Newbies Nest

[Catbuddy]

Newbies Nest

Hi Billy,

I take the Calm Forte recommended by MWO. It works wonders for me. I vary between 1-2 a night; when I take 2, it's 9 hours of dead to the world sleep.

Welcome to all the new nesters! I'm with Nanette - this place is amazing. To add to her top ten list:
- You can post when everyone is sleeping, and a get a great response in the morning.
- You can lean on friends in New Zealand who are experiencing a different DAY from you (that's you, Kuya)
- You can understand everyone despite their outrageous accents (RC!)

TRY THAT at an AA meeting! :H

Cat

[hitting40]

Newbies Nest

good morning all - cold and dark morning here today - ice on all the cars. House fast asleep. I woke up at 5am this morning thinking about a business meeting i have this morning and looking forward to it because my brain is clear. i havent drank since sunday night and i have already planned a busy weekend with my kids to keep me occupied. i find that if i have something on the next morning planned for 9 am or 10am i am less likely to consider indulging. i used to say over indulging but my new talk in my head is indulging. i am talking to myself all the time saying i do not drink, i do not drink. that is my mantra for now. i booked myself in for a massage on friday night as all the abuse has my back in knots never mind my blood pressure through the roof! my little one has just woken up now and come down to sit with me and wants to help me type :h her sitting beside me all sweet and innocent makes me want this even more! i am on the verge of starting a new exciting business, something i have always wanted to do and the only thing that has been causing me concern was my commitment as if i can't fight alcohol how can i make a business a success, i need to show myself how strong i can be. ok i think i am rambling as lost concentration as my little one is dying to type. i love this sight x

[Andrew_CN]

Newbies Nest

hi all,

I am new but it's great to be here...I posted my 'life story' on a seperate thread, and I have spent a lot of time oer the past day or so reading through all of the posts and I have found so many to be inspirational and helpful in my mind. In short though, I am still drinking and have been cutting down from 1 1/2 bottles of vodka a day to now less than a bottle..and still shrinking it a little bit everyday until I go for my first AF day this coming Tuesday.

I don't feel so alone now after reading so many of the supportive, interesting and sometimes just fun notes. Today (and it is now 5 30 in the evening for me) I have managed so far to demolish a little less than half of a bottle of vodka, and my goal tonight - although challenging - is to make sure I have at least a quarter left when I go to bed. Keep cutting slowly - I have received some wonderful advice from people already and the support I feel in just a day or so on this forum is incredible. I look forward to getting to know people better and so far my courage is a lot more than it was at the beginning of the week.

Thanks Andrew

[EmbracingIt]

Newbies Nest

I just found this site last night (at 2:00 a.m.). Tonight, it is 1:30 a.m and I just spent 45 minutes or so reading in the tool box. Today, I downloaded the MWO book and read up to page 40. I drank this evening (three shots). That is an amount I can sort of live with, in that I will not be hung over, but it is not who I want to be and it took me away from a focused, productive evening. I fell asleep for my usual 4 hours and then woke and here I am. I am not depressed. I am not happy. I feel a bit like I am in a planning stage. I am learning a lot on this site, getting lots of ideas about weapons I can add to my plan arsenal. Tools that may help me to succeed. Certainly, the argument between myself, the bottle and the same old walls in my house has not been successful. I know I need more support in this goal than that (and, understandably so). I have had the same habit virtually daily in this same space for years.

Anyway, just wanted to post to sort of say I am here. I am new. I am preparing and I am hopeful. My next step is to order the hypno CDs. I balk because they are pricey, but I need tools that will help me acheive an AF life, which is something I really do desire.

It is nice to see there are other new folks her too. All the best to you!

[kuya]

Newbies Nest

Hi Andrew, glad you found the nest, we spoke on your original thread. Quitting Thursday, good. You will be quit a month before that trip you spoke of, perfect!

Embracing it (and Andrew) it is a good idea when quitting to move your furniture and lighting around to change the setting (thx K9) and change your routines.

I made sure I ate as soon as I came home from work as a full stomach (and I mean FULL) stops cravings and releases endorphins. I stopped watching TV at the usual times, went to bed earlier etc. doing all these things occupy you but ALSO tell your brain you have changed.

I was no longer 'me without alcohol' I was now 'new me', 'sober me' and I no longer lived like the old 'me'.

I have just finished an book entitled 'rip it up' and I concluded that the principle it discussed of immediately acting AS IF I was a different person actually caused me to BECOME a different person.

