String a few AF pearls together with me!

[Choochie]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

Fluff - welcome back - ooh I think traveling without drinking will be a big challenge for me! I've had to barricade myself in and stay away from socializing. Hoping that if I do this for a few months I'll be strong enough to withstand temptation.

Day 1 and going strong for you!!:l

[Samantha T.]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

Choochie,
"Mind-numbing, boring day"....YOU SAID IT!
I was so happy to read your post about getting to a place about being willing to take less in order to have freedom. That is where I am heading, too. With my job, being self employed, I never take vacations because I can never afford to be off work that long, plus I don't make enough to PAY for a vacation; no sick time, no retirement...NOTHING. The only reason I have stayed in it is because of my house, which I thought I HAD to have, but nowadays it is feeling more like a trap and the enjoyment is all gone because the price of having no life is so high. So things are going to be changing here real soon. I am starting to get more excited than afraid, and I know once I am sober, I will also be less afraid. Thank you for sharing about your similar situation. It gives me courage to know that there is a better life out there. All I have to do is claim it...

Sam

[Choochie]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

Sam,

I can promise you that you will be able to better cope with EVERYTHING in life sober. I was so fooled into thinking that alcohol helped me. Everything I thought it helped with was really the opposite. Yes, it relieved stress for an hour or two (actually just numbed me out) but then when I would wake at 3am every day (which I never do now - sleep 8 hours uninterrupted or if I have to get up to pee I go back to sleep - something I could not do when drinking) I would be overcome with anxiety. So, the alcohol seemingly calmed me down but then came back to give me a much bigger problem (anxiety) a few hours later. I now have no anxiety and whenever I have to deal with something I'm calmer, more relaxed. My husband tells me I'm a much happier person now. Alcohol is a depressant, so that makes sense.

Anyway, so good that you're taking these positive steps. Sending you peace and strength!

Choochie:l

[Samantha T.]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

Awww....Choochie,
Thank you so much for sharing! It helps me immensely to know what I can expect about 36 days from now. That waking up at 3:00 a.m. thing!!! I have that in spades .... it's just awful. And you are so right about the anxiety!!! OMG....it's awful.

I am having a nice day. Whenever I "make the decision to quit drinking," I feel SO GOOD about myself. I just need to keep that thought uppermost in my mind. My gut tells me this time is "it". Because I have been in such misery for so long now....I feel like I might finally be ready and willing to sit through the initial discomfort of the first few weeks.

Thank you so much for sharing your sobriety with me. I am so happy for you!!!

Sam

[Choochie]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

Sam,

Sounds like your head is in the right place to kick off your journey to sobriety. I am happy to help you if I can. Feel free to PM me or post questions. I don't know a lot, but I'll share anything I can that might help.

Here are a few things I am doing- not sure they'll work for you but thought I'd post them.

Healthy diet - you'll see that everywhere on this website. Lots of vegies for me. Protein also helps stave off cravings - I also drink a shot of wheatgrass daily and take the L-Glutamine that I ordered from here (dosage on bottle).

Lots of water. Filtered water with lemon is really good for you and balances the acidity in your system (sounds counterintuitive but lemon turns alkaline in your body).

Read, read, read everything on this website if you can!

Reading about addiction helps me - I buy books. I recommend Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Drinking -- an excellent read about changing the way you view alcohol.

MWO tapes on abstaining - hypno tapes - never had done this before but am now.

I've ordered supplements but got off to a good start without them (except that I ordered L-Glut at the beginning). Am going to take the supplements for insurance. B Vitamins are important. I got the starter pack which has Kudzu, the All-in-One Powder and vitamins.

Hot herbal tea - really good in the evenings because there's no caffeine so you can have with dinner and not worry about sleep interruption.
I like Tulsi tea with Agave nectar but anything you like will do.

Hope some of these suggestions work for you if you decide to try them. Wishing you the very best. I can tell that you really want this, and that's 99% of the battle. If you can hang on for long enough (30 days for me), you'll start to see that you're not giving up anything - that you're gaining so much!!

