Newbies Nest

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

No shrinking brain here either lolab :H

Mimi & CantBelieve - we're all with you in spirit today

Daisy & Ronnie, hope you are both having a good day & saving lots of money too!!!

Shiner, good for you on your 4 AF days, stick around, OK?

Byrdie, how are you & your husband today?

K9, progress is a wonderful thing! Enjoy your weekend reading!

Peacefull, Friday nights turn into something completely different & special when AL is no longer around. Congrats to you as well

I am putting on a pot of lentil soup because it is a bit chilly today - yum!

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Hey Nest! Mr Byrd and I are doing great! He is very sore but progressing very nicely. He does NOT glow in the dark, I can tell ya that. He does have a lead shield/blanket so the little dog can crawl up in his lap and not be affected and he has lead underwear so he can be around people without any harm. Otherwise he needs to stay 6 feet away, which is fine here at home, but tricky out. The lead underwear have velcro on the sides much like a diaper. He has a very small butt anyway so it doesn't look bad thru his pants!!! I tease him by saying he has the disease 'No-ass-atol'. Wish I could say the same, I have enough for 2! In a couple weeks, he should not be radioactive to others at all. He has maintained continance...don't know about the other stuff yet...IF you know what I mean. He is very happy so far. So that is good news.
Today is Friday and that's a tricky day in most of our books! Remember Lav up on the edge of the nest with her pointer to a calendar with the days of the week....Remember, Nest...Friday is JUST ANOTHER DAY! That got me thru many a weekend. When you blow Friday there's no picking up the pieces at least for me...so stay on course with your pink britches. I am going to go find me a pair as a show of solidarity. We will OCCUPY the nest! So happy to see the resolve, it's amazing what even one day AF will do for your spirits!! (ha) Don't let MonkeyMind take over!!! Byrdie

[mama bear]

Newbies Nest

Rock on all you fellow nesters!!!

[FreeFly]

Newbies Nest

Big hi to ALL...
Mimi - I want to know what the daytime outfit is. Will you be parading yourself around all in pink?! Can't say today was easy - was bloody difficult truth be known. Must get back to Jason! But day one down. Hoping the clear head tomorrow will reinforce the resolve.
Quick post as I haven't read the whole thread - got to go to bed to end this day cos that little bugger is sitting right on my shoulder screaming at me. Aaargh - bed will put an end to it!
Day two tomorrow

[daisy45]

Newbies Nest

Good going Cantbelieve; see you bright and chirpy in the morning!

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

mama bear - I forgot YOU! Happy Friday to you...:-)

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Byrdie, glad you & your husband are doing OK.

Hi mama bear, how's it going?

CantBelieve, we're very proud of you

daisy & lolab, wishing you & everyone a great AF night!

[daisy45]

Newbies Nest

Night Lav. God Bless!

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Lolab....should I be pronouncing your name Lola B or Low Lab? Just want to get it right in my head! Happy Friday!

[Turnagain]

Newbies Nest

Just wanted to pop back into the nest to offer some encouragement to the newest of the newbies...and any grizzled, booze-shocked nesters who have made it back to safety....

Today, I went back and read my first post here. I can't believe I am the same person. I felt so helpless....so desperate....so hopeless. That was 90 days ago...3 months without a drink or a smoke.

My life is so full now of good things...My body is healing, my brain is working on all cylinders, the depression is gone and I just can't imagine EVER giving this up...my worst day sober is 500,000 times better than my best night drunk.

It's great to see so many of you enthused about the concepts in Jason Vale's book, Kicking the Drink Easily. I know for me, the mental end of the quit has always been the hardest part and ultimately, my downfall. I've had a few long AF stretches before. And I always thought that once I broke the bad habit of drinking every day to excess that I could drink again....with control.

That just never worked for me. Not once. And, like a lot of you, each trip back into the extreme drinking zone plunged me even deeper into depression and the hold of the addiction.

So...what did it for me this time? And why am I sure THIS time is so much different than the other times?

It's rather simple. I have completely accepted that my body doesn't tolerate any alcohol. And I no longer view this as being deprived of something. I focus on how I am thriving... this isn't just happy talk voodoo...it's real.

Look at the people here who are really kicking it...Lav...Byrd...Gregorino..Tonst...and Unwasted (sorry to any I leave out!) One thing they have in common: they no longer drink. It's not an option. They do not have extraordinary super-powers or wills of steel....they do completely understand that alcohol is addictive for them...and so...they no longer drink.

I used to think of this as being a simple, but not necessarily EASY solution. Now, I am reconsidering that. We've got lots of methods and supplements to get us through the physical withdrawal...but how do we manage the mental withdrawal? I started out by 'pretending' to be a non-drinker...I would envision that in my head...I would even sometimes say out loud..."I don't drink." I put it to the test on a vacation and ended up loving how proud I felt for not drinking in a bottomless booze situation. And when I finally said the words...."I don't drink" and meant it...I felt like I had been released from prison! There is a way to keep addiction out of my life!

Today...I'm here to share that it does not have to be a struggle...it does not have to be dull or dreary...

....freedom is incredible.

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

Turn again what an inspiring message. Thank you so much for posting that. I'll be coming back to your message again and again.

Byrdie originally I meant to be Lola b. But I kinda love dogs so if you want to call me lab that's ok too...:-)

Nighty night

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Awesome post Turnagain & CONGRATS ON YOUR 90 AF NF DAYS!!!!!!

Changing our thinking is a big, big part of the solution! Positive thinking, affirmations repeated to ourselves all day long in the beginning) & for me the Hypno CDs helped immensely!
Wishing you continued success - keep loving the freedom

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

Oh and byrdie thx for asking. It ll be nice to have it right in your head as I plan on sticking around for quite awhile ...:-)

[mimi911]

Newbies Nest

cantbelieve- I bought myself a bracelet today as my reminder for when we go out in the evening. Just like tonight. I went to a hockey game and it was hard.:egad:

My bracelet says "live the life you love". :h

Goodnight all you fine nesters. Won't I be happy tomorrow morning when I wake up AF?

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

Cant sleep but that's ok. At least I not lying here feeling sh!tty about myself about al.

Mimi that's brilliant! I love the bracelet idea and am so glad it worked for you...stay strong-that awesome feeling the next day is worth so much more than the short struggle the night before.