Newbies Nest

[scottish lass]

Newbies Nest

PS Greg - time to get rid of the ":new:" - you are a seasoned member now!!!! Love your posts - :thanks:

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

You make perfect sense life...take2! The drinking thoughts may arise but thinking it all the way through & knowing what will happen is what keeps me AF too
Congrats on your 9 AF weeks, that's awesome

Byrdie, good to hear you OK. My daughter actually did have her wallet & passport lifted years ago in Italy ~ what a disaster that was

LIS, I too have learned the hard way that we don't always get the support we would like from spouses & others. I have also learned that we don't really need it either! We are complete people all on our own. You keep hanging in there!

SL, tomorrow is another day ~ do the errands then
Taking care of yourself today is impportant!

Well, I wish everyone a good & safe night in the Nest!

lav

[PR_Kev]

Newbies Nest

Hello all,

I also have had some weird dreams lately, very vivid. last night all my old drinking buddies were holding me down and trying to pour a bottle of whiskey do

[PR_Kev]

Newbies Nest

sorry about that didn't finish....

Tried to pour a bottle of whiskey down my throat. I pulled a hulk and threw them all off before they could.

Woke up in a bit of a panic but all in all I feel great. I do have trouble sleeping sometimes but I take melatonin, helps alot.

27 days AF

Take care

Kev

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good Monday morning Nesters!

Still quite dark & damp in my portion of the Nest!

Kev, congrats on your 27 AF days
The bizarre dreams are unsettling but they won't harm us like AL will

I have a busy week ahead so there will be no time for AL in my life ~ just the way I like it too
Wishing everyone a great AF Monday!

Lav

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

My best friend across the street always gets a kick out of it when I say, "I've tried everything to lose weight....except diet and exercise..." Sad, but true. But the very same is true of this disease. Like PR_Kev's byline says...the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over expecting a different outcome...(apologies to the real author). Lav, back me up here.....THE ONLY WAY TO BEAT AL IS TO GET IT OUT OF YOUR LIFE. Period. It's a really very cut and dry. The only thing IS that it's hard to do. If you were someone looking in on your life...wouldn't you say...looka here you idiot! You can't control what can not be controlled. Stop fooling yourself. As a bystander, wouldn't you want to shake your shoulders until your teeth rattled....Stop doing this to yourself! I'll tell you this...the sooner you realize this ...and accept it, the sooner you can move on to your new life. I have a friend that was sober 10 years and thought she'd give it another try, it took her 4 years to get back sober. We just can not keep thinking that we are immune...that we are the exceptions and CAN enjoy a glass here and there. We are wired differently, and that's not a bad thing..it just IS. I beat myself up for years...trying to 'cut down'. Where did it get me? Worse off. Guilty. Shameful. Unworthy. Let it go....it is NOT worth losing all the things you've worked so hard for...including your self respect. AL is NOT something we must have in order to live....in fact, just the opposite. GIVE IT UP...GET IT OUT. Get this monkey off your back once and for all!!! I'm telling you, the inner peace will amaze you. It's a good place to be. I promise. Don't lose your quit NO MATTER WHAT!!!

[RemorseBeGone]

Newbies Nest

Excellent words Byrd!

Day 43 AF - It's really tough going but I aint goin back... :no:

[Enough!]

Newbies Nest

Wandered over to the nest to say hello!

Byrd your words were from the heart and motivating. Thank you for sharing. You are so right. It has been a difficult journey, but the rewards are great. I can see a faint light at the end. I have been AF about 25 of the past 35 days a few days of moderating and a few bottle plus total slip ups. Not perfect but a huge improvement of the 30 out of 30 drunk for as long as I can remember.

btw.. Einstein was the insanity author

To success!!!!
Enough!

[Intheditch]

Newbies Nest

This is my first post.I really feel desparate.Im on day twoI onley made it this far.Because I was so sick yester day.Im have in a hard time posting cause Im shaking so bad.
I wish I haddnt left beer in the fridge.

Just some one too share with.

itd

[Turnagain]

Newbies Nest

Byrd speaks the word! I, too, REALLY wanted to believe I could go back to 'normal' once I broke a bad 'habit' of drinking too much. I have done this for at least 5 years off and on. I have NEVER been able to have just one drink. Never. AND, each trip/slip back to the bottom and the bottle held me there for longer and longer stretches of time.

