Tool box

[Lizann]

Thank you all for your powerful words. I don't usually come over to these parts, but I think it's worth my while.

[TJAF]

[QUOTE] reposted from the Newbies nest

Lifechange I enjoyed your post. It was heartfelt and honest. You are absolutely on the mark about how easy it is to imagine having an occasional drink. To be normal when it comes to alcohol. The reality though is far more complicated. For folks like us, one drink is never enough, and the ease in which we can fall back to the old habits is very real. I look at it everyday in a very straightforward way. There is no scenario where I can simply have a drink. I made up my mind a long time ago to push that thought to the side. I know without any doubt that one drink will lead to many. I don't question that in the least. Keep up that honest line of self questioning and honor what you know to be the truest thing in your life. There is no such thing as one drink to an alcoholic.

[NoSugar]

I just read this blog post in which a woman who was 2 years AF was writing to her Newbie Self. I think she nails it!

Day 730: Two Years Today

PUBLISHED ON July 4, 2015
Written on day 730 but not posted till day 740 cause, well, a girl gets busy.
I put aside the classy, glamorous, life-and-ambition-and-joy-sucking white wine two years ago today. Crazy, right? I don’t spend nearly as much time thinking about my drinking days as I used to, but with this date approaching I have been thinking of what those early days of sobriety were like–all that I didn’t, couldn’t know because I’d never been there before. If Today Me could have given Sober Newbie Me a glimpse into the future, here are some of the things I would have told myself:

• You think right now that being sober is a condition you’ll learn to tolerate–that you’ll make your peace with it as a safer but also somehow lesser way to live. But you’re going to end up loving it. Seriously. It will turn out that clarity is your ideal and happiest state of mind.
• You will be a distance runner who has completed two half-marathons. (No, I’m not fucking with you, even though that’s kind of fun.) Unfortunately, you’ll still have a tendency to overdo things and override your own signals, and you’ll run those two half-marathons in the space of, uh, three weeks and get IT band syndrome and have to go to physical therapy. ‘Moderate’ is just not how you’re wired, babe. But at least you can see this now, and you’re getting smarter about working with your own innate qualities rather than against them.
• Your lifelong issues with depression and anxiety will be reduced by, what, 50%? It’s hard to measure. But the difference will be dramatic. You know how they say alcohol is a depressant? Turns out that’s not just a figure of speech. It’s, like, science. Who knew? Well, scientists and doctors knew. And now you do, too.
• You will choose your work carefully and thoughtfully, because you will have learned that the environment you spend your days in needs to be one that works for you as much as you work for it. You’ll spend less time thinking about which boxes you need to check to climb the ladder and more time considering what you actually like to do and are great at. Not exactly rocket science, but still, it’ll be new to you. And it will serve you well.
• You’ll still be hyper-aware of how booze-soaked the world seems to be. People line up to buy cocktails at the fancy movie theater at 2 p.m. Anyone posting on Facebook about a bad day will be advised to drink wine ASAP. Even running events will brag in their marketing materials about ‘wine gardens’ and margaritas, because what better way to end a 13-mile race than with mid-morning tequila? And greeting cards aimed at women–don’t even get yourself started on that topic. You were never someone who personally enjoyed daylight drinking, but it didn’t seem strange to you that others might. Now you will sometimes look around a sunny plane or restaurant and think how much it’s going to suck for people to be dehydrated and sluggish by mid-afternoon.
• Per the above–you’ll still be on the judge-y side. You didn’t want to become one of those people who thinks everyone who drinks alcohol is an alcoholic, and mostly you haven’t become that person, but you will sometimes dwell on how much time and effort people put into absenting themselves from their own lives. Argh, see that? Judge-y again, and smug to boot. Just because you’re sober doesn’t mean you don’t still suck sometimes.
• You’ll also be shocked, shocked to realize that lots and lots of other people don’t drink, or only drink a little. They were there all along, but you never noticed them because you were off being all ring-a-ding-ding with the party people like a total fucking Holly Golightly jackass. Now? At parties, now you will make a beeline for the light drinkers and sober people because they are the only people guaranteed not to ask you the same question three times in a row.
• You’ll be a little lonely sometimes. All your old forms of socializing tended to involve drinks, because that’s how your corner of the world operates. You’ll still be figuring out other ways to see people, to make friends, to feel like part of your old group. It’s not easy, though. You’re an introvert, and on top of that you did some natural isolating when you first got sober. Now you’re slowly digging out. But you may never dig out completely, because being a little dug in is your happy place.
• Sober vacations are AMAZING. They basically contain twice as much time as drinking vacations.
• Your husband will quit drinking too, and given your long and illustrious (and yes, often glamorous, often lots of fun) history of drinking together across decades and countries and continents, sometimes the two of you will be like ‘Who ARE we?’ and laugh. You’ve been lucky to do so much evolving in parallel over the years.
• When you see a police car behind you, you’ll almost wish you’d get pulled over because if the cop is like ‘Ma’am, have you been drinking?’ you’ll be able to respond smugly and self-righteously, which come to think of it probably will not work out well for you at all. Never mind.
• You will have bad days. Some fairly unpleasant things will happen. You know what your reflexive reaction will be? No, not ‘I wish I could drink.’ You’ll find yourself thinking ‘Thank God I’m sober.’ That’s right–when faced with pain, you’ll be glad to be facing it head on. Because being sober means you can be smart and thoughtful about making a bad situation better.
• You’ll know that thoughts aren’t the same thing as reality, and that thoughts change and pass if you give them a chance.
• When you read op-eds about how the internet is making us more isolated and less civil, you’ll smile because you know the internet is also where people who are getting sober, or who just want to get sober, connect in generous and rich and beautiful ways. The internet sort of saved your life.
• None of your fears about sober life will have come true. Not a single one.
• You’ll no longer think of yourself as damaged or broken. Because you’ll know now that you never were damaged or broken. No matter what anyone else told you. And no matter what you told yourself. You just needed to get alcohol out of your life to be able to see that.
• Best for last: you’ll be writing again. A lot. And it’s fun in a way it never was before, back when you were a wunderkind. It’s also really hard, and kind of boring sometimes, and scary in any number of ways. But you keep showing up and doing the work. And you know what else? The work is still good. Really good, actually. This, above all else, will be the miracle of your sobriety. The thing you never expected to have again.

