Newbies Nest

[Prairie Fairy]

Newbies Nest

Personally - I am so digging the chicken with the beer bottle!

[kuya]

Newbies Nest

Well done on the job Allan, hope you make the final hurdle!

[Fin]

Newbies Nest

Roll Call thread where people are being dropped

Folks, we've got a situation in the Roll Call thread where people are being dropped.

What's happening is a collision of sorts because some of us are keeping a Roll Call post open in edit mode too long which then overwrites someone else later who is updating the same Roll Call, but saves sooner than the lingering person.

Solution - post your Roll Call fast. Don't linger. Rather: open, cut/paste, add your stats and save. Get in, get out.

Be good,
-FIN

[Alcoholic]

Newbies Nest

Byrdlady :

First of all: thank you for thinking of me!

I don't post on roll call because I use my Iphone for these posts and I tried to cut and paste twice as suggested for the roll call and simply couldn't do it.

I was able to stay AF for several days and relapsed a couple days and those days drank 1-2 glasses of wine instead of 1-2 bottles.

In fact, when I read several of the posts in here about people going cold turkey and having shakes and sweats, etc, my advice would be call 911. Alcohol withdrawal is a medical emergency.

So I'm actually pretty happy and proud of my progress and I was merely expressing my feelings and doubts, however irrational they may be about not being able to quit completely. Which every alcoholic has had in their life and is not unique in my case.

So I appreciate the concerns but I will continue to struggle through this just as you all have. I would rather never pick up a drink again but I don't know if I ever could get to that stage and that is just my very honest opinion of my self. If you all think that means I'll be messed up all my life, so be it. I just know I need to be honest w my own true ability and not delude myself into thinking things I cannot do. for example I know I can never be a concert pianist. But it doesn't mean I won't continue to try to play piano or to try to not drink though. Does that make sense????

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Yes, Alco, it does. We are here to help you in whatever way we can...we are glad you're here!! B

[Patrick]

Newbies Nest

I did'nt think I could do it either and my attempt was a well meaning but half hearted effort.I was at 8 pints a night every night for the last few years usually from 7pm to 11.30-12 o clock.
After a bad first couple of days cold turkey I realised if I can do 2 days I could do 1 more and have kept that thought going every day.just one more day,just one more day and slowly(very slowly)it gets a little easier.Just think to yourself if you can do two you can do three, if three then four and so on.I tried to moderate for years but within weeks was always back where I started.What have you got to lose?

[Slaythefear]

Newbies Nest

Patrick;1395801 wrote: I did'nt think I could do it either and my attempt was a well meaning but half hearted effort.I was at 8 pints a night every night for the last few years usually from 7pm to 11.30-12 o clock.
After a bad first couple of days cold turkey I realised if I can do 2 days I could do 1 more and have kept that thought going every day.just one more day,just one more day and slowly(very slowly)it gets a little easier.Just think to yourself if you can do two you can do three, if three then four and so on.I tried to moderate for years but within weeks was always back where I started.What have you got to lose?

That's it exactly, Patrick. You have to want to do it and then commit to it. It's hard enough with the commitment. First comes the thought, then the action. If Alcoholic doesn't want to quit completely right now, he/she won't. I know when I didn't want to there wasn't much someone could say to me that stopped me. It's really up to the individual person to decide. If he/she wants to moderate, well maybe this forum can help with harm reduction until he/she decides another route would be preferred.

Nice job on your time AF.


A non related note: I was watching an episode of Vampire Diaries my daughter wanted me to catch up on this evening. Geeze, even the Vampires are drinking whiskey and wine! My oh my!!!!

[iamaquitter28]

Newbies Nest

Well, just doing my last check in for the day. Day 3 and I made it, now off to bed!!! See everyone tomorrow for another adventure filled AF day!!! Good night MWO.

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Ima! Great job! You will wake up in the morning feeling like a million bucks! Well done! B

[kuya]

Newbies Nest

I think quitting and staying quit takes a number of tricks initially.

Biochemically your alcoholic brain does not remember yesterday and has no concept of tomorrow. It only KNOWS .......ALCOHOL, NOW, PLEASE!

ALCOHOLIC. You are right to cut down slowly, but forgive people here for not being psychic.....they didn't KNOW that was where you were at. However you also said you can't see AF for life(or was that IAM? , no matter the discussion still applies).

