Newbies Nest

[Lavande]

Good morning Nesters,

Chilly & cloudy in my end of the nest today - oh well.
We are heading out for the day to look at a house my daughter & son-in-law are thinking of buying. It's going to need a good bit of work but the price & location are right. We have the experience of fixing 3 old houses ourselves so it nice when the kids actually ask for your opinions

Wishing everyone a great AF Sunday!
Congrats on day 7 Ican!

Lav

[See the Light]

GMAE all- Nice job Ican on week 1...you Can keep that going strong

Resolve- tough situation, but I think you did the right thing...removing yourself from situations that cause temptation can be feel like a sacrifice, especially if you feel like you are missing out on a good time. I imagine the folks who you were worried earlier would judge are in fact still doing that, but now you just being viewed as a solid guy because you are doing the right thing..stay strong through this weekend and you will always have it to fall back on again to remember how possible to not drink even if the opportunity is right there in your face

Lav- Winter is surely here temperature-wise here in the eastern US..hope everyone else is enjoying their weekend and staying AF

[Elvis]

Good job on 7 days Icanwithoutacan!

Resolve, sometimes removing yourself from the situation is the best choice. It will get easier to be around others that drink with time, but you need to do whatever you need to do not to drink anymore, and I'm glad you saw that.

I hope everyone had a good night's sleep and woke up refreshed this morning. I'm still tired, but I never really was a morning person. Need to make myself a big cup of tea and finish watching the video I started watching last night. Glad I can just pick up where I left off and not have to skip back to the last thing I remember anymore. Another added bonus of not drinking, you only have to watch TV shows and movies once! Have a great day everyone!

[Byrdlady]

Good Morning, Nesters!
ICAN, I'm sure Eloise will be along with your MOON (not the same without that little wiggling butt icon), but please know we are all BEHIND you and we are so glad you are with us! No cracks in your amour! Well done!!

Resolve, I remember my first business meeting (with my company) I felt like I had a big scarlet letter A on my forehead...it was uncomfortable for me because I am basically a shy person (quiet the rest of you nesters!) Imagine a shy person in SALES! AL was my silver bullet in overcoming this anxiety, so when I had to remove it from my life, I was left with just me to lean on. I had Lav's email in my pocket, and I was going to use it if necessary. Just having it there gave me strength. This is a skill and it can be learned. Like Pav said, with time, you won't bat an eye when you have to go to things like this. If you can avoid them for a while, while you get your sea legs, you will be even better off. In the very beginning, it's like being a person on a very restrictive diet and being invited to an all you can eat buffet!! Who needs THAT? I'm so proud of you for removing yourself from the situation! Great job on that! It will get much easier with time. I NEVER thought I'd be comfortable at a party again, but now I laugh and carry on with the rest of them! It's a skill and it is learned, like math. uke:

I didn't get to all of my projects yesterday so I'm hoping that today will be the day for some quality ME time! Hope everyone has an easy day!!! Byrdie

[Byrdlady]

Hey Eloise, I found a butt icon!!!!!!!!!!!! Have we gotten some new ones? :butt: Cool!

[rednose]

Good Morning to all of you.

Day 4 was pretty much a day of sleeping and napping. I tried to watch college football but kept falling asleep.
I don't remember being this tired from previous times I have quit. I once in the last year or so managed to get 8 weekes but I don't remember being so tired. So with all the napping I did not sleep well last night.
I need to break this cycle of napping during the day.

On to day five.

rednose.

[blackflag]

Hey rednose, glad your doing well, I'm feeling tired a lot at the moment too, I've been trying to not nap so I can get good hours at night. Been sleeping like 9 or 10 hours a night minimum! I must need it!

[NoSugar]

I understood - and accepted - that alcohol was THE problem. Alcohol is a drug. Alcohol is a toxin. Alcohol is an addictive substance. So what if some people can take the drug and not become addicted? So what if some people's bodies metabolize the drug without too much damage? Alcohol will always be a drug. It will always be toxic. And for me, it will always be an addictive substance my body can no longer tolerate.
This understanding and acceptance finally made it possible for me to deal with the prospect of life without alcohol in a very healthy and positive way. In the beginning, it felt a bit uncomfortable living in a culture that accepts, encourages and even celebrates the use of this drug. Now, I find it ironic that I once thought of people who can use alcohol as being "normal." And I find it even more ironic, that those who've battled their way free of an addictive substance are often viewed as flawed or damaged. Go figure.
I have only one regret about the decision to get drugs alcohol and nicotine out of my system once and for all:
I wish I would've made the decision a hell of a lot earlier than I did. In fact, I wish I would've NEVER used in the first place.

