Newbies Nest

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Congrats SH on your 90 AF day! What a difference, huh?

Pronto, good job on your 7 AF daus ~ you're getting the idea

I have my daughter & grandaughter here overnight so I am happy. If I was still guzzling wine they certainly wouldn't want to be here - I am grateful to be AF!

Wishing everyone a cozy & safe night on the nest!
Lav

[scottish lass]

Newbies Nest

Checking in - well done Pronto! A week came so soon!
And Bunk - lurking for 100 days - that is pretty amazing! I lasted about a month lurking, then had to join in - a 100 days - wowee! Welcome, and congrats to you as well.

[scottish lass]

Newbies Nest

Jane - sorry your EBV is rearing its ugly head - how long have you had it? Does it exacerbate often? I had mono when a teenager, but have not had any relapses. Are you immuno-compromised, do you get treatment? Sorry if I am being too nosy. It woudl be really tough to be that down in strength and to be fighting AL.

IC - I know you are young and been drinking for a third of your life, but for those of us that are older and have been drinking since (or before legal age) I would hesitate to say that most of us have been drinking well over a third of our lives. I have been drinking 35 out of almost 50 years and heavily for 25 of those, so half my life. We can all find excuses why it is harder for one than another - but seriously, as SH puts it - you have the possibility of having all the big times AF if you can work this out now - I shudder to think of all I missed due to drinking and a lot of that is around my two girls growing up (11 and 13) - you have the chance not to miss so much...grab this now and run with ot!

[MumOfTwo]

Newbies Nest

Hi everyone,

I mostly lurk on this page, as it is hard to post to and keep up with too many threads

Congrats to all those who have achieved AF days, whether it be 1 day, 1 week, 1 month or 1 year or more - you should all be proud as we all know it is not the easiest things we have done in life.

As for me, I started Antabuse this week and I can say it is the best thing I have ever done. No more talking myself into have a drink at night (which would happen EVERY night!). I am on day 4 - so still a very very newbie, however this is the most AF days I have had in almost 3 years.

Now a question for everyone and would appreciate your feedback on your experience.. When did you find that the thought of AL subsided? I think about it a lot, I know I can't have any, but geez, I would like these thoughts to bugger off!! I even have a sneeky thought every once in a while that 'I'll be fine having a couple' when I know I dam well wont. (I have to abstain..moderating is not a option for me..1 leads to 2 leads to whole bottle..leads to 2 whole bottles...you know the story)

Jo

[allswell]

Newbies Nest

Hi Mum,

2 years ago when I started my first of four quits the thoughts would be constant for the first three or so weeks and would gradually dissipate. After 6 weeks I really felt like I had a handle on them, although I now know the guard must always be kept up because the thoughts can and will come out of nowhere and we need to be extra vigilant in being prepared to fight them off. The last quit before this one was four and a half months and I feel like I'm picking up now where I left off, I even go for a couple of days without even thinking about alcohol and that to me is the best kind of peace of mind.

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Bunk...you must be a man, because no woman I know (myself included) could go 100 days lurking without adding her 2 cents!!! Bahahaha! It took me 2 weeks to figure out HOW to post a reply! (what can I say??)
Mum...yours is the best question I've seen of late. My big question was when do these cravings go away? Outright CRAVINGs got better for ME at about 3 weeks...but the THOUGHTS of AL...now that's another matter. Mind you...I ruminate and harbor thoughts way longer than the average jane (I've been told). Mind Chatter starts getting better around 2 weeks...but totally forgetting to think about AL didn't come to me until I hit about 4 months...when I totally would get thru the 5 o'clock hour or dinner and think..oh, dam...I didn't think about drinking. Let me tell you the really good news! At one year, I only think about it terms to tell others about, if that makes sense. I do not miss drinking, or getting drunk....I don't feel sorry for myself at all, in fact I feel extremely happy! (and I took the Antidepressants...see my notes on what not to do). I'm making a short story long...but YES, there will be a day that you don't even think about it...you and you don't realize it's happening. It just takes some time...and in the scheme of things...not all that long, considering it was a way of life for me for 25 years. Asking my mind to adjust to this major lifestyle change in 30 days was asking a lot...but it worked. It is amazing to me the ABSOLUTE grip that AL has over us....and it takes some real GRIT to shake it loose. Well done for your 4 days...it just gets better and better!!! Hang in for the 7 day horn toot!!! xo, Byrdie

[K9Lover]

Newbies Nest

Morning All!

UW - You asked how I chose Antabuse over other medicine. I tried Campral for a while, but honestly I got so tired of taking 6 pills a day, and I didn't notice a huge difference in my cravings. I chose Antabuse because you just CANNOT drink on it. I had to take the option completely away from myself. I noticed that my cravings went away when I realized that I couldn't give in to them. I have been fortunate not to have any side effects or reactions on it either (except with alcohol, of course).

