Newbies Nest

[All done drinking]

... People think that the more time we are away from drinking the easier it is to deal with and it definitely is, but i find i still have to be aware of situations, stress levels and my moods. Will it always be there? I hope not but if this is what i have to live with instead of al then i am quite happy to live with being aware.

I definitely agree with this statement. The fact that we need to be diligently aware is far better than continuing to drink when we got caught up in a situation by surprise and then relapse. An example could be someone handing you a glass of wine at a wedding (yes...I am going to a wedding today) and deciding to drink it because it was handed to you. Or what happened to me one time was going to a comedy club and having my niece buy a round for everyone. It could be easy to be off guard and just say, "Oh what the heck...she bought it, I may as well drink it." We always need to have that plan b in our back pocket like setting the drink down, or handing it to someone else, etc. On our guard...always.

~Addy

[j-vo]

. I replied with "i will always be and alcoholic, I am always one drink away from being in hell".

Ava, this is what we all need to remember, and I'll say it to myself daily, as I don't ever want to think otherwise because I have tricked myself into thinking I wasn't an alcoholic many times before. I will engrave this statement into my brain. If we slowly let thoughts of maybe just one, we are screwed. I don't wanna screw myself any longer. I want to remember the truth. So...

. . i will always be and alcoholic, I am always one drink away from being in hell".

[Byrdlady]

You guys wont mind if I practice my presentation will you? Will someone get the lights? Slide 1. Zzzzzzzzzz. It would be a real yawner for most folks! I try to make things interesting but security stuff isnt glamorous.

Eloise and Ava, YES we ARE doing it! It feels really good NOT to drink. As I think about it, nobody should drink. It isnt normal (just ask the Native Americans who were only exposed to it when the Pilgrims pulled a BYOB party). Drinking impares judgement....for everybody. Thats no good! I know we cant outlaw AL, but we can lead the movement in not perpetuating it!

Addy, I was out shopping with my step daughter and her best friend and the best friend came back with 3 glasses of wine. Stunned, I took it, but knew it was hot potatoe. Survival kicked in and I poured it into their glasses. Yes, I spilled a little but so be it. I got rid of it in a hurry. I tell people that its like battery acid to my insides. Id rather make a little bit of a scene than blow my quit. NOTHING trumps my quit. Without my quit, everything else falls apart. NO THANKS!
Hope everyone has an easy day! I am expecting a new cookie cutter (and supplies) in todays mail and Im giddy with anticipation! Stay busy, stay sober! Byrdie
Edit to add:
Congrats ADDY on 4 months!!! Wooohooo! We are massively impressed! Well done on this big achievement!!! :goodjob:

[Mr Vervill]

Grateful today that those I know who live in Paris, including my niece, are all safe. My niece was very close to the restaurant attack, in another restaurant, and was on lock-down for hours, getting home at dawn. Needless to say, my sister was sleepless until she had word. In a word, it is sobering.

[Eloise]

Its is just crazy, where to go from here?

[KENSHO]

Good morning. Feeling creative today! Got the polymer clay out to make jewelry. So happy to be sober and less irritable with the kids. This time of year gives me so many other distractions to take part in - cooking, knitting, crafting. Positive things to focus on!

Great work Eloise! So happy that you are keeping strong, even when things may feel hard. Way to go on racking up the months! It's quite an achievement!

My husband wants to go with his buddy today to a bunch of breweries to drink for hours. I know they say it's in the name of a "craft" - but really, they like the buzz. I just let him go an stay home doing my crafty things!! Much happier here.

[LavenderBlue]

Hey Kensho, it sounded like you were annoyed with yourself for having cravings earlier? I wonder if it would help to remember that quitting is a process and having spikes of cravings is normal. I know it was hard for me to let go of the idea that I could be "perfect at quitting" in the sense of not having any issues once I made my mind up. I had to learn and accept that quitting isn't about never having anymore cravings ever, but more about what we decide to do about them.

[Lavande]

Good evening Nesters,

Busy day today for me but all went well & my grandsons have gone home. oh boy!!

It's so true LavB, drinking thoughts come on occasion but I decided almost seven years ago that I am just going to ignore them & not let them take root. No more, not worth it for me. I learned the art of distraction & it has always worked for me

Glad everyone seems to be doing OK.
Congrats on your 4 AF months Addy!
Eloise, somehow or another we have to remain positive & keep hoping for the best, right? :hug:

Wishing everyone a safe & warm night in the nest!