You make so many good points, Turnagain. I've been thinking a lot about people who feel bad that they're not "normal" and so can't drink "safely". They're jealous of people who can and feel like it means there is something wrong with them - they think that if they could just drink this toxin 'normally', everything would be ok.

But people generally don't feel like they're flawed or inadequate because they're allergic to penicillin, get too nauseous to take hydrocodone, hallucinate on codeine, have stomach bleeding if they take aspirin, or any of a myriad of reactions that people have to various drugs that work miracles for others.

Alcohol is a drug and as such, it has effects. If a drug gives us the effect we're looking for, we think it's great and that it "works". If it has others, we call them "side effects" but really, they're just effects.

Some drugs only work for awhile. Others work better at lower doses. Different people respond differently to all of them (which is why the list of (side) effects for any medication - prescription or OTC- is crazy long!). The companies have to report everything that happened in their safety trials!

Why should we think alcohol is any different? We experienced the unfortunate effect of becoming addicted to it and all of the downstream consequences of that. If I were offered a pill that millions of people take to their benefit but that for me would have the effects that alcohol had, I sure as heck wouldn't take it! And I wouldn't feel like I was inferior to all the people who could. Like Turnagain, I sure wish this is one drug I'd never taken!

Suek got me thinking about all this in her thread where she wrote:

AL is just a drug, and we can beat it.....the negative talk and temptations come from within.....have to recognize it for what it is and find a way to ignore....

The less meaning we all give to this thing - this addictive, toxic, carcinogenic, fairly horrible tasting substance - the quicker we can all get out of our own ways and free ourselves. It is, afterall, just a drug.

[narilly]

Red and black, hey, that has a ring to it! You may hired but your NOT hungover, and that is great. Keep ahead of that AL monster.
I slept in this morning and woke up feeling great. My son was up early because he has decided to take a Martial arts class. This is so awesome! He also told me he is done with smoking pot and has only smoked twice since July. This is also freakin amazing news! Oh yeah!! He still drinks but not as much as I did so I am hopeful there.
Thank you for being here everyone.

Byrdie, YOU are a shy person? Oh sure you are, we all know that. Lol
So many people drink to get over their shyness don't the? My hubby is like that.

Have a great day!

[narilly]

Cross post NS, good morning!

[rednose]

Hey rednose, glad your doing well, I'm feeling tired a lot at the moment too, I've been trying to not nap so I can get good hours at night. Been sleeping like 9 or 10 hours a night minimum! I must need it!

blackflag,

Yes we must need it. I know I have put my body threw hell and back with alcohol. I am sure it is in shock and
wondering what the hell is going on here.
Lets keep it up, It is bound to get better at some point.

rednose :thanks:

[Icanwithoutacan]

Good job to all the new new newbies like me.... Red I am sooooo tired as well. I had to laugh this morning because having made it through Friday and Saturday, thinking I am safe on Sunday...I went to a bridal brunch and what do they offer? White wine and mimosas....really????? Not my drink of choice but just another bullet to dodge this weekend. Had a great time without them. Still have a craving, but it is funny it's not a craving for the feeling-I feel really good and happy sober, so what it is a craving for??Thoughts?

[blackflag]

Ican, I know what you mean on this one, I'm starting to feel a lot better about things than this time last week, even just in such a short time. But last night I still nearly threw it all away.and I don't even know why.
tonight I've been out to a buffet with my work colleagues, and I've had a really nice evening. They've all headed off to a bar, so I made my excuses and now I'm on my way home. It was nice to still feel like I can do this and not feel like a total hermit, but I know I need to pick the things I go to carefully.

[jane27]

MossRose, Saw this in San Antonio, Texas and thought of you!

[available]

Hi nesters

Ican, BF sleep when you are tired and go with what your body wants. i was bone tired for months and napped when i got home and was awake later into the night but my body was telling me what it wanted and i listened. After all the crap i put into my body over the years i knew it would take time, as long as i didnt drink i had all the time in the world.

Black at the moment if you are a hermit so what? Keeping away from situations that tempt you to drink or bring on cravings are not worth attending. Go for a walk instead, visit a friend but keep away from al.

My best drinking buddy and also my sil visited when i first stopped drinking. I knew if i seen her i would drink so i told her my dog was sick. I was not jeopardising my quit for anyone or anything. I confessed later down the track but protecting my quit especially in the early days is your top priority.

I drank for 20+ years and my body is still healing after nearly a year. Your brain will always try and get you to drink, you are depriving your body of what you put into it daily. Of course your brain will kick and scream like a toddler to get what it wants. This goes with time. all we can do is take it day by day, minute by minute, second by second.