Newbies Nest

[Lostinspace]

Newbies Nest

Hi all! Thank you for your thoughts!

albinomonkey - Congrats on day three! You may want to check out both the holistic thread and the meds thread (Topamax, Campral, Etc., sorry, I forget exactly how it’s worded, but it’s listed on the main board). There’s lots of good advice to be had.

LearningOne - Congrats on sticking it out!

Sarah - you’ll be there soon, too, as will I. Don’t give up!

available - Congratulations on your 200 days! Not to sound creepy, but I’ve been a lurker on this site for longer than I’d like to admit, and I’ve seen you around before you were able to get it together. Very happy for you.

Byrdie - I’m so sorry to hear about your friend. That is a very difficult situation. I wish you both the best.

[j-vo]

Newbies Nest

Byrdie,
I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. And thank you for unselfishly using a story of someone who is close to you and making an example out of her even though it's damn hard for you, her, her family, son...
We don't think of things like that. We only think of ourselves and that we feel bad that we can drink or poor me, I can't do this or that. We can do anything the next person can do and more because our bodies are not being poisoned. We're blessed. We're the lucky ones. Yep, once that poison is out of your system, your body begins to heal and it's time to enjoy what we can in life.

I'll be praying for you, your friend and friend's family (especially her son) praying for strength, courage, hope, and comfort.

[Dottie Belle]

Newbies Nest

Brydie thanks for sharing the sad story.
Having a bad day today and my thoughts turned to AL but your story put things in a different perspective for sure.
Hope your friend get the treatment she needs.

[Marylou123]

Newbies Nest

Brydie,

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your friend. And, AMEN sister to QUIT & STAY quit!

Ava -- huge congrats to you.

Welcome to all the newbies -- this is a wonderful, safe place to get AF, get healthy and be able to face life head on (like Byrdie!). I'm coming up on five months and I am so grateful to the friends I've made here. One day I'll write my missive, but I used butt Velcro to stay glued here DAILY for my first 90 days.

Have a wonderland AF MAE all!

Mary Lou

[LearningOne]

Newbies Nest

Day Two done. It was very difficult but it's done and I feel good about it. ODAT

[j-vo]

Newbies Nest

LearningOne and all Newbies,
Nothing of value comes easy. It takes a long time to see results with a physical workout program. It takes time to see results of a Non-Al program. But the good thing is that you see growth all the time, starting with day one, in different areas. This week, it might be relief of the poison coming out of your system. Next week, it may be doing something you haven't done in a long time, and so on. There are great milestones and I'm not talking about counting days. It's when we realize we're feeling good physically, when we see new sights and enjoy them, when we experience things through sober minds and bodies, when we get up daily without a hangover. I could go on forever with the benefits. I'm sure there's a thread with how many good things come with sobriety. Recognize them in your life. There will be many daily. This can be a your gratitude list. It can really be a special thing.

[Sarah42]

Newbies Nest

Lavande;1673130 wrote: Good morning Nesters & Happy Hump day

CONGRATS on your 200 AF days Ava :wd:
Stay as proud as you are today & continue your AF lifestyle forever!

Sarah, St John's Wort will make you & your skin sensitive sunlight. I know this from personal experience. The benefits outweigh the risks though in my estimation. Do you possibly have a real allergy to the herb?

Greetings Pav, Petrel & everyone!
Have a great AF day!

Lav

Hey Lav! Emmm..it sort of looks like a type of Pityriasis Rosea after research. It's not itchy or anything...just ugly. But it started "I think" once I started taking SJW. I think I might try a Benedryl before going to bed to just see if it clears up a little.

Love, Sarah

[Sarah42]

Newbies Nest

wagmore;1673171 wrote: Cherokeer, Juja, Lav, Sarah42 - thanks for your additional comments re: memory and forgetfulness. I hadn't thought of hormones. I haven't hit menopause yet but am old enough that I've sorta started watching for hormonal changes. I guess I'll just relax and not worry about it unless it gets a lot worse.

Wag- I'm only 43 but menopause started for me at 41. It alarmed me at first until I found out it sort of runs in the family. No menstral cycle at all anymore, but the hot flashes, beginnings of memory loss and some other irritating things started happening at 42. Not enough to be on hormones yet, but I imagine I might have to be at some point.:l

love, Sarah

[Pavati]

Newbies Nest

Hi, Everyone:

Sarah - my anxiety was GREATLY reduced by quitting drinking. You may find the same. Good luck with the Benadryl...

Hang tight, newbies. Quitting alcohol is TOUGH. Stay focused on the prize. If you're tempted to drink, remember the last most embarassing time you had, the hangover that made you feel so awful, the waking at 3 in the morning with guilt, shame and regret. No drink is worth it. One of my favorite sayings from here is "If only one, why not none?" What is the point in ONE drink? Who here stops at ONE drink?? It is so much easier to take the choice off the table completely - end the bargaining, the "what ifs," the "but THIS is a special occasion..." Not true, just your lizard brain trying to get the best of you.

It actually IS true that it will take a while for you to feel "normal" again, but it is also true that even that "flat" and bored feeling will lift, and your life will be so much better. Head down, keep walking. Hang on tight to those who have come before.

xo
Pav

[Ginger999]

Newbies Nest

MAE everyone.... I just got back from my trip so will need to read back to catch up. I love seeing new names on this thread! Good stuff here if you are still lurking, it's time to join. Thanks to this site and all the MWO peeps here, I'm on day 45 AF! Woot woot.... couldn't have done it without all the support here at MWO! Thanks

[available]

Newbies Nest

Byrd i am so sorry about your friend and am sending you big hugs. believe me supporting someone through this sober is a hell of a lot easier than doing it with a hangover. My FIL died of a brain tumour within 3 months of diagnosis and i would go and sit with him then go home and wipe myself out and cope with 4 children. I wish now that i had of been sober with all my heart to give him the best of me but we cant take back the past and i was the only way i knew how to cope. I am sending you 200 hugs Byrd to keep your strength up.

