Newbies Nest

[gregorino]

Newbies Nest

Terrific Tuesday

Take2 - Nice work on the BP - The better it gets, the better it gets!

Sunsign - Welcome to the Nest - You have come to the right place for sure. Sounds as though you have made a great start with the supplements, CD's and exercise. I did not do that initially, white knuckled it for 9 days and then got back on the stupid train. Listen to Byrdie and Lav; they will steer you right!

Got up at 04:30 today to hit the gym before work. Arrgh! Find it better to git er done early in the day, lest I start making excuses about not going after work! Starting to lose a few pounds finally...ice cream got me through the first couple weeks, so now I'll be switching over to Weight Watcher fudgicles! Maybe in a few weeks I can get back into some of my other pants that are just languishing in the closet!

Have a stellar day y'all!

[gregorino]

Newbies Nest

CD Suggestions

I believe the CD's are REALLY helping me in the initial going. Cravings have been few and far between and The Voice has been just a distant whisper.

I copied all the disks into iTunes so I'd have back ups, but this is also a great way to maximize usage. I made a playlist called Sleep, and it just has the one 60 minute sleep CD on it. At night, I use the repeat function with the playlist, and the sleep cd plays continuously all night.

I also work in front of a computer all day, so I burned the Subliminal CD into my work computer, and have that playing in the background. Co-workers stop by my desk and ask, "Is that the ocean?" and I say, "Yes it is, isn't it relaxing?" :beach:

Finally, I am usually first one home, so I dive into the bed room, pull all the blinds, and listen to either Clearing or Hypnotic.

Just some ideas that I have found to be working well....

[Juley]

Newbies Nest

Day 2 today. Didn't sleep very well last night

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good morning Nesters!

Hello & welcome to SunSign & Juley!
Please make yourselves comfy in the Nest for a while - we're nice & helpful too

SunSign, making a plan is essential for your success. Take a look in the https://www.mywayout.org/community/f1...box-27556.html for some great ideas! Be sure to cover all your drinking triggers......it's time to choose alternate ways to comfort yourself & it can be done

Juley, congrats on your 2 AF days - hang in there sleep will come. If you have the CDs use them - they helped me to get some sleep in the beginning.

Greg, I'm glad to hear you are making the most of the CDs - they're powerful tools

Wishing everyone a terrific AF Tuesday, I'll be back!

Lav

[gregorino]

Newbies Nest

Welcome to The Nest

Hello Julie! I looked up a bit of your posts and see you've been working at this for awhile.
Please know that you CAN do this. Of course, it's not going to be easy - what worthwhile accomplishment in life is?
Sleep is going to be a challenge at first...that's what some of the supplements will help with. Also, if you see my last post, I highly recommend the CD's - you can play the Sleep CD all night and will receive subliminal messages promoting a restful nights sleep.
Most of all, stick around The Nest - most of us are just getting started and are very supportive of each other. Then there's our resident experts Lav and Byrdie who also started out here and are still coming back to share their knowledge and insights.
You CAN do this Julie, and The Nest will be here for you. Stick around!

[Sunsign]

Newbies Nest

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Thanks, everyone, for the warm welcome! 1 Day AF for me. I expected I'd wake up feeling renewed, refreshed, ready to face the world, but I was grumpy, grouchy, a little angry? :/ I wanted to turn over and put the pillow over my head but the "Just Do It" mantra I've chosen to adopt wouldn't turn off (I guess it's good to know there are reasonable voices inside my head, too ). So I got up scowling and forced myself to exercise--walked dog and swam. (Queenbug, I'm guessing your "Keep swimming" isn't meant to be literal, but it works for me in both senses. Something cleansing about the water). I genuinely enjoyed the swim while the birds were singing and the sun was shining on my face. I felt content. I'm encouraged by all of you--by both your successes and your willingness to be honest when you have set-backs and get up and try again.

Lavande, thank you for your link to the Tool Box, I found lots of good ideas there!

Juley, since we're joining the nest at about the same time, would you be interested in partnering up to support each other? I think it would help me to have someone to "talk" to who's as new to this as I am.

And, life...take2, I am so encouraged that you have days you don't even think about drinking!

