven't been posting, because is haven't been alcohol free (entirely) - but I haven't been drinking anywhere near the way I was, either, and I don't know what to make of it. I've had a glass here and there, maybe 2 - 3 times a week. I don't particularly like it...not even sure why I do it. My whole relationship to alcohol seems to have changed,
Not drinking is no longer a struggle...I can take it or leave it (for real), and find myself pushing the glass away after one. More often than not, I'll take a sip, and just not want it. I've tipped wine down the sink, given it to my husband...even just walked away and left it behind. It's like I've lost my taste for it, or something. I don't know what to make of it. I don't feel like I am out of the woods forever, by any means. But right at this minute, it's like I have a really different relay house to alcohol. So I am still No Way-ing...in a way...I am not drinking the way I was. Every day. Til I got the buzz, and beyond. To cope, to relieve boredom, to escape, to be fun. I am just sort of trying it here and there and going 'nope, still not doing it for me'. Anyone else been here? It's actually quite perplexing.

[free at last]

No way November

Hi Quake,
Afraid I haven't had that experience. If I have a glass, I definitely want more. I'd be curious to hear of others who have a similar experience to yours. You definitely sound like you are in a better place than several weeks ago.

Alls well with me. Nothing new, work-related travel, trying to get some kind of healthy diet, exercise routine going. Looking forward to the Christmas holiday. Funny, thoughts of drinking during the holidays don't enter my head. The bigger issue for me is being alone in a hotel on a Fri, Sat night with no major responsibilities the following day. That's when I have to stay focused on remaining AF.

[free at last]

No way November

Hey all, checking in to say AF and feeling good. Where is everyone?

[NoraC]

No way November

Hey everyone......I'm still here too. November has been an AF month for me (and will continue to be so since I have been taking AB). Glad to see everyone doing well. :goodjob:

[Quakegirl]

No way November

I'm here! Really sick. Have to travel tomorrow, anyway. Past couple of years I used to just push through and drink anyway, no matter how unwell I was. But this time...not going near it. Feel very happy that I am easily able to make that decision, and give my body it's best shot at getting better, faster. Free, I have have been thinking of you and your fri/sat night alone in a hotel dilemma (that was me fri last week, too). I will switch to regular laptop and post again..this pecking away at my iphone business is getting old, fast.

[Quakegirl]

No way November

OK, back again.

Free, I have been reading a great book called Hardwiring Happiness. It's written by a neuroscientist of some kind, about how we can basically reshape our brains towards being more peaceful and more likely to attach to 'happy' thoughts than negative ones...the whole thing sort of focuses around deliberately seeking out positive experiences that take care of whatever need is driving negative mood/feelings, and then really taking them in and relishing them so they stick with you.

Anyway. When I checked into the hotel last Friday night I was tired and cranky and lonely ,and I honestly did think how fun it would be just to get oblivious for 24 Hours.

I drank one, really big glass of wine, fast. It was in an ice bucket in my room when I walked in - along with the fruit and sparkling water that's always there at that hotel when I check in. I had forgotten to cancel it.

But then I thought - what am I doing? Am I really going to drink this whole bottle, crash into bed, and wake up tomorrow feeling crappy and hating myself, unable to enjoy the beautiful pool on the forecast sunny day, beating myself up for caving in and just going straight back to square one?

Instead, I ended up taking myself downstairs for a really nice dinner (without wine), then going up to the pool for a swim, sitting in the spa, then the steam room, and going to sleep early...relaxed, calm and peaceful. I decided to use the 24 hours I had at the hotel constructively, to rewire my brain, just like the book said. I figured every evening I invest like this, takes me another few steps closer to finding better ways to calm myself down or have fun or relax or whatever than drinking. And I thought of you when I read what you said about being stuck in a hotel, with no commitments the next day...and wondered if you could try that. Using the time to really take care of yourself, and just recharge and do things for YOU.

I left the rest of the bottle there for the next 24 hours...in the ice bucket. Funnily enough, I wasn't tempted again. It didn't bother me. I was on a mission of a different sort. And it worked

[free at last]

No way November

Quake,
How thoughtful of you to write -- thank you. I will add this book to my list to order for when I am back in the states. Am also so glad that you found the complimentary wine no longer a temptation. I think we must have mirror situations. I arrived today from travel to a room with the complimentary wine. I had requested it not be there, but it was anyway. It's here in the room and I will just just leave it and hope that when I say no wine, the staff will understand I mean it.

Going to pack my suitcase that stays (here in West Africa) and my carryon bag and then hit the pool and my evening massage. Now that is creating happiness.

Thanks for writing. Appreciate the support from this long slog on the road.