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    Hey guys.
    Doing some reading here and catching up. I am working now, finally, and have to create a routine to incorporate time here as part of my day.
    I have tried posting in the mornings, but there just isn't enough time, so evenings it will be. Byrdie you are so right we have to stay connected or face potentially rough seas ahead. I have had enough of that life, so I plan to do what it takes.

    I have to share something from our week-end.
    One of the reasons I decided I must quit drinking is because of my sister in law. I just didn't want my husband to be married to someone like his sister. And I didn't drink even close to what she does, but I could just see the direction I was headed. I know this sounds mean, sorry.
    She drinks heavily, becomes inappropriate and rude, and is just kind of an all around faux pas.
    It has been about a year and three months that I have seen her in person and she stopped by to see our new appartment. It was a little tricky to share her enthusiasm for the space as I have actually had my art studio here for almost two years now. I know my husband has told her many times, but she forgets.
    The trouble with forgetting too often is people (like me) start to think that they (I) are/am just not important enough to be remembered.

    Anyhow, since the last time I saw her she has had a facelift, lost weight, and dyed her hair blond; she is 55.
    When I saw her I thought 'omg, she looks 15 years older, not younger. What in the world is going on? Her skin was pale, leathery in texture with many more deep lines than I remembered. She literally looks 65, not 55. She looked really ill to be honest. Shaky, tired eyes, basically a nervous wreck for no apparent reason.

    It is hard to feel bad for her, I know this is how I should feel. It just mystifies me how she cannot see what she is doing to herself? She brought us a bottle of 4 euro wine from the supermarket as a house warming gift, it was 11 AM. What kind of a message is this? For me it says 'I couldn't care less about either one of you.' So scary, and I know she doesn't feel this way.
    Their mother is now in a nursing home and she was my sister in law's part time gig.
    When she didn't know what to do with herself she would come up with some problem that had to be solved for her mother. The latest has been changing light bulbs and a sweaky door. It is really sad and I think she is drinking even more as her mother not needing her anymore has to have created a pretty big void.
    It is so clear she is killing herself and whenever my husband mentions her drinking she takes offense, so he refuses to bring it up.


    So, what is my conclusion? Why bring this up? Because all of us here are doing the best thing by quitting or trying to quit the drink.
    Even if you cannot manage 100% every day AF is a step in the right direction. If you keep at it you will get there. It took me years to stop. And life is a lot easier on me in a short 5 month period.
    Last week there was a guy helping on a very frustrating project at work and all afternoon he kept announcing how he was going to get drunk in the evening.
    It reminded me of how my brain used to work. Thank god it isn't doing THAT anymore. Good grief.

    All I can say is all of this is definitely worth the effort.
    (AF since 17 May 2014) 2 years 5 months sober

    Comment


      oh, now I am forgetting!

      One of the reasons I am having trouble staying on top of what is happening here is I cannot read the new site on my iPad.
      I am using Chrome browser and it is impossibly slow and some windows just don't open or the entire site just stops responding.
      Any advice? Thanks!
      (AF since 17 May 2014) 2 years 5 months sober

      Comment


        Hi to Mr. Vervill and welcome back! That is really tough news about your job, but it sounds like you are taking the high road. That is so valuable in my experience. When we let poisonous thoughts seep in about a situation that we have no control over, the thing starts to grow in our heads and takes on a life of its own. Stepping back and seeing the positives like you seem to be lets the event come and go as it will. Kudos to you. This is something I am trying to work on in my life.

        Runnergirl, welcome! I'm glad you figured out how to post! I'm about the furthest thing from a computer person too! Stick tight to this thread, it is about the most active here on MWO, and you will get lots of support. Congratulations on your 4 days! Get all the alcohol out of your living space and read the Toolbox thread (look at the bottom of Byrdlady's post for the link). We don't have to reinvent the wheel to quit drinking and there are tools there that will truly help you.