MumofTwo - I have to admit I think about alcohol daily, sometimes wistfully (as in wishing I could drink) but mostly with anger (thinking about all I've been through because of it). I don't know if there will ever be a day where I don't think of it. But I do see it for what it is now, not what I wish it could be. I was posting on Starfairy's DUI thread, and so many memories came flooding back, I cannot even believe ALL that I went through with my DUI's...whats even more unbelievable is that I STILL drank after all that. It has kind of renewed my resolve that AL is evil.

Well...better get some work done but just wanted to say HI to everyone in the Nest. Stay strong and have a great day!

K9

[Unwasted]

Newbies Nest

It has kind of renewed my resolve that AL is evil.

K9, I really agree.......even when someone is "in control and drinking moderately" after enough time, so many end up with a problem. It's not natural to put poison in our bodies period. And the fact that it alters our brains and takes away all our safety mechanisims (i.e. I shouldn't drive because I've been drinking and could hurt myself or someone else) is proof positive. I have stopped viewing it as something that a little would be good of.......I now view it as something that will take me to a bad place if I ever have even one drink. Thank you for the meds info.

This was posted by End of the Line. But, if you have any questions about drinking and you think you might ever drive or have ever driven after a few drinks..........really everyone ...........you should watch this:

Drunk Driving: Jacqueline Saburido - Video

[K9Lover]

Newbies Nest

Unwasted;1259020 wrote: This was posted by End of the Line. But, if you have any questions about drinking and you think you might ever drive or have ever driven after a few drinks..........really everyone ...........you should watch this:

Drunk Driving: Jacqueline Saburido - Video

The first time I ever saw a poster of this girl was when I went to my Probation Officers office to check in for my DUI. I wish it had more of an impact on me then. But at the time I was still so angry and confused. I now see it much clearer and am so thankful that in my thousands of times driving inebriated, nobody was ever hurt.

[Steady Hands]

Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters

Pronto - Good going with 7 days!

Mumof2 - I thought of AL mostly in the first month. After 30 days I started to forget and didn't focus so much on the counting of days (and have adjusted to not drinking). The sugar cravings also got better and I started to focus on other alternatives to drink.

I don't think about AL anymore EXCEPT when I am with people I usually got my drink on or like today ... very stressful lead to a fight and even more pressure!! I thought for a few seconds how a glass of wine would make me feel better and how the tension would disappear.... When I got home I thought about my children again and what I wish for them. #1 - a good example!

[Unwasted]

Newbies Nest

K9, isn't it weird how we can't listen to something until we're ready? I've had that happen so many times............where I finally pick up on something and I'll think........wow, so-and-so told me about that a long time ago....wonder why it didn't strike me at that time. The human condition I guess......

[InChains]

Newbies Nest

Hey all

SL: was by no means tryign to say its harder for me than other people, I know probably laot of people have it tougher than i do, but I feel the need sometimes to justify exactly why it is I struggle as much as I do, not to other people but to myself

won't go through individually naming names but thanks eveyrbody for your support thus far. It is 9.09 by my clock, I am still sober, Really starting to stuggle now...

[Pronto]

Newbies Nest

Byrdlady;1258589 wrote: Pronto....no hat yet, but how bout a big ole horn toot!!!ointup: (couldn't find just a horn toot...) you ain't seen nuthin yet! Wait til you hit Day 13!! You will be so puffed up we won't know who you are! Well done to you...you've mastered every day the week can throw at you! And nothing bad happened!! Only good things. Here's to YOU!! Byrdie

Thanks, Byrdie! I know, no hat until day 30, right? That's fine. I at least conquered each day of the first week, even if I haven't mastered them yet. That's coming. I have a little more clarity this week, but I'm still tempted, and I'm still wobbly, and I still need to go to bed every night by 7 or 8 p.m. because I'm so tired and I don't know what else to do with myself.

Thanks again!

[Pronto]

Newbies Nest

MumOfTwo;1258858 wrote: Hi everyone,

Now a question for everyone and would appreciate your feedback on your experience.. When did you find that the thought of AL subsided? I think about it a lot, I know I can't have any, but geez, I would like these thoughts to bugger off!! I even have a sneeky thought every once in a while that 'I'll be fine having a couple' when I know I dam well wont. (I have to abstain..moderating is not a option for me..1 leads to 2 leads to whole bottle..leads to 2 whole bottles...you know the story)

Jo

Hi, Mum:

Go read the "Tool Box." That's what helped me. A member named "Work in Progress" wrote a post that if you change the way you think, you change the control alcohol has over you.

He said there's a difference between being gratitude driven and deprivation driven. So I've been trying to look at being AF from a gratitude standpoint rather that from the standpoint of being deprived.

Instead of wishing I could have a glass of wine, I change my thoughts to being glad that I'm not having a glass of wine because I have a lot to do, I don't want to hurt my body any more, and I don't want to lose my business. It helps.

[Pronto]

Newbies Nest

Sorry to post another post but thank you also to Lavande, Scottish Lass, and Steady Hands. Good luck to everyone who is struggling. Keep coming here, even if it's just to bitch about how hard it is. At least you're not giving in.