Newbies Nest

[Byrdlady]

Re: Newbies Nest

Got in at the docs today. We are going to try and blast this out with Prednisone. I dread the moon face and all the emotional side effects, but life is no good like this. Looking forward to getting thru this. As we say here in the nest, anything worth having has a price.
One day at a time for sure.
Hang in everyone, if I can stay sober thru all this I know you can! Byrdie

[actiongirl46]

Re: Newbies Nest

Byrdie, I hope you feel better soon. I can only imagine that having a colitis attack while drinking would be an extremely painful combination, good thing that is not the case. Prednisone, do your thing!

[mario]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good morning nesters. It's raining hard here at the moment but the sun be back out in a day or two. Busy here at work and on my phone which makes typing for me just that little bit harder.

Had a bit of time yesterday so I went back to my old haunts where I haven't been for at least two years,I was shocked to find out that four of my old drinking buddy's had died in this space of time, These men were all in there early fifties and all died from alcohol related symptoms .

Had I not stopped when I did I have no doubt i be dead by now, Isent that a sobering thought for me to realise, This drinking addiction is not a hobby , it's an absolute killer & no one if drinking is immune to its advances.

[lifechange]

Re: Newbies Nest

Morning Nesters,
I awoke in the middle of the night with a fever and a terrible sore throat and earache.. so I wasn't able to fly/go to the conference. To be honest, I probably rushed everything a bit with going back to work full swing. I can feel it physically and obviously my body is forcing me to stay put a while longer. I'm quite sure that if I hadn't been putting poison into my trying-to-heal body I would be further along in the process. The whole time I was doing it, I was thinking, "who does something so stupid?"-- I've definitely hit another low point, and like you said, Mario, it just keeps getting lower if we continue to drink.
One thing I've noticed the past few days is that when I look in the mirror I want to drink. Instantly. That's what I was doing the past couple of weeks. I feel like I've aged 5 years in the past couple of months and I really don't recognize myself.. I've been running from reality. It's what I've been doing the past year or two, probably. I have to figure out how to redefine myself as a "middle aged" woman.. at least I feel like I do because my role is changing.. at work, in how others see me and treat me. I never thought that I'd have problems with ageing.. I guess we never do.? But now that I'm being slowed down a bit physically I realize that I do. And I'd better deal with them.
First things first. Most importantly, not drinking.

Ava, that sounds like such a lot of stress.. having to take on all of the extra work. When you have your diploma, will you be able to find work quite easily and immediately? You will be an excellent counselor. I'm really happy for you and proud of you for taking the leap into a new career.. I'm imagining that's something I might have to do in the next few years and it's part of what scares me 'cause Germany is not known as a friendly, accepting place to change direction mid life.. they don't seem to get it.? And even if one manages financially to retrain, it's very difficult to find a job amongst the 20 somethings.. maybe it's like that everywhere? I remember it being possible in the States.. my Grandma did it after her husband died, at the age of 60 something.. but maybe it's all different now?

Byrdie, so sorry you're still sufferring.. I hope you'll find some immediate relief with the meds.

I'm off to the Apotheke myself.. will check back later..

[satz123]

Re: Newbies Nest

Elsie - make that change if you are unhappy - I've done it .
I have gone back to university as a mature student and the college director has said mature student usually outrun the school leavers by miles.
It's scary - but we have forgotten more than the 20 somethings will ever learn

I admit it's harder - but it opens up your horizons - new people , places, things we never knew - though we thought we knew EVERYTHING :haha:

[abcowboy]

I think a reason why a lot of us slip after getting some AF time in is because a sober life isn’t what we expected, or wanted. I know way back when I started drinking after going 7 months sober it was because I wasn’t happy with my sobriety, I wasn’t this new wonderful person that I thought I was going to be so I figured that if sobriety wasn’t going to fix my problems, drinking at least made them go away for a while. The man in the mirror didn’t change whether drinking or sober. I don't think I was a dry drunk, I just wasn't happy, thinking that I was missing out on something.

It’s when it finally dawned on me that quitting drinking wasn’t really sobriety, it was just quitting drinking! Sobriety to me meant that I could accept this different man with all his flaws and shortcomings and try to find happiness in the life that being sober offered. It wasn’t easy at first, and it took a while, but I found my happiness through gratitude, and through knowing that it was up to me to embrace my sobriety.

It’s like the certificates we hang on the wall, or the merit badges we earned when we were kids, or the trophies we might have achieved, we proudly displayed them so that everyone could see what we accomplished through our hard work. Getting and staying sober should be the same, but we treat it different. We talk about it behind closed doors, talk about to others who are going through it, talk about it only with people who have been there.