I see people in hospital daily with ailments due to al and i always thought it could never happen to me. why would i think that? I was no better than these patients. It is a game of russian roulette when we drink so the obvious is not to drink.

Lost are you stalking me lol. Yes i have been around for years but never making a concerted effort to stop drinking until now and i wish i had stopped in 2011 but alas no. Fast forward to today and i recommend not drinking to all on this site. Bite the bullet and dont pussy foot around with giving up, just do it, put up with the withdrawals, the cravings, the headaches, the insomnia, the whatever it is you go through as when you get on the other side the view is spectacular. I seen what hell looked like and now i see what the other side looks like and its a much nicer place to be viewing life from.

well suppose i had better do some work. Thinking of you all

[Sarah42]

Newbies Nest

Pav- wonderful post and thanks! I know you are right! I've always had anxiety, but I do think AL has contributed to it.

albino- I like L-Glutamine for the cravings. Baclofen scares the bejezees out of me after I read all the side effects, etc. You can get L-Glut and SJW on Amazon as they are just supplements...not prescriptions.

Byrdie- sigh...so sorry for what you are going thru. I love ya so much and just hate this is happening to you and your friend and her son. I will say prayers for all involved.

j-vo- I SO get what you said about menopause LOL...it sucks getting older. I also totally need to buy some decent tennis shoes so I can start walking every night. Now that I had my perio 'bad' stuff out of the way today, I might get me some shoes next week and 'try this thing again'. Thanks for the inspiration!

I'm not getting any younger, and I know, realistically, that I have got to make the decision to change my entire lifestyle. My house literally looks like a pharmacy (hubby's meds too) and I am starting to get sick of it all.

Thanks to everyone again!

love,

Sarah

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

Very sorry to hear about your friend Byrdie. Sometimes it's hard to predict outcomes & the docs don't want to raise everyone's hopes too much. I think everyone involved in her case should be thinking positively though - it will help her immensely!!!

Sarah, I have had to limit my exposure to harsh sunlight because of the SJW & also because I am on progesterone as part of my HRT. They both cause sensitivity to sunlight. BUT, at this point, I wouldn't attempt to live without them I really like Jergens ultra healing shea butter lotions for skin issues - very helpful.

Welcome to the newest newbies! stick with us - we will help you meet your goals
Wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[peppersnow]

Newbies Nest

Cherokeer;1673024 wrote:
Brand New- I thought I was the only one who guzzled a bottle of wine so when the hubs got home the new bottle looked like I was just pouring my first glass. I'm so glad I don't have to expend all that energy anymore to hide my shame.

I'm the only one who drank vodka or gin, and I had an entire system down solid. I kept an empty bottle hidden in the china cabinet. On days/evenings when I knew I'd put a solid dent in a liter bottle to the extent that my husband would notice it if he opened the cabinet to get the brandy and sour after work (his 1 drink), before he got home I'd take the empty vodka bottle out of hiding, fill it with water up to the original level from the previous day, and then hide the real booze in the china cabinet. My DH never drinks vodka or gin, which is why it was my drink of choice -- he'd never notice that those bottles were filled with water. There was one time when when condensation accumulated inside the water-filled bottle and he asked about that, so after that point I added the step of emptying the water-filled bottles every night and refilling. And that was just ONE of my systems!

With the energy, planning and problem-solving skills we devoted to concealing our drinking, just think what we could accomplish sober if we ever all got together and took over the U.N . -- or the U.S. Congress!

[peppersnow]

Newbies Nest

Ava - way to go on those 200 days!!! Your stories about reconciling with your kids and their forgiveness of you have been incredibly inspiring and motivating for me, especially early on. I'm so happy for you and what you've gained!

Byrdlady;1673247 wrote: Life slips away talking about doing it 'soon' or maybe tomorrow....the next thing you know another month has passed and we are just exactly where we were....stuck in addiction. Just do it. Byrdie
Ditto -- I could never say it better than Byrdie did. That should be re-posted every damn day so that everyone who's here regularly, visiting occasionally or lurking gets that message. Don't wait - just do it.

albinomonkey;1673243 wrote: Hi guys, i'm new to this forum, i'm only on day 3 so far but already feeling a lot better! I'm enjoying reading all of the forums!

Are there any meds that you would recommend? I've read about St John's Wart for anxiety and Baclofen to stop craving, does anyone know where to get them from in the UK or would you recommend anything else?

Thanks in advance!

Welcome, monkey, and way to charge through to Day 3!! The best supplement I've found to support me through the first weeks (and I still take it) is L-Glutamine. It helps to calm down the newly sober nervous system, which in my case was blasting away like fireworks without the usual dose of AL. It's not a magic bullet, but I found those first days and weeks more manageable with it than without it. L-Glutamine also reduces cravings for sugar....and the grand-daddy of all sugars is AL. MWO also recommends Kudzo to help minimize cravings, but the first time I quit I noticed that cravings began to come back when my L-glut ran out. Maybe that was all in my head, but I've got 2 back-up jars on hand at all times this time around.

Also, great job Lost, on making it to Day 2! :goodjob:

Cheers to all!