Newbies Nest

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

ooops forgot...belle, I'm glad my posts make you think a little...I just hope you aren't thinking "that girl's a whack job":H

[scottish lass]

Newbies Nest

Hi all - day 5 here and ramping up for Friday evening.
All these stories of dogs - I lost my dog 8 years ago, and I use her name for one of my passwords still. She makes me smile and makes me sad too after all this time, but I am so very lucky to have had such a presence in my life. I am in the job of dealing with death and dying, and am frequently reminded that the reason that grief can be so hard and painful is only because the love was so great - and i would not have been without the love to avoid the pain. There are people who go thru life without such sorrow, but that is because they have never had such joy........

[timpin]

Newbies Nest

Tomorrow, Saturday night, I face my biggest challenge. I am now 28 days AF. To be fair, it has not been too bad, a few cravings along the way and I have managed to go into a few bars whilst staying in hotels drinking soft drinks without too much of a problem.Last week I got the Campral and that has helped me a lot. However tomorrow is the Christmas party, a social with lots of friends in a happy atmosphere and plenty of booze available for those who want it. First challenge is to get past the reception area where glasses of mulled wine will be handed out. Then to sit on a table where plenty of wine bottles will be open. In a way I am looking forward to the challenge but in another way, I am dreading it just in case I slip.

I know that if I can get through this, then I have a good chance of staying AL free for a long time. The easy way is to duck out of the party but I am not prepared to do that because the problem must be faced head on. I am almost tempted to drink huge amounts of water before going so that thirst is not an option. Any advice from any of you who have faced this problem would be a great help.

[windy]

Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters,

Scottish Lass -- I think your words are remarkable and so true. I have had loved some wonderful people and animals who are no longer with me. I was so lucky to have known them. Thanks for reminding me of that. I try to be a better person because I know that I don't deserve this life any more than anyone else and I should not waste it.

Timpin -- Is there any way you could not go? If you must, try eating something before you go. I find I am at my weakest if I am hungry. Be in the moment and remind yourself it is very possible to have fun without alcohol, and even more fun, because you will remember it all. Do they offer any nonalcoholic drinks before dinner. Mulled wine would be good without the wine??? ...Oh yeah....imagine all those "pretty" bottles being filled with something vile and downright disgusting and imagine how horrible the devil poison is and what it could be doing to the consumers. You will notice after not too long how it is affecting people and it is not always funny or fun and be glad it is not you. Stay strong.

[MinStar]

Newbies Nest

if dreams were horses;1219110 wrote:
MiniStar, We are walking hand in hand, both of us are going into Day 11, are you grouchy, anxious, do you eat alot, cause I sure am, and boy do I have an appetite. Congrats to your day, and when we reach Day 30, we can celebrate on cyberspace.

Hey If Dreams Were Horses! Well done on getting to Day 11:goodjob: and Thanks :thanks:Like you I am getting bored of sparkling water. I may switch to green tea for a while. that seemed to help too. I hope you find something else to switch to.:l

How are you doing? I have the mean mean moods! No-one can do right at the moment! I am also PMT so I am sure that has alot to do with it. I did have fleeting thoughts yesterday and today to get a bottle open but really it was fleeting and only because I am in such a foul mood. I just came upstairs and into bed- Away from temptation!

As for eating- well I can't stop! I can have three big meals and snacks. I am supposed to be on a diet too. I just have to say to myself that it is ok for now not to be militant on my diet. Kicking AL is better!

Are you reading Jason Vale? I am nearing the end now. Still not 100% convinced of his arguments and logic but I like the book over all.

Well better get to the book. I am trying to get early nights as I am still sooooo tired. Last night I kept tossing and turning and felt I didnt sleep a wink. Hopefully tonight will be better. I tell you what.. I can not wait until I can sleep and know I will wake up feeling rested rather than the way I do now- so tired as if I didn't sleep at all! Are you feeling tired as well If Dreams Were Horses?

Sorry everyone else I am not reading back too far again. This thread moves so fast and I feel sometimes I get lost and sometimes I catch up!

Hope everyone is doing strong and looking forward to an AL free weekend.

