Newbies Nest

[available]

Newbies Nest

Kensho i am one happy camper to read when i woke up that you did not drink. Sleep, well it took me weeks and weeks to finally start sleeping okay but i put the al into my body so i just thought to myself that it will take time for me to heal inside and out. I napped when i could and even 15 minutes is better than nothing. i would come home from work and sleep as i knew i would be awake at 1am so may as well sleep beforehand. Proud of you!

Lav why are you on Tuesday? Are you having a ground hog week? When i read that i thought OMG its not Thursday at all. Thank god i was sober to realise the error of your ways! xx

Daisy lovely, i had a chuckly that if we waited for a sober day we would never stop. Very wise words.

Weary there is never a good day to stop drinking. A friend on MWO said to me just the other day that he could not believe i stopped drinking on the 1st December when December has to be the absolute worst month of the year to stop drinking with all the celebrations but after waking up everyday and thinking i would stop, i had a kind word off NS that maybe it was time to actually stop, so after thinking about that for a couple of days i decided 1st December it would be and now 7 months later and with a lot of posting on here, cravings, urges, thinking i could moderate (but not trying as i have successfully failed at that before) i consider myself sober. I do not drink anymore, i dont want to drink anymore and my life is now mine. It is not al's, it is all mine. If you put in the hard work the results are fantastic and as all of will testify, it is not easy but being honest and accountable to here and yourself, you will not fail.

Mom great work for not getting that bottle, i also would drive home and think who would know, whats a bottle, just one is better than 2. The thing is I WOULD KNOW, i would be back in that bottle quicker than i could hang a load of washing out! I felt proud to walk away from that, well i think i ran but ahhh whatever.

PIE and MOM i know i posted this on the roll call but i am really proud of your efforts and contributions this week in your first week of being AF. I know the first week is really really hard and just getting through all those days is a huge achievement to us addicted to al. No one realises the struggles except for us fellow drinkers so from the Nesters to you and on behalf of our cherished Byrd

:moon:

This moon meant the world to me in my first week of being af as i never in my life thought i could do a whole week. So proud of you guys and keep up the great work of being af.

[KENSHO]

Newbies Nest

Though very distracted by client meetings and calls, I found myself feeling really grateful to be sober much of the day. Proud, and light and thinking clearer. No shameful secret that I was hiding. Enjoyed that. I also have been loving waking up. It's hard enough getting out of bed in the morning... How the he!! Have I been doing it hungover all this time? Good place for the moment.

[KENSHO]

Newbies Nest

Correction: for much of the day I was GRATEFUL. Still sober!

[available]

Newbies Nest

I still wonder how the hell i ever got out of bed every day and drove in peak hour traffic for an hour to get to work but i did it like the champion i was.

I had a thought last night of how my sons would walk in my bedroom in the morning and tell me that the room smelt like a brewery. How sad was that! Its the little things that make not drinking worthwhile. I love the memories to keep me focused even though they are cringe worthy sometimes.

Kensho you will be grateful every hour of the day the longer you are af, believe me, i now very rarely think of al.

[Pavati]

Newbies Nest

Hi, Nest:

Way to go, Mo3! One week is stupendous, and getting over that urge is wonderful as well. I did what people told me to do - think through the drink. What would ONE do for me? Nothing except create a need for numbers 2, 3 and 4. And as 3June wrote, if only one, why not none? Maybe keep your first, desperate post on your phone and take a look at it BEFORE you go into a shop if you are feeling wobbly. So great you feel so great! I just was talking to someone today - I don't even crave the easy buzz of one glass any more - I hardly spend any time thinking about alcohol, except when I come here (or am bombarded by it at ever turn...).

Weary - I agree with LC - Jump right in, the time is now. Feeling hungover is a great place to start. Try not to think about forever - come to embrace one day at a time. Just stay sober today. Some people make a commitment to stay sober for 30 days - that gives you a goal and makes "ah, feck it" harder to say to yourself with a straight face. Welcome to the nest.

Kensho - awesome to be grateful to be sober. Check out the Attitude of Gratitude thread that Spirit started. There are many reasons to be grateful each day, and being sober is ALWAYS among them for me.

