Newbies Nest

[jane27]

Re: Newbies Nest

Congrats G :victorious: & welcome Hoosier Props for your courage in posting about your discomfort about your drinking pattern. If you want to quit drinking, you absolutely can and will. MWO & Newbies Nest are such unique and special resources. I hope you’ll continue to read and post... I was drinking heavily similar to you when I found MWO. I knew it would kill me eventually. I’ve been sober for a little more than 4 years now... all thanks to the support of the folks right here. Don’t give up.. if you don’t feel like posting just read..

So happy to read posts from you all especially Lil B, Ava, Nar, Pav, NS, Lav, Byrdie, MrG...
Wishing everyone strength & peace. :heartbeat:

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hoosier - welcome, glad you're here with us!

G-dude - great job on 170 days mate! Thanks for the song too

Jane - good to see you


Thanks everyone for your support. I'm definitely feeling rather down these days, and I suspect it's largely hormones and/or diet that's causing these blues. I won't drink, as I know that surely will only make things worse. I'm going to check out the hormone suggestions a few of you have mentioned (and friends in-person too, plus my naturopath), and I'm going to start an anti-inflammatory diet after this weekend. It's my bday weekend so I'd like a little wiggle room to celebrate (no al though!). I did my 30 days without ice cream and now after a short indulgence, I'm going back to no ice cream and no grain. I started this quit as a no grain program and it helped in a lot of ways - hoping to get some good results again.

Happy Friday everyone - no tickets to boozeville around here!

[lifechange]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters,
Good reading the past days, as usual :love:.
I've been in a major funk and am just starting to see brightness again. Wags, it's helped a lot to read your posts.. they've given me some strength. I think for me it also has a lot to do with diet and lack of exercise. I feel worse physically than I ever have and it seems like climbing Everest to get back on track.. after a year of doing very little. I talked to my Mom the other evening and she said I sounded like I had depression.. which I have been feeling very much so but haven't done anything about. I just made an appt. for next week with a Doctor who's an MD but also a Naturopath.. a friend of mine recommended her highly so that feels positive. I'll have 2 hours to lay it all out and maybe she can help with some sort of high dose vitamins.. or maybe just talking to a therapist type person will help.

Choices, I'm excited to hear about how your workshop goes this weekend.. Good for you for taking such positive steps..

G-man, yea! for 170 days. Well done..

Big hugs to everyone.. I'm going out for a run before I change my mind!

[K1wiBro]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi all - hope everyone's having/had a great week. After a stressful start at work this week, I was super busy with long hours. I still made time for myself after work, walking and yesterday went surfing until after sun-down, definitely a great week. I managed to make it through Friday but I'm feeling a little run down now, actually all I did tonight was come home, eat some pizza and chill. Think I'll be taking it easy this weekend as next week's going to be another busy one...and we're supposedly getting a cyclone heading our way!!
Best of all - no drinking or even an urge to all week. There was the usual Friday night drinks at work, but I skipped it - I'm now noticing how much the office smells of AL now when people are drinking and there's no temptation to join in.....

Think I'm finally making some progress....

[Choices]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi everyone!

Well done G-man!! nice work.

Nicely done kiwi, it's great that you didn't have any urge this week. I didn't either.

I am exhausted in a good way. I'm very happy I am sober! I am so thankful to have this back. I was driving today by a place I use to work when I started drinking again and saw a liquor store I use to go to on my way home. I thought of how I would just too easily get bottle after bottle and just throw all the good stuff about myself away. What a sham that stuff is, glad to be free.

I was much more settled emotionally this week, which was a complete relief.

I'm off to bed to try-- try and get 8 hours. if I can pull myself away from just mucking around on google.

[Mr Vervill]

Re: Newbies Nest

For all the Zen stuff here, came across this. yup.surrender.jpg

[narilly]

Re: Newbies Nest

GMAN! Way to go!!!! 170 days, Yeehaw! Keep up the good work,glad you are here and sober

Choices, I am happy you are sober too. what freedom it brings.

Kiwi, it is funny how much you notice the smell of booze when you are sober. It is kinda gross eh?