MinStar:l

[Herbie]

Newbies Nest

Hello All

Busy in the nest tonight, much inspiration. I have had a hard hard week... at the end of the day I was thinking how much I would like a glass of wine, realized I had not taken my supps ran in here got them and logged onto the nest. Funny how the nest helps.. the feeling has passed. I am hungry too so I will be trying to figure out what to eat in a bit.
I was talking to my cousin earlier in the day and told her I had had it... she said go home take a hot bath and have a "small" glass of champagne... I wanted to laugh... who ever heard of a "small" glass of champagne?? I know I would never ... I mean never be happy with a small glass... what would that do for ya????? and if you did not drink the entire bottle it would go flat and you can't have that!!! I thanked her for her kind advise and kind of got a kick out my private reaction.. In the passed I would have said great idea and would have downed the entire bottle and never thought about it..

What's with all the headaches to day??? Something must be in the air. I have a bit of a headache too ...

I am going to get something to eat and will be back later ... thank you all for all your sharing tonight helped me when I logged on wanting that glass of wine...

[mylife]

Newbies Nest

scottish lass;1219365 wrote: I am in the job of dealing with death and dying, and am frequently reminded that the reason that grief can be so hard and painful is only because the love was so great - and i would not have been without the love to avoid the pain. There are people who go thru life without such sorrow, but that is because they have never had such joy........

That's so wonderful and true Scottish lass. Thanks for summing it up so perfectly. :h

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Friday night. I am brewing a pot of tea as we speak. I burned out on Sparkling water too, so tea is my drink of choice for now!

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good evening all,

As part of the east coast headache contingent I share a little something I learned a long time ago.
First of all we can't control the weather BUT we can do a few other thing. Tonight i am unpacking & plugging in my room humidifier. Even though I have a whole house humidifier attached to my heatige system I find using a small one in my bedroom very beneficial. I get sick of waking up with a headache, dry eyes & my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth :H
Once the headache manifests, alternating doses of Ibuprofin with XS Tylenol helps. And stay well hydrated!!!! Hell would have to freeze overwindy before I give up my HRT

PF, so glad you are staying strong!

Irie, remember your commitment & you will do OK!

Lola, nothing is more important to me than my sobriety right now because if I don't have that I have nothing. I ignore what other people are drinking & expect them to mind their own business as well

mylife, I have quite a collection of teas ~ I could open a shop, honestly. My daughter as turned into a tea collector too!

I have had quite a day & want to try to catch up on a few things here tonght. I have a lot of work planned for the weekend, but that's OK.

Wishing everyone a safe AF night in the nest.
Lav

[Tom Smith]

Newbies Nest

Hello

I'm new here. I'm a 28 year old Irish guy, living and working in South Korea (a drinkers paradise). I am not an alcoholic yet but I am a heavy drinker and over the last year or so my perspective on drinking has changed.

I used to see drinking as great fun but now I see it as a nasty drug habit that might kill me one day so I want to stop it completely but I don't know if I will be able too. I'm determined to get off Alcohol completely though. Wish me luck.

[Andrew from Ireland]

Newbies Nest

Byrdlady;1219154 wrote: I woke up this morning at an obscene hour, with a headache! My first thought was, OH SH##! Did I drink??? Whew! No, thank God. So I will join the East Coast Head Throbbers Society. Baby it's cold outside!

Andrew, I've sure had you on my mind...in fact, once I cleaedr out the cobwebs of whether or not I had a hangover, I started thinking about you. I imagined your wonderful and adventurous life...jumping out of airplanes, for Pete's sake! Everything in the world to live for, except this one dam demon that is choking the life out of you. The more success you have in life it's like the tighter the grip to AL. I'm not saying that the way I want to exactly. But I understand that emotion completely. It's FEAR.
That emotion sums it up for me! What if I can't even live up to what I'VE already accomplished in life??? Where do you go from there? So to retreat in the safe confines of AL was very nice and cozy indeed. Sure the whispers and innuendos hurt at first when people began rolling their eyes at me when I drank...but I got used to that, because nothing...NOTHING was as important to me as my next drink. (not even the one I was drinking). Fear is a very powerful motivator, too. Yes, it is easy to fall back into the bottle. Trust me when I say, I LOVED everything about drinking! The anticipation! The taste! That first burn of when it's going down...the look of it even! but most of all, it took me away. And that is an understatement. It took me very much away, until I didn't even recognize who I was anymore. I was a broken down HAS-BEEN. This is a sorry place to be. I want you to look at me square in the eye, Andrew....LOOK AT ME...you must get control of your mind! You can tell yourself, NO, HELL NO! You must do it and if not today, then when? Let's take a walk into the future....if you keep on this path down the hole....it kinda gets worse doesn't it? Each day do you find you drink a little more? Testing your own boundaries? Let's say we fast forward to April 2012....where you gonna be? Will you still have a job? Will your son still be part of your life? On this projection...prolly neither. Now let's take this plan another way...today, I decided not to drink. Hard to do. And then the next. I don't have to tell you that getting a couple good AF days under your belt makes a world of difference. Then you find yourself at 7 days...and as Greg says, the better it gets the better it gets... then at Day 13, you have a realization, maybe this IS something you can do! After that the days and weeks pass and this dam demon that has haunted you for ions is now NOT consuming every waking hour and minute. YOU are back in control...on ONE condition...that you do not drink. It's a deal with the devil for sure. All or nothing. For us, that's about it. There are no bargains to be made, you must cut off his life source...and we all know what that is. You can do this....we all have done it, and you have too. You must begin it this time, with solid resolve...get your life back dammit! Don't give it to that frickin bottle anymore. ENOUGH. Give yourself a break and try it. You will never be sorry for not drinking...I'd stake my life on that. Byrdie

