Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

[Janice]

Well the first day of the month for a new goal!!!!! If there's anyone lurking out there, please do come and say hello on our thread, hopefully we can keep this going through August - I know I need it!!

It was my lifeline in May when I achieved my 42AF days - all you guys kept me going - then events took place that I couldn't control and I started drinking again - though thats no excuse, I just wasn't strong enough. But, enough of that - keeping positive is the key and thats what we have to do. So, come and say hello, share your day and how you're getting on!!! It might not be Day 1 for you, it doesn't matter what stage you're at, just come and say hello.

I have to keep it short as I need to ring the Drs. I think I've got a UTI - another thing thats shocked me into this. If I go, if my Doctors on duty, I'm going to have a talk to him about my drinking too. Anyway, have a good day, talk later.......Janicexxx

[uda]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

Hi everyone, have not been here - too much going on and ashamed about bloody drinking too....I would love to set af goal again but cannot see it atm. Well can see it but can't get there because (agree Janice - no excuse!).

I think I wish more than anything that I had been taught how to deal with emotions when I was young (rather than being told they were unnatural) - it's so hard to learn about that in later life and I would appear to be a pretty crap student.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Uli

[roxane]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

its time i joined another thread like this. im more of a newbie than my join date suggests as i lurked for about a year before posting!

Janice and uda, ive seen you around the boards, hell weve probably spoken to each other.

things for me have been up and down. i tried to abstain but didnt do very well, but i have cut down alot. i need to cut down more/quit.

lets hope August can be a good month for us all!

roxane

[Janice]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

Uda and Roxanne, hi to you both!! You know, I think your mind has got to be right to take this total AF thing on. I know mine hasn't been over the last few weeks. Losing Dad has knocked me for six and I just saw it as a good reason for me to drink. Yesterday I got up feeling different - health issues always "scare" me into doing something. I think "what am I doing to myself" and I know if I carry on I'll end up like mam.

But I know I have to almost have a plan, get it right in my head each morning, what I'm gonna do, the vits/supps, exercise, eat properly etc. If I get up and eat a healthy proper breakfast and have my vitamins I know I'll have a good day and I'm likely to stay AF. At the moment thats how I feel whereas last week when I tried joining the other 30 day thread on monthly abstainers, I knew my heart wasn't in it. You've got to be ready.

I also know after my family history of drinking with mam, and what my dad went through over recent years with her - he had to move out when he was 84 2 years ago cause things got so impossible - I know he would be up there worried sick about me. So, I doing this for you Dad. I'm not going to end up like mam.

In May yes I was strong, did the 42 AF days and DGirl you remind of how I felt at that time - it was hard but I coped and managed each day with a real positive attitude. Getting to day 30 was the turning point. I got complacent. At that point I think you say to yourself "what next, whats my next goal??" and I thought "oh I'm okay at this, I can drink now normally" and it did start normally but then the obvious happens. Between middle of June and Sunday just gone I have had very few AF days, one or two.

So, decide what you want to do - Roxane be positive, cutting down is a lot better than what you were doing. Uda, my emotions are all over at the moment, but you know coming on here and sharing your emotions with all these lovely people really does help.

Well I rang the Drs. but my lovely Dr is away for 3 weeks so I'm gonna see how I go today then I might have to go and get antibiotics off one of the others - thats a shame cause I was so ready to go and have a good chat about this whole thing. Anyway enough of me blabbing, have a good day. Janicexx

[roxane]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

Janice, perhaps your doctor being away is a blessing in disguise. if you were going to tell her to get it off your chest., think twice.
i spoke to my doctor a while back and it has bitten me on the bum. i dont want to put you off talking to someone, but think about whether it would affect anything in the future to have it on record. they are supposedly confidential but thats a laugh. thats my experience anyway.

roxane

[paula]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

Hi everyone, mind if I join you?. I've been having a bad time recently, I slipped badly on monday. I agree with Roxane re. the doctor, it's good to confide but it does go on record.
I know because I'm working in a psychiatric unit and reading patient notes I often come
across " had a drink problem," it could have been years ago but it's on record and always
brought up in interviews. My husband told me I should get help from my gp. but I could not bear the thoughts of seeing the computer on doctors desk reminding me of my problem, and being asked are you still drinking? I also know one of the receptionists
and would not be happy for her to see my records.
Paula.