That’s what I would tell my Sober Newbie self. And to you out there, who may be struggling or wondering if it’s worth it: I don’t know exactly what your own list will look like at two years or six months or one month. But I can promise you that you will have one, and that the good stuff on it will far outweigh the bad. Look, you’ve upended a LOT about your life–don’t underestimate that. Don’t forget to give yourself credit for it. In very early sobriety, you’re a badass for just staying sober. Other doors and windows will start to open over time, once you’ve had the time and space to start figuring out what you want to do with this life you’ve reclaimed for yourself. But it takes a while–even at two years I suspect I’m just cracking the surface. So for now, just keep doing whatever you have to do to stay sober, knowing you have such good things ahead of you. And someday, when you write your own list to Sober Newbie You, send me a link. Because I will want to read it.

Day 73: Two Years Today – Off-Dry

[tonyniceday]

Tool Box - 100 days

Originally Posted in Newbies Nest on 21st Sept 2016

Hi Nest,

Thanks for all the good wishes today... Byrdie asked for a speech here and on the roll call... I don't really know what to say except that I have been going round in a state of slight bemusement today that I, Tony the drunk, the guy who got into an incessant series of embarrassing messes over a large number of years has actually got to 100 AF days...

How? Well I haven't got here alone. That would have been impossible. I've mentioned before all the people who have been part of it but one of the biggest parts has been right here. It is so true that coming here and even just typing a post has been enough sometimes to get me over an issue or a trigger and sometimes I've not even posted what I've written... but mostly when I've asked something or shared something on here it has been constantly amazing to find that someone else has had the same experience and is able to give the guidance through a tough day or situation.

What has worked? For me it really has been the odaat and checking in, and not wanting to ever have to go back to the nightmare of day 1. I did that a few times (a lot of times) before I found MWO.

Moving forward from here the next mid term goal is December 14th which will be 6 calendar months. I'll do that one day at a time again!

It's been good to see other newbies joining along the way and equally sad to see some fall away. I only hope we either see them back or they have found their own way to be AF elsewhere.

Thank you to all of you who have become such an important part of my sobriety. It is so good to know you are all there. Special thanks for all the wisdom and support from the "long timers". I was going to do a list of special thanks but I'm not going to because I don't want to miss someone out!

I'm still on that bloody tightrope... but onwards and upwards and for now, as they say on another thread, I'll just take another 24!

Tony

[NoSugar]

Thanks, Pie.

This was originally posted in the Newbies Nest:

It is easy after 1 week, 100 days, or 1000 days to think we are different than all the other people here in that we will be able to manage to drink "normally".

