Newbies Nest

[Choochie]

Newbies Nest

Sam, so glad you're here - I posted to you on another thread. Big welcome and hugs.

Choochie:l

[Samantha T.]

Newbies Nest

Coochie...which thread? (I am having a hard time remembering who posts where, where I posted, etc...any tips? Should I just always read the "new posts"??)

[Choochie]

Newbies Nest

Sam,

It's a bit hard to keep up. What I do is subscribe to any thread I want to track. There's a drop down menu just above where you post and you can select "subscribe to this thread." Then you can go to your User CP and click on anything you've subscribed to (list subscriptions on left side) in order to find posts that have come in since your last visit to that thread.

Play around in the User CP - you can do all kinds of stuff there - your signature, have e-mails sent to you telling you when there's been a new posting, etc.

PM me if you have more questions. You can click on my avatar (or anyone's) and a drop down menu there will give the option to send them an e-mail. Hope you can understand my instructions above. Do feel free to send me a message, though, and I can try to walk you through some other things.

Sorry I don't remember where else I posted to you - I go to lots of different areas every day.

Choochie

[madmans]

Newbies Nest

hi all did'nt have a great day to day, all was fine untill i had shoping and in the 20 min to get to the shop my cravings went from 0 to about 9. f@@@ing crazy. all the way there i was talking myself into drinking and out of drinking. one of the problems is we are heading away with 3 more couples this weekened( 3 heavy drinking couples) and the pressure will be on, i can't get out of going. but in the end after seeing what good deals was on beer i walked out with out any beer. i was thinking odat and i'll worry about the weekend then. felt good no cravings but angry for no reason, still uptight now very uptight now with no cravings day 9 AF

[Choochie]

Newbies Nest

Madmans, you're doing so well (DAY 9 - YEA) - I know it's hard, but try to hang with us. It definitely gets easier if you can hold on. Do you have a plan on what you'll do this weekend? It's like Mr. G. (Guitarista) says - getting sober is difficult and takes a lot of sacrafices. (He says it more eloquently than that, but I don't have his exact words at my fingertips) I personally have made sure I stay away from something as challenging as what you'll be facing this weekend. Do you plan to drink or to abstain? If you're not going to drink I think you'll definitely need a gameplan.

Sending you peace and strength,

Choochie

[tantangra]

Newbies Nest

Hey Madmans, I agree with Coochie, work out what youre going to be doing when everyone else is getting drunk, the whole weekend! I wouldn't go, I fake gastro or something. Most people really don't want someone who's vomiting and running to the loo with them fopr a fun weekend. Let your spouse go and take the kids, if there are any, and you have a nice weekend at home alone taking care of yourself.

If you do go, practice beforehand how you will refuse the invitations to have a drink. "Doctor's orders" sometimes works, unless one of them is a doctor. Dieting??? Even the truth might be effective, "I'm a recovering alcoholic" In AA I remember them saying you only have to give up one drink, the first one.

Best wishes
Tant

[Samantha T.]

Newbies Nest

A technicality

Hi everyone,
In the interest of complete honesty, I must amend my sobriety date from today to tomorrow due to the fact that last night's debauchery technically did not end until the wee hours of this morning.

So my "official date" will be the same day as Boot Camp starts

See you all in camp!

[fighting back]

Newbies Nest

well done madmans on not succumbing today. The upcoming weekend sounds very challenging, if you go, be well armed and prepared. (If you don't want to drink and don't want to make a fuss about it you could say you are on meds or something maybe?)

hiya choochie, always nice to see you hun and the great advice you give on here

hi tantangra, great to see you posting here again, we newbies need all the help we can get!

Samantha, I just joined bootcamp too, although technically I am at the end of day two, I don't think the sarge will mind! Besides, a right good boot up the backside is just what I need right now.

Guys, I had a fantastic day today, did not even think about AL once, just got my running shoes on to kick start the day and from then on in I was energised and happy the whole day.

I may have screwed up royally on Sunday, but I feel very positive right now, especially with you good people helping out. And as I said before, I am concentrating on the positives because negative energy just drags me down....so I drank on Sunday, and I HATED it, but I am putting it behind me and starting over.

Day 3 tomorrow, but.....also......over the last 16 days I have only had AL one day, that's something, at least.

