Newbies Nest

[Lost Soul]

Hi all, checking in on day 5 - not sleeping well bu always tired, though know will improve as I crank up my AF days...

Hi Roobs, well done on day 2, yes we can! I'm glad you could confide in a friend, I have friends that know in RL & it can be a real comfort.

G man, 96/97 (depending on timezone I guess) days is awesome...go you!

Byrdie, glad you had a good day & lovely news on Rahul's 1000 days!

ThirdTimesACharm - thanks for sharing how you worked through your cravings (& well done of course too!)

Sorry about your slip daisy - if you can try to forgive yourself & don't feel too sad it makes the journey ahead a great deal easier ☺

Thank you Lavande, as always, for your positive words ☺

Nursie - sounds like you've really found you AF feet & there isn't any going back!

Lifechange - so strange you mention dreams about drinking... I have these now & also when I was AF too, guess it's just my subconscious knowing it will always be a part of me (a reminder to be more careful even when I was ok?)

Available, Justme & Mario thanks for your positive words & keeping us keeping on...

J-vo, sorry your having a tough time, sometimes allowing yourself to feel the pain is the greatest gift you can give yourself, thinking of you.

Hi Kensho - Glad you feel confident to face the coming stressful week, send a bit our way would you? ☺

Hi ns & Paul (waves)

It's taken me into my day 6 to post this evening - thank you nest ☺
LS

[Byrdlady]

Along day but back home safe and sound.

JVo, dont you have some Antabuse? This might be the perfect time to put it to use....just a thought. Remember, a craving WILL pass, whether you drink or not. You know the outcome, keep your quit going no matter what! Hugs dear lady. Byrdie

[Lavande]

Good evening Nesters,

Everyone is busy, checking in & doing what they need to do - awesome

j-vo, I will keep positive thoughts for you & hope you do the same. Convince yourself that you will not drink. Blow off those drinking thoughts as soon as you become aware of them. Be your own best friend & know that you can & will do this :hug:

LS, you are quickly approaching your one week milestone & that's a big deal. I am happy for you!

Greetings to everyone & wishing a safe night in the nest for all!

Lav

[mario]

Good morning nesters, all good in the hood here.

J-vo We all know its so hard but look how far you have come, Stay on the sobriety road to Florida, wishing you the best you have got some great support and advice here.

Lost soul, well done, it aint easy but the results are outstanding.

In all my years around I have never ever met one person who has said there lives were better when they were drinking compared to being clean.

[j-vo]

Thank you for all of the advice and thoughts. I appreciate it and all of you! I'll be posting, and I'm feeling so much better about things than I had a few days ago. That nagging feeling did go away. It wasn't a good feeling, and I didn't think I could get away from it, but it retreated.

Lifechange, sleep will get better. That's one of the first good things that happened to me.

Have a good day.

[Byrdlady]

I'm so glad to hear you are feeling better, J-Vo. For me, drinking was NOT an option (think of Robert DeNiro in that war movie, FAIL-YA IS NOT AN OPTION! I knew if I drank, my marriage was over. Period. I could have stopped 1000 times before, but I allowed it to get to the point where I had no more options. Please learn from my mistakes! Life is too precious to numb it over.

As most of you know (because I don't suffer in silence) that I am working harder than I have since the late 80's, early 90's). I know if I put in the work now, it will pay off. I know that for every thankless call I make, that I am planting seeds for the future. Yes, I am in the Instant Gratification Society (here's my membership card ***) but some things in life just don't work that way....and those are the things worth having. Sobriety is that way, too. So this week as I worked my butt-chewed arse off, I thought, 'I've got to get through this to get over this'. Same with drinking. Yes, it is HARD, nobody will tell you differently, but it is do-able and there are lots of us doing it! If it were impossible, NOBODY could do, and if it stayed that hard, nobody could do it. The work you do today will pay you back tomorrow.
Happy Friday, everyone....it's just another day, not a ticket to BoozeVille. Take the option of AL off the table and the job is done! Byrdie

[madonmehndi]

Good morning nesters, all good in the hood here.

J-vo We all know its so hard but look how far you have come, Stay on the sobriety road to Florida, wishing you the best you have got some great support and advice here.

Lost soul, well done, it aint easy but the results are outstanding.

In all my years around I have never ever met one person who has said there lives were better when they were drinking compared to being clean.

Hi everyone Day 13 for me and I am so happy

Mario, thanks for your last sentence, that speaks volumes to me, I can't believe how clear my head is without AL clouding my every thought and waking moment, it feels amazing, I never ever want to go back to my old life!

[Roobs]

Good morning everyone,
Starting day 4 and feeling really strong. I've been eating a lot of really delicious food these past couple of days. Staying nice and full helps to stave off any cravings. I may gain a few lbs but I don't care right now, it's worth it.

J-Vo, I'm so sorry you are so sad. The feelings of despair and grief can feel so crushing. Nothing matters when we're grieving so I don't think it's unusual for you to have creeping thoughts of drinking and numbing out. The important thing is you put it out there and you're being honest. Like NS said, now let those thought go. It's okay to be sad. Mourn with every sober fiber in your body. It sucks but you will get through this.