And lastly, anyone have insight into abstinence vs. moderation? I have never been successful with either, and I am trying to figure out this goal for myself. Thanks is advance! I'm grateful to have this forum.

[Hypernova]

Newbies Nest

gregorino;1156974 wrote: The Voice has been just a distant whisper.

Greg, your post reminds me of a study I once read done on the startle response. They took different subjects and at a safe but fairly close distance discharged a gun (blank ammo I assume) to see how everyone reacted. There were people who were accustomed to hearing shots like policemen and hunters and ones who were not. They were hooked up to some sort of CAT scan to see how the brain reacted. They all tested about the same whether they were accustomed to the blast of the gun or not. With one exception there was a person who had been meditating for many years and his response was different. Apparently he was in a meditative state when they fired the gun and his brain reacted with much less of a spike on the scan. After they asked this man he said he heard the shot but it sounded like a thunder clap in the distance and was faintly noticeable to him. ~~~Just goes to show how the mind can change over time with practice (meditation) .
~~~~Today is day 31. Feeling good w/supps and exercise. Strength to all seeking freedom.

[gregorino]

Newbies Nest

Sunsign;1157035 wrote: ... anyone have insight into abstinence vs. moderation? I have never been successful with either, and I am trying to figure out this goal for myself. Thanks is advance! I'm grateful to have this forum.

All I can share is what I know about me....I remember my first drunk at age 15....I drank a quart of beer out in the woods with some buds and was tipsy. THEN, I drank another! So, from my very first experiences, and covering some 40 years of similar experiences, I have never consumed AL in a moderate fashion...it's always been with the intent on complete inebriation.
So, maybe spend some time thinking back over your drinking career....

[gregorino]

Newbies Nest

Nova - Cool story! I was never too good at meditating - my brain has a mind of its own. But I really am enthused about the CD's....The Clearing and Hypnotic just knock me out (literally), but I know my subconscious can hear everything!

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Have any of you read this book?

Amazon.com: Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness (9780812929980): Daniel G. Amen: Books

I read it several years ago & it really was what helped me get started on my journey to freedom!
Daniel Amen is a great speaker ~ you may have seen him on PBS

[FlyAway]

Newbies Nest

Gregorino--Up at 4:30am on purpose? Now that is dedication! LOL! Glad to hear that the CDs are working for you.

Juley--I'm on day 22 today and trust me, the sleeping gets better. I was having issues with insomnia for over the past year and thought it must be hormonal changes or something. Now my sleeping has improved by about 80%. And it's amazing how sleeping well makes you happier in general.

Sunsign--Like I said to Juley, it all gets better. Stick with it. At this point I can't even think about moderation. It has to be abstinence for now. If I were you I'd try to get several months sober under my belt before reexamining the idea of moderation. The alcohol will always be there.

Hypernova--Congratulations on day 31! :goodjob:

Lavande--I haven't read that book but I have heard of Daniel Amen. People were raving about his book The Amen Solution at another website. Hope you have a great day!

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

SunSign...please see my post to Jennitech dated 7/30/2011 at 2:32. I don't think the nest could take it again...but she asked the same question about moderation vs abstinance and I gave my very candid opinion...hope i didn't run her off ...certainly not my intent. But if you are as sick and tired of AL as most of us are, moderation just isn't a choice. When you find yourself making new rules for AL and then breaking them...you are prolly in the same boat (or nest). It may take trying and failing many times...but you can't give up.....you can't! What do you give up to? Laying around drunk all the time? Killing yourself slowly but steadily? AL'ism is a path to destruction...gosh I sound like a Southern Baptist minister! But seriously, what has AL done for you lately? Is this path working out for you? Pull the anchor in and set a new course. You won't be sorry! Jump in! Grego will drive!! Me and Lav will tell him where to go! Bah! You won't have to look far to see people who have asked the same question...they are right here and with outstanding results...I'm so proud of the successes in this nest I could pop! 50 days, 20 days, 2 days it ALL matters. Byrdie

[life...take2]

Newbies Nest

Hi Juley - Hi Sunsign,

In the past, I've never responded to the abstinence/moderation debate, but I'll give you my honest opinion. Realise that I only speak for myself - it is my way of viewing the issue and I say this because I don't want people who want to try moderation to get discouraged or angry with me for expressing a personal view. What I will say is not scientific - just an opinion...I hope it helps; if not, others might have better ideas.