Off to bed now, and looking forward to a hangover free hump day tomorrow. Goodnight everyone! xx

[madmans]

Newbies Nest

hello everone thanks choochie, tantangra and fighting back . welcome samantha t . can't get out of going and as for pulling a sickie these people have seen me drunk on cructhes and all meds they know that would not stop me. the plan i have is to tell them i'm not drinking for november and say its a catholic thing( some people here do that here in novbember) have done november AF two years ago under the same reason . funny thing is i'm not a beliver any more. my near downfall yesterday was i let myself get hungry not going to let that happen this weekend going to eat like a horse . tantangra good point about the first drink .hope everone has a good day

[Choochie]

Newbies Nest

Madmans - so glad to hear that you have a plan. I hope your buddies will honor what you're saying and not pressure you. Don't know how old you are, but at certain ages nothing will stop people from trying to get you to drink. We'll be pulling for you! Your plan to eat, eat, eat is an excellent one. Right now I'm finding that food is the only replacement for AL - that and I take the L-Glutamine for cravings which helps. Remember the AA acronym of HALT - hungry, angry, lonely, tired -- the triggers for making you want to drink. Address those triggers and you can resist the alcohol!

FB - wasn't it nice not to think of alcohol yesterday? Hope you're on the road to a long period of AF time. Your attitude sounds wonderful.

Sam - so you are day 1 today - to coincide with boot camp - good plan.

Tant - I think you just committed to going AF? Was trying to remember if I saw that on another post. Anyway, glad you're here.

ICan Foamy, Mere, Wagoneer, and any other newbies who come along, hope you have a wonderful AF day!

Hugs,
Choochie:l

[mere]

Newbies Nest

Morning everyone! Worked late last eve and came home, read watched one of my favorite series "In Treatment" and went to bed. I have to watch my mind from thinking ahead and get right back into the moment. Here.
I hope all doe well today, Way to go FB, Go Sam (what's your bootcamp?), Glad you didn't "lose your marbles, marbles!" Plan for the weekend if you really don't want to drink. I'm still on the fence about weekends but clearly don't want to go back to my old ways.
Hey to IC, FF, Wagoneer. Thanks Coochie for the greetings!
ODT

[Samantha T.]

Newbies Nest

SO MUCH ANXIETY

Hi everyone,
Well, I said part of my plan this time around would be posting here and getting support.
Today is Day 1 and 3/4s (because I am not counting the 9th as Day 1 due to the debauchery of the 8th spilling over into the wee hours of the 9th)...anyway, those stupid details don't matter because despite being beside myself with anxiety and sadness, I am SOBER.
I keep telling myself "It won't help. And besides, there will NEVER be enough wine for you to drink. It will never, ever, ever be enough."

Today I came home to find my electricity shut off. Because I did not pay my bill. Because I have so much anxiety about money, bills, etc., I never check my mailbox, which is where the final notice had been sitting for the past two weeks while I ignored it. So in addition to not having power when I got home, I also had to pay an extra $70 to have it restored.

The whole thing threw me into such a tailspin, I am practically choking on fear, shame, bludgeoning myself for being so irresponsible.

And I am SO F'ING SAD!!! I feel like there is a hole the size of the Grand Canyon inside my soul. I hate my job. I feel so unfulfilled with my entire life :upset:
Boo-hoo-hoo...pity-pity-pity...I know how pathetic I sound but I am tired of stuffing these feelings...

[hillsidetime]

Newbies Nest

Hi Samantha T, I am sorry that you are having a tough day. You can certainly take pride in the fact that you are sober, and you did not reach for booze when you encountered a stressful day. Being sober, for me, did change the way I expreienced emotions - and your emotions may be different as well. It took some time to level out. It was like my sugar levels. For months I had such crazy cravings for sugar once I was sober.

Hang in there. Paste the sober days together, one by one. I truly hope that tomorrow is a better day for you.
Hill

[Samantha T.]

Newbies Nest

Hill,
Thank you for reminding me that it going to take some time. I am amazed at the way the emotions seem to be just under the surface and can explode at any time. THey are not used to being given a voice because I have gotten so used to just impulsively dousing them out with wine.

How are you feeling these days now that you have some time under your belt? Are you enjoying sobriety?

[Choochie]

Newbies Nest

Sam,

Just wanted to let you know that we are here for you. So sorry about your day. We're definitely going to have them, but you're facing everything with courage instead of escape. Things will work out. Sometimes we just can't see it, but things really do have a way...somethimes the things that seem awful lead us down better paths we didn't forsee, so be patient. Just remember that none of your problems would be made better by alcohol.

Big hugs,
Choochie:l