Today, I'm on my way home after nearly 7 days of parties and family gatherings for a wedding. A few months ago, it would've meant a 7 day marathon of being pickled and buzzed by beer, wine and champagne. It didn't take super-human willpower to say NO to all the libations and opportunities to get that drunk on. It took a decision....NOT to EVER DRINK AGAIN.

I was so very afraid to make that decision. It made me very sad to think that I would NEVER again be able to savor a glass of fine Malbec again...or sip on a magnificent smoked porter craft brew. But I realized I didn't just savor and sip...my body cannot handle alcohol. That's a fact. Once I fully accepted that, NOT drinking became fairly easy. AND, as Byrd, Lav, DoggyGrrl, Mario and all the other wonderful leaders on this forum have told us over and over.....life gets so much fuller, so much healthier....so much more peaceful.

I feel so much power after this week. I did not miss one minute of fun by not putting poison down my gullet. I am healing. I have not felt this much hope in more than a decade. I wouldn't trade this for a sip of the finest wine in the entire world.

You can have this too.....

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

First of all -
I'd like to say hello & welcome to Intheditch
The Nest is the perfect place to park yourself for a while. Have you read the MWO Book yet? It's a good place to get started - you can download it right now from the Health Store here on the website - I did
Take good care of yourself today, drink lots of water & read the book. You will feel much better in a day or two, I promise.

OK Byrdie - I'm backing you up here with a copy of the DailyOM......quite fitting for today's lesson





August 15, 2011
Emerging from the Grey
Ways We Numb Ourselves


Numbing yourself prevents you from confronting your issues and keeps you from ever finding resolution or peace.


We are born equipped to experience a complex array of diverse emotions. Many of us, however, are uncomfortable confronting our most powerful emotions. We may shy away from delight and despair and deny life’s colors by retreating into a world of monotone grey. We may numb ourselves to what we are truly feeling. It’s easier to suppress our emotions than to deal with them, so we may momentarily turn to pleasures such as alcohol, food, sugar, shopping and too much television. We may even numb our hearts. While it’s normal to temporarily seek distractions as a means of coping with intense emotions, numbing yourself prevents you from confronting your issues and keeps you from ever finding resolution or peace. When you are numb, there is no pain or powerlessness, but there can also be no joy or healing.

The activities that numb you may seem harmless or pleasurable, but using them to numb yourself diminishes the quality of your life. Numbing yourself so that you don’t have to feel intense emotions can often satisfy a surface need while blocking your awareness of a deeper need. You may find solace in food or shopping when what you really need is spiritual nourishment. The less you feel, the less alive you feel. Your feelings add vividness to your experiences and serve to connect you to the world around you. It is possible to disavow yourself of numbing behaviors a little at a time and once again taste life’s rich flavors. When you sense that you are engaging in a particular behavior simply to deaden your emotions, stop and ask yourself why. Examining the feelings that drive you to numb yourself can help you understand what is triggering your desire to emotionally fade out.

With each numbing activity that you cut out of your life, you’ll find yourself being more aware and experiencing a greater emotionally acuity. Senses once shrouded by the fog of numbness become sharp and acute. Traumas and pain long hidden will emerge to the forefront of your consciousness and reveal themselves so that you can heal them. You’ll discover a deeper you—a self that is comfortable experiencing and working through intense emotions with courage and grace.

Have a good AF afternoon one & all!
Lav

[Intheditch]

Newbies Nest

thank you somuch.

I feel so sad and lonley right now.

Thans again.

ITD

[gregorino]

Newbies Nest

Hello NestMates....Quick trip as I have to run off to a meeting....

Kev - Mi Hermano! Good to see ya again!

Ms. Byrdie - Another post to bookmark for the Byrdie Bible. Love it!!

Take2 - Great Stuff, thanks!

RBG - 43 Days...Totally Awesome! Keep it going!

Hello Enough!

In The Ditch...Welcome, thanks for sharing, stick around...Download the book, get the CD's...Keep showing up, it's a day at a time....you CAN stay sober today!

TurnAgain - Great Post, thank you!

WOWSERS - What a rousing start to a Monday. The Nest is just HUMMMMING!!!

Catch y'all later!

[Intheditch]

Newbies Nest

I will do my best.

Thank you for your kind words

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

ITD,

Remember, you are not alone here, ever
We have all been where you are today, it's rough but you will get through :l
Today's goal for you is to not drink - that's it!!!!

Do yourself a favor & dump any remaining AL in the house. That helped me stay focused on my goal. Drink lots of water, tea or what you like to stay hydrated, OK?