Newbies Nest

[Byrdlady]

Re: Newbies Nest

It looks as if the storm is going to miss us, so while Im happy for me, my heart goes out to all those who are fleeing. My brother, his wife and 3 dogs got on the road yesterday and are now in Charleston, it took them all day to get there. Gas is scarce and they are frazzled.
There are a lot of people having bad times at the moment. Stressful times.
One thing is for sure, AL wont help any of it. I no longer drink AT these things. A blessed relief. Its only Friday, not a ticket to BoozeVille! Byrdie

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

I am almost feeling guilty for having such a cool & sunny day here when so many are suffering. Thinking of all those affected by these nasty hurricanes :hug:

We went out for a bite to eat (why cook on Friday?) & I had a most delicious broiled crab cake, yum We live fairly close to the Chesapeake Bay so fresh seafood is abundant & easy to get, feeling lucky. My husband is allergic to shellfish so I can't cook it at home & have to get a taste of these delicious things when we go out

Glad to see everyone checking in & wishing a safe night in the nest for all!
Byrdie, glad to hear your brother got out in time!!!

Lav

[Neo]

Re: Newbies Nest

Saturday Night here and new shed built from insurance. Glad I didn’t buy any AL to celebrate tonight and should have a sober rest of weekend for a good start to week .Wow , the US is getting saturated by hurricanes. Hope everyone is ok

[paulywogg]

Re: Newbies Nest

Byrdie gas is scarce and I seen on the news somewhere in FL the gas stations were hiking up the prices sky high! $6 a gallon at one 7-11! They should be ashamed of themselves my son in law has a sister and nephew in Tampa and they were trying to fly out here,over $3000 for tickets! I'm sorry but they should be flying peeps out for free in situations like this,hopefully they don't get hit too hard on that side,prayers for everyone in Irma's path.

[Londoner]

Re: Newbies Nest

First weekend on Antabuse.

Been in 2 settings where I would normally have a 'cheeky pint'. A slight bit of desire, but knowing I cannot have any AL without feeling ill kept me on my path.

Out for a meal tomorrow, where again I'd normally have 4/5 pints - again, no option to drink on Antabuse.

Already finding I am changing the way I socialise. Instead of falling into a drunken slumber and 'fake socialise', I am finding I am having to talk and change the way I view socialising.

Keep on the good work Nest

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

Watching the news almost constantly & hoping everyone gets out of the way of Irma

Definitely feeling like Fall here, my favorite season.
The summer heat makes me sluggish & who wants that? Ha ha. I went out & purchased some new plants for my gardens to replace the overgrown ugly shrubs we yanked out a few months ago.

Londoner, glad you are getting a strong start, good for you!

Neo, congrats on your new shed & good job not celebrating with AL.

Hi there Pauly & everyone.
Byrdie, I assume you are on the road getting out of Irma's way. Stay safe :hug:

Wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Neo - glad to hear that dreadful fire and the loss of your shed, belongings, etc has reached "closure" - at least in the sense that you have the new shed. I'm sure there are other aspects of that loss that will carry forward, but congrats on ticking that major item off your list.

Londoner - Sounds like you are really embracing this quit and making it work. Sure, the AB is helping you because drinking surely isn't a wise option at all, but you also seem to be doing the deeper work - the inner soul searching and the changes of the sorts we all have to make if we are to truly live AF. If there's one thing al affects, it's the ways in which most of us socialize (and that's not just people with al problems, but pretty much everyone who drinks even a bit). It starts off feeling like more "work" to socialize on that deeper level, and that can be exhausting. Speaking only for myself, I eventually found that I've connected with some people in a more genuine way, and I appreciate waking up the next morning and *remembering* wt we talked about, what I might have promised, etc. Congrats L - you are finding your way!!!

Byrdie - relief that you are no longer in the path of the biggest storm threat, but saddened for the amount of loss and destruction the storm will bring overall. I have many facebook friends in FL and other states in that region, and have watched them struggle with decisions around evacuating - where to go, how to get there, etc. It turns out that some have evac'ed right INTO areas that now look to be hard hit. I do not envy the decision-makers, especially in FL - I think they all want to do whatever keeps the most people safe, which is hard to determine with a storm on a changing path.