After the first 7 days you will be over the worst physically and wondering what the hell you were so scared of......honest :h


Hi to you Cat ...... You are right about this amazing international thing. I come on here in the evening and go through the threads while it is quiet, and it reaffirms my decision every day. And, as Nan said, I can do it stark naked ....... Now you can't do THAT at an AA meeting ! ROFL

[struggles]

Newbies Nest

Ok, back on day one again, but had the shakes so bad this morning I had to drink two beers. Hopefully that is ALL I will consume, but with the holidays and what's going on in my life, I seem to have lost all hope.:upset: My kids will be with me this afternoon for the next two days so maybe that will help me. I originally posted in the need help asap forum, but it was recommended I hop on over here. I hope you all have a great day...the beer has only served to make me feel dizzier than I was when I awoke

[kuya]

Newbies Nest

struggles;1418283 wrote: Ok, back on day one again, but had the shakes so bad this morning I had to drink two beers. Hopefully that is ALL I will consume, but with the holidays and what's going on in my life, I seem to have lost all hope.:upset: My kids will be with me this afternoon for the next two days so maybe that will help me. I originally posted in the need help asap forum, but it was recommended I hop on over here. I hope you all have a great day...the beer has only served to make me feel dizzier than I was when I awoke

Don't hope, plan. Get all the alcohol out of the house now and stop, even if it is only today.

Check in again, with only two beers you will be feeling much better than if you continue drinking

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good morning Nesters,

It's true Kuya, we have to plan to win!
Accepting that we can no longer drink AL safely & recognizing it for the poison that it is is the only way to win

Hello & welcome to all of the Newbies! I hope you stay close to MWO & this thread in particular for ongoing support. That's what I did when I started on my journey

Wishing everyone a terrific AF Hump day!
Lav

[JingleJo]

Newbies Nest

Afternoon all. Bright but baltic day here in Scotland.

Feeling much better today than I did yesterday - much more positive and clear-headed :-)

Went to my 2nd AA meeting last night and managed to speak, introduce myself and say "I'm an alcoholic" for the first time ever in a public forum apart from online of course and the admittence to my other half recently. Felt strangely liberating! Also managed to give some feedback after that which I was proud of as I was bloody terrified lol.

So, yeah, feeling quite positive today. Have also started to notice that I'm looking so much more healthy than I did before - face looks clearer, skin is smoother, eyes look brighter, less crows feet around eyes etc.

Have a good day all x

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

I forgot what I was gonna say.. NOT!

In addition to changing around the furniture, I threw away my 'drinking cup'. I know you have one...throw it out! It is symbolic to do that, I found. You can throw your life away WITH it, or throw it away and get on with your life. As Kuya said, get ALL the AL out, I can't tell you how many nesters kept it around as a 'safety net' and then in a weak moment, gravitated to it as if it were the Mother Ship!! GET IT OUT (to be said like an EXORCIST). I also can't tell you the number of nesters who said, "if there had been any AL in this house I'd have drank it!". So they went on to build their quit and ALL of them were glad they did. NO ONE is happy that they drank the night before...NO ONE, even normal people.

This is a full court battle...if you don't believe it, see my posts from 1/31/2010 until 1/20/2011. This is the fight of your lives. Be prepared and you can win. Your opponent is your own mind. The Voices. (that TV show stole my thunder). You must learn to tell your brain to shut the F up! STOP those thoughts and start thinking of anything else....if all else fails, stop what you are doing at that moment and go to the bathroom! My mind is a lot like my dog's. When she gets focused on chasing something she gets into an all-consuming loop! ONLY when I slap my hands or shout at her does it break her fixation. Addiction Head (Dick Head) is just like this...sometimes I just have to say to myself, NO, HELL NO! AL will not take one more day of my life! Just breaking that loops helps more than I would have imagined. Change your course and don't go down the rabbit hole. There ain't nothing down there, trust me, I checked it out thoroughly.

Struggles, if you were a cancer patient and I told you that you had 5 weeks to live, what would you do? There are about 5 weeks left of the holidays, should we just chalk it up to 'there's no use?' 'It's hopeless'? As you may have seen yesterday, MinStar wrote a killer note about her one year anniversary, and look when that fell? Right here during the holidays. I am not about to write off 5 weeks of my life for the sake of a dam drink...I hope you will join me. It is NOT worth it. The G/S/R brothers (Guilt, Shame, Remorse) are waiting outside if you want to invite them in...NOT ME. Take the option of drinking off the table. Have your mind set on NO, when offered. It's nobody else's business as to why. Let that first word be NO. Dig your heels in and do not give in no matter what and no matter who. My quit is my most valuable possession, and nobody will take it away from me. It took me a while to see that...the 'what the hell's' were pretty loud. If you feel wobbly, come on here and see others who are doing it...try not to stick with people who are NOT doing it. It's just like if you were on a diet, you shouldn't be visiting the Krispy Kreme. Stay with like-minded people.

