Newbies Nest

[Pinecone]

Newbies Nest

Good morning everyone,

Welcome AbCowboy! I enjoyed the poem. It really rings true.

Pav, congratulations on your AF time! I always enjoy your posts. I think your plan to meet Ava at 1000 days is just fantastic. Agree 100 percent that it is not just the lack of hangover, there are so many intangible benefits to AF life that we did not know we were missing. AF life is my favorite pair of pants; just fits the best. Great post!

Hi Peppersnow!

Jennie, I think sometimes we can get away with "doing it ourselves but
" eventually this will bite us. This is true especially towards the beginning. The TOOLS and SUPPORT here are the game changing elements that will make you more successful more of the time (if applied at the right time). Good for you for recognizing that!

BF, are you eating enough? Take great care of your body the first few weeks, just like you would if you had the flu. Minor physical symptoms should pass but go to the doctor if you feel it's necessary.

Leighann, stick close as advised! Next time come here and read instead. Go way back into the posts if you want and read through the years of people's successes and failures. It is very powerful. Sending you support !

Hi Guitarista and Available. Great to see you!

Have a great AF day!

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good morning Nesters,

Glad to see everyone doing OK

Yes, MWO is a life line & probably the most important get/stay sober tool for hundreds & hundreds of us. Every time I entertain thoughts of wandering away from the site, a little bit of fear arises in me. I have had nothing but success since finding MWO, why mess with that?

Leigh & Jennie, you did great yesterday!

Wishing everyone a terrific AF Wednesday (Hump day)!!!

Lav

[NoSugar]

Newbies Nest

jenniech;1701058 wrote: For someone who is well educated and has been around these rooms for several years (both sober and not), I sure can be stupid.

You're not stupid, Jennie. My theory is that the addicted part of our brain, which is in charge when we're drinking or about to, is able to suppress all of the sensible, logical things you know you need to do. That's why it is so important to have an almost automated plan in place for what you'll do when tempted - we can't count on our rationale, educated, aware brain to take the lead in those circumstances. Your "post before you drink" plan should do the trick!

I really enjoyed your poem, ABCowboy!

[abcowboy]

Newbies Nest

Morning friends, and thank you!

Byrd, i would love to read some of your poetry! I did post mine in the toolbox once I found it lol....

I'm still learning and getting to know everyone, but it's amazing that even though we come from different parts of the world, share different cultures and ways of life, we all have shared so many similar experiences with our addiction! Being able to read how others get through tough times and what tools they use to stay sober only adds to my toolbox! And what pinecone said to Jennie is spot on, you might think you can travel this road by yourself, and it may even work, but why do it alone when others are here to help and support you!

And so my friends, as another day starts on my journey, whats say we all just keep it between the lines and have a safe, sober hump day!

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Good Morning, All!
How is it that each and every morning I check into the nest there are just WONDERFUL revelations going on??! The night shift has it going on!!!!

Jennie and Leighann....I absolutely know how the brain acts when we get a case of the Phuckets (NOT a place in Thailand). Here's the script that ran thru my head..."I don't owe these people anything", "I'll find another site when I'm ready", "This ONE last time is IT", "What does it MATTER anyway?, who REALLY gives a spit?", "I don't think I am as bad as I thought", "I can ALWAYS start over tomorrow". Do these ring any bells? This is the BARGAINING stage of grief. (remember the 5 stages? Anger, denial, bargaining, depression, acceptance). We can talk you thru an awful lot of emotions, but I have observed that the bargaining stage is the most resistant...it's when most people fall. Anger is when you get to MWO, Denial is when you are slow to pull the trigger and then finally do and realize you were worse than you thought, then BARGAINING...."I'll just drink on weekends and special occasions (until every day is a special occasion)..."I'll just have a couple to take THE EDGE OFF". Getting over those edges makes them smoother, yielding to them makes them bigger and MORE difficult to get over. How do we get ourselves thru this tricky stage of the process? What separates the men from boys on this one? What can we possibly do to overcome these intense Phuckets? Here's what I did, I took the option of drinking OUT of the equation. It is JUST not an option, no more than drinking battery acid is. Take the CHOICE out of it. Instead, I say, 'what can I do to move past this?' Have the steak! Have the cookie! (sorry, NoSugar) Have anything else that is available to us....but AL is not one of them. Adopting this Zero Tolerance policy is what got me thru (and continues to). No, HELL NO! Al will not take one more day of my life!!
Hope everyone has an easy day!!! Byrdie

[Leighann111]

Newbies Nest

Guys ur support is so very much appreciated and I've learnt for next time I will certainly be on here. I'm posting this to you all from the pub!!!! Guess what... I've just had a steak dinner and a diet coke. My friend has a pint and I couldn't care less :-) I've had nice food, good conversation and I'm off shopping in a minute :-) I'm over my silly wobble last night and back on track. Thanks guys and I hope everyone has a great day

[Fin]

Newbies Nest

NoSugar;1701105 wrote: You're not stupid, Jennie. My theory is that the addicted part of our brain, which is in charge when we're drinking or about to, is able to suppress all of the sensible, logical things you know you need to do. That's why it is so important to have an almost automated plan in place for what you'll do when tempted - we can't count on our rationale, educated, aware brain to take the lead in those circumstances. Your "post before you drink" plan should do the trick!