        Hi MattM, STL, Eloise, Narilly and ABCowboy, it is great to see you posting!
        Have a great AF day!
        "When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them." Analects of Confucius
        AF 11/12/11

        Comment


          Hi all. Just a quick check in.

          Hi Eloise. Nice to see you here. We usually meet up in the holistic area. Yep, just one more reason to put down the glass

          Matt - haven't gotten a chance to know you yet, but can see you have a good sense of humor. Always needed on MWO.

          STL - Fall has a much more sinister feeling for me. I was looking at the beautiful trees yesterday, but I couldn't help but feel sad. I used to love autumn. But now, I see it as the time of year when people I love seem to die. I've lost several family members and my son in the month of October, so that is always a struggle for me. But I'm hanging in there. If we can just get to November....

          Have a great MAE. xx, MR

          edit: Hi Pinecone - we cross posted. Hope all is well in your world.
          Everything is going to be amazing

          Comment


            Originally posted by Eloise View Post
            oh, now I am forgetting!

            One of the reasons I am having trouble staying on top of what is happening here is I cannot read the new site on my iPad.
            I am using Chrome browser and it is impossibly slow and some windows just don't open or the entire site just stops responding.
            Any advice? Thanks!
            Eloise, I am currently on an ipad and I use Google chrome. I am not having speed issues at all, however, my subscriber smilies dont work unless I type the code (recipe) for them. My private messages are displaying in a wonky way (long and narrow?) but speed isnt an issue at all nor is it locking up. I assume you have tried logging out and back in (the only trick I know!). Sorry!! B
            All you gotta do, is get thru this day. AF 1/20/2011
            Tool Box
            Newbie's Nest

            Comment


              Yeah, Autumn is a great time of year, and really there should be no triggers for AL but there for a lot of us there are.

              Pumpkin bread = Good. Pumpkin beer= bad.
              Spiced Cider= Good. Hard Cider= bad.
              Autumn themed cookies= Good. Autumn themed AL drinks= bad

              I (we) need to make it just that simple.


              Thanks
              Last edited by See the Light; October 20, 2014, 04:10 PM.
              “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness”- Desmond Tutu


              STL

              Comment


                Hi All,
                I'm here and yes, on Day 1. I'm not going to throw out excuses, but I will say that what everyone has been saying about staying involved here in the community is the way out of this damn mess. Was I in deprivation mode? I must have been, because I needed and wanted the instant gratification. Do I sabotage myself after long periods of AF time? Yep. But since coming back to MWO in October, 2013, I have had more AF time than I've ever had, and I'm going to take that with me and forge ahead.

                Sometimes we hear what others are doing and we compare ourselves to them. Each and every one of us has different needs. But we all need this community on a consistent, daily basis if we want to get that freedom. I've felt that freedom to an extent, but maybe not like some of the long-termers have. I know it's there, and I can have it if I just follow through. My endurance in recovery has not been the best. Yes, I get from point A to B, then something inevitably happens. I let go. I let go of the people that are supporting me and drop it all. This last fiasco was my own fault. As I said, each of us is unique in what we need. I thought I should be dropping in on my anti-depressants as everyone seems to be able to do. What i found for myself was that I need medication. I'm not going to try and go without it. I can't compare myself to others and how far they are. I need to take this one day at a time, and yes, that's how it should be. I believe we were meant to live one day at a time...not just us alkies. But everyone, everyday. That's why we have life nicely organized into minutes, hours, days, months, and years. The patterns of living are comfortable for us because they're predictable. We live well when we know what's ahead of us. But when we're living to far in the future like I tend to do, we screw ourselves. We worry about what's not even happening. We worry about what's happened. Living like that is dangerous to us, because it takes us from being present, and brings nothing but anxiety and depression. Then we feel we need to numb ourselves from stuff that's not even happening. But living one day at a time, that's doable. Living several weeks in a day, that's not meant to be. Living last week, silly.

