30 day commitment.. who's in?

[Determination]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

Kimberley - Congrats on making it to 2 weeks! I always find it so encouraging to read about success in staying AF Free.

I'm on day 8 AF and no anticipated hurdles this week.

[Kimberley]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

Hey Determination. Cool you're just over a week now. How are you feeling? It has been a rollercoaster for me over the past couple of weeks, but its mostly been good stuff!

[zbeam]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

Congrats Kimberly, Determination

Great job you guys, so happy for you. Me - just AF 1 day, but you gotta start somewhere right! Will meet you back here after work. I need help through my witching hour/s. Determination...maybe you can flick some of that um determination my way....great!
Have a great day, c u soon.
:goodjob:

[Kimberley]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

Hi zbeam, congrats on starting the AF challenge -you will be so glad you did. If you need any support I try to check here at least once a day though I am in a differnet time zone from most people!

[Liath]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

messed up

Hi everyone-

I am sorry to say that I succumbed to intense feelings of loneliness on Friday night and called up one of my drinking pals who seems to always be available. I don't know if you ladies have experienced the male 'drinking buddy' drama but it's tough on a relationship. What did I think would happen? I certainly drank too much, stayed out all night, and then felt so ashamed the next day that I drank again. Yesturday I dried out and suffered for my sins. I was able to go to work today, though not on time. I was kept up half the night by anxiety.. fear that I was still going to feel too bad to work. I didn't use to react so badly to alcohol, but perhaps age is catching up to me. Luckily, I had an easy day at work and could leave early. All I could think about was getting online. One of the issues for me is having no one to talk to. I like this online thing but I need more than this. All of my friends are boozers, and have no plans to quit.

I wonder if there are any MWO folks in my area? I wish there was a women's group I could go to, but AA is not for me. I must ditch these friends for good. They are not bad people but no good for me.

Kim, we should try to figure out the time difference and see if we can ever connect.

OK, so my thoughts are.. I did a few things wrong. I gave into two of the most powerful triggers that I face. Loneliness and boredom. I got to thinking, its summer time! Everyone else is out having a few, why can't I? Then I let guilt and shame goad me into keeping it up the next day.

I did a few things right. I did not get in my car. I stopped drinking and came back here. I made it half way to my goal. (not good enough, I know)

I am going to ask for help about how to beat my triggers. My friends, American Football-- and the season is starting soon. I do so enjoy watching the games out on the town, but I have to give it up. If I just stay home, I don't have a problem. We usually don't have AL in the house. If we do, never more than a 6 pack. When I go to the bars, I always have too much. I can't stop. Its so demoralizing. I am going to try to jump into a chat. I hope you all know that i am serious, not going to give up!

Need to change my signature again:upset:

[Kimberley]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

Liath;695319 wrote: Hi everyone-

I am sorry to say that I succumbed to intense feelings of loneliness on Friday night and called up one of my drinking pals who seems to always be available. I don't know if you ladies have experienced the male 'drinking buddy' drama but it's tough on a relationship. What did I think would happen? I certainly drank too much, stayed out all night, and then felt so ashamed the next day that I drank again. Yesturday I dried out and suffered for my sins. I was able to go to work today, though not on time. I was kept up half the night by anxiety.. fear that I was still going to feel too bad to work. I didn't use to react so badly to alcohol, but perhaps age is catching up to me. Luckily, I had an easy day at work and could leave early. All I could think about was getting online. One of the issues for me is having no one to talk to. I like this online thing but I need more than this. All of my friends are boozers, and have no plans to quit.

I wonder if there are any MWO folks in my area? I wish there was a women's group I could go to, but AA is not for me. I must ditch these friends for good. They are not bad people but no good for me.

Kim, we should try to figure out the time difference and see if we can ever connect.

OK, so my thoughts are.. I did a few things wrong. I gave into two of the most powerful triggers that I face. Loneliness and boredom. I got to thinking, its summer time! Everyone else is out having a few, why can't I? Then I let guilt and shame goad me into keeping it up the next day.

I did a few things right. I did not get in my car. I stopped drinking and came back here. I made it half way to my goal. (not good enough, I know)

I am going to ask for help about how to beat my triggers. My friends, American Football-- and the season is starting soon. I do so enjoy watching the games out on the town, but I have to give it up. If I just stay home, I don't have a problem. We usually don't have AL in the house. If we do, never more than a 6 pack. When I go to the bars, I always have too much. I can't stop. Its so demoralizing. I am going to try to jump into a chat. I hope you all know that i am serious, not going to give up!

Need to change my signature again:upset:

Hi Liath,

Oh you poor thing - sorry to hear that you were feeling so lonely. And yes I have done the male 'drinking buddy' thing and I know very well the shame that leads you to drink more.

One of the things that I was originally pissed off about - but now glad about - is that my body can't handle alcohol either as I have got older. It means now it is less of an option!

I had to ditch a LOT of my friends as they were all barflies. I am currently looking at joining a Meetup.com group for teetotallers who want to socialise without drinking. If there is something like that in London, there must be in the US. I am just trying to get up the guts to go on my own!!

I am glad you are back here and I'm sorry I'm not around as much during the times when you are - I am usually in bed by now (it is nearly 11pm here) but I don't start work til later tomrrow as I have a hospital appointment.

I watch the Footy (soccer) and although I did miss the beer at first, I don't so much after a bit of practice! And there is always the Al-free beer which you can find in good bars. Some of it is horrid, but Becks is brilliant if you have it over there.

