Newbies Nest

[NoSugar]

I'm glad you're hanging out in the newbies nest this time Rednose. I bet it will make a difference for you. The tips and tricks can help but more than that, there is strength in a group and in knowing you aren't the first to make such a big and seemingly difficult life change. Most of us isolate ourselves while drinking and convince ourselves we don't want or need anyone else. One of the greatest days of my life was the one I accepted that I needed help and support and finally asked for and received them here. No one has to try to do this alone - humans are social creatures who need one another. I'm glad you are here.

[rednose]

I'm glad you're hanging out in the newbies nest this time Rednose. I bet it will make a difference for you. The tips and tricks can help but more than that, there is strength in a group and in knowing you aren't the first to make such a big and seemingly difficult life change. Most of us isolate ourselves while drinking and convince ourselves we don't want or need anyone else. One of the greatest days of my life was the one I accepted that I needed help and support and finally asked for and received them here. No one has to try to do this alone - humans are social creatures who need one another. I'm glad you are here.

NoSugar.

You are right. It helps to share, ask, listen and support others. I believe it is all a part of the healing process.
I am very grateful for this site and the quality of people on here.

rednose

[available]

Red so glad you made it through. When i first started on here people kept telling me to be accountable and i thought what the hell would you know and thought that wont make an ounce of difference. Well 2 years later i still come on here daily and even if i dont post i read. People who dont post and go about their own way seem to drink. as NS said we need support and i need it from those who know and understand. Sure i have family support but they dont get that sometimes this is a daily battle, when we say we have stopped drinking that is the easy bit, staying that way is the hardest aspect. During the end of Roberts illness i really wanted a drink, just to forget really. i told the children and they said to me "after two years mum and you want a drink". Yes after two years i wanted a drink, i remember that al helps me forget but i also remember where al took me. The thoughts pop up now and again but the door is firmly shut to my drinking career!

[ADP]

ADP - Welcome back. Do you know what happened and how you might change your plan to avoid drinking in the future? Stay close and let us help.

Thanks for the encouragement Pavati......but no not really. The sceaming AL voice found a way of suggesting a drink, (which we know is never one) and before I knew it here I am again. What does seem to help, apart from all the reading I do here, is actually count the hours since I put my glass down. (nearly 34.5 at the mo)......oh and remember to smile :happy2: All this concentration is giving me frown lines!!! AAUUGGHHHHH! lol! The problem at the moment is the over whelming tiredness that I have inflicted on myself. Being worried about the physical implications is a good motivator too I guess. However, I am on this for the long haul THIS TIME. I am going to make it count, because I'd like to get dry and stay that way!!
Off to the garden to chop wood, put the washing out, feed the cats and anything else I can think of as a distraction......whew :-)
Ady.

[available]

ADP if you are tired then sleep. I was bone tired but if i forced myself to stay awake then i could not sleep. I had atrocious headaches for 5 weeks but i put the shit in my body for years so i realised it would take time for my body to heal. Try taking the cats for a walk that should amuse you for hours! You are doing great!

[ADP]

ADP if you are tired then sleep. I was bone tired but if i forced myself to stay awake then i could not sleep. I had atrocious headaches for 5 weeks but i put the shit in my body for years so i realised it would take time for my body to heal. Try taking the cats for a walk that should amuse you for hours! You are doing great!

Now don't start suggesting walking the cats, I have 8 and they would all like to go in different directions!!! They follow me most of the day anyway, so all jobs take twice the time....lol. Thanks for the encouragement, am still here and doing all I can to get better, cheers! Ady

[Lavande]

Good Monday morning Nesters,

Glad to see you hanging in ADP
Stay firm to your commitment & remember that this time next week you will be feeling great!

I am heading out to exercise then going to hang out with my daughter for a while. Perhaps a little post Christmas shopping is on order

Wishing everyone a wonderful AF day!

Lav

[ItsJustMe]

Try taking the cats for a walk that should amuse you for hours! You are doing great!