J-Vo posted a link to Mrs. D of the blog Mrs. D is going without being interviewed on a news program. This week she was also interviewed on the Bubble Hour - Listen to it here. She is giddy with excitement over being sober - it is inspiring to hear.

Ava - nice job on the mooning in Byrdie's place!

What are your plans to stay sober this weekend, Nesters? This seems to be a time when people stumble. I always go with ice cream if I want to reward myself and when I needed to stave off cravings. As Wags says, a glass of milk or really anything will do. Make a plan and let us know what it is - being a accountable to a community can help you stay sober. My plan is to clean out a room that is collecting too much junk! I will reward myself with my favorite Hagen Daz chocolate peanut butter ice cream and a hike to the beach - NOT with alcohol. What kind of reward would that be?

Pav

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Ava, if your job interview doesn't work out, you have a job with the Prize Patrol!
Congrats, Pie and 3Mom! Welcome, Weary! Just do it! You will never be sorry fir a day you spent sober!

The bedside vigil continues with my friend. She is in a hospice room and I think she is ready to go,....heavily medicated but still in pain. I cant imagine what she must be experiencing. We are all hanging in...exhausted tho. So glad I am sober. If this were 4 years ago, I would have been fretting about WHEN I could drink without getting caught, and worrying about acting sober. Glad to be 100% present. The feelings are intense, but normal...and normal is very good. Byrdie

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

Byrdie, I really hope hospice does their best to keep your friend relatively comfortable. Please know that she will be at peace soon. Thinking of you as well!

Hello & welcome Weary!
I was in your shoes years ago, wondering when & how to quit. I advise you to just quit!!!!
Get all AL out of your house, make a vow to buy no more & make plans to keep yourself as busy as possible for the next week or two. Distraction is key

Congrats to today's 1 week prize winners Pie & Mom3 - yay!!!!

Ava, dealing with my grandkids (as fun as it is) has my poor head spinning. I don't know what day it is half the time :H
I do know for sure that tomorrow is Friday :H

Hello to everyone & wishing a safe night in the nest for all!

Lav

[Pavati]

Newbies Nest

Sorry I missed you, Pie! Congratulations!

So sorry, Byrdie. She is so lucky you are there - and feeling it all in the present.

xo
Pav

[Pavati]

Newbies Nest

Sorry I missed you, Pie! Congratulations!

So sorry, Byrdie. She is so lucky you are there - and feeling it all in the present.

xo
Pav

[Londoner]

Newbies Nest

Kensho - sounds like you're in a great place. You only realise how bad you feel from AL when you are free of it's grasp for enough time.

I'm healing. Sleeping regularly every night. Eating natural foods. Exercising well. And meditating regularly. I can feel the healing happening. I can feel my real personality returning. I can feel my energy returning. I can feel my true emotions returning. That is the first sign of getting back to reality.

For me, drinking AL is almost like taking a holiday from reality. Albeit a bad one. It's not reality when I drink on weekends. It's not me out there. What I say is not me. How I act is not me. What I do is not me. I'm an ass when I drink.

There's a lot more healing to go before I reach my full potential, but sleep, exercise, nutrition and meditation are the building blocks I NEED in place to get there.

[Sarah42]

Newbies Nest

Hi everyone! Just a quick message from me. It's been a few days since I posted...I feel like I gone from dr. to dr. to dr.

Nothing like DD or what Byrdie's friend is going thru at all, and my thoughts and prayers are with them.

Huge congrats to those who accomplished 7 days +!!! That is wonderful!.

What I learned over the last days with the Dr's is my blood work mostly came back normal. My WBC was slightly elevated but not by much. I go back to him in about another week 1/2 or so. He is referring me to a neuro for my 'tremors' but he said that would take some time.

I'm still at about 4-5 drinks a night for now, but I cut down my anx meds to almost nil so now I feel I can function. I will prolly either cut out the drink or the meds until I can get in to see the neuro. I know it's dangerous to mix the 2. It'll prolly be the meds for now...not b/c I'm giving up on trying to quit AL, but mostly cause I'm fearful of what the Dr.'s find, and what Periodontist says next visit. Not to mention, in October I'll need another colonoscopy. Seems the Humira is helping so curious to see what the 'insides' show.