Anyway, well done for being determined not to give up on giving up. A big warm hug to welcome you back :l

[Bree]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

Hi all,

Liath, so sorry to hear you had a slip, but that's all it was, you will be back on track before you know. Don't give up!
I know you said you didn't like AA, but would you try it again, there are some lovely friendly people there, and you would find a lot of AF friends. Try a few different meetings to find the one you like, I had to do just that.

Well Day 9 for me, things are good. I was watching the PGA golf on Sunday and felt like a drink, but thankfully the feeling didn't last too long. I got over the weekend without too much longing, a few pangs here and there but I didn't dwell on them, changed the subject in my head so to speak, it worked.

Kimberly, Determination, great job in staying AF, it's hard to do when the pressure is on, I'm proud of you both.
Heading into week 2 now, Determination, I wonder will this week be a bit easier???

Zbeam, welcome, you have made the first step in the right direction. Good luck with it.

Best of luck to all, I am so happy to have one week behind me.

Bree:happyheart:

[Determination]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

Zbeam - welcome! Here's flicking some "determination" your way!

Liath - :hug: !! I know it is so easy to focus on the negative, but it IS O.K. You are still on the road to AF - you still have that as a goal. You are becoming focused on how to handle the triggers and your bar friends - and getting a plan together for the football season. Those are all steps in the right direction! It is a marathon, not a sprint - so don't waste any more time beating yourself up. Dust yourself off, and get back on the journey with us!

Bree - good luck with week 2! I have heard that day 14 can be hard - so sending the "determination" and "strength" angels your way!

I am on day 10 AF, and I feel great, but still am fighting the "habit" of wanting to have a nice glass of wine after work. Each night it is a very conscious decision NOT to have a drink, and I am hoping that at some point in time I no longer have these thoughts on a daily basis.

[Bree]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

Determination, congrats on 10 days, thats great, know what you mean about wanting to have a nice glass of wine after work, that's my worst time, when I finally sit down to watch a bit of TV, I would really like to treat myself, but as I said in previous post, I am mentally trying to change the subject.

Is anyone else feeling tired all the time, I am going to bed earlier, getting up a bit earlier, and I am still exhausted. My head feels muggy like I've been drinking and sometimes I can't remember things from the night before. It feels like I have been drinking. Anyone else suffering with this.

Bree

[Determination]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

Bree;695716 wrote:

Is anyone else feeling tired all the time, I am going to bed earlier, getting up a bit earlier, and I am still exhausted. My head feels muggy like I've been drinking and sometimes I can't remember things from the night before. It feels like I have been drinking. Anyone else suffering with this.

Bree

I am feeling tired all the time too, even though I am going to bed earlier and sleeping better too. It is really bizarre. Almost as if my body is catching up on all the sleep I have missed during my drunken "sleeps".

[Kimberley]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

Bree and Determination, you have both given some really helpful and sensible advice. Although it is frustrating, personally I don't beat myself up any more about slips when they have happened (well maybe for a day or two). However I am trying to be on my guard against them as much as humanly possible all the time!

However it's funny how you still both call it "a nice glass of wine" - goodness, I am far from the time when I would call a glass of wine (Read 3 bottles) "nice"!!

I hear you over the sleeping - at first when I got sober after drinking every day I got no sleep. Now that I'm doing longer periods AF, (sadly at the mo I am having trouble with binges inbetween) the first week I can't sleep well (hard to get to sleep, early waking etc), then after that my sleep is pretty good.

However, I'm not sleeping great myself at the moment as I am under a lot of stress and I also avoid going to bed - it is empty since my ex and I broke up and I can't stand it. I really wish I wouldn't avoid it as good sleep is one of the fundamental ingredients of happiness belive it or not. They are directly related.

You will get there - like you said, it's a lot of catching up after all your non-restful nights of stupor-sleep. I found I felt quite 'unreal' for a few weeks the first time I went AF properly, like I almost wasn't there.

I also STILL get bits of forgetting, but it's usually about things that have just happened. Like I can't remember if I took my tablet a minute ago or only thought about doing it. Did I make a cup of tea? Things like that. Weird huh? I'm only 29 so I doubt it's old age just yet. Just my brain getting used to normality. I sure as hell forgot A LOT more when I was constantly drunk!

Good to have you guys checking in - hopefully I'll 'read you' tomorrow. Sigh, why are none of you in London - like Liath, I'd love to meet up with some of you guys!

[SpiritGirl]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

Liath ~ I have to change my signature again too....ugh...

I am really starting to hate myself.... I don't know what to do to stop this endless AL roller coaster... I am so determined when I am hungover and sluggish and filled with guilt (today!)... But a few days later, I want more.. What the heck??

Very down today - but still here....

[sunshine_gg]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

Liath.. :l
Get back up here on the wagon, my dear - there's plenty of room.

I had a day from hell (posted in newbie's nest and don't have the energy to repeat) - but on top of all this house crap and my emotional attachment to it, now my mom is in ICU (and, btw.. I was supposed to BE THERE THIS WEEK, if my tenant hadn't post poned her move out date). I'm just a mess - emotionally. But AF. Day 11, I think... I hardly know what day of the week it is anymore.

Keep up the fight, lovely people - I'll check back in tomorrow.. hopefully in a better frame of mind.

[ryan-adams]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

works like a charm it took 6mins for me.

[Christine]

30 day commitment.. who's in?

I'm in!!!

I'm also on day 2. Feeling stronger nowshooting for 30 with you friends: