Newbies Nest

[Lavande]

Good evening Nesters,

Freezing cold & very windy in my portion of the nest ~ really has my feathers ruffled

Glad you arrived safely Byrdie, enjoy South Florida!

Hello & welcome HBE! Glad you decided to join us!
Congrats on your significant AF time, good job. I can't imagine that you are having real physical cravings at this point but perhaps more 'emotional', habitual thoughts about AL. Do you see a doc about your RA? Now would be a good time to see someone to discuss changes in your treatment & talk about your anxiety issues as well. AL is not a good choice for long term pain relief, but you already know that. I hope you stay close to the nest & let us know how you are doing!

Wishing everyone a safe & cozy night in the nest!

Lav

[Hanna]

Byrd, welcome to south florida. My neck of the woods! Hope you enjoy your stay in my home state!

Nesters...day 1 and I am good to go!!!! With a little food, L glut, and some GABA, It was surprisingly ok!!

I am shocked, and hope to rinse and repeat tomorrow, with the help of this wonderful place! Hope you are all having a relaxing evening (or morning,depending on where you are.

[NoSugar]

I am shocked, and PLAN to rinse and repeat tomorrow, with the help of this wonderful place!

Just a small edit for you, Hanna - believe it or not, the words we choose to think or talk about this really can affect our brains - and hence our success! Congratulations on day 1!

[peppersnow]

I don't think that there is any question that alcohol is very damaging to our bodies, especially our brains. It isn't even a debate. We are all on the same team that alcohol has been damaging to our lives and we are here to change that.

Great list NS! I second ALL your bullets, especially not getting hungry, and learning other ways to deal with stress. In addition, I would add:

1. keep quality alcohol-free drinks on hand and IN HAND at all times when there is a temptation.
2. Keep connected to this website or another support, and post BEFORE you think of drinking. There is always someone here. If you try to tackle a strong craving yourself, chances are that AL will win. I posted this weekend that I was having "thoughts" and got a response from NS - that was enough to keep me on the right track and adjust my thinking.

Hey, Kensho (and everyone else!) -- about the brain damage, that's been on my mind lately. I just wrote on another board that I continue to be amazed that, 10 months after quitting, I'm still noticing gradual improvement in my ability to articulate my thoughts, explain complex concepts, etc., at work. That was very noticeable to me after the first 6 weeks or so (when I came out of being exhausted and only wanting to sleep), but that slow improvement hasn't quit. Which is evidence to me of the extent to which I damaged my brain by drowning it in poison! So if you're just recently quit, hang in there because you may have forgotten how it feels to function with a healthy sober brain. It is WONDERFUL.

Here are my additions to the NS List:

1. If LGlut works for you (it does me), keep it handy and use it if you're slammed with sudden cravings.
2. Also, Calms Forte (a botanical) used to work in a pinch for me early in my quit
3. GABA, which I found helped calm down my nervous system at night when I hit an insomnia phase. I still take GABA right before bed, and LGlut if I'm having a massive sugar craving.
4. Hot Tea! I never liked tea before, but herbals are my new addiction since I quit AL. Chamomile or lavendar are nice, but there are such really lovely yummy herbal mixes that are so soothing and calming. I splurge a bit and buy these, as I don't like the taste of straight chamomile...and the $ isn't a fraction of what I used to spend on booze.
5. Read here every day, and post as soon as you get a craving. You'll get all the help you need and you'll get through it if you take the advice!

Cheers to all of you and your success! :thumbsup:

2.

[daisy45]

Hey nesters....late check-in. Thanks for that post Pepper....gonna be shopping....need sleep!
I got engrossed in finishing an Aran scarf that I have had lying about for years....finally finished today...washed after midnight and waiting for its first wear tomorrow...chuffed!
Also fitted the gym in after the kids went home, so pleased with myself tonight....
Yesterday was not so great; not awful as there was not a chance that I would drink, but thoughts consumed me for most of the afternoon and I got so down.....just about anyone and everyone seemed to be going out to the pub yesterday afternoon; all having fun....just not me.
I need to make plans for what I do at weekends.....something social....definitely opened my eyes. With all this extra time, I am wasting it really. I think I have mentioned it before but now I need to take action.
I do know how my day would have ended had I joined the 'jovial' crowd.....not pretty. Fortunately I was able to play that forward but I don't want to feel deprived of fun, especially when I have more opportunities now than I ever did when drinking.....time to start researching and booking up my new life!
I told my daughter I just wanted to drink so much yesterday and she said that she was happy because she knows that that is when I would normally say 'feck it' and drink but she sees something different this time.......that helped.....just shows how much they're watching...
Anyways.....

[DarrylC24]

Hey. Just got here and wanna say hi. Hi to all.