Many people are terrified of being AF for life. That is why the failure rate is so high. So how to trick the brain into accepting AF for life? DON'T TELL IT.

Sound odd and stupid? NO, it is actually the way your brain works, let me show you.

We have all been there, saying 'tonight I'm not going to drink'. I would be fine all day, a bit foggy from AL then get to about 3pm and the voices would start calling. This is withdrawal. The voices would get stronger and stronger and I would get more and more agitated. The excuses increased in number and ridiculousness. Eventually I would cave and set off to the store for my fix. You ALL know what then happens ....... THE ANXIETY GOES AND YOU FEEL THAT TREMENDOUS RELIEF. YOU ACTUALLY FEEL FINE. I have often wanted to scream at this point ..... At frustration with myself, but I buy the booze with another promise for tomorrow.

What can we learn from this? The alcoholic desire is mostly thought and only a small part addiction. How can we use this to 'trick' the alcoholic brain?

EASY ...... at the beginning, when every day or even minute can seem soooo hard, tell yourself, and really mean it, I WILL DRINK TOMORROW. I will get through today, but I will definitely drink tomorrow. As soon as you do that, and really, really mean it, your anxiety will decrease and you will stop obsessing about NOT drinking TODAY.

The addicted part of you only deals in short time..... Forever is alien. Your intellect knows what forever means but for now, fuck the intellect and just talk to the addicted primitive brain.

Tomorrow, you are one more day sober, one more day stronger, and when the cravings come again the trick works just the same cos the addicted primitive brain doesn't have a memory, it just wants to know when you are going to ACT and fetch alcohol. No problem, cos TOMORROW you are DEFINITELY going to drink.

This trick can work at any stage of sobriety, the longer sober, the longer the waiting period you can offer the addicted brain.

Yesterday I had my first tough evening, I don't really know why and it doesn't really matter cos in life there are always reasons to drink.
I was in a foul mood, bloated from eating badly all day and I PROMISED myself that if I felt like this today I would DEFINITELY DRINK.

GUESS WHAT? Today I feel fine again! Job done.

Sincerely hope this help someone, it has saved me countless times.

[Dottie Belle]

Newbies Nest

Evening all,
Wow this is a hoping place...go out for a few hours and I am 4 pages behind....
Had some cravings tonight but beat them back...Fridays are always hard ....but we had a place to go and things to do...just got itchy but did not scratch.....WooHoo for me....
Day 20 tomorrow and I am very proud of myself!!!
Dottie

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Wow - a busy nest is nice

First of all, I'd like to say that Stella never drank beer. We were serious wine drinkers here :H :H
I just don't know why she looks so crazy...... maybe she's upset because she knows she's not getting the part!

Fin, I loved the birthday gift for K9 - hope she has been able to access it by now!

Allan, CONGRATS on the new job! Sobriety rocks!!!!

Patrick, you are doing so well, good for you! Isn't it amazing how much our thinking changes when we get our heads clear?

Alcoholic, careful detox is a must, of course. If you read the MWO book you know why an initial goal of 30 days AF is thought to give us enough time to clear our systems before attempting to drink moderately. You know about the moderation threads, right? Wishing you the best, whatever you decide to do.

Greeting to everyone & wishes for a safe & cozy night in the nest. It's raining like crazy here & there is a tornado warning posted for a neighboring county - geez!
Lav

[Alcoholic]

Newbies Nest

I got my message chair human touch 6.0 tonight. Totally cool. Enjoying my chair and not drinking. Not shaking either. My husband got a new job!!!! I'm so happy for him.

Thanks for all the advice, guys.

I know about the AF 30 days advice and I plan to follow it. But it is extremely hard. Tomorrow we go out to celebrate my husband's birthday and then soon our 14 year anniversary. All these celebrations w nothing to drink!!! Wow! It's extremely hard. Ok. What I mean to say is that I need suggestions like hey, try this ... Or try that .... Please give me suggestions!!!!!! (No more lectures please)

[kuya]

Newbies Nest

Yeah Alcoholic, lectures are hard when your nerves are frayed.

Just remember that the written word can sound differently to the reader than how it was meant by the writer. This happens ALL the time.

Also bear in mind all advice is just different people's opinions. If it doesn't resonate for you, ignore it.
There's more than one way to skin a cat ..... So the saying goes

[Alcoholic]

Newbies Nest

Kuya: you are right. I'm really being too sensitive. Sorry guys.
Will try to be more understanding!