Newbies Nest

[nollie]

Newbies Nest

Hi folks. 2 AF days, thought I'd join you here for Day 3. Went to my first AA meeting, so flew through Day 1 - it was such a relief to have found someone who knew what I was going through to share with. Yesterday was trickier, that little rat was on my shoulder most of the day. Well he's going to have a tough time, because I'm not giving in to him again. Hopefully in time he'll get bored of it and bugger off and leave me alone. In the meantime I'm praying like mad (also for the strength not to get cranky with my wonderful family) and have been reading Deepak Chopra's The Seven Spiritual Laws which is helping me look at my life with a new perspective.

[daisy45]

Newbies Nest

lolab;1196268 wrote:

daisy, I love hearing about your times out....I mean not about your friend who got sick in your car but I am so happy that you're doing something about this now - I'm guessing you're pretty much younger than I am (47)? I wish I had put a stop to this nonsense a loooong time ago.

:H

Hi Lolab, took me a while to answer this. I have to say I laughed when I read this. All I could think was 'Oh no, what must I sound like!'
But ye' know what, I feel much younger right now. I have got my zest for life back again and I ain't lettin' go!
I am 46 and feeling younger by the day!
Getting out and about again and telling the story - the only thing I could tell from previous nights out was that I went out; normally had to ring around the next day to find how it went.............ooooooooooh

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good morning Nesters!

So glad you checked in Mimi, congrats on your AF day
Stay stong, stick to your plan & do it again today!

Hello & welcome nollie! Glad you found the Nest - settle in for a while!
Congrats on your AF days as well. I love the Seven Spiritual Laws, read it over & over & visit Chopra's website often

lolab, a crappy night's sleep happens once in a while for all of us. I'm grateful for the internet & cable TV when it happens to me

Daisy, I'm feeling quite a bit younger myself & that's not bad for the granny of 3 :H

Wishing everyone a great AF day. I have lots of outdoor chore to do today.

Lav

[K9Lover]

Newbies Nest

Good Morning All!

What a beautiful Saturday morning, no hangover, and no cigarettes. It's only been 6 days and I can already tell such a difference in my lungs, no endless dry hacking and no "achy" feeling deep in my chest. Now I won't get too over-confident here, as I've made it 30 days before...but I will keep taking it day by day. I've made it through every "trigger" for cigarette in the last 6 days, so I really should be fine (as long as I keep my darn brain in check!).

Last night I was at my sisters house for dinner and everyone was having cocktails (they're used to me not drinking so that wasn't a big deal), but what suprised me is how they were joking about going on a cruise in a couple of weeks and how they were going to sneak their booze on (water bottles, tea bottles, etc). Now in the past I would have thought this was funny. But last night it just seemed sad (and this was my parents talking like this...lol). SO much time and energy wasted on alcohol. I really do feel a sense of "freedeom" since I started reading Jason Vales book. It's amazing when you really feel the shift in thinking.

Nollie, Lolab and Mimi - Keep up your good work. Stay strong and stick close to us, it does get easier. Lolab, you mentioned not being able to sleep...that's perfectly normal and will go away in a few days. Something that really opened my eyes was when I read that the reason we go unconscious or "pass out" when we drink too much alcohol is because our bodies can't keep us AWAKE and ALIVE at the same time...now is that scary? For me it was. So please be patient, your sleep patterns are all messed up, but they will level out soon. In the meantime I would suggest Melatonin and I recently discovered Valerian Root as a natural relaxant.

Okay everyone, off to the library to get some books I had on hold...then home to tuck in for a nice day of reading and relaxing. Sure I should be cleaning the house...but I don't want to! LOL

Hope everyone is well.

K9

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Welcome Nollie. You have found a wonderful place with very supportive people who have walked in your shoes. Whatever you have done in the past, you will find someone here who has also done it. We support each other thru thick and thin. Hopefully, in a few weeks, you will be one of the veterans who is helping someone else who is new and scared.
Turnagain, thank you for your post! I think you are spot on, once you accept that no alcohol means no alcohol, it is a very peaceful and freeing place. I had many starts and stops I had over the past 2 years (of seriously trying). After your post I tried to sum up the reasons for my failures. After the initial 7 days or so, what I thought were cravings, were really my wanting to fall back into a habit. Not really cravings I wouldn't say. A yearning for what I once could do and now couldn't. When I failed to stay sober, it came right down to one thing, I think. Self-pity. EVERYONE else could drink, why couldn't I? What do I owe the people in the newbie nest, they don't know what I'm going thru? Why not have a drink, who cares, really? What difference does it make? I felt like I was entitled, dammit. I deserve it. It was only after I was hell-bent on staying sober that the self pity finally went away. I'm not losing anything, I have gained 5 fold what I have given up. And I, too, feel younger! I am not making excuses anymore. I have a problem with AL and the only way to not drink is to NOT DRINK. Thank you for provoking me to think about what was different this time than in times past. Self refelction is good...self pity is not! All of us should be proud of recognizing a problem and addressing it. MindPeace today! Byrdie

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Hi K9 & Byrdie,

Great to see both of you today!
An attitude of gratitude will take us far

Somehow or another I was snookered into dog sitting this weekend. My sons Goldens aka the Insanity Twins :H :H
As much as I love dogs & have raised Goldens myself these two are just crazy & not real fun..........
I eneded up with a broken tow two summers ago when one of them stomped on my foot
I'm keeping my shoes on at all times & will resort to quieting them with Benadrly if necessary

I lead such an exciting life :H

[Turnagain]

Newbies Nest

My pugs are muy loco today, Lav. Is there a full doggy moon, or what? I'm supposed to be lounging on the couch with my post op knee elevated but I'm spending a lot of time swatting pugs away from the wounded area. I'm getting a good ab workout...that's for sure! la casa del perros loco!

