Newbies Nest

[little beagle]

Newbies Nest

Evening all.
Thanks LC for that repost about deserving a drink. I deserve to feel the best I can every day. The only way that happens for me is to not drink.
I've been having a rough week work wise, the week after holiday is harder. All the extra company makes cleaning harder, but I am up to the challenge. No hangover, no lingering anxiety, I am well rested.
Byrdie that post from fb was inspiring. I really have started to live more for myself each day. I am ready to give up trying to get someone to change. I am starting to realize sobriety is a choice we each make. It cannot be forced, only nurtured.
K9 good choice on the smoking thing. Vanity or whatever, not smoking is wonderful.
Gardener I had a really hard time my first 30 days. That was a tough time, but it got easier after that.
Have a good one all.

[aclassicgirl]

Newbies Nest

Day 5 complete! Friday is looming, but I have more volunteer commitments. And at this early stage, I'm fine with pushing back the inevitable confrontations or I guess invitations for a drink. Yuck! I shouldn't think that far into the future. But need a plan for saying No. Will practice it in the mirror!!

[illyria]

Newbies Nest

Hi I'm illyria. I've been trying to stop drinking on and off for a couple of years. I tend to get to two weeks, and go back to it. I get anxiety which could be construed as alcohol cravings. I'm not sure how much denial I've got happening here.

Anyway I thought I better put a bit more effort in apart from a note on the fridge: No Sugar! No coffee! No alcohol! ... Got myself some campral today, been to a smart meeting and getting a counsellor. I am fairly certain the campral is helping already otherwise I'm loving the placebo effect!

Say its day 14 since I've been serious, I drank 3/4 bottle wine on day 12 and 1/4 on day 13, so I'm not withdrawing or hungover in any major way. This forum has been great in these early days!

[Pavati]

Newbies Nest

MAE, Nesters.

Welcome, Illyria. I got a counselor and got serious just four days ago after a disaster of a Thanksgiving holiday (that included plenty of alcohol-induced anx. It felt like such a relief to stop fighting the battle of "moderation." I know that I have a looonnggg way to go, but MWO will be key in my journey, for sure.

64 – Welcome back, and great on 13 days. I’m behind you now – only on day four. Let’s keep it that way, ok (I mean me always behind you as we both rack up days, not me always on day 4 ☺).

Dave, I agree with Byrdie - that light explanation should definitely go in the tool box. If that was just a stop by, I can't wait for the Sunday posts!

Today I kept encountering places and events that would normally make me want alcohol - a hard conversation, a looong day at work and with the boys, my husband having a beer with dinner, almost Friday (well, almost Friday here in the US), etc.. I would get a rush of adrenaline and brace for the cravings but... they never came! It was such a relief and made me realize two things - I am worried about when the inevitable cravings will come and how I will handle them; and I am still pleasantly relieved to be alcohol free even after four days, even after I don't feel like death warmed over, any more (although I do still feel cloudy and not quite myself).

So - plan in place for the weekend. Keep eating and sleeping well, stay close to MWO, phone appt. with therapist Friday, dinner with DH and a more in-depth conversation on Friday, exercise and fresh air. I am grateful for all of you and wish I could reply to you all. Thanks so much!

[Pavati]

Newbies Nest

PS - Excuse the extreme typos in previous post. I am too lazy to fix them right now.

Byrdie - thanks for finding that - it was powerful.

Cat and LuckyFlower - thanks for stopping by.

Welcome GottaQuit!

[DreamThinkDo]

Newbies Nest

MAE Nesters

Sad day here, with the death of Nelson Mandela - Sahla kakuhle, Ntate.

Coffee is ready when you want and need it, so help yourself - you know it stays fresh and hot the whole day long!


Have a good AF Friday, Nesters!

[Gottaquit]

Newbies Nest

Just got up and have an, 'Oh what did I do to myself' moment. So, with that in mind.....I commit to not drinking today! Will let you know what happens. Thanks for the lovely 'welcomes' you guys! Here goes day one!!..............

[available]

Newbies Nest

You can do it Got. After 6 days I wake up thinking "oh god what did i do" and believe it or not I did nothing, just slept fitfully and dreamt some weird dreams. You will feel good in a few days.

