Newbies Nest

[mario]

Good morning nesters.

Byrdie 6 years, wow, its a great feeling & fantastic accomplishment , Its also great that that you are still here sharing & supporting others as they they find there way out, Your sure one of the greats MWOers around , thanks for being here.

Its also great reading all the other inspiring & supportive posts here, Remember when we were drinking we were only half alive, Now we are trying to live a decent honest unselfish life, Life now has a new meaning for us & we can actually enjoy it now, We are now sitting on the right side of the fence.

Have a good happy positive day folks :-)

[marthadan]

Hi everyone. Not sure what to say except I'm new here and trying to get AF. I guess I'm whats called a functional alcoholic. But it's affecting my relationship - so I need to do something about it. :newhere:

[Byrdlady]

Good morning, Nesters, and THANK YOU for the hearty congratulations.

To say it's been an emotional journey of growth would be to discount the whole experience. I didn't realize how dead and emotionally stunted I had become (Numb and Numb-er). My husband made the comment last night, 'It has been like pulling someone back from the dead'. What is incredible is that given MY way, I'd have stayed stuck in the Zombie Appocolypse! This time 6 years ago, I was in a downward spiral, having just come off an antidepressant (I didn't need, but stayed on for 5 years), taking 3 BP meds, having bad liver readings, I was a royal mess. Little did I know, that I was creating the pain I as trying to escape. You couldn't have told me that then, AL had a bigger pulpit than anyone. It took time and there were tough moments (I still have occasional SPELLS) but I can tell you this, life without AL is better in EVERY WAY. I did whatever it took to get thru each day AF. Now I don't even think about it....THAT was the Impossible Dream in the beginning and I didn't think it would ever happen. How could I get thru that 5 o'clock (symbolic, it was becoming 2:30) hour without my decompression mechanism? How could I function? Isn't that just crazy? To wonder how you are going to function without AL??? THAT is the power of addiction.

As Lav told me in her own way....there is an easy way to do this and a hard way. Unfortunately, I had to take the hard way (kept going back and making deals that were never going to happen). I hate I did it that way, I lost precious time by doing it that way, but I'm pretty stubborn. If the 57 year old Byrdie could talk to the 40 year old Byrdie, things sure would be different....I'd have insisted we stop drinking then and there. Alas, 11 years clicked by with me in a stupor. One sip, one drink, is going to take me backwards and I don't have time for that now. Do NOT give in, do NOT give up, push forward and you will finally break free. It IS worth it.

Yes, this last year has been sweeter than the previous ones, I feel as if I have grown into my new skin. I hope it continues this way. Growth is never easy, but it's always worth it.

Thank you all, I could not have done it without LAV and THIS NEST!! Quit as if your life depends on it....because it does. Byrdie

[NoSugar]

Congratulations, Byrdie, and thanks for sticking around, encouraging others, and showing us all how to deal with the ups and downs of life without escaping through alcohol. You are the epitome of what it means to "give back". Much love, appreciation, and respect, NS

[NoSugar]

Hi everyone. Not sure what to say except I'm new here and trying to get AF. I guess I'm whats called a functional alcoholic. But it's affecting my relationship - so I need to do something about it.

Welcome, MarthaDan
You've come to a great place to gain the information and support we all need to quit drinking. I'd given up most of my relationships so that I could keep the one I had with alcohol alive.

The majority of us here would have defined ourselves as functional alcoholics - and we were if functioning is defined as able to complete the normal tasks of life and keep a job. It is amazing how low I had set the bar.

It wasn't until I'd been AF for awhile that I realized how poorly I really was functioning and how much I was missing. The great news is, it is possible to LIVE - not to merely function.

I'm glad you're here! NS

[paulywogg]

Hello nesters,HUGE congratulations on 6 years Byrdie,I say it every year but thank you for sticking around and being active with helping and guiding around here Marthadan,welcome not much to say for once haha,I hope the protesters over the election are safe today,we don't need violence and stupidity out there,just hafta keep a positive attitude and our heads up,wishes for a safe,happy,AF(of course) day

[Lost Soul]

So I'm off to work for a couple of hours, then will head to the hospital to wait for someone to have a look at the "tumour" the doctor told me she saw yesterday on one of my ovaries.. I am the slightest bit worried because she told me I should go today and not wait for an appointment. On the other hand, I don't want to worry unnecessarily.. so I'm hoping for the best until I hear otherwise..
Nursie, I hope your appt. goes well today.. and your husband's. Let us know.