I’m proud of my sobriety, not because I did it and someone else didn’t, but proud because I accomplished it, and to remind others that if I could do it, so could they! I carry my first AA coin on my key ring for everyone to see, to remind myself and others that alcoholism can be beaten. I am a survivor and everyone else can be as well. I found my happiness in my sobriety and it’s made being sober so much better and easier.

Ya, getting old forces us to look at things a bit different. Sometimes when I look at myself in the mirror I wonder if this is all there is to life, if my sixty years on this earth really made a difference. Then I realize it’s up to me to make my life count for something….

[satz123]

Re: Newbies Nest

I’m proud of my sobriety, not because I did it and someone else didn’t, but proud because I accomplished it, and to remind others that if I could do it, so could they!

:checkin:
I have to admit though, there is sneaking pride in being able to accomplish something others haven't - so I allow myself that secret luxury.

[Roobs]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hello everyone,

Great post cowboy, thank you.

Life change, glad you jumped back in here. I used to feel that when I was talking about al and not drinking sometimes made me want to drink more! I would step away from MWO, wouldn't post, wouldn't read but that avoidance always led me back to drinking. I've been around MWO since 2007... That's ten years! I've been fighting with my Alcoholic brain for much longer than ten years but recognizing the fact that I've been around here for that long starting with all the recommended supplements and CDs. I liked buying all the fluffy stuff to support my AF journey but I never really put any of it into practice. I never really did the work. This time I'm working at it. I try to post more but sometimes a few days go by and suddenly I have a lot of catching up to do. I've also added podcasts and the audio book of "tired of thinking about drinking" and I've signed up to receive some emails from a couple of blogs. I have more tools in place this time which helps me recognize that I/we are not alone and that there are so many like minded people out there that are living without the crutch of alcohol.

Byrdie, hope you're feeling better.

Happy AF Saturday!
Roobs

[Lost Soul]

Re: Newbies Nest

:checkin:
I have to admit though, there is sneaking pride in being able to accomplish something others haven't - so I allow myself that secret luxury.

There is no pride or humility seeking to feel superior to others less fortunate.
Least of all in finding sobriety & sharing this in the 'Newbies Nest' of an alcohol abuse support forum.
How do I report this post?

[Lost Soul]

Re: Newbies Nest

:checkin:
I have to admit though, there is sneaking pride in being able to accomplish something others haven't - so I allow myself that secret luxury.

Reported.

[LilBit]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hey, Nesters. 'Just a quick check-in on my "official" 2-year non-drinking anniversary. So happy to be alive and sober! Here's my happy dance [click the chick].

Moving-animated-picture-of-chicken-dancing.gif

Byrdie, I hope you're feeling better, soon. This, too, shall pass.

LifeChange, it's good to see you. If you look at my join date and then at my actual quit date, you'll see some hidden, struggling, falling-down and then getting-back-up years. It takes as long as it takes. You never know when the quit that finally sticks is in your grasp. This may very well be it!

Love to all.

[Byrdlady]

Re: Newbies Nest

Nesters, please join me in congratulating a very cool chick. Lil bit with two years! This is the best news Ive seen in days! Congratulations on this phenominal accomplishment! I know your quit buddy, Dutch, is right there with you so I will go ahead and send a shout out to him, too! You both are in rare air! Well done! :two::two:
PP2

[paulywogg]

Re: Newbies Nest

I agree with LS that post sounded very smug,I thought we were here to support one another..not feel superior to each other if I had long lasting sobriety I'd only wish for the same for my friends here..not feel like I was better than them

[Lost Soul]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi all
I don't really feel okay or safe here right now so I have to go.
Thanks for the support
I got this pm from someone & has upset me too much

"Hi LS, I was going to do a follow up post in the Nest but decided to just let it go and pm you instead. I found your post to Satz a bit disappointing, I never thought you were like that but maybe there is “history” between you and Satz.

I don’t think she meant any ill will in her post, I understand what she was saying, having a sense of pride in doing something so difficult, something that approximately only 5% of alcoholics can do. I don’t think she was rubbing her sobriety in anyone’s face, but I could be wrong.

If her post was offensive to you, then a lot of the posts in the “Newbie Nest Roll Call” should be as well. Are those people also rubbing their long term day counts in the face of those who return time and time again?

I love reading your posts, always supportive of everyone trying their hardest, because that’s all any of us can do, try our hardest one day at a time… "

[Lost Soul]

Re: Newbies Nest

I responded with
"Thanks for the pm. I would be happy for you to report my post if you found it insensitive in any way. If you would like to quote my post & express your views of me being like that (I am not exactly sure what 'like that' means) disappointment in my post I would be happy to respond.
I'm 100% sure you mean well but don't really feel okay chatting about this via pm. I have nothing to hide & would rather speak about any grievances on the public forum
Many thanks again"