I really enjoyed your poem, ABCowboy!

This will be my new strategy as well now that I'm back at Day 1 again. It's like a "stop and think". I'm so frustrated with all this.

[Overit-still]

Newbies Nest

Hey Fin!

A sober morning here. I slept like crap, but got up and did my workout anyway, and TTFP! It's all I can do.

[Fin]

Newbies Nest

Overit-still;1701159 wrote: Hey Fin!

A sober morning here. I slept like crap, but got up and did my workout anyway, and TTFP! It's all I can do.

TTFP? Workouts are so important. What I love is how much better I feel on a day following an AF night. Amazing. I'll be back to that good place tomorrow.

[wagmore]

Newbies Nest

Leighann111;1701148 wrote: Guys ur support is so very much appreciated and I've learnt for next time I will certainly be on here. I'm posting this to you all from the pub!!!! Guess what... I've just had a steak dinner and a diet coke. My friend has a pint and I couldn't care less :-) I've had nice food, good conversation and I'm off shopping in a minute :-) I'm over my silly wobble last night and back on track. Thanks guys and I hope everyone has a great day

Awesome!!! Nice job LA111!

[Overit-still]

Newbies Nest

Fin-TTFP ="Took (or take) the f#@$ing pill"

My antabuse tablet

[Sharky]

Newbies Nest

Brydlady-

Fantastic post and loved the review on stages. Excellent words of wisdom. I really think I've been in a very prolonged "bargaining stage" that dwells on depression. Getting harder and harder to shake out of the funk. Binge drank most of weekend and need to stop. Back at it again and MWO is key.

Loved some of the other advice on posting here before you drink. Focus, focus.

Love reading the posts and need to be more diligent with the commitment to not drink!

[Fin]

Newbies Nest

Overit-still;1701169 wrote: Fin-TTFP ="Took (or take) the f#@$ing pill"

My antabuse tablet

Ah ha. Maybe I should TTFP.

[Fin]

Newbies Nest

"I took the option of drinking OUT of the equation. It is JUST not an option, no more than drinking battery acid is. Take the CHOICE out of it. Instead, I say, 'what can I do to move past this?'" Byrd

Battery acid it is...

[Overit-still]

Newbies Nest

Awesome Byrdie

I don't want to lose this. I wish we had a "save" button too.

Byrdlady;1701133 wrote: Good Morning, All!
How is it that each and every morning I check into the nest there are just WONDERFUL revelations going on??! The night shift has it going on!!!!

Jennie and Leighann....I absolutely know how the brain acts when we get a case of the Phuckets (NOT a place in Thailand). Here's the script that ran thru my head..."I don't owe these people anything", "I'll find another site when I'm ready", "This ONE last time is IT", "What does it MATTER anyway?, who REALLY gives a spit?", "I don't think I am as bad as I thought", "I can ALWAYS start over tomorrow". Do these ring any bells? This is the BARGAINING stage of grief. (remember the 5 stages? Anger, denial, bargaining, depression, acceptance). We can talk you thru an awful lot of emotions, but I have observed that the bargaining stage is the most resistant...it's when most people fall. Anger is when you get to MWO, Denial is when you are slow to pull the trigger and then finally do and realize you were worse than you thought, then BARGAINING...."I'll just drink on weekends and special occasions (until every day is a special occasion)..."I'll just have a couple to take THE EDGE OFF". Getting over those edges makes them smoother, yielding to them makes them bigger and MORE difficult to get over. How do we get ourselves thru this tricky stage of the process? What separates the men from boys on this one? What can we possibly do to overcome these intense Phuckets? Here's what I did, I took the option of drinking OUT of the equation. It is JUST not an option, no more than drinking battery acid is. Take the CHOICE out of it. Instead, I say, 'what can I do to move past this?' Have the steak! Have the cookie! (sorry, NoSugar) Have anything else that is available to us....but AL is not one of them. Adopting this Zero Tolerance policy is what got me thru (and continues to). No, HELL NO! Al will not take one more day of my life!!
Hope everyone has an easy day!!! Byrdie