Waves to Lav, Ava, Pav, Mr V, LC, Pauly, ssd, Roobs, G-man, and everyone else. Hope you're all having great AF weekends!

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Well, today was the fateful day 3 years ago...

In Spring 2014 I found MWO and I think it saved my life. I was in a deep downward spiral fed by al, and I knew I had to climb out then or perhaps never would. I had been drinking so much I was experiencing withdrawal symptoms and I was alone and scared. I eventually found my way to a Dr and went through a medically supervised withdrawal. During those long rough nights, somehow I found MWO and hopped in the nest. NS, Pav, Byrdie, Lav, Ava and several others were there to embrace me. I was serious about that quit and I made it through the rest of spring and summer - something like 150 days.

I had a fantastic summer. I joined an outrigger and dragon boat paddling team - I stepped outside my comfort zone, learned some wonderful new physical activities, got into excellent physical condition, and developed some fun new friendships, although those friends were pretty big drinkers. I should have seen the potential downside to that, but I was having so much clean fun I tried to ignore the risks.

Then I went to an end-of-season celebration within my paddling community. It was the traditional "beer garden" after the last race of the year, and it is known for being a drunken mess. Sigh... I shouldn't have gone. But I did, and it changed the direction of my life in a bad way for several months to come. It started, as it usually does, with having "just one" beer to "celebrate" such an awesome season. That of course led to several more. Nothing else bad happened that night, but one of my friendships from paddling was really bad news and by spending time with her, I spent virtually every night drinking - sometimes excessively. That quickly spiraled back down hill and I lost every ounce of the progress I had made. Under the influence of al, I made several bad decisions and my life really took a dark turn. In a bright spot, I also met the love of my life and recently got married, but that's pretty much the only good that came during the months of drinking (and certainly not BECAUSE of the drinking!).

Fast forward to July 2016... After spending the months from Sept 2014-July 2016 drinking regularly and heavily, I came to my senses and began what is now my final quit. I was in a similar deep hole of desperation, but at least this time I didn't have the withdrawal symptoms. I was equally if not more scared for my life. This time is different though - this time I'm better prepared, my toolbox is fuller, and I have learned the hard lessons from 2014.

But today I pause and look back to remind myself how quickly things went from pretty fantastic to being back in the toilet. I cannot and will not go back there again. Absolutely nothing is worth risking that "just one" drink. I am embarrassed about the person I became when I started drinking again, ashamed even. Now, as I celebrate Day 414 of my forever quit, I'm once again proud of the person I am - the choices I'm making, the way I'm living my life, how I'm treating myself and others. It's good to have some reminders to solidify my quit, and I will take the lessons learned and embrace them.

I'm so grateful for that better day in July 2016 when I made the right choice, finally, and took my life back. Thank you all for your support - both back in 2014 and again now. This nest is saving lives, one person at a time.

[ssd858]

Re: Newbies Nest

Thank you so much for sharing [MENTION=23208]wagmor[/MENTION]. And super congrats - 414 is a brilliant number! :yay:

Hearing your story is uplifting at a time I really need it. I had 3 weeks this week and then drank. Feeling the usual gsr and beating myself up. So often when we drink we jump right back on the crazy train. I so don't want to do that again. My body really cannot handle many more of these relapses. Even if I drink one night a few glasses of wine I get a full on extreme physical reaction - gi issues and flu-like symptoms. My husband said I was super hot and that I was fighting off something. Yeah - alcohol poison! My body is telling me it is time to quit for good.
We were supposed to go out to dinner last night for my birthday but instead I was in the bathroom and in bed all day. But, I did not drink.

[paulywogg]

Re: Newbies Nest

Ssd,that body heat after drinking is a killer! Ugh,the sweats almost feel like poison coming out,hope you can do a birthday dinner soon Wags,that post was brilliant, thank you

[Guitarista]

Re: Newbies Nest

Glad/wishing you're right back on the sober train Ssd! Al is a waste of my time and precious life.

