Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

[8Belles]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

Hey gang

:goodjob: Good for us on two weeks but gosh it seems like a lifetime. Back to shrink tomorrow for 2nd visit and am really getting apprehensive about it it. Husband left this morning and will be gone a week and the temptation is already starting. But I am proud of us and am going to try to hang tough this week!

[Liath]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

8Belles- Sounds like you might need some extra support this week with your husband being gone and all. Feel free to PM me and/or post a lot and we will be there for you. I had the same feeling this past week but I did survive without drinking to excess. I guess the fear of being out of control can only lead to 2 things, overcoming it or giving in. Every time we overcome, we get a little stronger. Hooray!

Grim- see you are not a threadkilller! :H

[paula]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

8 Belles you can do it. I have managed 6 whole days and feeling good. I know thats not long, but it has to work for me this time, too much to lose.

[ronnie]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

Hi everyone
Glad to see all is well here
Well done everyone for clocking up your A/F time, and treating yourselves is a MUST!!
Im on day 6 today and feeling really great, the kids are on 2 weeks hols as from today so means losts of sleep in's HORRAY
Mind you it also means lots of noisy boys around the house, id best go and find my shouting voice:H im sure its around here somewhere???? ah yest got it.
Right gang, im off to do a bit of hollowing................
Hope you all have a great Monday

[Liath]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

OK, the celebration needs to start a little early for our friends on the other side of the world! Thanks everyone for being here! Reading this thread and many others really helps me stay on the right track. I don't feel alone in the struggle, and that means so much.

[Liath]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

Great Job

OK, I cannot figure out how to post a picture. Darn, what a let down! How about a little Dylan instead? In honor of this thread lasting 2 weeks!!

They say ev'ry man needs protection,
They say ev'ry man must fall.
Yet i swear i see my reflection.
Some place so high above this wall.
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east.
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.

Bob Dylan

:l

[Grim]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

Hey Liath, GREAT JOB!!!!! :yay:

On Day 20 myself and the light I am starting to see glimpses of at the end of the tunnel is, for once, not an out-of-control freight train......

8Belles, we are all here for and with you! Strength to you over the time your husband is away. You CAN do this thing!

Regards

Grim

[Kimberley]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

Hey all, yes well said - CONGRATULATIONS TO US!! I, for one, am treating myself tonight by cooking myself a nice steak and painting my fingernails (not at the same time).

It is great to see you all still here - especially as we have had all our doubts and low self-esteem flying around. But it just goes to show, with all the things that have been thrown at some of us over the past couple of weeks, how strong we can all be.

8Belles, I have no doubt you will cope without hubby there - even if it means you need to come on here and post or chat. We are all here for you - use the time to really enjoy yourself if you can. Indulge yourself in TV you don't watch when hubby is there, make a meal you love and he hates, dance around the living room stark naked, sing out-of-tune on the shower, meditate or just enjoy the peace and quiet!

Lets all make it to week 3, then before you know it it'll be a month! Compulsory hugs and pats on the back for all of us!

[Grim]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

Kimberley;656562 wrote: Compulsory hugs and pats on the back for all of us!

Hey Kimberley, I hope your steak was nice and big and juicy! Good one! Keep it up! Wise move on separating the steak cooking from the nail painting, we all know how flammable that stuff can be!

200% with you on the hugs and pats idea though! Well done all! :goodjob:

[The New Me]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

8Belles,
I used to do my chores with a glass of wine in my hand and used to motivate myself to do them by buying wine... My thinking went like that "you can have your wine, but you will also scrub the toilet"
It was quite fun, my house was clean, but I found myself conditioned, like Pavlow's dog. Cleaning=drinking
Same with work outs, as I loved my glass of wine after a good sweat.
Time to reporogram myself...

[8Belles]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

What a "coinkydink"

Wow "New Me" that is so strange because at the shrink something similar came up. I was describing being so depressed (for years) that I drank just to get the ironing and chores done and it was actually enjoyable! (Then the drinking took over and my house went to hell) Have to fix both problems - the depression and the drinking.

Second visit to doc and this is my first attempt to ever quit drinking and everything is going my way it seems. I have you guys. And this doctor seems very willing to try different medications and avenues. I will start an anti-depressant along with the Naltroxene. We talked about Campral, Topamax and Baclofen as options and I chose to "save" those options if that makes any sense.

Anyhoo - Kim what makes you think I'm not already dancing around naked? Just kidding, I'm depressed for God's sake. lol. Couldn't anyways, I have two sons, which reminds me - it cracks me up, maybe its my imagination but it seems to me Ronnie types wth an Australian accent. Liath, I just know you and I are gonna make it. Grim leading the way with 20-days. I'm actually going to be okay with husband gone. When he's home its enough to drive me to want to drink, but I wouldn't dare now. The temptation is these next 4-days would be my only "opportunity" to for a long, long time. PS - Good for you 6-dayers! I've been keeping a journal offline. I should probably share the dramatic difference 16 days can make. It gets better and better, hang in there!

[8Belles]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

PS I almost forgot

Welcome Paula, fellow Capicorn. Your six days is worth more now than before and you know that in your heart. So treasure it.

[The New Me]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

8Belles
Just watch yourself on drugs and make sure they do what they are supposed to do. We are your best fans! Sometimes it is hard to figure out if you drink becasue you are depressesd, or the other way around... Keep posting

[Liath]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

New Me, Welcome! I don't think there is an easy answer to that question. Maybe it depends on the individual. However, I will say that when I first joined this winter, I was desperate to change my life. I was caught in a vicious cycle of drinking, depressed and borderline suicidal, horribly anxious, but most of all I was AFRAID. I could hardly imagine a life that didn't revolve around alcohol. At the same time, I was deeply ashamed of how bad things had gotten, and howdependant I had become. It has taken months and a few big slip ups to get me to this point. I feel like a dark cloud has been hovering over me all these years. It has been blocking the sun for so long that I forgot that there was anything more to life than grey.. Finally, its starting to break up and I actually feel HAPPY on occasion. I am not struggling to compensate for/hide this huge problem... its a relief.

8Belles- Well you know I have been there so hang in. We CAN and WILL do this!

Big day tomorrow if I don't get a chance to post I'll catch you all on Wednesday.:h

[Kimberley]

Today I start over again.. anyone want to join me?

8Belles - ok if you're not up to it, forget the dancing around naked! How about a nice long bath with oils or something relaxing like that, Doesn'r have to be crazy stuff like I would do, lol! I also suffer from depression, but it has got a LOT better as long as I don't drink, keep busy or have 'me' time.

Liath you've done really well - I hear that pattern. It has taken me a lot to get to this stage as well. My biggest mistake after deciding to quit was 'testing' myself and trying to mod. Maybe I will be able to mod in 10 years time (or maybe that's self-defeating talk too!). But I'm not thinking about that - I can't now, so that is it. Some people can, Me? No, no, no!

New Me, habits are difficult, but not impossible to break. You just have to get into a new way of doing things. When I do chores now (well, I hardly do ironing, just buy clothes which don't need it - very lazy), I stick some upbeat music on and just get it done. Think of hoovering as exercise and music makes it go faster. My favourite chore is gardening - with music - it just makes me feel good.

Anyways, Happy Tuesday all!