ADP - when you get back from the walk and still need to occupy your mind, give the cats a bath - all of them at once. Report back here how it went! :-)

IJM

[Byrdlady]

Good Morning, Nesters!
Hope everyone is feeling good today! I can say with much conviction that the 5th set of holidays is considerably easier than the first set! When I was brand new, there was an old timer who flew in every now and again and said how great things were and I really didn't appreciate that at the time, as I was struggling to get thru the next 10 minutes! BUT, to know there is peace on the other side of this conflict ....well, I HOPE that helps you get thru the next battle. The only way out, is through.

Yes, Rednose, our minds are the issue now that the AL is out of our immediate systems. I'm not sure if you've seen it, but Kuya has a WONDERFUL thread about the 3 Principals that you may find interesting. It's about understanding your thoughts and to be able to steer them in such a way as to let go of the ones that get us stuck or even sabotage us. It is VERY informative. Getting control of your mind (and thoughts) is key in THIS battle! Stick close!

I tell you, in looking back for your first post yesterday, I see so many names of folks who came and took part and were thrilled with their AF success and then drifted off. Many of whom I know are drinking again (Facebook). You are so right when you say that AL is patient....it is a ruthless adversary. It only takes ONE SIP to be right back in the cycle. I also noticed the people who were still posting today and who remain strong in their quits....checking in here everyday is a very small price to pay for all the freedom I have now. It's sad that I need constant reminders of this disease, but the odds of relapse are just too great to take the chance on drifting off. Complacency is the enemy of the recovered/recovering alkie (in my opinion). When I look back at those posts from 3 years ago, I remember the various folks saying that they just needed to take a break from MWO and 'get on with their lives' without constantly thinking about AL. The problem is that we are being bombarded by a drinking society at every turn! TV, family, friends, spouses.....ALL DRINKING! It takes daily 'Anti-Venom' to combat all this assault. MWO IS my superpower!! Support IS the key to long term sobriety! Getting sober is only half of it, STAYING sober is the trick! Let's stay accountable! Let's stay sober!

Hope everyone has an awesome day! Byrdie

[Byrdlady]

ADP - when you get back from the walk and still need to occupy your mind, give the cats a bath - all of them at once. Report back here how it went! :-)

IJM

:haha:
ADP will look like the main course at Benihana!

[j-vo]

MOrning,
Not much time now to post, just wanted to check in. Thank you, Byrdie, for the reminder to always stay with MWO and connected.

[anchorite]

Thank you Byrdie! My sister has 25+ years of sobriety and still attends meetings all over the world, wherever her travels take her. I didn't understand that until recently. Your post sums it up very well and gives very good reasons to be vigilant.

Where would Kuya's thread about the 3 principals be? I'm still not 100% familiar with all the forums....

[NoSugar]

Where would Kuya's thread about the 3 principals be? I'm still not 100% familiar with all the forums....

Here you go: https://www.mywayout.org/community/ge...on-thread.html

[ADP]

:haha:
ADP will look like the main course at Benihana!

So, you've met the cats then? :happy2::happy2::happy2:

[LilBit]

Morning, All. 'Glad to see that everyone made it through the holiday unscathed. What a complete contrast it was to Christmas in years past. On Christmas day, I made and served lunch for everyone. Then, I escaped outdoors to climb a mountain with a friend. I wouldn't have made it to the base, before. What a view! Then, I spent the rest of the weekend hibernating. I must have slept 20-25 of the last 48 hours.

Here's the point: the blinders are off without AL clouding my vision. I can see now that the people I used to spend Christmas with drove me crazy with passive aggression, selfishness, neediness, etc, etc. And, while I still did the loving thing this year (prepared a meal and spent some time with them), I didn't have to wallow in all the dysfunction for the rest of the day and drink myself into a stupor. Were there a few raised eyebrows when I cheerily wished everyone a good afternoon and headed out? Sure. But everyone seemed to get over it. In fact, when I returned from the hike, the rest of the dishes were washed. Sweet!

Also, I think that all along, I needed to take a day or two occasionally to just curl up in PJs, binge-watch Downton Abbey and retreat from the world, including hands-off my phone and PC. I used to force this retreat with AL, becoming so trashed and then hungover that I had no choice but to rest and hide. Now, I see that I can keep only the good parts (R&R) and emerge refreshed.

'Remember the old "V8" commercials? That's what this feels like. "Wow, I coulda' had a great holiday!" Never. Going. Back.

Happy Monday, Nesters.