[Pavati]

Hi, Nest:

Quick check in with no time to read back.

Welcome, Darryl - tell us about yourself! Hope you're here to rid yourself of the beast and get healthy.

And welcome HealthyButEmpty - we're going to have to change that name soon, because after quitting AL you'll be HealthyANDFull.

I just need some sleep. Work is crazy with political BS that makes actually doing the job difficult. Too bad.

Stay Sober!
Pav

[choice]

Ahhh.. what an amazing read from my last post. Hi to the newbies! It's a great place to be if your reading here. Just some quick thoughts after reading here.

I found that my brain works so much better the farther I get from AL. I also found that I became more emotionally mature.

I haven't tried the suggested supplements before but am more interested then ever about them, especially with regards to sugar. I had a sweet tooth when I was a kid, it went away for years when I drank, but my sweet tooth came back super strong during my sober years. I didn't really indulge too much but have made an ice-cream or chocolate run from time to time. The craving just as strong as for wine. A kind of 'I just gotta have it!'... kind of thing.

I've put myself on a pretty strict healthy food diet right now because it helps with my cravings to avoid sugar completely... looking towards anything positive towards my health keeps me really inspired to stay the course. And I have a few kg's to loose that I put on drinking.. and eating tons of cheese to counteract the way wine felt like it was burning my stomach. Geese, drinking really batters the body.

And one last thing... I really, really miss snow storms! I haven't been in one for years. I grew up in the Rocky Mountains and love to ski... I'm hoping paddle boarding becomes as much of an outlet. I didn't get to go today, it's was a bit too windy and I felt kinda tired, working and then cooking meals that will tide us over for the next couple of days.. so that I don't end up eating junk.. If I eat junk... I will feel like a drink... or at least I don't want to take the risk.

[choice]

Ahhh.. what an amazing read from my last post. Hi to the newbies! It's a great place to be. Just some quick thoughts after reading all the posts...

I found that my brain works so much better the farther I get from AL. I also found that I became more emotionally mature.

I haven't tried the suggested supplements before but am more interested then ever about them, especially with regards to sugar. I had a sweet tooth when I was a kid, it went away for years when I drank, but my sweet tooth came back super strong during my sober years. I didn't really indulge too much but have made an ice-cream or chocolate run from time to time. The craving just as strong as for wine. A kind of 'I just gotta have it!'... kind of thing.

I've put myself on a pretty strict healthy food diet right now because it helps with my cravings to avoid sugar completely... looking towards anything positive towards my health keeps me really inspired to stay the course. And I have a few kg's to loose that I put on drinking.. and eating tons of cheese to counteract the way wine felt like it was burning my stomach. Geese, drinking really batters the body.

And one last thing... I really, really miss snow storms! I haven't been in one for years. I grew up in the Rocky Mountains and love to ski... I'm hoping paddle boarding becomes as much of an outlet. I didn't get to go today, it's was a bit too windy and I felt kinda tired, working and then cooking meals that will tide us over for the next couple of days.. so that I don't end up eating junk.. If I eat junk... I will feel like a drink... or at least I don't want to take the risk.

[choice]

Ahhh.. what an amazing read from my last post. Hi to the newbies! It's a great place to be. Just some quick thoughts after reading all the posts...

I found that my brain works so much better the farther I get from AL... a day, a week, month.. year.. and onward... I also found that I became more emotionally mature through the journey.

I haven't tried the suggested supplements before but am more interested then ever about them, especially with regards to sugar. I had a sweet tooth when I was a kid, it went away for years when I drank, but my sweet tooth came back super strong during my sober years. I didn't really indulge too much but have made an ice-cream or chocolate run from time to time. The craving just as strong as for wine. A kind of 'I just gotta have it!'... kind of thing.

I've put myself on a pretty strict healthy food diet right now because it helps with my cravings to avoid sugar completely... looking towards anything positive towards my health keeps me really inspired to stay the course. And I have a few kg's to loose that I put on drinking.. and eating tons of cheese to counteract the way wine felt like it was burning my stomach. Geese, drinking really batters the body.

And one last thing... I really, really miss snow storms! I haven't been in one for years. I grew up in the Rocky Mountains and love to ski... I'm hoping paddle boarding becomes as much of an outlet. I didn't get to go today, it's was a bit too windy and I felt kinda tired, working and then cooking meals that will tide us over for the next couple of days.. so that I don't end up eating junk.. If I eat junk... I will feel like a drink... or at least I don't want to take the risk.

[Londoner]

I found that my brain works so much better the farther I get from AL. I also found that I became more emotionally mature.

