Newbies Nest

[lead366]

Newbies Nest

Wow---four months!...Great Job DTD...your well on your way...Im far back from you but will use your wisdom as my goal. Its easier now and I am settling into being AF ---knowing its so smart, environmentally correct, cheaper by a mile and the true way to generate great sleep and a genuine smile

Did you have crave points at 30-60-90 days?

What should I look out for?

Im pretty isolated -----just minding my diet, not going out, and daily moderate exercise.

[Dottie Belle]

Newbies Nest

Mae all,
Yep four more paws in the house..he is so shy and scared..he was taken from a hording situation and been in foster care for 6 months. We put him in a crate with his blanked and a peanut butter filled toy. The girls are checking him out..we will introduce him gradually.
Yep I am crazy!!!

[Marylou123]

Newbies Nest

Congrats on the new addition Dottie! What's his name?

[Dottie Belle]

Newbies Nest

Maddie..they called him Madison but I like Maddie...sounds more masculine...for a dog anyway.

[Sarah42]

Newbies Nest

Dottie Belle;1627773 wrote: MAE all,
DTD thanks for the lego's...just love them..
Speaking of something to do, we saw a dog at the event we went to yesterday and are going back to day to take a second look. So we might have 4 doggies before the day is out...That will keep me busy walking them when the darn snow melts...
Got yet more snow last night...but it is supposed to hit 50 later this week...WooHoo..heat wave!!
I am finding the longer I am AF the easier it is to ignore the situations that drove me to drink in the past.. not that they dont still bug me but I am developing other coping skills that I have been sorely lacking....time to get it together I guess...

Dottie- Congrats on your new baby! You mentioned developing other coping skills, and I was hoping you could share some of those? Thanks and have fun with the pups!! Sarah

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

That's a lot of doggies Dottie - good luck with him & the rest

DTD, sorry I didn't notice this morning - CONGRATS on your 4 AF months :wd:
Makes such a huge difference, don't you think?

Sarah, developing new coping skills is paramount to our success. Go thru the Tool box & you will read pages about that. I found it helpful in the very beginning to distract myself, stop a thought dead in it's tracks, redirect myself & my thoughts....that sort of thing. Writing a gratitude list is a big help, still is, really
Always remember to jump on MWO for support! Someone is almost always online, sometimes all you have to do is immerse yourself in a thread for a while - great distraction!

Wishing everyone a safe & cozy night in the nest!

Lav

[Dottie Belle]

Newbies Nest

Sarah I think Lav covered coping very well...also I am getting back into cooking. I have been reading and trying out new recipes. I have been walking on the treadmill and reading a book. Also I post here every day, even if it is just little things in my life it helps me to be connected to like minded folks who understand my issues better than I would have ever imagined.

[Bastet]

Newbies Nest

DTD wow congratulations on 4 months! That is truly something to be proud of!

I am wondering if there comes a time when it is better not to count days. I know I am proud of the number of days and I know alcohol is never far from mind at this point. I also know we have to always be aware so that the persistent voice of alcohol doesn't sneak in. But is there a time when we just get on with it and know that we don't drink anymore. I am only at 35 days so I know I am still in early days. I was just thinking that I quit smoking after 10 years and barely gave it a thought after a year, is alcohol addiction different? My sister quit drinking 30 years ago and still attends AA meetings and talks about it all the time, it is a real focus in her life. Anyway just curious and wonder if anyone else had thoughts about this.

[Dottie Belle]

Newbies Nest

Bastet I stopped counting days at 5 months but plan to post milestones like 6 months and 200 days when I get there....just my take on it.

[DreamThinkDo]

Newbies Nest

MAE Nesters!

Let's get the show on the road (or start thinking about where to build a road...)



Dottie, great news about number 4! And you share a dog name with Ava

Lead, I was really lucky - I had relatively few cravings. Fleeting thoughts - yes, brutal cravings - rarely. Don't expect them to come at any set points, they are completely random. The worst one I had, for example, was at about 90 days. I was paralysed for a while, it was so bad. Warning lights: HALT (being hungry, angry, lonely, tired). I have to watch my mood - the moment I start feeling down, I want to isolate myself from MWO - and this site is my lifeline. So, keep close and read and post. Keep busy busy busy - hands and mind, eat (and don't worry initially that your meals aren't superhealthy). Drink lots of water. I truly did not think that I would make the 30 day challenge, but the support from everybody here is so incredible and from the heart, that it made my journey a relatively easy one.

Bastet, I stopped counting days after the 30 day challenge - I still had a vague idea in my mind where I was, but would have had to start using my toes and fingers if asked out of the blue! I like Dottie's approach - months and round numbers. But everybody is different - I think that early on counting days is a great motivator, so do that until you don't need that "carrot" any longer.

OK, guess I'd better face Monday... have a lovely AF one, Nesters!

[gracieb]

Newbies Nest

Congratulations on the new doggie, Dottie. Hope he starts feeling at home and settled in soon!

I don't know if it's good for me to count days or not. On one hand it is nice to see them rack up. On the other when they get higher I start to feel some kind of panic, like "Who do I think I am? I don't go this long! I always bottom out at this or that time."

Right now I'm just finishing day 4. So it's such a small number it's hard not to count.

[DreamThinkDo]

Newbies Nest

Gracie, count the early days - give them names - they are so special!

[Sarah42]

Newbies Nest

Such good info here and apologizes to DTD for no congratulations, but my selfish post instead. Very sorry DTD...I totally ENVY you. A true accomplishment you've made!! I hope to follow in your shoes soon.

[Sarah42]

Newbies Nest

Lav- agree. I've been going thru the Toolbox 'again' to help devise my plan. I have a pretty good list to start on my journey, but future coping methods was important to me as well. Thank you for your response!

[DreamThinkDo]

Newbies Nest

Sarah, what selfish post are you talking about? Nonsense - this journey is about you - be as selfish as you wish. Thanks for the congrats. I got there one day at a time - you will too: just have to courage to jump in! It looks scary from the outside in - I was terrified on my first day - but it does get better with time. Giving up the booze is the one thing you'll never ever regret doing.