Will check in later today.. xx

Sending you strength & have my fingers crossed for you today LC xxx

[paulywogg]

LC,I hope it turns out to be nothing, glad you're going today better to be safe

[dyingtobealive]

Hi everyone. Not sure what to say except I'm new here and trying to get AF. I guess I'm whats called a functional alcoholic. But it's affecting my relationship - so I need to do something about it. :newhere:

Hi MarthaDan - I'm relatively new here as well, just hit Day 10 sober. The people on this site are super helpful and inspiring. They've really, really help keep me accountable. I'm really not quite sure I'd still be sober if I didn't check in every day. The beginning is hard, but it gets easier. I'm finding with each day the drive to drink gets less and less.

I was a total functioning alcoholic. I still went to work (although very hungover some days), took care of my daughter, had a relationship with my husband. But my drinking just started to get worse and worse. I couldn't have just 1 or just 2, I had to keep going back for more. Eventually sneaking it every time my husband walked away. A couple of things hit me hard: I drank enough a couple of days I couldn't go to work and I don't remember much after noon on Christmas. It's then I really realized I needed to stop. I was finding a way to incorporate alcohol into every event. I can't tell you how liberating it is to wake up without a hangover every day.

It's not easy, but it's so worth it.

Other nesters - is it normal to still be so exhausted after this long? I'm sleeping like a rock - to a point where I'm not hearing my alarm or my daughter or even when my husband gets up. I'm getting like 7-8 hours every night and I wake up seriously exhausted still. Love sleeping well, but really getting tired of being tired in the morning.

[Orimus]

Byrdie – Congrats on 6 AF years! That is awesome in the truest sense of the word.
LC – Will be thinking of you, hoping she was just being overly cautious.
Marthadan – Welcome, one functional alcoholic to another.
A quiet Friday at the datacenter in Jersey which leaves me plenty time to read through, go through the toolbox. ‘Course it might be quiet because I am but that suits me. Have a great AF Friday all.

[KENSHO]

Mario, love your description of being fully alive and living an unselfish life with more meaning. That is what I have experienced.

Marthadan, welcome! A lot of us here, including me, considered ourselves functioning. I’m happy to report that life and relationships get substantially better with more and more alcohol-free time! Glad you are here!

Byrdie. Congrats on 6 sober years! You reached me when I needed it and you changed my life. Period. Thank you for that.

LC, thinking about you today with your scan.

Peace and strength to everyone.

[available]

Morning nesters

A huge hug and congratulations byrd on 6 years. I have always wanted to be like you and Lav and i am well on my way. You are an inspiration to me.

LC i hope everything goes well for you. We cannot change what happens to us in life, we can only get through it with strength and determination. Hugs lovely lady.

Welcome Marthadan, i was a functioning alkie too, now i am sober i look back and realise i didnt function at all well. Keep on here and keep posting, we are all here to support you.

Well its amazing what sleep does to make one feel human again. I think another 200 hours and i will be fine. Tooth has settled down but the dentist it is. i have a huge fear of these guys who drill and pull and look scary but time to face the fear or change my avatar to "gummy".

Homework for me this weekend and a bike ride. Nothing too strenuous.

Take care x

[Guitarista]

I'd have stayed stuck in the Zombie Appocolypse!

Classic. :harhar:

Congrats again on 6 years dear friend. X

LC, how are you doing?

Welcome Marthadan.

Good luck at the dentist Gummy!

Edit: Just thinking about how we grow in sobriety. I've heard many say there are noticeable (positive) changes at around 6 months, then 9 months.......this is inspiring to me and good reason to keep going. Don't quit before the miracle happens eh?

Day 161. Let's git it.

[Lost Soul]

I’m happy to report that life and relationships get substantially better with more and more alcohol-free time!

Love this, thankyou! Xx

[Dutch1988]

Congrats On 6 years Byrdie!