Newbies Nest

[allankay]

Newbies Nest

Londoner;1599545 wrote: Feeling so ANGRY today.

I've suddenly cut all hyper stimulation from my life and my brain wants stimulation.

Feeling luck punching brick walls down. Guess that's what you get when you live a horrible life just for a couple of weeks.

Londoner,

I really don't understand this. I felt the complete opposite. When I was drinking I was numb and understimulated as you say. Now I lead an active / cultured lifestyle.

Things you may want to try:

- Go speed dating (yes by yourself). Incredible adrenaline rush
- Running (feels incredible post run)
- Join a few groups on meetup.com
- play footie or whatever your sport is. If you don't have people to play with go on meetup.com
- Join BlaBlaCar.com and book a room on airbnb and you can travel somewhere new every weekend on a low budget.
- Try new foods / cook something from a recipe book

Possibilities are endless, your mind set needs to change though. You are not depriving yourself, you are being liberated, you just need to see it.

I have done a million new things since giving up the bottle. Where as before it was the same old story.

Act 1 - Get drunk
Act 2 - Hook up
Act 3 - Regret

Allan

[Dottie Belle]

Newbies Nest

MAE all,
Feel really dopey today..guess it is all the drugs they gave me in the ER last night. I have got to figure this out. It is getting expensive to drop into the ER so often...I have insurance but I still pay quite a bit for each "visit". Always something...
Tomortow morning dh has stress test and i see cardiologist for the irregular heart thing..it will be an all morning thing so I am taking my little tablet with me...cant type at all on my phone...and I have mindless games on the tablet...
None of what is going on is pushing me to drink...that would be really bad with all the meds and the not knowing what I am allergic to....bad but good at the same time...
Home all day and it is snowing again...just going to take it easy....this is not what retirement is supposed to be.....;-((

[Londoner]

Newbies Nest

Cheers Allan

[little beagle]

Newbies Nest

Dessi glad you stopped lurking and are going to join in on the fun.
MS glad to see you again. I hope you are doing alright.
Allen I love that list of things to do instead of drinking. I might just have to check out a few of them.
Available, I love the photos. Very beautiful. You must be so proud.

[available]

Newbies Nest

MAE all

London be strong you can do this, Allan had some great ideas but i will pass on the footy thing, way too old for that.

Elvis so glad you had a great holiday and a sober one. Come over to Aus so you can keep wearing the summer clothes although 40celcius on Thursday is going to be a killer as it is our first really hot day. Melbourne seems to throw clangers at us weatherwise.

Dot I hope you feel better soon and the specialist finds out the problem you have. Hugs.

LB how is your doggy? God my dogs are my life, i have a 10 year old that is epileptic and on meds. Sometimes i forget to give them to her and she fits and i feel so bad but otherwise she is fat and well. Did you talk to the family? I hope that went ok and did not stress you too much.

Welcome newbies, stay close.

I went on a mod thread last night not knowing it was a mod thread and the al brain went into overdrive. The thoughts of "oh i could do that, blah blah blah. It took forever, well seemed forever to say to myself that modding has never ever worked at all over the years so why would this time be different. I talked to my son and thought why would i drink when my children are so proud of me now. We all need to stay on our toes with al and i have to be careful on what threads i click onto obviously.

Well glad to see everyone is doing so well. Hi to Lav and Byrd, Lav you can have your cold I am afraid, i have never been anywhere that cold. -3 does it for me.

Day 17 here and today i will not drink.

[Yourfriend6116]

Newbies Nest

Hey all--Just checking in. I love reading about everyone's journey. I'm 2 days AF. I ordered baclofen and am counting the days till it arrives. I'm going to try my best to stay AF until it arrives. Fingers crossed

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Dottie, that dopey feeling is a Benadryl hangover - unfortunately!
I have developed many allergies as an adult, things keep getting worse in that department. Many experts believe it could be due to the GMO crops we are pushed to eat
I'm better eating organic, non-processed foods which in turn means more expensive, more time in the kitchen but fewer allergy symptoms

LB, how are you today?

available, an extra cold & extra snowy winter has been predicted around here - I think they may be on to something!

Keep your focus Yourfriend - day 2 is great!

Londoner, what's the plan now? Fill us in

Damn, the national weather service just texted another winter storm advisory - there's no escaping this :H :H

[Overit44]

Newbies Nest

Howdy nesters. Day 1 again. It's OK, well no it's not but at least I'm honest. I thought about not bringing it up but I respect you all greatly and the hard work you've put into your sobriety. I feel like sh!t and my drinking is definitely escalating each time. So, here I go again. Thanks for always being here when I drag myself back.

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Lav, you should move.

