Anyone in the First Week of Their Unpteenth Quit?

[actiongirl46]

Happy Sunday! Thanks for all the ideas and support. Cowboy, I'd love to read that post too when you have time. I don't get logged out but I've never done a long post either. Cowboy, your post in Newbie's Nest about the pathways a few days ago was SO meaningful. Very timely for me as so far I haven't had a major tragedy but boy have I come close. Scary stuff.

I'm off to get some exercise with the dog and think about what I want to make for dinner for hubs and the boys. They should be home soon and life will seem more normal. This house can get too quiet!! Never thought I'd say that when they were little though, ha ha. Enjoy your day!

[MinStar]

Hello all! A quick catch up and trad whilst I'm treating myself to a pedicure. ��

I'm sorry to say I had wine over the weekend with my sister and hubby for anniversary. I did 4 days last week and felt great. All last week i have been planning a diet/exercise regime to start tomorrow. In my head I knew it means no more drinking and eating crap and so allowed myself the treat. I know it sounds like I'm kidding myself

7month post baby and in fed up of feeling horrible. I have stocked up with fresh fruits and veg- starting Pilates this week and starting a walking club with some fellow mums.

I seriously am ready for shedding the weight and having a healthier lifestyle.

I hope everyone is staying strong and safe.

Cowboy - yes to post. I'm off to read more whilst having my pedicure. ��

[abcowboy]

I thought I would post a long and boring explanation of what I think about AA in general. But anyways, as I posted in the thread earlier, all meetings have different flavors, which means that there's something for everyone. Sure, I actually know folks that believe Bill Wilson to be a prophet of sorts and the big-book divinely inspired (I'm not kidding), and then there are those that take a more rational approach.. and then there is everything in between. The basic rule of thumb when dealing with AA is to do what works for you. You’re not in it for Bill, Joe, or Sally (though you should help them if they need it), remember that your there for yourself. However it's very important that you stick around the meetings for a while and gain an understanding of the program before you start picking and choosing what is or is not good for you...gotta give it a chance first and understand how it functions. That said, let’s take a quick look at the steps. Here's a very brief and perhaps over-simplistic explanation for my non-theist friends. There's a ton of stuff that could be wrote about this and perhaps I'll do so at another time, but for now I just wanted to give a quick word on the practical nature of the steps, as I understand them.

1. Coming to believe that I was a powerless and my life was unmanageable means that my way wasn’t working and my life had went to hell as a result of my drinking. During active addiction I was a slave to the booze. So, in a sense, I was powerless (not totally but to a certain degree)
2. Came to believe that a power greater than myself could restore me to sanity means that there is hope for recovery if I am willing to try something new...It's not hopeless and I'm gonna need some help with this thing...from another power (AA, God, etc.)
3. Turned our will and life over to the care of God means for me that I'm letting go of my old ways of thinking and behavior and substituting it with something new. Instead of trying to impose my twisted will upon the world, I seek harmony with it. I let go. "My best thinking got me here", as the saying goes, so now I'm giving the AA way a try. I'm taking suggestions and doing stuff that I may not like in order to stay sober. So I have, in effect, turned my will and life over to something else...Call it "Good Orderly Direction...and this isn’t that hard because formerly my will and life was under the control of AL.
4. Making a fearless moral inventory means that I took an honest look at my life and how I had managed to screw it up. I'm not just looking at the crummy things that I've done in my life--I'm also looking at the thinking behind it all.
5. Okay, so now I confess and discuss this stuff to my sponsor (my sponsor was the group). Confessing this stuff was a wonderful relief (very therapeutic) and the feed-back was beneficial.
6 & 7. After taking a good look at myself, I acknowledge my shortcomings and make an effort to let them go. I'm attempting to create a better life for myself so I gotta stop being an ass-hole...gotta give up those old alcoholic ways as they don't fit anymore .
8 & 9. Now I make a list of all the people that I've screwed over during my drinking days and make amends. I'm embarking on a new journey and want to do so with a clear conscious. I'm letting people know, "Hey, I'm sorry for what I've done and I'm taking actions to correct it". Here I am setting my life back in order. I'm making apologies, paying people back, being responsible. Very important.
10. Every day I take my inventory. I look at my behavior and thinking and promptly admit and correct any wrongs that I may have committed.
11. This is the "prayer and meditation" step. I'm a Catholic and I pray daily now. But if you don’t pray, then spend some time meditating. This is another option for the religious or non-religious alike as numerous studies have confirmed the positive benefits of meditation. Prayer and/or meditation also leads to some cool insights and possibly to a total transformation of your life! It's my way of just being with what is and accepting it. Very helpful. Prayer and/or meditation is a perfect aide to recovery as it's a great way to deal with stress, anger issues, and other thoughts and emotions...leads to a greater sense of peace, among many other things.
12. With step 12, I continue to practice the principals of AA and work to help others as I have been helped..which, by the way, is a reward in and of itself. Not only does helping other suffering drunks make ya feel all fuzzy inside, but it also it helps you stay sober as this keeps you in contact with other folks who are struggling as you once were---it serves as reminder. And it gives you something to do.