[garden girl]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

Hi everyone, a special hello to janice and roxanne, we posted together quite a bit through may and june but it looks like july has been a bad month for everyone. I stopped posting because everyone seemed to be doing so well and I just coudnt string more than 3 days af together and then when i DRANK i GOT DRUNK VERY QUICK BECAUSE i WAS SO FED UP OF FAILING TIME AFTER TIME. iT JUST KNOCKS ALL THE CONFIDENCE OUT OF YOU . i AM SICK OF BEING WHERE i AM THIS MORNING WITH A HANGOVER, ANXIETY, PANIC AND GUILT SAYING SORRY YET AGAiN TO MY GIRLS FOR GIVING IN TO THE WINE WHEN i PROMISED THEM i WOULDNT.Well surely everyone has to have a turning point some where so I am making August and this thread mine. I will stay positive and Janice what you achieved before was great you can do it again and I hope it rubs off on me. My Dad died of cancer nearly 5 years ago and that is when I really started using alcohol to numb the pain, I know how you feel but you seem alot stronger than I was , lets help each other along. So everyone on this thread already and all the ones to come, lets post on here everyday whatever we have achieved and maybe August will be a good month for everyone. The other thing is that I got a job in a school which I am supposed to start in Septemeber and I will not take it unless I have cracked this problem, My youngest daughter also starts secondary school and she will need my support and I have promised that I will be there for her. I WILL NOT FAIL. I think its about time I downloaded the book, took some vits and got a plan insteasd of just wandering about aimlessly. Good luck everyone check in late. Janice will you start us off everyday?

[Doggygirl]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

Hi everyone. Here's to the new month - may it be a month of progress for all of us!

Janice thank you for the warning about the 30 day mark. I will take you advice and be ready with the next goal. One benefit (the ONLY one LOL) to my smoking history is that I learned the hard way not to fall for "now we can have just one..." after going without for awhile. That didn't work with cigarettes, and for me personally, I know it won't work for booze. Thanks for the heads up so I can prepare.

I also understand what you mean about the time being right. I know the MWO program is working and taking the edge off of this big time. But I too spent YEARS on the treadmill of "this has to stop..." "I won't drink today...." "well, I'll start not drinking tomorrow..." repeat. It does make it easier to totally be ready mentally.

Best wishes to all for a great day - whatever your goals may be. And Janice thanks for a wonderful start to this thread for the new month!!

DG
Day 22 AF

[Janice]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

Hi Paula and Garden Girl - I've been wondering about you and how you were doing! Paula I think I replied to you on a different thread about your slip. Just get yourself back in the right frame of mind, you need to, to be able to cope with the worry you have at the moment. Keep checking in here Paula.


I must admit its quite comforting to be back on newbies - like you Garden Girl, over the last few weeks I've been logging on every day and it came to a point where I felt I couldn't post on any forum, that I just didn't belong cause I wasn't in control of my drinking. Everyone seemed to be doing so well clocking up AF days, not that that should bother me but I couldn't understand why I just couldn't get started. I suppose I just didn't want to.
Garden Girl, I work in a school too and I found it made such a difference in May when I hadn't been drinking. You owe it to your girls to get this thing sorted, but most of all, you owe it to yourself.