Not an excuse (really)... it's just very difficult to stop al when so many factors are facing you. However, that doesn't mean I'm giving up! Read here everyday and get inspiration from you all.

I just hope noone gives up on me!! I need the support and words of wisdom to help me thru this. I will do this! (I know I keep saying it, but I will).

Anyway....love to all!

Sarah

[momofthree]

Newbies Nest

Good morning everyone, one thing yesterday has taught me is I need to get better at handling stress. My tolerance right now is very low and I find I stress out very fast. I hope this improves with time, I've been looking online for healthy ways to cope with stress instead of the way I normally would. They have some very good points and advice, things to do. Do you also find right now at the early stages that you were exhausted all the time? I don't know if it's the fact I have three kids to look after or if it's my body adjusting to no alcohol in it's system. One thing I know for sure is that this is a great group of people here and I am very thankful for you all.

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good morning Nesters,

Mom3, yes, most people find they feel very tired for a time after quitting. It will pass but be sure you are eating well, taking some good vitamin supplements & getting a bit of fresh air & exercise - it all helps. Don't forget to look in the Tool box for ideas to help reduce stress. Personally I like to listen to a guided meditation

Sarah, no one will give up on you but it does seem that you are almost looking for permission to keep drinking
You are just not going to hear that from any of us or from any doctor. I think you know at this point that any dependence on AL is not good. Why continue to delay the inevitable? I really hope you can grasp the full understanding of that & just quit. Do it for you!!!

Busy day ahead so I'll wish everyone a happy & AF Friday!
Thinking of you Byrdie & DD.

Lav

[Cherokeer]

Newbies Nest

Just a quick drop in to morning nesters. Life has kept me on the run day and night. Still living the good life AF. Actually can't believe I ever wasted one minute drinking that garbage. Wishing everyone a great AF day. Hope I can catch up this weekend. TGIF

[KENSHO]

Newbies Nest

Hi. Still hanging tough here. Tired upon waking, but not hungover! Still tossing in sleep. Had a dream that my hubby drank too much, and all I could think of was how stupid he looked.

LONDONER, I love your words about feeling your real personality returning. I am finding myself saying things and reacting in ways that are different, because I'm not drunk, trying to hide it, or hungover. Even when I thought I was sober, I wasn't at full "me". AL changed my personality even when I wasn't drinking, and I now understand why they say you are "sober" only when you stop drinking for a period of time (not for just 12 hours). I am more patient with my kids, have more solutions for their dilemmas of youth. I can come up with words easier. I am quicker to think and speak - and less quick to anger. I have learned I have a little wise giggle that wasn't there when I was drinking. I actually had a spirited conversation with the hubby at 10:30 last night and he seemed delighted.

CHEROKEE, I am feelin' your words lately, "Actually can't believe I ever wasted one minute drinking that garbage."

SARAH, I can relate to thinking that I needed to keep using AL as a helper so I could address the "other" issues first, but I think AL is as much of a problem as any. Think of it as a cooking recipe. If you have been trying to bake a cake, and it keeps coming out with multiple problems, one being too much salt, you wouldn't keep making it with too much salt, just so you could fix the other ingredient issues. Removing the salt will allow you to taste the other issues better and identify them so you can fix them too. Quitting alcohol is not easy, but it has amazingly allowed me to see things differently and address the stress in my life differently. The only answer is to remove the wrong ingredients - as you identify them - never time like today.

And just a note, cake tastes SO much better without too much salt. I am tasting new flavors and enjoying the texture more every day.

EDIT: Upon further thought... too much salt implies we can just use less and be fine. For us, it's like adding rat poison to the batter and wondering why it doesn't taste better as we keep adding it.

Ciao all. I will post when it gets hard again... never know when that will be. But thanks to SAMSTONE, I have been focusing on how good it feels, and how good I feel being sober.

Love to all. Sending you hugs Byrdie & DD. :h