Agreed. It's like you can feel a noticeable bump in IQ when you stop drinking for an extended period of time. The emotional maturity is also something that I notice. It's great isn't it

So, a week has gone by. Only 2 of those days I have been up and around and 'functioning'. But the darkness is leaving.

I am ready to live. This time around I am setting myself up for success by creating a supportive environment around myself.

- I've bought plenty of nutritious, whole, natural food. I am making it a priority to spend more of my income on food.
- I am getting regular sleep in. It's been hard to drop off the last couple of days.
- I am getting back into regular exercise.
- Daily meditation.

And staying mindful of the past past and present. If there is one thing to take from the darkness of the past, it is the ability to learn from it. I am learning about myself more now, than I ever have done. I'm learning to be okay in who I am. I am learning to not be swayed by the masses. And the big break through in the last couple of days is watching and living my emotions - the feeling of them. Normally I bottle them up. Suppress them. Become scared of them. But I am no trying to move on into the emotion (the heavy gut feeling, or foggy head). I am the creator of those emotions.

So, a lot more mindset orientated this time around.

I am giving myself 90 days to get back to baseline. That will be the longest I have gone without any booze for nearly 10 years. That is to get me back to a basic level of functioning. From there on, it is new territory. I know it will be a challenge. The path will be littered with temptation. But temptation only leads us back to suffering.

It's scary to think just how poor AL can make our health. People think we are in great shape, but we are far from it. It is more a state of surviving, rather than thriving.

A big thankyou to everyone who showed support last week. I was praying for a big black hole to swallow me up and take me away. The words on here, although at the time it didn't seem it, got me through that patch.

[enzo'smom]

yesterday was not such a great day for me. I was holed up inside my house due to a bad winter storm….I was a complete couch potato watching netflix all day. I couldn't bring myself to get up and get moving….couldn't think of a good household project and just wasn't' motivated to work on my sobriety. I didn't really post here, I couldn't make my regular aa meeting, I didn't meditate, I couldn't get to the gym
GUess what happened? My disease started negotiating with me. It started when I was watching an episode of Parenthood - there was a scene when the entire family was sitting down for a meal and they raised their glasses for a toast and what was in those glasses? My drug of choice…..white wine. I couldn't believe it. But then I started to think it through. Although not happy about it, I realized how absurd it would be to go back to drinking. I don't need to list all the reasons here since I know you are all painfully aware of what the outcome would be for me. Thankfully, I did not drink.

Here is the thing that really scares me. While I was in that state of mind, I did not take any action. I did not call my sponsor and I did not post here to tell you all how I was feeling.
all I can say today is thank GOD today will be a regular day. I am spending my morning time posting here, meditating, making my gratitude list and going to the gym….then work, then aa meeting, then back to work and then home when I will come back on here.

I feel like I just woke up from a nightmare. I am so glad it is over!

[daisy45]

Jennie, those bad days are definitely gonna come every now and then....had one myself on Sunday. Now my head is in a different place I need to take action before the next time.
I know what you mean about not asking for support mid-madness.....I am also guilty of that. But, even if you don't feel like interacting, coming here and going to the toolbox can work wonders.....saved me a few times.
Not asking for support can be a decision to drink and not wanting the hassle of being talked out of it......I know it was with me.....felt I was too far gone....but deep down, once I had even decided to drink, there was something pulling me back....I have been crying out for sobriety for so long; I had to dig deep and ask myself how much more of this torturous merrygoround I was willing to put myself through.....
Sunday was different...I wanted to drink...all day....it consumed me. The difference was that alcohol was off the table...I just had the thoughts and got pissed off.
Look back on my posts a couple of weeks ago....very similar to yours today....and I could not believe how different I felt before and after. I know you are relieved today...use that experience and be even more ready for the next time...there will be a next.
Look at every little change for the better in your life.....all positive for me....

[Lavande]

Good morning Nesters,

Glad you didn't act on those thoughts yesterday Jennie. Those times certainly can be scary but they should also be welcomed as important lessons. We all have to keep learning!

Another very cold & icy day here! I don't like to wish my life away but thoughts of Spring are coming regularly

Hello & welcome to Darryl! Glad you found us & decided to join in too. Stay close & let us know how you are doing.

Wishing everyone a great AF Tuesday!

Lav

[Hanna]

Good morning all-

Coffee in hand, and ready for day 2!! Sleeping last night was not great, but I expected that. Choppy, crazy-dream, REM rebound sleep. However, feel pretty good. At least I am not hungover!! Planning (not hoping!) to have as good a day today as I did yesterday. Home this afternoon, but planning a healthy snack at around 3, along with the supplements again, as it worked so well for me yesterday. Will check back later when I have time and read through some of the newer posts from you all. I am looking forward to getting to know you all a little better!

Beth