With that said, let’s take a look at the meeting: It's a support group. These are folks who know how to stay sober and upon whom you can rely if you find yourself needing someone to talk to. This is where you can go to vent your issues and receive positive feedback. Also, the meetings provide a large group of sober people to socialize with--where else are ya gonna find this many sober people? And yeah they talk about the same things over and over however this too serves a purpose because we as alcoholics need to hear this stuff over and over as it is very easy for us to forget and fall.

As for the slogans, yeah they're corny but I'm not there to be cool. No, I'm there to help myself stay sober and, believe it or not, some of the slogans actually help. And while I may not agree with everything about it, I'm not there to critique the program. No, I'm there seeking experience, strength, and hope. So I focus on getting what I need and I leave the rest. And as for the people there, some are morons, some are okay, however we are instructed to put principles before personalities. I'm not there to judge anyone, and it just may be that one of the morons says something in a meeting that saves my life. There have been numerous occasions where I went to a meeting feeling like hell and left feeling much better because I heard exactly what I needed to hear. So, anyways, for the AA wonderers out there, I can feel your pain. I too dislike certain aspects of it but, hey, nothing's perfect---including AA. OF course some of the criticism aimed at AA is valid, but I think that the positive greatly outweighs the negative. Just my view

[actiongirl46]

Ginger999 - GREAT JOB on an AF fishing weekend! I hope you feel proud of taking care of yourself. That is awesome!

Pauly - I really hope you are feeling better today . . . lots of nasty stuff going around and being sick is no fun. At least you are not hungover as well!! Hang in there.

Cowboy- Thanks for the tutorial on AA, lots of stuff I didn't know and its nice to get such a balanced perspective. Yep, nothing is perfect but sometimes things are good enough and that's just fine.

Mini - I'll join you on your health kick. I'll try to get my 10,000 steps EVERY day this week. I'll start with that. Are we on?? :happy2:

Boys and hubby are finally home and everyone is exhausted. Apparently sleeping in tents and mountain biking for two days will wear out even the most energetic teenagers. Especially their dad! I'm making chicken stir fry and going to get everyone (including myself) to bed early. Have a good night!

[open halo]

Thanks for the post about AA cowboy, just reading through the steps made me realize once again how much AL controlled my life. It' s important to have these reminders, as it seems that the "voice" will say , "I have a good enough AF time under my belt, maybe a couple of drinks now and again won't be a problem." Reading such wonderful posts here keeps the voice at bay for me, thank goodness. I am not attending AA meetings, due to time/childcare, however I believe receiving additional tools to help must be a positive thing. Hope everyone is having a great AF weekend.

Wishing you a wonderful week Minstar, you can do this!!!

[BeachGirly]

Whoot whoot Liz ! Congrats!
You have come so far - I bet you fell fantastic

[Ginger999]

Liz, great job on one month! I just love all of you guys so much. Just had to tell you that. I miss Chief and SS. I see posts for both on FB but it's not the same as seeing them here. Hope they come back and join us soon.

ABC, we are back from our fishing trip. Well, hiking trip for the girls and dogs but the reason we go is for fishing. I posted some pics on FB. Wish you had an account and could check them out! Good luck with Chrome. Let me know if it works better for you.

It's back to reality for me. Off to take care of Mom and take her to a doc appt. Then hubby has his shoulder surgery tomorrow and things will really get interesting for me. All the household stuff will fall to me. We've always split things down the middle so I'm about to get busy. LOL No time for drinking thoughts!!