DTD it is a very sad day indeed, he was an inspiration to the world. We have had a lot of coverage on this wonderful human being.

[DreamThinkDo]

Newbies Nest

MAE again, Nesters

Lucky, well done on each of those 50 days! roud:

Gotta, Illyria - welcome to the Nest; it's a great place to be. Post, read, tell us what's on your mind - you will always find somebody here to support you.

Classic, you're doing so well. Your plan of having an excuse (or more) is a good one. Antibiotics, losing weight, not drinking just for the month, having lost a bet and so cannot drink for a month, giving your liver a rest (this one got me a lot of laughs:H:H), on a health kick - anything that will get you out of having "just a glass".

Avail, I also drive a garbage truck - and you should see what its parking space looks like....I

It's Friday today, and I remember how scared I was about facing an entire weekend without my favourite sauvignon blanc. Not being able to sit outside, watching the mountains change colour as the sun sets, not popping into the pub for "just the one" with the usual crowd, not lighting a fire with glass in hand for the week-end braai - well, the list is a long one. I can't remember what I did that weekend (and I'm way too lazy to search back here to see what I did. Somehow, I managed to do it, and now, when I look back, I have to laugh at myself - it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Try to kick those scared thoughts out of your mind, and plan something really nice for the weekend. Do as much or as little as you want. Go to a place you'd like to visit but never did because you'd either be too drunk to drive, or because it would eat into your drinking time. Clean the house. Paint - a wall, or a picture, or your nails, whatever. Spend time with the kids. Or just do nothing - when you still drank, you probably did nothing anything, apart from pouring yourself yet another glass. Go ahead - spoil yourself. Get through the first weekend, and the second one will be so much easier - promise. (Do you want to see the t-shirt I got for that? :H) Do anything, except buying into the "I deserve a drink after a long hard week" argument. You deserve a good time, not a drunken time.

Have a fabulous AF Friday, Nesters.

[OlgadaPolga]

Newbies Nest

Morning, everyone! Or should I say MAE?!

Dave: I love your Christmas lights analogy, especially as last night I decorated our tree and had to untangle the lights.

This place is an inspiration, truly. I know I can have lovely weekends without alcohol, as for a long time after losing weight a few years ago I did low carb and that included being abstinent. But somehow the old ways crept back, and spiralled out of control faster than ever before. I'm interested to see there's a thread about sugar too. I know sugar is a problem for me as well. But at the moment I'm just going one day at a time and focusing on getting AL out of my life. I will go back to low carb eventually as I know it suits me but it's too much to do it all at once.

Thanks for the tip about vitamin D3. I will get some I think (and some daylight!!)

Day five for me. Yay!

[STEADFAST]

Newbies Nest

M/A/E and Happy Weekend, Nesters!

Dave, like others, i love your Christmas lights concept; it's a beauty!

So it's the weekend: Put on your AF shoes, your AF coat, and your AF hat and ENJOY! (Oh, and AF underwear is great too.)

love,
Steady

[moretoit]

Newbies Nest

well here I am again, my brother past two months ago, I have been drowning in wine since, this is not something I am able to accept, not sure what to do, I know I have to accept that I have a problem with drinking, what do I do, before it was easy or easier, now it is so hard to stop drinking, please tell me how or what to do, simply to stop drinking is not it, I know I have to stop any good ideas out there, sending a life line

[little beagle]

Newbies Nest

Welcome Illyria.
Moretoit I am sorry for your loss. My ideas for not drinking include staying close to MWO, reading, posting and reading in the toolbox for ways to get through the difficult first days of being af.
This is a wonderful supportive place that can completely change your life if you let it work. Relax and know you have friends who will help you.
Do I am sorry this world lost such a wonderful force of good. I personally compare him to Gandhi. Both very influential people in my life.
The world cries at this loss.

[illyria]

Newbies Nest

Hi moretoit. Hope you're ok. I'm new here too. It sounds like you're grieving. I think that makes anything harder. Some people here might have some tips. Take it easy.

[moretoit]

Newbies Nest

little beagle and illyria thank you so much for your kind words, no I am not okay, I have chosen to pretend my brothers passing did not happen, when my Mom passed it was difficult to accept, but Dennis is only 11 months older than me, should I go to grief counselling??