You and Ms. Byrd are doing such a great job holding down the nest and propping up the hatchlings and returnees....muchas gracias las bonitas!

Your words of wisdom still mean so much to me....while I don't post here as often....I do read almost everyday. AND...I'm reading a whole lot now that I'm restricted to the couch for a few more days!

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Rest that knee lady!!!!!
Better to avoid complications down the road.

The Goldens have just settled down for a nap - I'm sure it will be quite short!
These dogs are from the same breeder but different litters. The oldest one is just plain nuts.......the younger one just follows her example. What can you do??

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

quick check in - Daisy - I guess that shows you that you have waaaay more energy than I do - haha...sounds like I"m collapsing into bed about the time that you're going out on the town. You GO girl!

Goodnight everyone. I hope Mr. Sandman gives me a little somethin extra tonight to make up for last...;-) (well, no I'm not going to bed yet, just giving him plenty of time ya know?)

[ronnie]

Newbies Nest

Morning all,
And what a great morning it is.......apart from I was looking forward to a lovely sleep in but my dog decided it was time for me to get up so he woke me up by jumping on the bed for a cuddle, I would'nt mind but he is a 40 kilo lab....lol
At least I can get lots of jobs done today, I love waking up with a very clear head it makes the day sooo much more enjoyable.
It sounds like we are all doing well in the nest, I am 14 days A/f today...yey.....this is such a lovely feeling I dont think I could ever go back to hangovers and A/L again......
Hope you all have a lovely day/night
ronnie
xx

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

lolab, hope you get some rest

ronnie - CONGRATS on your 14 AF day :yay:
It truly is a good feeling ~ keep it going!

It's only 9 pm here but I'm about ready to call it a day.
Wishing everyone a safe AF night/day in the Nest!

Lav

[Tx Ellen]

Newbies Nest

Well, I have fallen off the wagon(what is the origin of that term I wonder).

Last time I posted on was flying on a bipolar high. They are quite fun unless they get out of hand and then they turn ugly, really ugly. Unfortunately what goes up must come down. Since I have been back from vacation I was only able to work a few days and then became too depressed to leave my house. Unfortunately I have not been too depressed to keep me from the wine aisle at my local store.

The hypno tapes haven't helped me much lately and I know I have to get the depression looked at by my Psychiatrist and then get back in the wagon. My first concern is saving my job. (the depression is my concern. I have been able to work while drinking for years.)The next is getting back AF and seeing about a med adjustment. Fortunately I only have a few of these per year. I moved from TX to CA several months ago to be near my son. So, I had to leave the job, home, and friends to move closer. Don't get me wrong, it is still the best place for me to be but I hate starting over again.

I have generally tried to keep my mental illness to myself I thought it may help y'all understand some of my other issues.

[FreeFly]

Newbies Nest

Hi Mimi - love the bracelet idea, what a lovely reminder.
Turnaround - I loved your post - REALLY inspiring. I'm going to begin the "I don't drink" thing in my head until it really clicks.
Hi to all else - can't stay and read all the thread as staying with a friend and was just a quick log in.
Check in when home tomorrow. Happy AF days to all

[windy]

Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters,

Nollie -- Hang with us for a while.. This thread has really given me the day-to-day strength I needed and we can help you too.

Lolab -- I was going to ask about your name too and honestly i thought it was LoLab. Thank goodness Byrdie had the foresight to see it as it is. Now it is clear to me too -- Lolab. Very nice sounding too. You are doing great and I am right there behind you. This is a big week for us. I just recently bought some valerian root myself in the liquid form, but have not taken it enough to give testimony. I sleep pretty good if not restless, so I am not much help.

Lav -- How'd the babysitting go of the labs? Two crazies is hard work and takes a lot of patience, but I love Goldens.

Byrdie -- your post to Nollie is great and had some good words for all of us.

Mimi -- The bracelet is a wonderful idea. I think it's better than the pink lounge pants because, believe it or not, they are hard to find. Everything is that "hot pink", not the soft pink I was thinking of.

Turnagain -- Thanks for all the encouraging words. Keep posting here. I love pugs and would love to adopt one, but my other half is putting his foot down with the one dog we already have. I think she needs a good buddy and pug would be the perfect friend.

TxEllen -- I don't mean to ask a stupid question, but did the alcohol make you feel any better or worse? I too know how stressful it can be to move out of state, as I have done it twice. Actually, once was out of the country and that was easier than moving to another state. Don't underestimate the stess it can cause. I think it was catalyst to my drinking in excess.

k9 -- Sounds like you are getting a lot out of the Jason Vale book. For me, I can't get past 100 pages. I read Allan Carr's book and I think that was enough for me. I rather like his "to the point approach", and it did help me tremendously in my attitude towards the wicked poison. I will keep trying though with the Vale book as so many people rave about it. Keep up the good work and let us know more!

Can't Believe -- Hi There, Sounds like you are doing great.

Ronnie -- Hello to you too. Good for you on Day 14. Was Day 13 magical for you? I agree, waking up with no hangover is the best feeling ever for me.

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good morning Nesters!

Tx Ellen, I'm sorry to hear that you chose to drink again!
I agree that getting in to see your Psychiatrist should be #1 on your list right now. You have to get those depressive episodes under control. I do understand choosing to drink when you're depressed because I did the same thing myself & we all know that is not the answer. I hope you get in soon & in the meantime please take care of yourself. Losing your job is something you don't want to face.

CantBelieve, you sound good, I'm happy for you!

windy, the Goldens had me up at the crack of dawn ~ they are way too energetic
Glad yuo are doing well!

I need to go feed these crazy animals so I'll wish everyone a wonderful AF Sunday!

Lav