Thanks Byrdie. I feel teary reading that. I admit that I drank today. I had to. I needed to work and I didn't feel able to do my job without it. The withdrawals, the fear. I bought wine at lunchtime, filled a water bottle in the toilets in work and swigged it all afternoon. Pathetic, eh? These new lows become the "norm" though, it's unbelievable. Tomorrow is Saturday though, I have a day to myself and I swear I will not drink. I have some xanax to help me with the withdrawals. I just need something to help me stay sober. Someone or something. I don't care what! It's a curse, this drink. AA maybe. Or just someone who understands. I've never confessed my problem to anyone in person. It's......I can't do it alone anymore. I was 6 weeks sober before. I loved it. I actually felt so calm, relaxed and brilliant that I felt how I do after a couple of beers. As in, naturally relaxed and happy. Ireland is a curse of a place to give up though. I would never tell my friends about this and they're the ones who will be on the phone when I feel great asking me to go out for the night. They don't realise I'll be swigging the end of a bottle of wine before work the next day. The things I've done. Going to the pub at lunchtime alone because I've a meeting that afternoon in work that I need to be ready for! I hate myself for it. Anyway. Enough whinging! I just need to find a way to stay stopped. To get rid of that self-destructive urge. You're completely right, by the way, I'd lose my job if I keep going the way I am. And if I lose my job, my son pretty much too.

[Australia]

Newbies Nest

oh no andrew! this is no good at all. I am in Australia, so I know how you feel, its such a part of life! I am on day 10 and I am totally avoiding social situations for now, 'regular' people just cant understand that you cant just have one, and push u to do it only to be mad at you whenu cant stop and dont realise you arent choosing this, can you just stop it this weekend, dont go out or see friends? then u will start to feel better? I was also crazily anxious when (after) drinking, and now after day 10 im finding it a lot better, maybe u get this too? some weekends I would drink weh i woke up as i was still on a binge from the night before only sleeping for a few hours in between. thats when we know there is a problem greater then a choice to only have one or two.

You say u need someone to help, well here we are!!!!!!!! Let me know who ur doing? Ok

[Australia]

Newbies Nest

thanks Windy and Horses! great movie/show suggestions. I loved No Strings Attached and Horrible Bosses

Day 10 here, hope everyone is well and tucked in!!!!

[lifechange]

Newbies Nest

good morning!

i have had so little time to spend on the computer the past few days.
but i am doing a quick read through each morning and evening, and though i'm not
writing directly back, you are all in my thoughts.

and you're helping to keep me focussed and in line.
today is day 9 for me and i'm feeling strong. but i'm ready. not in any way letting my guard down.

wishing you a wonderful weekend

[Australia]

Newbies Nest

life change --
Well done on day 9! im day 10 so we are together.

[BlondeAFAmbition]

Newbies Nest

Morning Nesters!

Just a quick fly in cause I'm on my way to work. Yes, it's bright and early Saturday and I am heading for work! Welcome Tom, it's good for you to recognize your problems with AL now instead of later . You'll find tons of support and new friends who are all in the same boat and fighting AL together makes it so much better!

Andrew, sorry to hear of your relapse with the wine at work. Been there, done that. Yup, drank a small "trail" sized wine in the ladies room once. I felt pathetic. Just goes to show you how powerful IT it. Come on here and consider us your "new" friends who understand. We won't let you down.

Minstar-You are doing great, keep it up. Pretty soon you'll have a full month under your belt!

For everyone else, hang in there, it's tough making it through the weekends sober during the season of holiday cheer. Herbie, Australia, Lav, Byrdie, Belle, Lolab, Mrsg, Windy, PF, and one and all, let's make it a weekend full of success stories, ok?