Londoner, I'm so sorry you are in a dark place. I tell you, the transformation in the non drinking Londoner to the drinking Londoner is profound. It is amazing the effect that AL has on the ALK brain. I sat here one night and watched someone rationalize having a drink....they needed to relax and unwind....take the edge off! You name it, this person was saying how she could handle it and now that she had AF time she just wanted to relax and not think about it. By the end of that evening, this person was nearly suicidal. I'm not kidding, it was scary to see the effects first hand of what AL does to us. For someone who was dranking to relax, she was the picture of paranoia and anxiety!! That showed me first hand how our minds think. But I will also tell you this...it only takes a day or two to start feeling 100% better! Gaining control of your mind and your thoughts is one of the toughest parts of this battle. Having the feeling that we are constantly missing out dooms us to failure. I am so happy that I'm not tied to a bottle any more! When I go out I do not feel deprived or like I have scabies or cooties...I feel GOOD...I feel COOL! I feel like I finally 'get it'. If you take a look at your drinking friends, what are they gaining by drinking? Really...name one thing. Camaraderie? You can do that just by being there and participating. Relaxing? Is it relaxing to make an ass of yourself and not remember it the next day? Do they deserve it? No longer do I consider AL a reward. To me, it is a death sentence...I may as well pour gasoline on myself and strike a match, the only difference is that gasoline is faster. I know you've heard it before, but if there was ANY WAY that I could go back 25 years and get AL out at that point, I'd do it! You WILL not miss it once you get some distance! I would give anything to have that kind of a do-over. You have that opportunity. Or you can fight it like I did and be here in 25 years wondering where your life went. Sorry to be blunt, but that's how it happens. Take control of your thoughts and actions and get AL the hell out of your life. You will never regret one day of it! But I regret every day that included AL. We are pulling for you.

Yourfriend, great to see you! Day 2 is tremendous!! We're so glad you're here!

Hoping everyone has an easy afternoon!! xo, Byrdie

Welcome

[Yourfriend6116]

Newbies Nest

overit44--thanks for your honesty. it's great. Thanks for everyone's great words.

[mauritiusdodo]

Newbies Nest

Hi nesters I am sober today and thankful - I have been managing a couple of days A.F each week so a marked improvement but I still don't have much control on the days I do drink - am usually just over a bottle of white a night which I am not happy with, I have decided I need to come back in here for inspiration and hopefully support from you lovely people I am off to bed now but going to check in and do some reading in the morning.

[Londoner]

Newbies Nest

The plan is to get this out of my system before Christmas. Got a couple of nights out with the 'lads' - and then I'm going to get my act together from then on. No New Year's party this year.

[NoSugar]

Newbies Nest

Londoner;1599677 wrote: The plan is to get this out of my system before Christmas. Got a couple of nights out with the 'lads' - and then I'm going to get my act together from then on. No New Year's party this year.

I don't think you can get an addiction "out of your system", Londoner. You've conducted this experiment several times since I've met you and each one has been an epic fail, leaving you even lower than you were before - eating in a way that makes you feel worse, not exercising, not working.

If you go back and read your post-drinking posts, maybe you'll be able to talk yourself out of these nights you have planned. I'm more than old enough to be your mom so this probably sounds like a lecture by someone who is totally out of touch. That may be true but I am really concerned you are going to get you self to an even worse state than you've been in recently. And there always is a risk of overdosing, choking on your own vomit, a traffic accident... you name it.

You know what you need to do, Londoner, and you've done it before. Please don't do this to yourself between now and Christmas with thoughts that things will be different at the New Year. I really don't think they will unless you are ready to stop thinking and acting like you are now.

I'm sorry this sounds harsh - I'm taking the risk of writing and posting this because I care about you.

NS

[Londoner]

Newbies Nest

I know you're looking out for me NS, and I appreciate the words.

I was thinking to myself that the New Year will be no different unless I actually put a plan in place today. I was reading a story earlier about a drug addict who would go through the cycle of not touching for 2 weeks and then binging. And then every month, then every two months until they fell back into the pattern. All of a sudden they just stopped. The one thing that was interesting was that they thought they were a drug addict, but they were an alcoholic. AL would lead to drugs.

My brain is in a battle. I have put financial strain on myself because of wreckless nights out. I'm thinking to just get over it before Xmas and then start afresh come Xmas day. Sort my life out - fitness, work etc. I can't get any worse off financially and I don't have to communicate with anyone until I go back to work in the New Year.

[NoSugar]

Newbies Nest

So why not just jump in and DO IT AT ALL COSTS right now? There is no perfect day 1 and in my opinion, the first of the year is a particularly bad one because if you don't succeed, it is a long, long, time until then next obvious "perfect day to start". I think it is 17 December where you are - what a nice innocuous day to give meaning to by making it your final day 1. Or, if you last drank on Saturday/Sunday, perhaps 16 December is day 1. Don't make a big deal of when and don't engage with the addicted part of your brain on the subject. That voice will never let up and it isn't going to see anything special about 1/1/14. Getting rid of that internal war is a bigger high than you can imagine, Londoner.

Take care of yourself, friend. NS