                So it's my lack of endurance that's got me off track, not posting, not using the tools that i have, not conacting those that I promised. I need to be honest if I want to be sober. Honest about how I'm feeling, where my head is. If I live in my head, I'm screwed.

                I'm also guilty of not focusing on one thing, one way out. I tend to let my mind run in so many directions. Soberistas, AA, Celebrate Recovery, therapy (have done that so many times) and try and put so much more on my plate to fix myself when all I need to do is one thing. Come here and post and post. Pepper talked about the 'protective wall of human community' and yes, that's it. That's what we need. That's what I need.

                God do I want freedom from this addictive beast. I know I can't have it if I keep falling as I do. But I also know that I'm on the right road, getting closer to my exit to freedom if I just use the tools, this community, and not put try to do everything.

                I'm gonna stay here in the nest for a long time. I wanna be at 1369 days, too. Ava, almost a year. Pav the same. NS, almost two.

                Thanks for having me back here. I need your support.

                Ava, hope your dogs balls are ok.
                Sometimes what you're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free.

                Comment


                  Scooch up next to me, J-vo! So glad you are here!! Xxoo, B
                  All you gotta do, is get thru this day. AF 1/20/2011
                  Tool Box
                  Newbie's Nest

                  Comment


                    Good evening Nesters,

                    Hello & welcome to Runnergirl, glad you decided to join us! You are doing great with 4 AF days - yay!
                    Make yourself comfortable here in the nest & stick around

                    There's been a good bit of humor going around the nest lately, & I just love that. Staying happy & positive as you begin a healthy & rewarding AF future is something you'll never regret.

                    MossRose, November will be here in 12 days so hang in there with us, your support group

                    Eloise, I use Safari on my iPad & it seems to work OK on this site.
                    Sorry about your SIL - some people are pathetically desperate to hang onto 'youth' in any way they can. She probably would look a lot better if she just focused on her health, physical & emotional.

                    Wishing everyone a safe & cozy night in the nest. I had to break down & turn the heat on today. It was 32 degrees outside & 61 degrees inside when I got up this morning - yeah, that was chilly!!!!

                    Lav
                    AF since 03/26/09
                    NF since 05/19/09
                    Success comes one day at a time :thumbs:

                    Comment


                      I love you J-vo. I went through a period when I felt I really wasn't doing enough about my recovery. I needed to start working the 12 steps. Become more spiritual. Well I just ended up really depressing and stressing myself. I backed off, took it easy on myself. Forgave myself for some past failures and started connecting more to people on here more. And of COURSE posting and READING daily. And one other thing. I give my mind a break. I read something frivolous before sleep at night. Something funny, or naughty, or scary, but having nothing to do with alcohol.
                      I love you lady.
                      No matter how far you go or how fast you run, you can't get away from yourself. ....said at an AA meeting. It stuck with me.

                      Comment


                        Hi, JVo, I'm glad you are still with us in the fight. I've always appreciated your posts here. Thinking of you and sending you support.

                        Hi MR, good to see you!

                        LB, I love what you posted about taking it easy on yourself. Wise words!!

                        Have a great AF night.
                        "When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them." Analects of Confucius
                        AF 11/12/11

                        Comment


                          J-vo- you are a hero here...some of your posts were epic in my recovery when I first started here..believe me..re-read your posts from this summer ..you ARE ok...back on the saddle and let's conquer this together
                          “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness”- Desmond Tutu


                          STL

                          Comment


                            Happy evening. Nothing profound to say, just really glad to be neither drunk nor hungover. Hi J-vo. We are on the same day.
                            Have a good night Everyone.
                            Last edited by KENSHO; October 20, 2014, 09:50 PM.
                            Kensho

                            Done. Moving on to life.

                            Comment


                              Hang in there j - vo. My addiction gets me every time, stay focused on you. Good nite everyone

                              Comment


                                Glad to see you back J-VO.:happy2:

                                Have a great night nesters. It's going to be a chilly one.

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