Lav

[Lavande]

Good Sunday morning Nesters

No one here on the over night shift??

Wishing everyone a sane & AF day!

Lav

[j-vo]

Thank you for this LavBlue,

Hey Kensho, it sounded like you were annoyed with yourself for having cravings earlier? I wonder if it would help to remember that quitting is a process and having spikes of cravings is normal. I know it was hard for me to let go of the idea that I could be "perfect at quitting" in the sense of not having any issues once I made my mind up. I had to learn and accept that quitting isn't about never having anymore cravings ever, but more about what we decide to do about them.

This is a great post. I'm a textbook perfectionist. I'm very hard on myself down to minute details. If one thing doesn't work, doesn't fit in the plan, I think 'failure.' That's ridiculous and I know that. But it's so hard to believe it. My being sober doesn't mean it'll be perfect, without these cravings and thoughts of alcohol. That would be nuts as it's been a part of my life for decades. Perfectly sober? No such thing. Sober. Yes. And like you said, it's what we do with those cravings or thoughts that count. As Lav said, she ignores them, and finds distractions. I think that's an excellent tool. Focus on something else. Move away from the thoughts as quickly as possible.

[LilBit]

Another quick hello...up and working on a Sunday morning. 'Happy to have the work and the extra $$. Hope everyone's enjoying the weekend. It's wet and blustery here, a good day for dog cuddling and soup making. Congrats to Addy on your 4 big months! Yay! And Pie, my goodness, 4 years. That's a serious milestone. I love it when people beat the phooey out of the statistics!

And to anyone who's having a tough time today...

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[Byrdlady]

Cookie making this morning. Keeping busy keeps me out of trouble! Distraction and pushing those AL thoughts out really works for me, too! Will post a pic in a bit. Hope everyone has an easy day! Byrdie

[Guitarista]

Cookie making this morning. Keeping busy keeps me out of trouble! Distraction and pushing those AL thoughts out really works for me, too! Will post a pic in a bit. Hope everyone has an easy day! Byrdie

I wonder what you are creating today Byrdy? A nativity scene? nah, a bit early. Snapshot of a superbowl game? Not too much hash in those cookies. Look forward to pics.

Sounds nice and chilled where you are Lilbit, combined with a satisfying momentum you can handle.

Well nesters near and not so far, I may be putting the cart before the horse like my friend Jacob, an Amish dyslexic, but this quit feels strong and chilled. I'm really liking it, liking me. I see hope and I see a real bright future for myself. I suppose I'm just like all of us here in that temptation/drinking thoughts/romanticising boozing will raise it's ugly head now and then, and it's what I do and how I deal with these thoughts that's important as Lav B alluded to. I take daily action maintaining my sobriety by making sure my head's screwed on relatively straight, with a little exercise, and spending as much of the rest of the day as I can doing things I like doing. So far so good.

Congrat's Eloise on 18 months! Congrat's to all other milestoners too, we are seeing so many. Bravo!

[Pavati]

Hi, Everyone:

Back from another weekend away at the coast. An embarrassment of riches in the out-doors department here in my neck of the nest.

I have been generally anxious lately. Although I remember that the first few sips of alcohol would take care of that feeling temporarily, I know that 1) it would only be made worse (much worse) by alcohol, and 2) I never wanted nor rarely only took a couple of sips. The off switch is definitely broken here. Thankfully I have developed other techniques to get through these feelings, including the aforementioned out doors. Phew. Thank goodness I don't drink.

Happy Sober Sunday, all.

Pav

[LostSoul33]

Hi all,
Wanted to quickly check in and say congrats to everyone on their sobriety achievements. We are all doing this, one day at a time.
I am on my 37th day and, like Guitarista, this quit feels real.
Ive been busy building a new life around sobriety-- the good thing about not having family is that I can re-create my life and shape my destiny without any baggage.
The key to this quit has been patience, gratitude and living in the present. Yesterday and tomorrow are out of my hands. I am getting to know who I am, what it is that I want, realizing my dreams and creating a life for myself that can healthily embrace all that I deserve.
In every aspect, my life is the complete opposite of what it was when I was drinking. And for this, I am extremely grateful.
Hope everyone is having an easy Sunday.
xx