Hey Life, hang in there. Even if you can get out and walk a bit maybe that would help. GABA and LGlutamine might help too. I am not too current on that stuff but I seem to remember they help with moods and craving. I like the Naturopath idea, I am sure she/he will give you some good ideas. Sheesh, I went back to read and got your post mixed up with Wags...its seems as though you two are going through similar things!

HI Jane!! 4 years, that is awesome. so nice to hear from you.

Well, off to work.
Stay sober peeps!
xo

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, All:

G with zen coming out the yin yang. Can't wait. It already seems to exude through his pores.

Kiwi - At least your Friday is done - mine is just starting! That night surf sounds SO wonderful to me. I love the ocean but for some reason never got into surfing on a board. I do swim and body surf, but the water is so cold here that I've gotten a bit cowardly in my older age, especially in winter. What a great way to relax.

Hi Jane!! Glad to hear from you. Hope all is well! It's like old home week for the Loamers here...

Mr. V - I wrote that down and shared it with my family. THANKS for that.

LC - Glad you'll see someone. That exercise cycle is so important. It makes you feel down not to exercise and once you're down, it is hard to exercise so you feel more down. The best advice I have is just to get yourself out there and do what you can do. I sometimes tell myself I am just going to walk to the end of the block, but once I'm out there with my shoes on I can get going up the hill. I hope you find your way out of the funk!

Is anyone watching the Olympics? I'm not really because of my week, but Lesley Jones has a FUNNY Instagram feed of her commentary (and a gigantic potty mouth - so beware). Look at the one on Skeleton! I am looking forward to coming home tonight and sitting on my couch to catch up on what is going on.

Ok, I have to get on with my day. Hi to everyone else...Happy Friday, Nest.

Pav

[moonking]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hello everyone - still getting caught up. Looks like I missed a lot of great inspiration from you all. I'm sorry for those of you who are feeling down. This time of year seems to do that to people. At least here anyway, it's just gray and rainy and gross.

Congrats to everyone on their milestones. Great job.

Things are still crazy at work. I decided that this past business trip was enough for me...I'm done, at least until kids are older. It was good the first few days, but too long after that. I don't like airplanes, I don't like hotels and I don't like being away from my family - why was I doing this again? So, I'm not going to next year. Someone else can go and have the time of their life. I'll have the chance again and if I don't, I really don't think I'm missing out. Now that we're done having kids I can save my PTO and take a week stay-cation if I need a break from work instead of mixing it up with a conference.

Still 173 days strong. Still having some concerns with the pregnancy, going to the doctor on Monday. I've always had extremely low blood pressure and I know pregnancy can lower it even more, so I'm wondering if that's what's going on. Dr. Google's symptoms appear to align with mine. But unfortunately there's not a lot I can do. Having my blood sugar tested on Monday as well. I drink loads and loads of water, I seem to never be able to get enough. I always (secretly) thought it was due to hangovers/dehydration from drinking, but now realized it's a habit. Seems the more water I drink the thirstier I get. I think I'm drinking somewhere in the range of 300-400oz of water a day. That's around 3 gallons of water a day, which is a lot. Anyway, we'll see what the doctor says.

Work is still busy as ever, but I know I need to take a break and get on the nest every day. It keeps my mind from wandering.

And welcome, Hoosier! (From a fellow Hoosier as well.)

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hiya Peeps! Happy Friday. Feeling less tired today, going with the flow - I slept like the dead last night. I think I’m fighting something.

Moonking, good to see you! That DOES sound like a LOT of water, with the recommended amount for adults being half a gallon per day. Glad you’re getting that checked out.

Hi to Jane, LC, LAV, PAV, Choices and everyone else. Not much to say except that I don’t drink and thank goodness for not wasting energy on it anymore. Still causing some waves with my husband but I’ll allow that to work out over time.

Have a lovely day/evening/morning.

[Guitarista]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hola Nesters,

What's a yin yang? Some kind of furry monster from the mountains?

Thanks for the congrat's everyone. The big 6 month/180 day mark is approaching! Well done to you too Kingy! Have you short changed yourself 1 day? My calculations have you being at 174 days on feb 16th. unless you don't count that day till midnight? Either way, you are raawkin! Good to see you and good luck at the docs.

Good to see you Jane!

All good here with my imperfect life. Jvo?