I had that thought just this weekend. I was at a wedding in the woods several hours away from home. It was a lovely, festive event and it occurred to me that I could drink as long as I restricted it to far-way weddings in the woods. How often is that going to come up? Add to that, I never over-drank in front of witnesses so what would possibly be the harm in having the glass of champagne that was thrust into my hand or the mixed drink that was the special favorite of the new couple???

There might be no harm. One night of having a drink or 2 might not set off the insatiable daily cravings. Who knows?

But, now that I can make my choices using the rational part of my brain that makes us human, I have no reason to make that choice. It would be stupid and illogical. It would be to take a totally unnecessary risk with one of the most awful risk/benefit ratios imaginable! What would I gain from having a drink or two?

I know I didn't drink addictively to share in a celebratory toast or to get a glimpse of a happy couple's taste in alcoholic beverages. I'm not much of one for rituals, I don't care what other people do or don't like to drink, and I only liked red wine. I didn't even drink to feel high. I drank to check out. If I had done that at the wedding, I would have missed the amazing food and fun dancing. I might not have remembered the evening. I might have tripped over the uneven ground in the darkness or fallen into the lake. As I walked with my husband down to the pier to look at the lake and the stars in the almost totally dark forest, those practical concerns actually occurred to me and I had a moment of gratitude that I don't drink. I was grateful again when I woke up feeling fine and thought about how rough I would have felt, in addition to such regret and disappointment, if I'd acted on that random thought.

We are all different here on MWO in so many ways but in this one respect, I think those of us who remain are essentially the same. The people who find they can have the occasional drink don't tend to stick around (with a couple exceptions) because they don't need the support or need to give it to keep the truth of the matter alive, which is why I stay. I don't want to allow myself to get to the point that the occasional woodland drink seems like a good choice - and I know that would be very easy to do.

We don't need to reinvent the wheel. This is one instance where we truly can learn from the experiences of others. Here's a tread that I've found useful to read when I've had the idea that I'm different, better, stronger, or more controlled and disciplined than the rest of you: https://www.mywayout.org/community/ge...etrospect.html.

[Elvis]

Today is my 2 year anniversary by date. I posted this over at Newbie Nest yesterday and was asked to repost it here. MWO saved my life, and if some of my words can help you in any way, then I'm only happy to be able to pay it forward. :happy2:

Thanks Tony, Byrdy, and lifechange! I wasn't sure how the whole leap day fit into the calculation thing, so I wasn't gonna make a big deal about it until Saturday. But now is a good time as any to celebrate! It's nice to be able to measure my quit in years.

So what's my secret? A few things stick out.

One thing I do is I make time for MWO every day. At a minimum I check in every morning, most evenings, and just about any other time I have a few free minutes. It only takes a few minutes a day to visit MWO, but the payoff is so great! The ones who are most successful here are those who stay the closest to MWO. That's just a fact. MWO is great community and I am amongst friends. Lots of smart people here at all levels of quit. Post whenever you need to and take the advice of those who've been around -- they've been there, done that, and know what they are talking about. People who went through the process themselves really understand. Pick a few topics you like and stick with them. It should be no secret that Roll Call is my favorite topic. It keeps me accountable to you all and to myself. And I selfishly like seeing my number go up every day too! It's such a part of my morning routine now that I feel out-of-sorts if I don't do it. Wake up, get dressed, brush my teeth, post on MWO -- maybe not always in that order, but I do make sure I get here every day one way or another! And I'm usually at least somewhat dressed when I do it!

Another thing I did was learn my triggers. I've had my fair share of Day 1s. While I wish I didn't have so many of them, each one was a very important learning experience. I never considered it a failure if I learned something from it and put a plan in place to stop it from happening again. In the beginning I was learning things like I can't keep alcohol in the house, or I need to remove myself from situations where alcohol is the main focus such as certain parties. Over time I learned things like I need to eat something when I get cravings, or nothing kills stress faster than exercise. Now I've got a nice list of triggers to look out for and a big arsenal of plans and strategies to remove or minimize the trigger. Removing a deeply ingrained habit like drinking is a long process. It's going to have it's share of ups and downs. Learn from your mistakes and have a plan in place. It gets easier over time.

