Getting in touch with myself again...

[DoneDrinkin]

So after years of numbing my body and mind, I'm starting to get in touch with myself again. Simple things like knowing when I'm thirsty, hungry, needing rest, needing protein, carbs, 20 minutes by myself, needing to exercise.... all the things that for years I have remedied with a glass (or ten) of wine.

It's amazing how OUT of touch I have become over the years. But it's feeling great to finally start living again!

Please post your stories of how you have gotten in touch with yourself again... physically, emotionally and spiritually since you've been AF.

Staying strong,
--Steve

[last call]

Getting in touch with myself again...

I've started jogging agn. I'm going back to church this Sun. Emotionally I still have a long way to go.
Only my 3rd day AF this time around and already I've come a long way I think. Yes it is a great feeling to be back in the saddle again. Life is grand when your sober and know what's going on around you.

[startingover]

Getting in touch with myself again...

In the last 10 months that I have not been drinking, my life has changed totally. I have lost my job, undertaken counselling sessions for emotional issues, quit smoking, quit anti depressants. I have done a lot of soul searching as to what I want to do with my life and made some decisions which I am in a position to act on and make happen. None of this would have ever happened had I been drunk.
Oh yes, and I started running again, last week I ran a 10 k race :-)
Life is good.
Great going Steve and Lasty! Being sober is the best isnt it?

[DoneDrinkin]

Getting in touch with myself again...

Hey starting, great job on the 10k! I have a half-marathon this Fall to train for! There's nothing like that feeling of pure exhaustion after a long run is there?

--Steve

[startingover]

Getting in touch with myself again...

Its the best Steve!
What distance are you up to now on your training?

[DoneDrinkin]

Getting in touch with myself again...

I'm doing 3,5,3,5,3,5 (around 25 a week). Ready to start mixing in some longer runs on the weekends. What about you?

--Steve

[startingover]

Getting in touch with myself again...

Currently I am resting :H
It really took it out of me, plus I broke my leg a while ago and since the race it has been swelling.
I will start again this week with short runs, about 5k 2 or 3 times per week. There is another 10k I want to do in October, but I need to watch my leg.

[DoneDrinkin]

Getting in touch with myself again...

Ouch... take it easy, friend!! No more broken bones.

--Steve

[byebyebridgetjones]

Getting in touch with myself again...

Hi Steve,
I know exactly what you mean. Some things are coming back to me after a long time. Some things I never knew, and can see I will be discovering for the first time.
Examples:
Am I angry or hungry?
Am I tired or do I just need to rip someone a new one ?
What do I feel like doing Vs What does EVERYONE ELSE feel like doing ?
Do I simply need to get some exercise , lose some weight, and drink more water ?....Or am I just middle aged, my life is over, and I'll just have to cop it sweet?
What do I want to do with the rest of my life?....and how is that going to look in practice?
What are my dreams and goals?
Will that do for a start mate ?!
Good thread.
Bridget.

[hdb]

Getting in touch with myself again...

waking from an 8yr slumber

hi guys - well done with your running, great to see :goodjob:

I am only in early days but its so good to start feelin more alive, actually wanted to participate in life .... I kind of feel like I have been an on looker to life, would even go as far to say that it feels like the first days after recovering from an illness ... you know that feeling of you never really quite understood how ill you were until you started to get better?

I really hope I can stick to this and moderate, I really don't want to give up totally but if I do I will. I have too much to live for, my two beauitful children and hubby - and a good job, I am having terrible concentration problems, does anyone else have those? Has anyone any advise what I could do to help them please? For example I have been working from home today and yesterday to finish two papers I need to produce for review but I have spent all my time on here ... i am going to get the piggin sack if I am not careful :eeks:

I have also just had my book delivered and as a newbie here listening to all the recommendations to buy it I can't wait to read it!

Any advice into how I can kick my ass into gear would be much appreciated. My last query if anyone could help please? I am taking escitalopram (same as citalopram but I kept being sick on that so they gave me this one) do the vits and suppliments have interactions with any AD's?

Boy oh boy I tell you what this site is a wonderful place to be... good luck all :l

Last question I promise - do you know when you post a reply or even submit a post how do you find them again when you log out and back in pls?

[42cat]

Getting in touch with myself again...

Steve, congrats on how far you've come!