Whether we are on the horse, off the horse, riding side saddle, facing backwards, no saddle, it's okay. We are perfect as we are. If we are checking out this weekend, it doesn't have to be a drama or a monumental mistake. It just is. We can choose it. We don't have to choose to checkout, but we can and it's okay. We can also choose to check in. That's okay too, and that also just is. There will be pain in checking out, and there will be pain in checking in. Both paths are valid and have their attractions. But i have seen that there is a big difference in the experience of both. There seems to be more suffering in checking out, than checking in. As the buddhists say - Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

We don't have to suffer nearly as much as we let ourselves.

Take care of yourself and be gentle with yourself whichever of these 2 ways you choose to live.

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

60 degrees today which is awesome for the middle of February. Tomorrow we're expecting a snowstorm - how weird is that??

Wags & LC, depression is so common this time of year. I have suffered a fair bit from SAD all my life. Getting checked out is a good idea, just in case something else is going on.
I'll share my secret to a seriously stable mood - it's an OTC called Amoryn. It is a combination of good quality St John's wort along with the right B vitamins. I found this supplement online after spending 2 years on a Rx antidepressant that made me feel numb & didn't lessen my desire to drink. I was able to get serious about quitting just a few months after starting this supplement & have taken it ever since. The website has a ton of info if you want to take a look: AMORYN Mood Booster | Natural Supplement to Improve Mood and Promote Emotional Health | St. John's Wort 3% Hyperforin

Moon, I'm not trying to diagnose or scare you but that is a ton of water!! My nurse brain tells me that your blood sugar may be too high causing that excessive thirst. Be sure you tell your doc about that. Gestational diabetes is not as uncommon as you may think & it can be managed. Keep taking good care of yourself.

Jane, nice to see you dropping in

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

Lav

[Byrdlady]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hey all,
Gads, what a day. Glad its Friday! AND a 3 day weekend. I think Ill make some cookies tomorrow. My stress levels are off the charts, a little baking will do me good.
Im so glad Ive learned new ways to cope. Drinking AT this wouldnt fix it. Besides, I DONT DRINK!
Hope everyone has an easy evening! Byrdie

[lifechange]

Re: Newbies Nest

Morning Nesters,
Actually it's 1pm here and I'm feeling pretty good after a productive morning.
Thank you for the advice and recommendations! I have one health issue which is almost 100% controllable by nutrtion and having a strong immune system.. Usually I do it for a week or so, notice improvements and then slowly add back the very things that make it worse. As I get older, though, I feel SO much worse and it happens faster.. so, already after a day of being careful and exercising a teeny bit, I feel better.

G-man, you're proving the point with consistency and with building up slowly.. that is my goal right now.. to do just enough so that I still want to do it tomorrow..
Lav, I added some B vitamins back into my program a couple of days ago.. I'll have to look into the Amoryn.. thx.

Hope everyone has nice weekend plans.. we're taking it easy.
Big hugs to all of you..

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters,

Chugging along here as we head into a nice long weekend. Our escape-to-the-mountains plan got foiled when we couldn't get the pilot light to stay on in the gas stove that heats the little mountain house - thought for about 2 seconds about pretending like we were camping and just roughing it, but then common sense took hold and we realized we were poorly equipped for overnight temps in the 20s in a house with no heat. So, we drove back home and regrouped. In the past this would've been an excuse to drink, but no thoughts of it now.

I DID have a drinking dream though - just a brief recollection that I was somewhere with a friend and all of a sudden realized I'd already had a few swallows. I literally felt a sense of "yikes!" in my sleep. Either the alarm went off then, or my brain yanked me awake because that's where the dream ended, just as I was starting to wrestle with what to do next - had I already broken my quit, so might as well do it up? Or could I call my quit solid if I stopped right then, after just the first few sips that I couldn't remember intentionally opting into?

I thought this posed an interesting question. I could sincerely feel my al voice sensing a foothold and immediately trying to gain further traction - it was trying to convince me that in an all-or-nothing quit, I'd already lost and might as well really break the quit and "enjoy" some real drinks. Sigh... I'm very glad this wasn't real, but it makes me want to ponder things a bit.

The dream was probably prompted at least in part by the fact that I was reading the Unexpected Joy of Being Sober right before I fell asleep. OMG, so much of this book could've been me. Jvo, has your copy arrived yet?

Hope everyone has an easy weekend.