Tonight is the big lottery! I bought myself 9 tickets and hubs 1 (it's his birthday after all). If I win...I will be right back here in the morning! I would NOT give up my quit for 213Million (after taxes), cause I'd like to be around to enjoy it. AL is a one-way ticket to hell, and I've already been there....Have safe and AF Wednesday everyone!! Byrdie

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Jingle, would this be Day 13 by chance? B

[Alcoholic]

Newbies Nest

Good morning everyone:

Welcome to the new comers.

Andrew: glad to hear you are successfully cutting it down!

Jingle: something about saying "I'm alcoholic " is liberating, huh? I haven't tried that publicly though I admitted it to my husband and I got my username claiming so, maybe one day I will work up my courage to do what you did.

Embracing: good thing you are planning! I've never been a planner. I hear planning is a good thing to do.

Let's all go out and conquer another day!

[Slaythefear]

Newbies Nest

Morning Nesters! Wow, we are loading up with newbies. This is a great place. If you really want to quit, I don't think you'll find a better place for useful information/tools and people who know what you are going through. They know all the traps and all the lies...and those three brothers as Byrdie calls them...shame, guilt, and remorse. The potholes we've all fallen into and the feeling of success when you jump right over one to victory. So, grab onto your determination, prepare yourself with the knowledge you'll find here and get on board. Don't be afraid of failure. If you fall, learn from it and get back up. Onward...he's a nasty opponent.


Hey Cat, I figured there must be some others here who suffer from depression and/or anxiety. So many people who wrestle with these demons self medicate with alcohol. I'm with you. I have to be VERY careful. I've tried to quit twice with horrible depression setting in within a day. Not mild or moderate depression, but the kind you lose your life, too, so I understand your caution. First I'll read the book and any other research I can find. I'll most likely get a therapist on board so I have someone who knows what I'm attempting in case trouble strikes. I would like to start the supplements, etc. first and then start weaning down on the meds, but I don't know what the book advices yet. I may try to get off the Ativan for sleep at night first and replace it with something else. This will be a process and other than adding some supplements, I will wait until after the new year to really tackle it. I'll need some calm around me and this time of year won't be the best time for change. lol I will certainly keep you posted. What antidepressant are you taking? I took Paxil until it stopped working and then they put me on Lexapro. I could never get the Paxil to a higher dose because of side effects. Even with the meds, I still have cycles and episodes. They aren't as bad, but the meds have not controlled the problem adequately. I'm hoping I can find a better answer. I believe it has contributed to my drinking problem greatly.

Love,

Slay

[Slaythefear]

Newbies Nest

Today's encouragement

?Instead of giving myself reasons why I can?t, I give myself reasons why I can.?



Don't wallow in the muck!

Attached files [img]/converted_files/1993950=7204-attachment.jpg[/img]

[Starfish1]

Newbies Nest

Good Morning All

Welcome to the nest, Billy, Tree and Andrew- We are so happy to have you here with us
Settle in and get comfy. You have received a lot of great information already from many of your nestmates. In addition to what has been said, I would like to encourage you to read, read, read and post, post, post. The more you read and post, the more ?connected? you will feel. The folks in the nest are the most caring bunch of folks you will ever meet and will do anything to help you out. It helps with your accountability if you feel connected and I think accountability is a key factor is sustaining your quit.

Something else to remember, that is really helpful to me, is remembering H.A.L.T. This means, if you are craving a drink, stop for a minute and realize if you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. Often, one of these problems will be causing you to be in a weakened state and feeling a compulsion to drink. For me, it is usually hunger (and probably low blood sugar) and in that case, the best thing to do is get something nutritious to eat (Immediately). You will be surprised at how well this works!

Min- Congrats on your one year- That is AWESOME!

Welcome back Struggles! You are familiar with the routine, so get your plan together and stay close. We are here for you!

Jennie- I welcomed you yesterday, but just want to make sure you know how happy I am that you are back. I really admire your strength and always benefit from reading your posts. You always have such a positive attitude.

Special hugs to Alley, Kuya, Allan, RC, Pinecone, Kat, Lav, Lola, Nurdle, Jingle, Hitting, Embracing, Nanette, Fin (be good!), Dottie, K9, Slay and my mama Byrdie (and I just know I am forgetting someone-Sorry!)

Much Love, Star