Hugs,
Choochie

[ChickenNumber3]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

Well its good to see everyone is still diving for those round,shiny things!

We are camping this weekend, so I am running aound trying to get organised for that,inbetween work & kid stuff.

Choochie,Fluff,Bratty,Peace;Fancy and Samantha.....its nice to see you all travelling along at your own pace,but working together too.

This weekend will be a bit of a challenge for me I guess, as there are big plans being made by most of the others to be making a 'big' event of it...aka drinking lots! Everyone will be taking alcohol etc, including my hubby. Not sure how I will meet this situaton and am almost curious to see if I get the urge to drink when surrounded in such a social setting? Won't be taking any al though and don't intend to drink. But am interested to be sober and partaking in this activity,especially when others are fully intending to be 'under-the-weather'.

I think it is a good idea to have atleast someone sober and able to drive in such a situation, not that we are going a great distance (camping at a farm close to town)because stupid things happen when big number of people drink together !

As I am still getting over my illness I don't think it a good idea for me to be going near anything toxic

I hope everyone is feeling good and feeling positive.
Chook

[Choochie]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

Chook - good to hear from you - let us know how it goes! I hope you can have fun without AL - takes practice, I know.

All you other peeps, hope you have a super AF day,

Hugs,
Choochie:l

[bratty57]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

strung day 8... stringin day 9 today ! lol
Feelin fantastic.. I just wanna keep up the momentum ! Optimistic, but cautious.

HI Chook,
Stand strong this weekend ! It will be tough, but ya know , maybe it will be easier than you think. It will probably be an eye opener attending something like this AF. Good luck to you ! and HAVE FUN !

HI Choochie,
You are going so strong ! I admire you and you are an inspiration to me. I read your posts to everyone else and they help me too. I am tryin to keep the stress level down in my life so i can get stronger in my resolution to be AF. I have alot of confindence even though i had the bump in the road. Or maybe because of it. Any other time i would have been straight back into daily drinkin and i am not doing that. So, I am still proud of myself and think i will keep my new way of life !

[Choochie]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

Bratty, I'm proud of you too! Any progress made is progress that will eventually lead you to being AF if you really want it! Big hugs and congrats to you. Just one little blip that will help strengthen your resolve.:l

[Peacefull]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

Hi everyone,

Still stringing at 74 pearls

Had a rough day of cravings yesterday, but it passed and am back in the right mindset. ODAT is so true, one day strong as anything, next day craving a drink.

Being mindful of it is half the battle and not giving in to the cravings, I just kept myself busy and it passed...

Chook, being the driver is an excellent idea, I am the designated driver whenever we go anywhere now and it is wonderful to wake up hangover free, keep that in mind.

[Choochie]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

So glad to hear it Peace. And, thanks for reminding us of how the cravings just appear out of nowhere!

[ChickenNumber3]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

Morning folks!

I hear you Peace! Do you know one of the things that is going to help me stay AF on the camp is the shudder-worthy thought of throwing up in such a public setting and without the 'porcelein god' anywhere nearby to contain the mess! Also the lack of water for when the dry horrors hit , not to mention the concept of trying to navigate unfamiliar and restrictive territory in a shared tent when drunk and hungover!!!!!!All great reasons to remain af if you ask me

Hope everyone has a great day stringing pearls!
bratty..congrats on your 9 days, woop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check back in later!:l

[bratty57]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

Stringin 10 days... mighty perty pearl necklace..

Not feelin very well today. Think i might be comin down with something, Tired and crabby.. OH WAIT, maybe that's just me..lol

[Choochie]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

Just saying hi everyone - Bratty good to see you here. Sorry you're bitchy (I mean sick) hee hee. I think bitchiness is a constant state for me.

Chook, have a great camping outing.

Peace, I see you on other threads - sounds like you're doing great.

Have a super AF day everyone!

[icandothis]

String a few AF pearls together with me!

Hi Everyone!

I've had another busy week, but I'm still plugging away! Good job on the pearl necklace Bratty! Funny post Chicken. You're right what a misery that would be!

So glad to be feeling good and AF. Have a great evening!