Newbies Nest

[Hanna]

Thanks Elvis

Fine now (phew). That couple of hours before dinner are rough!! On to day 3. Have a good night all

[KENSHO]

Hey Hanna, once I calculated the really tough times with cravings, and it turned out to be 1-3 hours at a time, fewer and further between as your quit progresses - it turned out to be something like 3% of your actual time! You can do it - one at a time! Good job!

[Elvis]

Great job riding it out Hanna! Day 3 and 4 are tough because you start to physically feel better but your alcoholic voice is still very strong telling you to drink. That combination is trouble. Knowing and recognizing that and having a plan for when the cravings kick in is key. The cravings will pass, they always do.

If the time before dinner is tough for you, is there any way you can change the routine? Maybe eat earlier or have a snack. I used to get cravings as I was coming home from work brought on by hunger and rush hour traffic, I found myself stopping at the liquor store way too often, even after promising myself I would go straight home. I changed my routine by packing an extra apple in my lunch bag and saving it to eat right before I left work to combat the hunger, or giving myself an errand to run after work, like stopping at Target or Home Depot, or the gym to break up the traffic and change the routine.

It doesn't have to be big change either, sometimes all it takes is a minor change to disrupt the cravings. I know someone who told me she used to get intense cravings the minute she got home and she'd go right for the alcohol even before she got her coat off. She changed her routine to make sure when she got home the first thing she did was take off her coat and hang it in the closet. That short amount of time, and minor change in her routine was long enough to stop the craving, or make the craving more manageable.

[Hanna]

Thanks guys! I am giving myself a snack in the afternoons now. I had to change my thinking on this as I also have a weight obsession, and tended (notice the past tense ) to be very rigid about my eating. So I am working on this too. The snack helps tremendously!

[KENSHO]

I don't know how much you drank Hanna, but I lost almost 10 pounds and eat chocolate all the time. Your body will find a good weight - give it fuel!

[Pavati]

Hi, Nest:

Amen, Kensho. Thanks for that.

GAMBLER! Great to see you. Sorry you're lonely - I am sure you've heard all the tips to meet people, so I won't bore you, but have you tried any of them?

Hanna - great job riding out the cravings. I recommend the Bubble Hour with the guest speaker Lisa that they just posted. Really, really good diversion and support for getting sober before hitting rock bottom (more on that another timie).

Good night, Nest. Take care of yourselves, and don't drink no matter what!

Pav

[Pavati]

And Byrdie, if you're reading, hope you're having a great meeting.

xo

[choice]

Hiya everyone! Just read through kinda quickly, and my mind is mush from hanging out with a two year old all day so.. hopefully I can make some since in my post.. It was an up and down kinda day. I felt kinda moody, but didn't consider having a glass. It's like I'm in a saying goodbye phase, I still see the happy hour signs and adds for alcohol but I'm slowly fuzzing it out. I'm too excited to be back on track. But, today was a wish I could just take the edge off kinda afternoon. I'm so glad I didn't give into it. It would have lead to me being really numb right now and waking disappointed in myself. I did have a thought driving to the gym today that striving to be normal is kinda like striving to be perfect. I'm way to hard on myself.

[choice]

After I posted I went back and read Kensho's post. It really hit home! I have really been tired of acting stoic while physically and mentally suffering on the inside. And battling my body trying to unwind...

[enzo'smom]

barely slept last night….there was a train accident last night…..a car was stuck on the track and the train plowed into it. 7 dead, a dozen injured. This is the train I always take when I need to go to the city for work….it is express to my town. I found out about it last night at 10…..needless to say, I will not be going to my business conference in the city even though I had decided BEFORE the accident that I wasn't going to go….putting my sobriety first before EVERYTHING.
so many people I know were on that train….I did find out that the two people I was up all night worrying about most are safe so there is that….but it is so upsetting to have this happen in your "backyard" on a train you are frequently on…..
feeling confused…...

[Lavande]

Good morning Nesters,

Just saw the news footage of that train wreck Jennie, very sad.
I certainly would take this as a sign from the universe. You are still alive & well & should do everything to make/keep yourself healthy & happy. You have a lot of good life ahead of you!

Hanna, great on ignoring the mind chatter yesterday. Keep doing that

Choice, you are in the process of healing yourself & it does take time. Just remember that every day without AL is a good one!

Wishing everyone a good AF Wednesday!
I'll be watching my grandson later this morning - oh boy!

Lav

[Healthybutempty]

i saw that car/train accident on the news this morning and i am praying for the survivors and the families of the victims.

Still going strong. Had more vivid dreams about al last night so woke up thinking about it, but no intention of giving in, although i did smoke a cigarette and my bf is now drinking in front of me again (he says for the last time) >< its hard but at the same time i have a constant reminder of a place i dont want to go back to . ugh, so much snow here.

hope everyone has a wonderful al free day

[Hanna]

Jeannie

Wow. That is horrific, and I am sure shook you up big time! (Hugs).

Sleep last night was pretty bad. Major tossing and turning and pretty crazy dreams. I am okay with this though because I am quite sure it will all settle out. I listened to the bubble hour before going to bed. Really really really good podcast.

It's really interesting because I knew, intellectually, a lot of information about drinking struggles, and in particular, some of the things impacting me, for a long time. But somehow I could never put it together. Feels like something clicked this time. Before, I would really really struggle with that other voice in my head that told me it was okay to drink. Although it was baffling I would still see that voice as my own, and couldn't understand why I shouldn't listen to it. It is only day 3, and I don't want to get ahead of myself here, and the voice still SUCKS. But something seems different. I don't want to debate the voice this time. I want to understand why it comes (feeling of need, hunger, 5 pm trigger ), where it comes from (my damn cortex trying to put words to the impulses coming from my mid brain), and then go...ok, take care of the healthy needs (eat), ignore the voice any way you can, and it will go away. Much easier for me then trying to win the debate.

Hmmm....does that make any sense, or do I sound completely insane????

On to day 3. Wishing a good day to everyone

Beth

[NoSugar]

You don't sound crazy at all. You sound like someone who CAN DO THIS, Hanna.

That voice is one that has confused drinking with survival. It isn't the rational YOU. You are so right not to debate it. Don't let it gain even a bit of traction. Turn your thoughts elsewhere and take whatever action is necessary.

The crazy thing, that we've all done, is listening to that voice, believing it to be real and correct about what we need. Believe it or not, you can silence that voice by not feeding it what it needs. I haven't heard it for a long time and it never makes it above a whisper anymore anyway. That is pretty easy to ignore.

You're doing great! Keep learning, posting, and eating :smile: .

[Healthybutempty]

my brain keeps trying to trick me into believing i could control it this time around, where its been close to a year but I know its just an illusion. I can never drink normally. I have to keep being strong. If i ever started again, i dont know if id be able to quit this time around.