Newbies Nest

[solista]

Newbies Nest

Moretoit hope your day is going well and the sun comes out.

I am on day 8 now and have been downing hot chocolate like mad lol, it keeps me going. My sleeping issue has pretty much gone away and I now can sleep thru the whole night. Yesterday was rough we had no power for 7 hrs, for some that's not a big deal but here in this country it means no alarms, no cameras monitoring the compound and too much time to sit in a dark room freezing my ass off and having no distractions except for all the noises outside.

I made it through and didn't bust open the wine e en though I really really wanted to calm my nerves and anxiety. Hoping to make it to day 10

[hopeforfuture]

Newbies Nest

is tapering a better idea

Evening all. It is a beautiful evening here in Scotland. I had a good day today and feel a lot let anxious. Managed to get through work and go shopping with my mum after work and made a healthy meal. I have had 2 glasses of wine with dinner and have put the top back on the bottle - bless those screw tops!

I wanted to ask your views about tapering rather than going cold turkey. A bit of history. I have drunk a bottle of wine minimum every night for 25 years plus. In stressful times this creeps up to 2 bottles. I don't drink spirits and don't really like beer but will have the odd shandy if it's a sunny day - not that common in Scotland! My personal life over the last 5 years has been pretty stressful - divorce, bereavement, domestic abuse, new job, house moves etc. I have been taking ADs for many years. Anxiety has peaked in the last 6 months due to an emotionally abusive relationship which has recently ended and my dose of ADs has been doubled. I also have diazepam on hand if I need it but try to avoid taking it if poss.

I am due to go on holiday next week with my mum and have an appointment with an alcohol counsellor set up for early July - I am serious about changing my life around. I planned to go AF today but having done some research I am worried that this might really tip me over the edge. I am planning tapering from today and while on holiday - fortunately I don't really like drinking in hot weather as I have low blood pressure and feel really faint and actually don't enjoy it. Then when I start the alcohol counselling sessions I can go AF with a real plan in place and the support of my counsellor and MWO of course!!! I am also waiting for referral for CBT.

Any advice would be very, very welcome. Hope the sun is shining where you are :thanks:

[Guitarista]

Newbies Nest

Greetings Nester's near and not so far,

Congratulations Peanut on 7 days! Wow wee!

And congratulations Solista on day number 8! Yeeehaw!

You are both BIG Stars!

Day 27. Bring it on!

[Peanut]

Newbies Nest

Thanks G!! But why, at 1:45 in the afternoon am I thinking about wine? Is it because it's friday? Is it because I am performing a boring task, testing samples and my mind is wandering? I'm definitely not hungry. I am a bit tired, as my sleep is pretty messy right now. Why, oh why?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

[Guitarista]

Newbies Nest

Hope. xpost.

What does your doctor say about this. Do you have a doc on board whilst you are giving up the booze?

Best wishes on your journey.

G bloke.

[Guitarista]

Newbies Nest

Peanut;1516904 wrote: Thanks G!! But why, at 1:45 in the afternoon am I thinking about wine? Is it because it's friday? Is it because I am performing a boring task, testing samples and my mind is wandering? I'm definitely not hungry. I am a bit tired, as my sleep is pretty messy right now. Why, oh why?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Most likely because biologically your brain is thinking it is not normal procedure for it to not be running on alcohol. You must put in the AF time to re-wire it so that it re-learns that running on alcohol as a fuel is NOT normal. Push through friend. :goodjob:

Unwasted and Kuya have plenty of info on this.

Keep up the great work.

[Siren136]

Newbies Nest

Peanut;1516904 wrote: Thanks G!! But why, at 1:45 in the afternoon am I thinking about wine? Is it because it's friday? Is it because I am performing a boring task, testing samples and my mind is wandering? I'm definitely not hungry. I am a bit tired, as my sleep is pretty messy right now. Why, oh why?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Your brain is used to using alcohol as fuel, so it thinks it's starving. You know better, so just abide, my friend.

You got this, I swear!

[Unwasted]

Newbies Nest

Peanut,

For more information you might want to read Unchain Your Brain by Smith and Amen. I got it from Amazon. The book goes into great detail about how our brains have changed from alcohol/drugs and how to go about creating new pathways so that the cravings are lessened and replaced with healthy cravings. It takes time, but the important thing to remember at this point (also according to the book) is that once we've crossed the line into addiction there is absolutely no going back - no modding once we've gotten to a certain point.

Right now you're early on, so the association with Friday/Weekends/5p.m. - certain places, people, etc. is strong.

I think reading the book is helpful for anyone no matter what stage of sobriety or addiction we're at.

The two men who wrote it are specialists in brain imaging/addiction. I found it enlightening and a great tool to add to my "how to stay sober" arsenal.

Hope, sorry no idea how to advise you on tapering. It's such a personal decision. For me, it had to be cold turkey, but I'm not really equipped with the expertise to advise you. Really wishing you the best, though.

