Newbies Nest

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good job there tonight ladies
Believe it or not there will come a time when there is no longer a witching hour! Just stick to your plans & stay close to the nest, OK?

I have a super busy day tomorrow, grandsons arrivong at 8 am........long day ahead.

Wishing everyone a safe & cozy night in the nest!
Lav

[almost free]

Newbies Nest

Just checking in Fellow Nesters.

Still here and still sober, thank God! Finishing up Day 2. Almost over. (Didn't count Saturday as my day one, 'cause I drank until around 5 am, from Friday night, but the rest of the day was pretty hellish. Must admit, still feeling pretty sick and shaky. No energy at all. Hope it's over soon.

I can't imagine how Dottie made it to the gym on Day 2. My hat is off to you Dottie! I can barelly lift my head. Was barely able to take a shower or much else, and it took everything I had to cook dinner. Hope everyone is well tonight.

I was looking for something that really resonated with me that Kuya said. It was:" Like me, if you continue this pattern of drinking you will die young and you will have a miserable life between now and then............ Every time you lift a glass or bottle to your mouth accept that it contains embalming fluid, your embalming fluid."

I'm trying to keep that horror alive in my mind, so I never again romanticize that glass of wine or champagne. Especially with all the holiday liquor commercials. All those damn popping champagne corks!

Hope everyone else starting again or just continuing on has a wonderful evening and a great tomorrow.

[RunningCourage]

Newbies Nest

Morning nesters.

Early start. The kids I teach at the Porsche Sckool have their Acting exams today (it's what I teach 'em). Need to be there 8am. It's been snowing, but hoping the roads aren't so bad.

Dottie - you been in the gym on Day2? Well done!

Hope peeps are good. Stay close.

RC

[Andrew_CN]

Newbies Nest

hi all...

Well...I haven't posted for a couple of days..was not a good weekend. As I was cutting down over the weekend and Monday, in preparation for today...I went through some really nasty mood changes. I am ashamed to say that as my mood swings got the better of me, I said and did things (under the influence) that I am regretting now. I said some things to my g/f that were really nasty and I didn't mean, but I hurt her a lot with my words - another sad sign of how alcohol affects your emotions. She has forgiven me..but it doesn't take away the shame, you know what I mean?

I am on day 1 now and I have no AL in the house and I am having some rotten withdrawal symptoms, but I knew that would happen. I think my driving factor now is that I don't even want to think about what I did or said to her..and I don't want it to happen again. AL is so destructive to us and now that I am sobering up, I feel awful mentally about what I did. On the other hand, I also know that going without AL will, in the long term, be the best for me and for my relationship. I am trying to eat properly and we are now going out to dinner, so I will do my best.

This is hard - but good things come from effort and I will try my best to continue. Day 1 sucks and I know day 2 and 3 etc will be both hard and good in the same way.

Thank you everyone for all your support.

[kuya]

Newbies Nest

Ha Andrew, I must be psychic cos I just PMed you half hour ago

[Patrick]

Newbies Nest

good luck today Andrew,it is difficult but it can be done if you stick to your plan and check in and post regularly .

[kuya]

Newbies Nest

AlmostF ....well done on day 2. Use any image that works......I wrote that as I was posting and think I may also keep it as my favorite deterent.

Rabsy.....how you doin? Sounding a lot more positive and focused...keep on trucking!

[struggles]

Newbies Nest

Did not make day one, tried again, did not make it. So today, I again 15 hours sober, got up and drank to stop the shakes. I do notice that I am stopping earlier in the day and sleeping longer, but the damn shakes get to me ;( I only have a few beers in the house and have company coming tonight. i almost called an cancelled becausing liying is what we do best when we drink, but I did not. I did sooo well for so long and this seems like back a year ago....could i be depressed about the holidays and being alone? Anyway...best of luck to all of you who have gone through day one and day two and on and on....I envy you. :thanks:

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

struggles - yes, you could be depressed and it's highly likely since alcohol just DOES that. It's quite remarkable actually - how quickly drinking (which we assume will actually "help") make us feel depressed....and it doesn't have to be while we're actually drinking....or when we are hungover. I know that my outlook on life is a thousand times brighter when I have alcohol out of my system. When there is even the slightest bit of alcohol floating around in my body, I just can't see a way to escape it all so I keep drinking. If someone could just lock us up for a few days til we can see the world without blurred edges, we could see the difference between how things appear when we're drinking and how they really are. Please keep trying....who was it here K9? that said "don't stop before the magic happens".

Any of you newly sober folks want to comment on that? the difference in posts from people on day 2, and say day 14 is just like night and day.

RC - lucky kids....:-)

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

Oh minstar or anyone else who is struggling with the "what next?" phase - after being sober for a significant amount of time....words of wisdom for you today...it's the general idea of what I tried to say yesterday - just put a little more eloquently by Guitarista.