I'm still in my first handful of sober days, but I'm already starting to rediscover some things. Going to bed sober is one of them - I'm starting to remember, and enjoy, how good it feels to lie down to bed, completely sober, and let myself drift off to sleep (as opposed to dropping into bed after that last rum and coke of the day). Drifting off to sleep is such a great sensation.. one I haven't enjoyed for literally years.

Excellent thread!

HDB - congratulations on your progress! I'm still early in my sobriety too, so I don't have any well-experienced advice, but I'm finding that getting myself outdoors for walks every day is becoming a new "habit" .. and I'm starting to crave that walk after dinner (rather than craving a drink) .. so that's helping a lot ... replacing old habits with new ones .. they say it takes 21(?) days to form a new habit, I think ... I'm working toward that!

[Evie.Lou]

Getting in touch with myself again...

When I was drinking "AL",I only existed and "AL" lived. Now "AL" exists (outside of me but he still exists) and I LIVE !!!
Just being alive (and knowing that you are truly alive) feels GOOD. A whole new appreciation for being able to feel everything.and being back in touch with myself. I am truly GRATEFUL !!!

[startingover]

Getting in touch with myself again...

hdb;631990 wrote: hi guys - well done with your running, great to see :goodjob:

I am only in early days but its so good to start feelin more alive, actually wanted to participate in life .... I kind of feel like I have been an on looker to life, would even go as far to say that it feels like the first days after recovering from an illness ... you know that feeling of you never really quite understood how ill you were until you started to get better?

I really hope I can stick to this and moderate, I really don't want to give up totally but if I do I will. I have too much to live for, my two beauitful children and hubby - and a good job, I am having terrible concentration problems, does anyone else have those? Has anyone any advise what I could do to help them please? For example I have been working from home today and yesterday to finish two papers I need to produce for review but I have spent all my time on here ... i am going to get the piggin sack if I am not careful :eeks:

I have also just had my book delivered and as a newbie here listening to all the recommendations to buy it I can't wait to read it!

Any advice into how I can kick my ass into gear would be much appreciated. My last query if anyone could help please? I am taking escitalopram (same as citalopram but I kept being sick on that so they gave me this one) do the vits and suppliments have interactions with any AD's?

Boy oh boy I tell you what this site is a wonderful place to be... good luck all :l

Last question I promise - do you know when you post a reply or even submit a post how do you find them again when you log out and back in pls?

Hi Again HD, I took prozac as well as the supps I mentioned and was fine. Just dont take anything like Tryptophan, 5HTP and St Johns Wort OK? As you could get too much seratonin and that aint good!!

[TakeHeart]

Getting in touch with myself again...

This is just my first AF day after a week long binge...I have been telling myself "tomorrow" for way too long.

I am also having trouble concentrating. Not just today, but for awhile now. Does anyone know if this is do to such heavy drinking? Will the difficulty go away? Anything to help?

I am going to get back in touch by going to the gym.

Thanks for the help!

[hdb]

Getting in touch with myself again...

Concentration and memory - where did they go???

Hi TakeHeart (and all - tx for your comments congrats 42cat and startingover) and a warm welcome to you :l - this site has helped me tremendously (particularly startingover - thanks mate . I have been drinking almost every day for the last ten years (got progressively worse over the last 8yrs (lost my brother to suicide... we were/are very very close and he was only 27, I have had one pregnancy (which I didn't touch a drop including when I was nursing) and have had over the years many one month breaks... its always been the moderating that I have not managed - ending up jumping straight back into my old ways. I now have my book which I am half way through which will (I have every confidence) give me the understanding to manage that second phase after A/F successfully.

I agree 42cat exercise, lots of water and keeping yourself busy will help .... my concentration is shocking as is my memory (more short term memory)- I am ashamed to say that I think that these are certainly linked to my drinking over the years and I hope more than anything that these will return. I am also a bit of a donkey on the edge at the moment and :stomper: - which I dislike the most ... I ended up sloping of upstairs last night to read my book as I was driving myself insane - not to mention my poor family! (sorry guys) .... I am also getting very proficient at seeming my :moon: .. and hope that this will also pass (so far managed to fall out with two people - they were taking the Mick but I would normally have handled this far better).

Well guys thanks again for listening, if anyone else has these symptoms and know when they may subside I would love to know - have a good day and keep strong all :h

hdb