Wishing everyone here in the nest a safe and sober weekend. Remember, as Byrdie says, Friday is just another day. And, it is so true. Just try to avoid trigger situations and keep your eye on the prize - feeling great and escaping the never ending torture roller coaster ride of addiction.

xx,
UN:l

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Hey Hopefor!
I drank about like you are doing. About a bottle and a half a day and more than that on weekends. When I first got here and decided it was time to stop this madness, I latched on to 2 things that really derailed me. The first was the 'taper' and the second was 'moderation'. Here's why: I KNEW I needed to stop and I had tried many, many times. On my own, I had attempted to go a night without drinking. I hadn't been successful. When I got here and was really serious about it, I was scared...so when I read around the boards and people were tapering, I thought 'this is the way to go'! This way, I won't have to give it up all at once. It'll be like that smoking pill you take where you can still smoke the first week. So I gave it a try. I failed. I think many have tried this and I don't know of many that it's worked for. The problem is, that by the time you have a couple, your judgment goes out the window along with any hope of stopping at the assigned amount. In my humble opinion (and opinions are like fannies, eva'body's got one) the most effective way to stop is cold turkey. If you start to get shaky or overly anxious, you have the meds for that. After 36 hours you should be just fine. I read the other day one person was going to taper down over 6 months, I thought to myself, 'that just ain't happening'. We have an addiction and the only way to beat it is to starve its food supply. Your resolve is strong right now...seize that and use it to your advantage. All of these other ideas that come into our heads about prolonging this is just noise. We call it Addiction Head (Dick Head, for short). I promise you that in a couple days from now you will feel so much better!! The difference is night and day!! Go for it! Get all the AL out of your house! Make that plan as to how you are going to navigate your visit with Mom. Plan for success and you will have it. READ AND POST! You can read back 7 years right here in the Nest....every single situation you can imagine has been addressed in that period of time. Knowledge is power, and when you can recognize what you are feeling is NORMAL, that is very reassuring.
By next week this time, you'll be a full week in! You'll have already had an AF weekend! So you'll be good to go!
Stay strong everyone! Don't give up your quit no matter what and no matter who. A craving only lasts about 15 minutes... outsmart it!
Hugs all, Byrdie

[struggles]

Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters~
Well tonight's the big night of my daughter's concert. I have had nothing to drink and it will be 3 days for me while I am at the concert. I'm still a little anxious, but I have my tools with me, water with lemon, the xanax if I need it, my phone if I need to log on here and read and post in the bathroom and knowing that this will pass. I am still getting the sweats off and on, but not as bad as yesterday and the shakes seem to have gone. Now it seems when I eat food, I get a terrible stomach ache, probably because I never ate and just drank beer ;(

I will try to post when I get home. This will be my first AF weekend in a long time and I am looking forward to being able to spend time with my kids SOBER this weekend and have my boyfriend with us.

Have a happy AF Friday.

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

struggles, I'm so happy for you! I think you are out of the woods! ENJOY your evening! Try to be mindful and grateful that you are in the moment! Take some pictures for us!!! We wanna see your baby!!! Have fun, missy! We'll be right there with you in spirit!! xxoo, Byrdie

[hopeforfuture]

Newbies Nest

Thanks Byrdlady Your words of wisdom are so encouraging. So much so that the half bottle of remaining wine has just gone down the sink! I do have the resolve and I am looking forward to being bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow - going shopping for holiday clothes. Hoping for a good night's sleep.

Tomorrow is a brand new shiny day
Hugs and a good weekend ahead to all.

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

I'm so happy to hear that Hope!!! You will not be sorry! Rest well! We'll see you tomorrow!!

[Tess-2]

Newbies Nest

Hello Nesters,

Today I am wondering about Antabuse. I don't know exactly why. I've made it this far (five months) without meds. Still, others (much stronger than me) had been free of alcohol for longer stretches and then started drinking again. To take up the bottle again would be a death sentence, so I'm wondering if Antabuse is similar to a safety net. And I wonder if it has side effects. Obviously there are miserable "side effects" if alcohol is consumed while on Antabuse (that's the entire point, right?), but I wonder about side effects in general. Maybe I'm doubting myself. I guess I want some sort of "guarantee" that I will never go back to drinking. So... if Antabuse is a "benign" substance that "shores up" one's willpower, maybe it's a good thing? Or a necessary thing??

Any thoughts??

[spiderwoman]

Newbies Nest

Well done on dumping the wine HFF, that is the first instance of you taking control over the alcohol, its gone. I'd kept half an open bottle in the fridge for several days "just in case" - of what I don't know as I'd made up my mind to stop - but that bottle was there. The second it had gone I felt so much stronger and able to resist temptation.

That said, you need to be vigilant all the time. I'm celebrating six months sober this weekend yet today the temptation to go and buy booze was almost irresistable - thank God that's all it was. I went and bought chocolate because that's what I really wanted but if somebody had put a full glass in my hand I would have struggled not to succumb

The moment (day) has passed not and I know I'll be OK tomorrow, its been a long painful memory on another level today but its taught me I will need to be careful for the foressable.