Another thing I do is don't allow myself to drink. It's a simple in concept actually, but took me forever to get it through my thick skull. I used to go into a quit saying things like "Maybe I can have one for a special occasion" or "Maybe in 10 years things will be different and I can drink again." I always gave myself an out, and that why I always failed. Now, there is no more "maybe". Now I protect my quit like my life depends on it. Because it does. Staying sober is my #1 priority. Uncomfortable situation, and I'm outta there. No hesitation when asked if I want a drink -- "NOPE!" And I've lost count of how many times I've yelled at my AV (alcoholic voice) "NO! I DON'T DRINK ANYMORE! REMEMBER?" Stupid AV. I don't miss drinking one bit and I have no reason to drink anymore. I am no longer a drinker and it's the best decision I ever made. That's just a fact.

Have a support system in place, learn your triggers and have a plan, and commit yourself fully to permanent abstinence from alcohol. Never stop trying and don't beat yourself up for falling down from time to time. It's part of the process!

Sorry if that's a little disjointed. I hope I got my points across okay. Have a great day everyone!

[ThirdTimesACharm]

At Byrdlady's request, here is my 30-day post. Thank you everyone for your amazing support!

---------
It seems silly to post this after only 30 days of being AL-free. But so much has happened in the last 30 days, maybe it's not so silly after all. It feels like at least a few years has gone by.

I thought I would share the top 10 reasons I know I made the right choice:

- I have a clear head every morning
- My face looks almost normal (redness almost completely gone, no puffiness, no bags under my eyes)
- I've lost 18lbs already
- My blood pressure has dropped from 150/110 on day 0 to averaging around 115/65 today
- I go to bed early, get up early and get a great sleep almost every night. I had completely forgotten what a good night sleep felt like
- I've started making time for my family and I'm spending almost all my free time with them
- I've finished 10 or more jobs/fixes around the house that I had started over the last 10 years and never finished (due to being drunk and having no motivation)
- I've started running, swimming and biking again (just entered a marathon and a triathlon in the spring/summer!)
- (As of today) I quit my job and I'm now building my own business!!
- Left the best for the last - my wife and I are trying for another baby! :happy2::happy2::happy2:

I still have so much to do, but I know that I now have a strong foundation upon which to build my future.

I know for sure I will never drink alcohol again - not even if no one would ever know. **I** would know and that's all that counts. I can summon those AL-induced feelings of guilt, shame and physical sickness at a moment's notice.

And while I feel terribly sad that I've wasted 2 decades of my life in an AL-induced fog, I know I needed to go there before I became whole. I'm so overjoyed to have finally found the light, and I'm going to spend the rest of my life living every day, every hour and every last minute in the moment.

All the best, my friends.

ThirdTimesACharm

[Nursie]

Reposting here by request ��



I am crawling out of the pits of death, Cancer, grief, and addiction. I am climbing higher and higher. The air is nice up here. My family is so happy. Everyone has a sense of calm that they haven't had in some time. My last drunk was my worst drunk ever and I am glad it is behind me. I think all of my drunk behaviors and episodes will always hurt a bit. They must, or I would feel like "researching" (drinking) again to see if I could miraculously control it.
I am no longer stuck in the swinging pendulum. I do believe I am finally going to make it.
I do believe that everyone can have sobriety and a happy life. I do believe that it takes some people more tries than others. But I pray that we can all live in sobriety peace and safety before anything worse happens because of our drinking.

[KENSHO]

(Originally in Newbie's Nest - where I hang out!)

When I started my AF journey, I regularly tried to assess “how bad” my drinking was - in an attempt to downplay my situation and keep alcohol in my life. The truth is that I wasn’t in the final stages of alcoholism, and I didn’t have many outward consequences of drinking (like being fired or divorced or being in accidents or being humiliated), but I couldn’t deny the inner consequences that I felt EVERY DAY. No one else knew that I had a problem - but I KNEW. I fought with myself every day about when/if I would drink (and I always did), and about when to stop (never soon enough), and I kicked myself every night about how I couldn’t read to my kids at bedtime being fully present. I felt guilt, and remorse, but mostly, I HATED fighting with myself. I knew I was not taking care of my health, and that I was headed toward being an even heavier drinker - as I began to give in to my cravings earlier and earlier in the afternoons, and drinking on the way home in the car. Alcohol consumed my thinking - it was what I turned to instead of my friends and family. (what a truly shitty friend!). Mostly, it really affected how I thought of myself. Routinely not keeping my promises to drink less, and functioning sub-par with my loved ones really takes a toll on self-esteem.