Happy Friday everyone, I plan on checking in later today.
Roobs

[paulywogg]

Morning nesters,I love what NS wrote yesterday cuz it was so on point it blew my mind, the day I decided to choose to drink, I had one daughter get on a bus for FL the night before, then that day I had a daughter leaving for Portland, at work all day I was preoccupied with al thoughts and feeling sad,shook them off but got home to take my daughter to the airport and all the way up there and the driving back I let the thoughts take hold, tried fighting them and it only made them stronger, I drove past many gas stations on the drive home but didn't stop,would feel good about the decision and figured once I got home I'd be fine but of course kept thinking, fighting and went back out to buy beer thinking it would just be nice to get drunk, listen to music and cry my eyes out,drank the first one and like NS said I couldn't enjoy it cuz I knew what the next day would be like but of course kept on,I went from 0 to 100 blackout drunk in 2 hours, I never got my crying, listening to music experience, I was gone! Then of course I had to work the next day, what is the answer for the shakes and nausea? More beer of course, then my mom came down,gotta deal with her=more beer, election happened=more beer, one day of a bad decision cost me a full week of my life that I'll never get back,don't let thoughts about drinking convince you that you need it for anything, like Byrdie says it's all lies,hope everyone has a nice AF Friday

[Nursie]

Hello Comfy Nest!
Pauly Your post could have been written by me! My last drunk was the same exact scenario. I fought back and forth with myself and then decided to have some wine. Normal people have wine. I figured I would make my last drink a positive experience by having some wine and not getting wasted. Just gently saying goodbye and walking away.
Hahahahahaha! Of course that didn't happen!
I was black out drunk in no time and woke up horrified once again.
I am just not going to participate in that bullshit anymore! I do not drink. I am a completely different person when I drink and I hate that person!!
I love me, and I want to stay myself and never ever feel that way again.
I can't help the things I have already done and the damage I have already caused. But I can control my here and now.
I do not drink.
I don't drink.
I'm not a drinker.
I love tea and other tasty beverages.
I don't like alcohol.
I don't care for alcohol.
Fuck alcohol.
Oh, sorry! I'm getting carried away with my "reprogramming" of my brain!
Happy Friday everyone!
Oh and I have lost 7 lbs in these two weeks! That is so encouraging!

[Guitarista]

Hiya nesters,

congrats on 13 days Madon, and congrats Roobs on day 4. raawkin it!

Now nesters, come in a little closer......no no, closer still, don't be shy, just a little closer, that's it......................................THE WEEKEND AINT NO TICKET TO BOOZEVILLE SEE?!

It's saturday morning here, which means friend Kensho will be 100 days sober there any hour now! Wowza big buddy!

Day 98. Let's git it.

[Lost Soul]

Hi all, checking in on day 6 still AF,

Thank you Byrdie, Lav & Mario ☺

J Vo, well done for not giving in - it's hard to push the thoughts away but the sooner you can 'nip it in the bud' the less chance they have of wearing you down. Has your lists & planning helped? Sending you warm thoughts ☺

Madonmehndi, super to hear you so positive - well done on 23 days!

Hey Roobs, I heart indulging in delicious food - it's great your on day 4 too ☺

So true, Pauly - AL is indeed a stinker, we're way happier, healthier without.

Nursie - loving your 2 weeks & 7lb! Yes, NORMAL people have wine... (we're way better but sshhh!)

G & Kensho 98 & 100! Becoming distinguished old timers at this stage - Very well done!

Best wishes nest this AF Friday,
LS

[paulywogg]

You're sounding great on day 6 Lost Soul

[scottish lass]

Having a quick check in - start of thanksgiving break here, but not for me!! Would have been an excuse to drink though - heck, anything was an excuse wasn't it!!

J-vo - I am happy to share my number or email if you want a quick reach out when away, NS and others have done that for me in the past and I have used it (successfully I might add!) - let us know how best to get you through your trip.

Rahul!!! A little while ago I posted to Elivs that we were quit buddies once and he had hit a milestone. Rahul and I were once just a day apart - now a few hundred days apart! I have to focus on not letting anyone else leave me in the dust, right???

Feeling fairly strong here, with little ideas jumping in and getting them out - went to a ladies night with my girls last night, it was cold, I was tired and came straight from work - so hungry too, thought a glass would have just done the trick, but managed to work out that it would have done more than that so ate some cheesy badness instead! Will be doing a little shop later on a Friday than I like to, but signed in here first to keep my resolve up.....

Be good all, self care - put number one at the top of the list, and that helps us to care for those we want and need to!

[Rahulthesweet]

Checking in from the road, I survived my meeting. It went ok, looks like its all about price. So we'll see. Made a few cold calls so it was a good day. It was topped off by a call from Rahul! Yes, OUR Rahul. He was in the US for a tradeshow and gave me a buzz, gosh, it was great to talk with him. Best of all, he is celebrating 1000 days today! Just an amazing accomplishmnet So proud of him! So I had a very good day!
Sleep tight, Nesters, Byrdie

Yes it was great to speak to you Byrdie. I have been binge travelling since last month and now back home and will be again have to travel this Sunday onwards.

Being sober makes travel a lot easier I look forward to early morning run or biking where I get opportunity to do in any part of the world where I go. I ran and later biked in Chicago downtown next to the lake which was nice. Rather than heading to local bars which I used to do I now look forward to seeing cities can checking that that have to "offer" for runners and cyclists. I went to 2 shows with cycling gear bought some new stuff.

It's so great to be sober !! 1000 day could not have reached with the support from all you wonderful people ... And I must thank you all.