We need to grow as people in our new found sobriety, and to do this, we must find out what we love doing, get a plan that includes this, and take daily action doing what we love, and maybe what we don't love so much....(e.g. exercise), no matter what. For me, our thinking is crucial. An attitude of Gratitude is critical to cultivate, not deprivation thinking, or feeling we are missing out. We are missing nothing, and gaining everything.

[RunningCourage]

Newbies Nest

Struggles - I'm day 3. Lola is spot on. I drank cos I was down but drinking made me way more depressed. Life IS clearer, sharper, and if I am feeling down - and I, as many others I'm sure, can sometimes do - then at least I know it is not the drink and can look to deal with it. Really deal with it. Not plaster it with booze. I look back at times when I was particularly down and the common thing with each and every time (apart from when me gran died when I was 10!) was how much more I was drinking. But not really understanding why i was down, or drinking so much.

I'm tired of just being down. Of working hard to battle hangovers and guilt and feeling low and shame .... Is it not, perhaps, easier not to drink than to keep drinking? As K9 says.

The magic can happen. The magic will happen. Now tell me, who are the magicians?

[New Day]

Newbies Nest

Good day nesters.......reading the posts that I missed while asleep, and I will take hold of the "Gratitude" attitude. I like that rather than thinking I'm being deprived, which is always how I feel when I try to diet!.....and you know what happens then....What you can't have is what you want....LOL!

Also looking forward to a happier outlook on life.......and already the whites of my eyes are looking much better......they would actually hurt from being so bloodshot.

Starting day 2. Why is it so difficult to get to sleep? I take melatonin, and valerian and toss and turn for 2 or 3 hours. But did end up with a decent sleep after that.....not straight through, but it never was for me. Feeling fine this morning and ready for day 2

Wll be looking for "next, please", as well....missed you last night.....I suppose because of the time difference.

[almost free]

Newbies Nest

Hi Andrew, Struggles, New Day

Good luck, and just keep trying (and re-trying) with the rest of us newbies. Keep posting with us, whether things are going well or not. It will help you and it will help the rest of us, too. Just starting Day 3 myself. For the hundreth time. Still amazed at how sick, shaky and exhausted I still feel. I just went out for an early morning smoke, and was amazed how unsteady on my feet I felt. I felt almost tipsy, but really was just that weak, still.

The shakes are the worst. I still have a picture of Jack Lemmon, in Days of Wine and Roses, being strapped down to a gurney, in sweating agony, after being tempted to relapse. God what we go through, over and over again! I've drank many many times to quell the shakes, I've also done it for no damn reason at all, when I'm feeling so great, I just know I can handle it ok, this time. Such is the sickness of this disease.

I think Lolab is right. I'm trying to cultivate an attitude of gratitude that I will be free of this hell, instead of always feeling deprived of what I perceive as all the good things we are being sold on the commercials. The fun, the glamour. That went a long time ago.

I like Kuya's comparison, for us, to drinking embalming fluid, everytime we lift a glass.

Good luck to others in their first difficult days, RC, and thanks for your inspiration Patrick.

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good morning Nesters,

I am up to my eyeballs with toddlers today
I never would have been able to watch my grandkids like this if I was still drinking. I made a choice - my grandkids over AL!

Find something that is important to you & use that as your motivator like I diid Yes, the first few days are difficult but so what???

Struggles, have you seen your Doc? Sounds like you could use a little medical assistance for a few days to detox. If you keep drinking to stop the shakes you are not breaking the cycle. Please do yourself a favor & see your Doc.

Wishing everyone strength & a sense of gratitude for every day we don't drink.
Lav

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Morning Nesters! Well done to all...there's no question, those first 3 days are the hardest...Just filling the time and the mind with something else that occupied it for so long was my challenge.

I keep thinking about these holiday parties and such...I wondered why was I not concerned about them? What was different about me than some others here? Besides the obvious answer, TIME, I think that it's something else. Worry implies that I might have a choice at these parties. Yes, I'm worried that I'll eat too much, but I AM NOT WORRIED THAT I WILL DRINK. If I were diabetic, I wouldn't be worried about a party, I just wouldn't eat the sugary stuff...If I had a peanut allergy, same thing, I'd avoid (vigorously) those things that have peanuts. This is no different...I'm not worried about holiday parties because I've taken the option to drink OFF the table. It is NOT an option for me. If you take that piece out of the equation, I'll bet you'll fiind some peace, too. Drinking ONE drink is not possible. So eliminate that whole thought process and see what happens. No. Just NO! Don't give yourself any wiggle room on this. Am I a hardliner? Yes. I do not tempt the Gods of AL! If you find yourself going to a party, get your head in a mindset. No AL! It does the job for me....and I'm no different than you. Hope it helps....Byrdie