NOW, after only 165 days AF, I talk about my needs and feelings with my husband and friends. I sleep through the night without the nauseating 3am sweats and start my day enjoying my coffee, not gulping it as if it were medicine for my hangover. I engage with my kids in focused conversation, and I don’t worry about hiding my alcohol breath. I eat healthier than I ever have, and I appreciate all that life has to offer - good and bad. I am FAR less anxious, FAR less depressed and MUCH more comfortable in my own skin. I am becoming the person I always wanted to be - not HIDING from life. DO I MISS ALCOHOL? NO. Sometimes I miss “checking out”, but I’m slowly finding ways to do that without drink - and finding that part of it is just giving myself permission to do so. Drinking at night pretty much ensured I wouldn’t be able to do much work - or feel the pain of it, and now I just go to bed, or take a bath, or do a meditation, or pet/walk the dog.

My point is that it doesn’t matter what others think of our drinking or if we have “outward” problems due to it. It doesn’t matter if we are “bad enough” in comparison to others. It ONLY matters what WE think of ourselves. Anyone landing on this site is tired and disgusted enough of their drinking habit that they googled “how to stop drinking”. And I am so thankful that I stopped the bargaining and decided to have a better life. Every day is SO MUCH BETTER without this addiction! All the reasons I had for wanting to keep booze in my life seem so small now. My real friends bring LaCroix FOR ME to events in case I forget, they love that I can be the DD, they understand when I go to bed earlier than them, and no one in my industry cares more about my consumption at events than they do their own. Other people are way too concerned about themselves to care a rat’s butt what I do, and frankly, they see that I am happier and healthier and they support that. If you struggle with alcohol, STOP. You can think in circles all you want, but you will end up in the same place - needing to STOP. It takes some time and bravery and discomfort, but you will come to see that you love LIVING life, not numbing it, and you will never regret kicking the bastard alcohol out. If you know alcohol is causing problems for you, it likely always will. The bargaining only delays the inevitable. So stop! Go for it and don’t look back!

[russ52]

WIP
Most excellent post among many you have. You can coach a team to the superbowl...Superb

[russ52]

Oh I guess my reply goes back to current date. I was replying to page 2 of this 43 page awesomeness. Anyway I hope the WIP is listening, a 2008 post is helping all in 2017...Thanks WIP and all members.. Grateful and look forward to pages 3 thru 43...LB thanks for the link

[Mick]

Re: Tool box

here is a little poem I wrote last night for someone ..I was asked if I would put it in here...I have in parts left it particularly vague..when you read it..reflect on your own personal situation and add it in there..
when I quit,I had something very similar written by someone else..i had it in my wallet ,on my phone in my car ...anywhere easily accesaible even when I was out..part of my strategy was if the urge started ....fine go ahead have a drink...but read it first and reflect on its worth

if it helps anyone ..you are welcome..

Reach for me

Reach out and hold me, let me feel your touch,
Life owes you, it’s not fair, but I can give you so much
I will make you feel happy, funny, brave and so bold,
So appealing to everyone, never out in the cold

The sage of all things on this earth,
No one but me knows your worth
No one else, you just need me,
I am yours for eternity

So you lose your job, and life goes wrong
Don’t worry about it I’ll be along...
People bypass you in the street,
That stinking slumped mess lying in a heap

But now you’re shaking. I wonder why
You crave for me more as slowly you die…
Remember me telling you that I was your friend?
I lied ha ha,
Goodbye.. the end

[Orimus]

Re: Tool box

Stop, breathe. You didn't screw up, you realize that what you've been doing isn't getting you the results that you want. That is all. Your house may be messy right now, you may feel a little all over the place right now. However, that is only right now not forever especially since that is not where you see yourself. Keep walking; stop, jack up the car and put the wheels back on. Take time to step away from the noise whether that means getting away to the woods, to a monastery or a long drive where it's just you and if you don't want the radio on you can shut it off. Shut off all the alerts on your phone that are unnecessary and just sit and listen to the wind. Pay attention to the world around you - to the trees as you pass them by, to the smile of a stranger.

I would not advise waiting until you understand before you do, before you start creating the change that you want to see. As you push towards that change THAT is when you will begin to understand. Break things down, choose one thing and start changing it whatever it is. The rest can wait. Be gentle with yourself because change is distressing and your body and mind are healing as you learn to live without the alcohol. You are not an anxious nut case you are just anxious right now trying to understand. Get out of your head and pay attention to what you feel. If it hurts it's because there is a wound that needs mending, if you are afraid it is because you are faced with the unknown and/or uncertainty. Take it one step at a time, one breath at a time.