Hope everyone got through the weekend safe and sound. If you slipped, that's okay, just climb back on that wagon and stay close!! If you want it, you will get it!!

[actiongirl46]

Good soggy Monday morning here! These are the days I am happy that I work from home.

I got my 10,000 yesterday MinS but will have to work extra hard today. And probably get a little wet ha ha but that's ok.

Congrat's Liz!! That is truly impressive. Have a great productive AF day all and I'll check in later.

[Lizann]

Yes soggy indeed. At work winding up my day. My coworker willbe back tomorrow so back to regular schedule regular hours:happy2:. Dinner at my girlfriends tonight. Just the girls. Looking forward to it. Don't worry guys, no al at her house. Check in later, if it's not too late, but likely it will be

[Lizann]

Thank you cowboy! Baby steps!

[MinStar]

Hello all! Hope everyone is doing well.

Congrats Lizann - 1 month is amazing. Any tips?

Open Halo- thanks for the week wishes- made me smile and I feel the energy. Thank you.

Action girl- good in you! 10,000 a day is brill!

Cowboy- you sound very productive. My weekend is shameful compared to yours. Lol

I'm doing well today- no thoughts of AL at all this evening. Been on the first day of my diet. Have told myself if I need I can jump out and have something cheeky to eat as long as it isn't drinking.

Both D1 AF and D1 of detox diet. Done! I'm off to read and then bed- won't lie and say I'm not hungry but thinking about the diet rather than Al has kept my mind occupied. I'm more worried about what I can make to eat ��

Beachy G, Ginger - you guys ok?

[Lizann]

MinStar, wish I did have some tips for you. Just don't drink. My son is ever vigilent and knows if I've even had a bit of al. So I guess that's my tip. I don't want to disappoint him anymore than I already have. Off to my girl friends for a fun girls night.

[abcowboy]

Hi everyone! Quick check-in before the hockey game starts, crazy this time of year, hockey every night from 5 - 11, I don't watch them all, pick one game and watch till 9, then check the scores in the morning lol

Our eldest daughter texted, she's back in Vancouver from her European work tour. I think she did 4 sessions in 3 countries over the last 15 days, but she's safely home and all excited for our visit at the end of the month! The last time we were in Vancouver, 3 years ago, we did an American beer tasting event with wood cooked pizza close to their cabin in Washington. No beer on this trip's itinerary!

Have a great evening everyone, it's game time!!

[actiongirl46]

Good evening! Well, MinS I was able to get my 10,000 in again today. Woot woot!! It involved two VERY wet dog walks but I made it. And so did the dog.

Cowboy, I think I need to sign up for a European work tour! Sounds like a blast! I'm glad she is back safe and sound.

Lizann have fun with the girls. So glad it is a supportive environment. I love my girlfriends but many of them really like to drink AL so I need to think about how to handle that . . . I'm sure it is just an honest conversation as they are really good people but I haven't gotten to that step yet. Hmm, lots of work to do!

G999 - I hope hubby's surgery goes well. That is never fun. Hang in there!

Take care everyone and have a great night - AG

[BeachGirly]

Hey Ginger - thoughts for you and hubby tomorrow. Man...it has to slow down for you soon.

Good to see all of you posting.
AC and Min - I love your 10,000 step challenge. How are you tracking? Do you have a fitbit? I was doing that pretty regularly but the last few weeks have been a bit hectic, and my butt has been parked in front of the computer. I have now graduated (yipee). I do have a second job now also. I am hoping to find a nice rhythm and not over work myself. One thing being busy - another feeling so behind all the time.

I have tomorrow afternoon off..so hope to catch up a bit.

Min - what type of detox diet are you doing?
I am starting Dr Hymans again next week. It is really more about a lifestyle change, so I am trying to incorporate more features into it then last time. Journalling, detox bath, exercise etc. I did great with the clean eating but want to do better at other parts.

Hey Cowboy - thanks for keeping track of us all.
Liz - I hope you have a wonderful evening with the girls - relaxing and giggling.

Pauly, OH, Chief, Mama, Piper - I will read back and get caught up on your posts. Hope all are well.

So good to know I can come here and be with you all - even when life is stinking busy.
I did get some good advice from my teacher today (she must know my personality) - she told me to be careful not to take on too much at once - Hmmm???