Congrats on 414 days Wags! thanks for a great post too. Hope you're weekend was a bewdy.

I hope my friends in the U.S. are ok today.

All good here and looking forward to an exciting day, one day at a time as it is.

This webinar might be of interest.R2. Session with Tommy Rosen: Defining Addiction and Understanding the Forces that Create It - Recovery 2.

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, Nest:

Wags, that was beautiful! I'm sure Byrdie will ask you to put it in the tool box - so I'll beat her to it. Very powerful words.

I hope everyone is staying safe in this crazy weather.

xo
Pav

[Marylou123]

Re: Newbies Nest

Quick check in from central Fl - getting windier and squalls of heavy rain coming through. Highest winds expected around midnight. The west coast is getting the brunt of this. We still have power, fortunately -- so I just took a nice hot shower while there's still hot water, did a mud mask, and made a cup of hot coffee with that yummy mocha latte cream. If I was still chained to "my" wine, I'd be "three sheets to the wind" by now and probably trying to do something really stupid, what could be deadly in this weather. As it is, I'm calm, confident, and quite clean.

Wags - 414 has a fabulous ring to it - way to go! And, that post is definitely toolbox worthy.

SSD - GSR and feeling like crap are par for the course with this beast. Like Wags (and so many of us nesters) has found:
you can be the person you want to be, make choices and deal with the good and the bad in a way that is pleasing to you when you kick al to the curb. It sounds like you are so ready to start living the good life. And while every day is a great day to start, what a wonderful birthday gift to you to do it now. Happy birthday - no more beating yourself up - you're loved and supported here.

I made a cake yesterday - because while I have absolutely no need for booze - sweets during the storm are a must. I think a little Byrdie made me do it. :-)

Thats it for now. Greetings and hugs to everyone here. ML

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

ML, a hurricane cake sounds perfect!
I hope you stay safe & the power stays on. Will be thinking of you!
I have friends in Beverly Hills, FL. They just moved into their brand new house about 3 weeks ago, ugh.

Wags, Congrats to you on your AF time!!!!
I'm never going back either so stay in AF land with me, yay!!!

SSD, happy birthday to you, sorry you weren't up to celebrating. How about making that a goal for your next BD? AF all the way!!!

Hi there Pav, Pauly, G & everyone stopping in today. I hope Byrdie is OK & far away from the stormy area.
I've been glued to the TV today, staying up to date on the storm developments, scary for sure.

Wishing everyone safety in the comfort of the nest tonight & always :hug:

Lav

[available]

Re: Newbies Nest

Evening nesters

Well i have not been doing much so not much to say, i think now that this is how life should be. The regularity of a day, the sameness, the basic feeling that i am living now. Sure some weeks are better than others but there is no al involved to pretend to release the stress, there is just my ole brain figuring stuff out. This is what sobriety brings over time.

Wags, what a beautiful post. I have so many people on here that i am eternally grateful for, that have helped give me the life i deserved, the one i never ever thought possible. i loved that your toolbox is full and that is what you rely on and nothing will break your quit. You deserve all the happiness that sobriety gives you. I have a wonderful partner now, something i know that drinking would never have given me, i have gained a qualification, i am applying for a new and better job and my son just made dinner, what can be better than that.

the other half told me about a football grandfinal we are invited to in a few weeks. i declined immediately, i dont know these people but i can guarantee there will be al flowing like the Nile river. I explained why, that basically when you tell people you dont drink they will try and move mountains to get you to be like them and "relaxed". I've played it forward with the worst scenarios and even with no scenarios, i dont want to be around pissed people. He can go and that is his choice, i have never seen him drunk and i never will, he is not a drinker, he doesnt have the "on" switch that we do, with no "off" switch but he understands why i wont go and respects that.

Great work London on your days. Keep checking in and putting in the hard work. As you can see it is so worth it.

Hope you are doing ok Byrd and are free of Irma now.

Well i am off for dinner and to feed my fur girls. Still cold over here, some sun would be novel to say the least.

take care x