Here goes:
Anyone who searches out a sobriety forum/help for drinking forum is here because they need help. They recognise they have a problem with booze; in fact, booze has probably started to take over their life, destroy family/professional relationships, and compromised their health. Coming here is like going to the Er or the doctor. The patient can't solve the issue on their own - and they look for help.

IMHO, alcohol is a PROGRESSIVE and, if untreated, a TERMINAL disease like cancer. We cant figure out why some people get cancer, why some risk factors effect some, and others are immune. Some people smoke all their lives and die at 90 from old age factors. Others die earlier from lung cancer. Some people eat unhealthy diets loaded with fats and red meats and they live long lives; others get colon cancer.

And the same is true with alcohol. Some can pound the booze on holidays or special occassions, drink like fish and then spend months without it and not think about it. Others have to have 1 drink a night - no more no less - and are perfectly happy. A bottle of wine lasts a week + in their fridge. And some of us, for whatever reasons and sets of risk factors, drink more and more. Maybe it didn't begin that why. But it progressed. And we can't stop. It's like a malignant tumor. At some point it appeared as a tiny spot on the lung. and it grows. untreated, it spreads and infects the body. Alcohol AS A DISEASE does the same thing: it spreads and effects our bodies, our families, our brains, our nervous system, and it doesn't stop until it kills us.

If you guys think you are alcoholics - if you fit the profile - then the best way to treat the disease is getting it completely out of your system. And be as aggressive and as vigilant with treatment as you would if you were being treated for a cancerous tumor.

Withdrawal is different for everyone: it can be painless, uncomfortable, a real bitch, or life threatening. So is chemo and radiation. But you suck it up and do it because you want health and life that hopefully waits for you at the end of treatment.

My question to the both of you: Imagine you life AF. Does that life appear attractive? If you could have it immediately, would you choose it? If you say yes, then go for it.

Dont; get thrown off by detox - for many people it resembles flu-like systems. Not even as bad as food poisoning. I was sleepy and cranky - an insomniac at times, my sugar levels were all over the place, I had days when I had cravings. But big freakin deal - my hair didn't fall out, I didn't lose dangerous amounts of weight, I wasn't throwing up the little food I could eat like our loved ones who undergo cancer treatment. My detox was not 1/10 as bad as my father's radaition treatments but he dragged himself out of bed everday to get them because he wanted the chance to live. And he did. And he gave me a reality check about not being able to quit killing myself with booze because I might not be abel to handle 2 weeks worth of minor physical discomfort.

So be strong and do it. Because if you don't, the disease will progress and, like cancer, it will have no mercy with you. If detox is awful, get medical treatment and allow others to help you help yourself.

Peace to you both. Good luck and stay connected with us at MWO. :welcome:

[RemorseBeGone]

Newbies Nest

30 Days done - what next I ponder?

So Day 30 AF draws to close. What next I ask myself?

I miss my beer. I can't lie. BUT it's a problem.

So what about moderation? Well define moderation. One day per week , two days , three days? One beer, two beers, twenty beers? I know deep down that this won't work for me - I hate rules and limits and moderation!

So what about permanent abstinence ? The thought of this makes me sad. Never again to have the buzz and the fun that CAN be had. BUT is it worth it? I quit for a reason right?

I'm confused and emotional over this one ...

[Sunsign]

Newbies Nest

Thanks for the insight, Byrdie!

Hi Byrdie,

I appreciate your insight into this question--thank you for referring me to the JennTech post!

As I read Roberta's book, and all the posts about a plan, I felt pressure to make this decision right now and felt that it would be impossible to reach a destination I hadn't named. But what I've decided is that abstinence is absolutely essential for me for right now. I've decided to decide about the future in the future, although I don't know when that future is.

I would have expected that in the midst of so many changes (diet, exercise, water, supplements, meditation, etc) that I would be having difficulty finding my own voice but quite the opposite is true. I think as time goes on, I will know what makes sense for me long-term. I'm hoping the shift that so many mention from deprivation to gratitude will happen quickly and ultimately there won't be a question to answer!

:thanks: