Newbies Nest

[Caz 22]

Newbies Nest

Byrdlady;1476657 wrote: almost free, when I went off Cymbalta it was also the closest I have ever come to ending it all. ME?!! I went off it cold turkey, I didn't know you weren't supposed to do that. I ended up in the ER and it really took me 6 weeks to get it out of my system. At the time, I googled Cymbalta withdrawals and found MY symptoms! 100's of people mad as hell that they weren't warned of all the devastating side effects of coming off them. Everybody you know is on something like that...boy howdy when they try to get off it. It was indeed, the darkest point in my life!! I know they help some people, but I feel they should be a last resort and not a quick fix type thing. It was almost my undoing!!

Caz, I hope you'll be able to check in...try and make it a priority. I hate to sound preachy on this, but I have seen so many times how easily the wheels come off when the nest gets out of reach. Take good care while you are out and about!!

Off to the eye doctors!! I will be seeing 3 nests when I get back! UGG! Hang tough, all! B

Hey Byrdie you weren't being preachy,I respect everyone's opinion on this thread and I know we all have each others back, I know it is only the beginning of my journey and I have such a long way to go every day is a challenge and I will try my very best to check in as often as possible.:thanks:

[nonamegirl]

Newbies Nest

thank you, everyone

Goodness, no wonder I love you guys. Byrdlady, Almost free, Caz, K9, everyone... thank you so much for your discussion of antidepressants. I take it all very seriously, and will think about it. Here's the deal, though. I have been exercising, getting ready for the race season. (I'm a run/walker, marathoner, now doing halfs.) Volunteer at three separate places, and all. But honestly I still just feel really yucky in my heart and mind. HOWEVER, I did take the note about the Pity Party to heart. Yes, I need to get out of my own head, and really just get over my own bad self. Thank you. I will do that. :h

[jenniech]

Newbies Nest

congrats on 30 days snowflake!!!

[all in]

Newbies Nest

DAY 2

Just lurking. Been fight this battle for 10 years. Glad I found this site.

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters!

CONGRATS on 30 AF days snowflake :wd:
Be proud & keep moving forward, you'll never be sorry!

Hope everyone has a cozy AF Tuesday evening.
Lav

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Hello & welcome all in
Glad you found the nest, please settle in for lots of support!

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Hey All In! So glad you found us....sit a spell and tell us what brings you by. I bet there's nothing you can tell us that we haven't seen/said/thought/done! You have landed in a great place if you are serious about kicking AL out of your life. Check out the Tool Box, link in my signature line, and read back several days here and get to know us. Then jump in! If I can do this, I know you can too! Byrdie

[halfway content]

Newbies Nest

Welcome, all in. I am wrapping up my Day Two as well. MWO is helping me so much. Best of luck to you!

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Halfway!! GREAT to see you! For some reason I found even days to be easier than the odd numbered days...until I got to 13, and then I knew I had it then! You are doing great! Whatever it takes to get thru this day...that's all you gotta do!!

This week I have done a lot of reading and I see a lot of what me and so many others are trying to help you avoid: The pitfalls of continued relapsing! I feel like a flop, because I did it, and I wish I could show you that it is just misery. I'm not doing my job here if I don't point this out. There have to be some truths about this situation, right? Something has to change, you can't keep going like this....Well in order for something to change, guess what? Something's gotta change!! You really have 2 choices, or at least I did. Quit drinking or drink myself to death. It's as simple as that. I would hit a craving and think...gosh, this is really bad...I can start over tomorrow, what do I owe these people anyway? Maybe I'm not as bad as I thought...I just can't do this! I will learn to live with it. Do any of these sound familiar? Continued relapsing is demoralizing. Constant failure and guilt suck! Remember, I can say this because I did it. I don't want you to have to flounder around another year to get your act together. We will be right here next year talking about it. After all, weren't you going to quit before the holidays? Then AFTER the holidays? Then January 1st for SURE? Yes, there will always be a 'yeah, but.....' You will 'yeah, but' yourself to death!!
You may have noticed that I recently asked the question over in the 100 day thread, "would you consider yourself to be an alcoholic?" Without hesitation, we said, yes...full blown, card carrying. This is an important step in RECOVERY. Unless and until you can admit that you are an ALK, you will be chasing this for a lifetime. Why do I have to admit it? Because only then, can you OWN the fact that ONE drink will take you down. Only then can you take responsibility for this and seek the cure. If you will not acknowledge this, you mays well not even waste your time trying to stop. I mean, why would you stop? You don't have a problem?? Do you see where I'm going here? I always kept that little voice in the back of my head that one day I'd be able to drink again....LIKE A NORMAL PERSON. You mays well accept that this most likely will not happen. Once you can get rid of that dam voice that holds out hope that you can drink again safely, you are well on your way to beating this thing. You cannot beat what you won't acknowledge. It's like I am asking you to take chemotherapy when you don't have cancer...you wouldn't do that, would you? The medicine I'm asking you to take is equally lifechanging...and you won't take it unless you admit you are sick. Denial is THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE I see in getting sober. It was certainly mine...and I have seen it over and over here the past 3 years I've been a member. Admitting this is freedom, not a death sentence. In your own mind, you wouldn't feed an ALK a drink, right? No more than you'd give a heroin addict a fix....you have to work this out in your head....
No one here can help you quit until you are ready to do it. And one more drink isn't going to do a thing for any of us here. Get it out, finally, for good, and see what a burden is lifted off you. It is a relief...believe me. I am finally free....you can be too, but you have to stop bullshitting yourself first.
I HATE AL for what it has done to me and all my friends here...I wish I could tell you what you want to hear, but that's just not how it is....you can handle the truth...you may be more ready than you think. Being an ALK is not the worst thing there is....being one in denial is. You will save yourself A LOT OF HARDSHIP if you start now. After all, how long have you put this off now? Let's get going in the right direction. You can do this...if I can, I know YOU can. Byrdie

[Siren136]

Newbies Nest

Hi all in :welcome:

There are 7 of us who stopped AL and 1 who quit smoking yesterday and are now in day 2. Please join us - now we're at 9. We're the 311 gang - you'll see threads for us where we can cheer each other on and talk about things we're going through. Stop in and let us know how you're doing.