I am more than happy to start this thread off each day - we need to support each other and just get a few days AF to build on then the motivation and enthusiasm takes over. But you definitely need to download the book and get the vits - if nothing else get the L-Glut and kudzo (you can get these from Holland & Barrett (l-glut is on offer at the moment). You're in the UK aren't you?? I'm also back on vitamin c and milk thistle to help the liver recover. If you can, get the hypno cds - they took about 10 days to come from the states and are expensive but are well worth it. You're right about "a plan". I know last time, in the early days, I started a journal each day, "Today I am not going to drink....." I wrote down what exercise I was going to do, or my plan for the day eg. gardening, shopping, and something for the "witching hour". That definitely helped. So, start of the month, start of the new us, anyone else going to join us. Day 2 for me and I feel good!!!!!!!!! Janicexx

[Janice]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

Must have just missed you, morning DoggyGirl - good to hear from you. Janicexxx

[cassy]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

just a quick message to paula i too work in a Gp practice and yes you are right labels stick!!!Of course so many health professionals within the surgery also have access to medical records.

many people wont go to their GP for that reason HOWEVER they are the gatekeepers to so many services.

same with going to local AA groups..wouldnt it be awful if you saw somebody you knew???????

for me this anonymous site works better.

Regards cassy

[garden girl]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

Janice its great to see you sounding so positive, maybe its been all this rain we've been having thats made us so unmotivated:H and now the sun is out its raised our spirits. Thanks for the advice about the vits I will definately get to holland and barrats this week. Strange that you work in a school as well we sound alike also with us both losing our dads. Are you a TA like me?. I felt so lost this last few weeks and just like you coundnt find a thread that I felt comfortable with I am sure this thread will motivate everyone, I think its nice to see old familar faces as well as new ones. Does anyone know how bluesky is? Day one af for me but feel hung over. My hubby says that I have to change my mindset and believe I can get further than 3 days af. He thinks I keep failing because I kind of talk myself into believing I will fail on day 3, so I am now aiming for day 4 and beyond. How the hell do we get ourselves into this state its like a nightmare slowly creeping up on you without you realising it and then wham you have a drinking problem. I wish they made patches for us lot like they do for people giving up smoking, maybe I could invent something LOL. See you later xxxx

[Janice]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

I've often thought of that Garden Girl - if you're overweight, smoke, there is so much more help out there, and you can go to Boots and get something to take the edge off. There's a stigma attached to the word 'Alcoholic' isn't there - it just sums up the image of someone on a street corner with a bottle of meths. Thats why this site is soooo good for people like us. The L-Glut and the kudzo do help the cravings so get them quick. I don't think they are as good as the ones you get from MWO but they have helped me. Hopefully you live near a H & B. Yeh, I'm a TA, working one-to-one with a little girl who has severe special needs, just 9 till 12 lunchtime. She makes me realise whats important in life and how lucky I am. My daughter's off to uni in September once she's got her results and my son is going back for his 4th year - he's been living at home this year as he's been on placement in London - so the Autumn will see me with a very empty nest for the first time. Another reason to stop drinking now, otherwise I dread to think..... I haven't heard from Bluesky although we did pm each other when she was using the site. I hope she's okay healthwise, she was having an op. Does your husband drink??? Mine does but he's sooo in control - he loves his wine just like me and his witching hour on a weekend is 5-6ish then he's happy to stop after 2 or 3 glasses!!! He doesn't drink weekdays!! Last time he carried on drinking although he said he would support me, but I didn't think that was fair, the problems mine not his. I do find that hard though but the diet coke will have to do now!! Anyway, lovely to speak to you - make that our goal for now Day4 - short goals might help, lets see how it develops!!! See you later, Janicexx

[AJAH]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

Happy middle of the week to everyone. I can't believe it is August 1 already. Where is the time going? Our kids start school in 21 days! So good to see such positive thoughts as everyone embarks on another school year and mentally preparing for what is ahead not just for the children but for the adults. The hot and humid weather has been a stumbling block for me as it prohibits me from doing much outside keeping me locked in the inside in the cooler air which isn't good for morale or cravings! I'm trying to keep focused on exercise in the a.m. to pull me through this remainder of this hot week!

[retteacher]

Newbies in Need - 1st day of the month!

Hi Everyone:

This thread has really picked up...I'm glad. I'm doing well, even though the inner drinking demon showed up w/a long b.s. session yesterday. I just got onto Gen. Discussion & shared & asked for help (& got it). What a gift! I love that this is the first day of the month. I'm heading for 30 days on Aug. 9th. That feels great! Keep coming everyone. Love you all, Mary