The more you focus on what you don't want, the more you focus on the dread the more it will grow like someone telling you you can't have sweets. Don't think of pink elephants! :egad: lol The story of no one's life is written ASAP but chapter by chapter. The prologue is done so what is the story that you want to write? Chapter by chapter, page by page, word by word. The sky isn't falling dear. Of course I can't and no one can tell you don't feel anxious, don't feel so pressured, don't don't don't..... We can only share with you and suggest things that we have seen work.

So take it slow, take it gently. Paint the picture of the tomorrow that you want to live and keep walking. One step at a time, one breath at a time you'll get there.

[Elvis]

Re: Tool box

Reposting my 1000 day speech by request from Newbies Nest to Toolbox:

I think the biggest revelation as of late is how normal it feels not to drink. Everyone who I hang out with regularly knows I don't drink, so they don't even bother asking anymore. At parties or hanging out, I kind of think they like having another sober guy around actually. Someone to help out the host and keep things on track. I certainly didn't lose any friends or invites by not drinking.

Let's see, I'm going to the gym like everyday. I'm staying active in my social life. I'm more focused at work. The house stays clean. I'm reinvested in my hobby and collection. Stress level is down. I sleep well and wake up refreshed. I'm pretty damn healthy for a 43-year old guy. I'm fun to hang around with. Basically, I'm living life as it's supposed to be lived! These are simple things you give up when you let alcohol control you.

I don't think it's news to anyone here that life will be better once you stop drinking. I'm mean, that's why you are all here -- drinking is ruining your life, and you need and want to stop. I understand how hard it is to quit. Made all the excuses myself, been there, done that. Drinking is such a big part of your life now, it defines you. Hopefully something I say today can help you change that. You're here reading this now, so I know you want change. Let's do it.

When you are ready to quit forever, you will know it. Until then, you have to keep trying. Keep making progress every day. Get some sober streaks under your belt. Break records. Have a plan in place and stick to it. Build your sober muscles. When you fall, get right back up and learn from it. Find and fix that reason you fell so it won't happen again.

The immediate physical symptoms of quitting suck (headaches, nausea, sweats), but they are short-lived. By day 4 you should be feeling much better. Then you can start building your muscles -- make a plan and stick to it. Have a ton of excuses for when people ask you to drink, or better yet, stay away from parties and other triggers for the first month or so. When you have more muscles, you can slowly add things back into your life. Be selfish and make it all about you. Quit is number one.

Have a support system so you don't have to do it alone. There is no reason to do it alone. Lean on the oh-so-wise-ones on this forum and learn from them. Tell someone you trust and care about that you are quitting and hold yourself accountable. And be accountable to me and others on this forum. You need to find your own thing, because what worked for me might not work you, but the two biggest turning points for me were when I broke down in tears and told my wife how I needed her support to quit, and when I started posting daily on the roll call to be accountable to all of you. Don't be afraid to try different things, you never know what will work and you'll never know unless you try!

All of you guys and gals are my heroes for quitting or trying to quit and never giving up. You are so brave and strong, it's amazing!

[empyr3al]

Re: Tool box

Don't know as this is large thread whether its been mentioned. Ensure or Boost or equivalent are helpful when you first come off because solid food messes with your stomach. Its instant vitamins and nutrients and come in a variety of types. It does not mix well with hard liquor if you don't cut that out. Its like a milkshake packed with crazy stuff. They are known as meal replacements and I carry one with me often in case I don't get a chance to eat during the middle of the day. I get coupons monthly, 2-3$ off and pick up a ton of them when they are on sale. In Ontario the usual price is about 15$ for 6, but sales hit 8$, combine it with coupons and zip bang you have cheap nutrients for 5$ for 6. If you sign up at ensureclub in Canada you get a free 6 pack (not beer lol). I signed myself and my father up for it, so I get coupons often and have about 18 bottles of it at the moment. It does ferment kind of in a way if you don't finish the bottle within a day. If this is new after a week of no food and only alcohol, take sips, don't guzzle the entire bottle. As most of us know, foreign substances other than hard liquor do not sit well. I mention this because its one way to start introducing food and nutrients without vomiting. B1 and a Protein Pump Inhibitor.

Not a product endorsement, just what I have learned to do money wise as we really mess with finances when wasted, losing jobs, spending a couple thousand on drink. Its mostly there if I screw up with a bender so I can actually eat and don't feel like trash. Thankfully its now benders and not daily, the come downs are harder now.