But if you can only pick one thread to visit, stay here in the Nest. Lots of great support here.

[halo]

Newbies Nest

Thanks Byrdie for the advice, I made a batch of cookies and brought them to my neighbour, I felt better about myself and I really appreciate the support from the Newbie's Nest,
Hope all the Day Oners are doing well, I have made it to Day 2....I think my biggest flaw is feeling like I have control and neglecting the site and ignoring the accompanying support and then crashing really really hard...If I can't get AL under control it will end up ruining my life, why or why can't that be enough to quit...IT NEEDS TO BE

Ckecking in seems to be the way to go, thanks to everyone who puts in so much effort to support us newbies, I want to reach 100 days and then do it for life

[halo]

Newbies Nest

Thanks Siren, you are the best for rounding us up, the 311 gang, I like it..

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Halo...I think you've hit the nail on the head...saying that you have a problem SHOULD be enough....but it isn't. I think it's the diagnosis that finally flips the switch for us. I wouldn't want to have this label around my neck in real life...but here in this environment and in my head that's the way it is. I hate labels as much as the next person, but we are dealing with life and death on this one...I can label it, if that's gonna help me fix it. And it did.

I'm so happy that you did that for your neighbor...it's a good feeling to be a carrier of joy. Well done on your 2 days...that is HUGE in our world. Keep up the great work...and keep posting and reading....a recipe for success! Byrdie

[NoSugar]

Newbies Nest

Page 3363

Byrdlady;1476885 wrote: Halfway!! GREAT to see you! For some reason I found even days to be easier than the odd numbered days...until I got to 13, and then I knew I had it then! You are doing great! Whatever it takes to get thru this day...that's all you gotta do!!

This week I have done a lot of reading and I see a lot of what me and so many others are trying to help you avoid: The pitfalls of continued relapsing! I feel like a flop, because I did it, and I wish I could show you that it is just misery. I'm not doing my job here if I don't point this out. There have to be some truths about this situation, right? Something has to change, you can't keep going like this....Well in order for something to change, guess what? Something's gotta change!! You really have 2 choices, or at least I did. Quit drinking or drink myself to death. It's as simple as that. I would hit a craving and think...gosh, this is really bad...I can start over tomorrow, what do I owe these people anyway? Maybe I'm not as bad as I thought...I just can't do this! I will learn to live with it. Do any of these sound familiar? Continued relapsing is demoralizing. Constant failure and guilt suck! Remember, I can say this because I did it. I don't want you to have to flounder around another year to get your act together. We will be right here next year talking about it. After all, weren't you going to quit before the holidays? Then AFTER the holidays? Then January 1st for SURE? Yes, there will always be a 'yeah, but.....' You will 'yeah, but' yourself to death!!
You may have noticed that I recently asked the question over in the 100 day thread, "would you consider yourself to be an alcoholic?" Without hesitation, we said, yes...full blown, card carrying. This is an important step in RECOVERY. Unless and until you can admit that you are an ALK, you will be chasing this for a lifetime. Why do I have to admit it? Because only then, can you OWN the fact that ONE drink will take you down. Only then can you take responsibility for this and seek the cure. If you will not acknowledge this, you mays well not even waste your time trying to stop. I mean, why would you stop? You don't have a problem?? Do you see where I'm going here? I always kept that little voice in the back of my head that one day I'd be able to drink again....LIKE A NORMAL PERSON. You mays well accept that this most likely will not happen. Once you can get rid of that dam voice that holds out hope that you can drink again safely, you are well on your way to beating this thing. You cannot beat what you won't acknowledge. It's like I am asking you to take chemotherapy when you don't have cancer...you wouldn't do that, would you? The medicine I'm asking you to take is equally lifechanging...and you won't take it unless you admit you are sick. Denial is THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE I see in getting sober. It was certainly mine...and I have seen it over and over here the past 3 years I've been a member. Admitting this is freedom, not a death sentence. In your own mind, you wouldn't feed an ALK a drink, right? No more than you'd give a heroin addict a fix....you have to work this out in your head....
No one here can help you quit until you are ready to do it. And one more drink isn't going to do a thing for any of us here. Get it out, finally, for good, and see what a burden is lifted off you. It is a relief...believe me. I am finally free....you can be too, but you have to stop bullshitting yourself first.
I HATE AL for what it has done to me and all my friends here...I wish I could tell you what you want to hear, but that's just not how it is....you can handle the truth...you may be more ready than you think. Being an ALK is not the worst thing there is....being one in denial is. You will save yourself A LOT OF HARDSHIP if you start now. After all, how long have you put this off now? Let's get going in the right direction. You can do this...if I can, I know YOU can. Byrdie

I think I will just remember page 3363 of the NN and just come back here and read this post whenever I need to be reminded of the truth. Thank you, Byrdie.

[NoSugar]

Newbies Nest

Sad face in my last post

I don ' t know how that purple face got in my title!! I can't get it out but
he does not belong there!! That is a great post!