Newbies Nest

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi RAVA! Don't worry about keeping up or learning everything here. Many people have been here for years and are familiar with each other. There are many newer people too, and everyone is welcome. Read and post as it helps YOU. No pressure! I'm delighted to see you here and putting in the work and feeling good for it!! Keep going - you will never regret it!

Wags, we do have AC, but it's sounding weird and cooling less efficiently - it may be on its way out! Ack! Congrats on your anniversary coming up.

PAV, sending you good vibes today as you enter your stressful day. You get up early!!! I think you are an hour earlier than me and you beat me to the post. Hope you have a good day.

My father's partner has a sister in the hospital now - she's abused alcohol and drugs for years. It's really sad. She's sort of decided she doesn't want to do the work to have a better life, and she may not make it. We either claim our lives back or addiction will claim US. One or the other. It's not easy to work through the things that caused us to become addicted, but I can say for FACT that it is worth it. A willingness to feel pain and discomfort for a bit while we go through the process is all it takes, and it doesn't kill us. Alcohol kills us.

On a lighter note, Gratitude is where it's at! I'm thankful for so much. I will attend an industry awards banquet tonight. Second black tie event in one week - Ugh! Looking forward to it though. I entered a space. It's a prestigious award and I'm not holding my breath, but you never know!

Have a good day everyone!

[Byrdlady]

Re: Newbies Nest

Rava, so happy for your 3 weeks!! :three: you are doing great, you SHOULD feel proud!
Glad tomorrow is Friday!
Pav, I hope your day was ok. Hugs to all, Byrdie

[Overit-still]

Re: Newbies Nest

Busy sober day here. Definitely better than the alternative!

Have a good evening everyone!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

Back in the US, currently parked in NY, upstate.
Apparently we are doing some hiking in & around the plentiful gorges around here. I don’t think I brought the right shoes for that, ha ha! We’ll see what develops.

Wags, wonderful on your upcoming anniversary

Rava, Congrats on your 3 AF weeks, very nice.

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

Lav

[Rava]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good Morning nesters! Today is Friday! Yay for that! I have a three day weekend coming up and will be spending it without booze. I am not gonna screw this up. Still reading My Beautiful Boy about addiction and enjoying it very much. Will be starting Tweak this weekend. Its helping me to read this kind of stuff for now and being thankful that I am sober. Hoping everyone enjoys this summer day!

[frances]

Re: Newbies Nest

Happy Friday all! Doing well here - still doing some romanticizing about wine - summer is definitely a harder time for me in general. I can't understand why I can so easily not smoke cigarettes, not smoke pot, not take other drugs, and never think about those things at all and wouldn't want them in my body but alcohol is such a different story. It should be lumped squarely in the same category. I need to work on that mindset!

I got a new app that lets me download ebooks and audiobooks from the library and it links to my Kindle - I am so excited! It's apparently been around for years but I didn't know about it (duh!). Great to have before a long road trip that I'm taking in a couple of weeks!

[MENTION=20476]KENSHO[/MENTION] - sorry to hear about your father's partner's sister. That's so sad and it is very scary where addiction can take you.

Hope everyone has a great day and weekend!

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, All:

Right, Rava - it is hard for me to keep track, too. Both books were painful but so compelling. There is a movie version that combines the books - called Beautiful Boy and staring Steve Carell - coming soon. Here's a passage from one of Nic Sheff's blog (he's a heroin addict and meets a friend who he discovers is high):

The thought even entered my head, right? I could just go out for one night. We’d just use that one night and no one would know and what the fuck would it matter anyway.Honestly I’m not really sure why I dismissed that idea so quickly. I guess, maybe for the first time ever, I actually have a life that I sort’ve love. And, I mean, this whole feeling my feelings thing I’ve been trying out—you know, not running from the sadness or fear or whatever—it’s kinda been making a huge difference. No feeling I have seems as hopelessly unmanageable as it used to. Just through the practice of dealing with whatever it is that I’m feeling, the need to escape myself has gotten so much less acute.


Frances - I learned how to download ebooks from the library last year. The only downside is that for more popular books there is sometimes a long wait list, but I just sign up and read other books while I wait. I love my Kindle on vacation - so easy!

I have had a hard week - I'm frazzled and not sleeping well. I have NO desire to drink, but I DO want to skip work and crawl back under the covers. Onward.

Pav

[paulywogg]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi nesters,Frances,I hear you! No other drugs not even a though,heck I don't even think about other kinds of alcohol it's just those beer fantasies that I romantasize about and its dumb cuz it NEVER works out the way my mind plays it up to be,just makes me tired,regretful and crave more have a great day all

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

Happy Friday all! Doing well here - still doing some romanticizing about wine - summer is definitely a harder time for me in general. I can't understand why I can so easily not smoke cigarettes, not smoke pot, not take other drugs, and never think about those things at all and wouldn't want them in my body but alcohol is such a different story. It should be lumped squarely in the same category. I need to work on that mindset!

I agree [MENTION=7263]frances[/MENTION] and [MENTION=17650]paulywogg[/MENTION], alcohol is the only one I want, and I don’t even consider taking the other drugs you mentioned. I also don’t particularly want hard liquor, it’s just beer-beer-beer and red wine.

Alcohol is pushed everywhere you turn in society, so it doesn’t help that it’s always in our faces. The other ones aren’t heavily marketed and promoted.

I too need to lump alcohol in with those other drugs, and see it as the toxin that it is. It is “fun” in the moment to be high on the drug, but it makes me fat, tired, sweaty, & craving more super-fuel (alcohol and excessive carbs & sugars).

[NoSugar]

Re: Newbies Nest

Isn't it funny that we generally say "alcohol and other drugs"? It would be better if we just said "drugs" because that is what alcohol is!

If ethanol were a new compound, I'm pretty sure the US FDA would never approve it. It is inherently addictive, toxic, carcinogenic, and impairs cognition with no measurable benefits. Even the touted benefits of moderate drinking on cardiovascular health aren't holding up in light of further study.

I wish alcohol were on the way out the way marijuana is on the way in!! - At least marijuana actually has benefits in terms of pain management and addiction relief.

[lifechange]

Re: Newbies Nest

hi Nesters!

Good stuff going on here.. I'm with those of you who only went for alcohol, not the other drugs. But I know that I've been someone that has also been addicted to adrenaline rushes, whether from a hardcore workout, an intense love affair, a super busy work event. And it's always the coming down that throws me off and into a kind of depression. I'm still struggling at times to deal with balance and with being ok with coming down.. and with letting go of things/people that aren't good for me.

Today I read this from Holly/Hip Sobriety.. ""Be willing to walk away from what's not good for you to make room for what is....Again and again and again. Remember that if your space - your mental space and physical space and emotional space - is crammed up with shit that isn’t for you, that doesn’t serve you, that consumes you in the worst possible ways, then the people and relationships and experiences and jobs and ALL THE THINGS that ARE for you can’t get in. Walk away from what isn’t for you, even if it is KINDA good or not that bad or whatever smallness we sell ourselves. Embrace rejection for the protection it is. Clear the way for what wants to come to you because I promise promise promise that what is for you is so much more than anything you could ever begin to imagine.""

Pav, I felt just that way this morning and after going into work for an hour and realizing there were enough people there, I came home and went back to bed..:happy2: I can't do that often, but when I can..
The girls and I are heading off for our hike on Monday and then will go to a friend's place out in the country for a couple of days after that. I am so ready to be out of the city and in Nature.. I've got to find a way to do that more this next year.

ok. I don't have so much to say.. just hanging in there, but doing just that!
Wishing everyone a nice Friday--- and weekend.xx

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Slo, I used to longingly wish for the alcohol that's "in our faces", but lately it comes and goes without even a second thought. I was asked at least 12 times last night if they could PLEASE pour me some wine damn it... and the bar tender was annoyed at my constant soda requests. It's just not a part of me any more. The acceptance that it does not equal the life I want makes the dealing with its abundance in our society easier I think.

Great quote PAV. Not drinking is developing new habits that become as regular as drinking once was.

I was up late and have a meeting this afternoon to prep for - so I have to get to work! Looking forward to some relax time this weekend at our nearby reservoir. Hope everyone has an easy Friday!

[abcowboy]

Interesting discussion on drugs/alcohol, put me on the list for saying no to everything, including the near-zero drinks or anything alcohol related. When I underwent my surgery last week, one of the first things I told the surgeon and his team was that I was a recovering alcoholic and that I didn't want any narcotic/opioid drugs administered. Know what he said "now that's a bit of refreshing honesty if I've ever heard it. Most patients can't wait to get their hands on some painkillers"

I'm a recovering alcoholic with an addictive personality, I'm not taking any chances with anything that could possibly set me back...

[paulywogg]

Re: Newbies Nest

I'm with you Cowboy,when I had two teeth pulled last year they offered pain killers,I told them no thanks I have Advil at home haha,Kensho,I always make sure I tip the bartender for sodas the same way I would if I were drinking cuz I don't want to get on their nerves also you see commercials where everyone is out being all social,kayaking,at the beach etc and its advertising some kind of booze,hell they even have spiked sparkling water now and the commercial is full of fit,smiling faces paddle boarding of all things,that one makes me laugh.

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

also you see commercials where everyone is out being all social,kayaking,at the beach etc and its advertising some kind of booze,hell they even have spiked sparkling water now and the commercial is full of fit,smiling faces paddle boarding of all things,that one makes me laugh.

It is annoying that everything is spiked now; I grabbed a root beer out of the refrigerator on vacation at the cabin over 4th of July when I was trying to be dry, and started drinking it, and turns out it was hard or spiked root beer! It looked just like a regular bottle of root beer!

That’s a good, and funny, point about paddle boarding and drinking!! It’s hard to combine the two. Kind of false advertising.