Sober (AF) September Challenge

[Coco-Nut]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

sidney;959194 wrote: Hey Spinning J lets stick together. I have always lost weight when I quit drinking before.
This time I am getting chunky due to eating like a pig. But as long as I dont drink I am not going to worry about. Good gong Dewdrop after your difficult day. almost half way seems like we just started!

Me too - Day 22 and I'm turning into a little heffer. (It's a strange look for a penguin!)

[Sunbeam]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hi all,
Today is a lovely day, and I didn't have to go to work. I'm having a couple of friends over this afternoon to see my gardens. They will be offered wine, but I will not have any. I told them it makes me tired and my brain fuzzy. Plus I have a chorus rehearsal tonight. Feels good to be chalking up another AF day.

[Dewdrop]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Sunbeam I am very impressed that you can offer your friends wine and not have any yourself, I couldn't even have it in the house at the moment, hopefully I'll get to that stage at some point but that seems a long way off at the moment.

Have a nice lunch. :h

[anon]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Off to bed after a busy day Sounds like dewdrop,choice,sunbeam,coconut,sidney,spinning j,mollyka and firefox are all doing great Sorry if I have forgotten anyone I am feeling very tired and looking forward to a good sleep. night night x

[mollyka]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Night night Anon, another successful day! See you tomorrow
Molly

[sidney]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Wow there are a few of us at 23 days. Hey Choice I was AF for ll months and never admitted to a drinking problem. I dont think it is anyone's business and everyone has an opinion about drinking and not drinking. So I just said I did the 30 day kind of cleanse and keep going. Why becasue I felt good. And I looked so much better it was the perfect reason. People tend to back off if you say it helps your health not to drink.

Do not worry about what others think about you not drinking. I had a few problems with people bugging me. However, the best thing in this whole process is to put yourself first...you and your sober life. Screw everyone else.

Funny the people who harassed me the most to have a drink ....that I was being boring where the heavy drinkers!

[choice]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hey Sidney,
I like the approach of putting oneself and their sober life first and not caring what people think. Also that it's no ones business but my own. I've been thinking today that maybe this is going back to the reason I started drinking and depending on AL socially. I did it to take the edge off of my shyness. I was so embarrassed of not having anything to say in social situations. I also did it because I thought it would make me popular and cool. Now as a adult woman I'm less concerned about being popular or cool I just feel like an awkward teenager with my sobriety. Ironic that AL was starting to ruin my personality and I was beginning not to trust myself socially... then preferred to drink alone. I have to say while this is not an easy addiction to give up it really sets a person free to figure out who they really are. 11 months is outstanding!!

[Sunbeam]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Dewdrop and my other friends,
I have been drinking moderately for more than the past two years. I am just very tired of dealing with alcohol, and don't want it any more. My husband has a mug of wine daily, but I don't want it, I feel better without it. When I first went AF when I joined here, I wanted it then. The reality of alcohol sinks in slowly. I have been reading here and posting many days every since I joined, I never went away. It has taken me this long to not want to drink, but I'm here now. I'm not ruling out a glass of wine with a restaurant meal in the future, but I am DONE drinking at home, even with my husband. It doesn't bother me if others drink. You will get to this point too, I believe, but it takes time. For many that includes at least experimenting with alcohol, having relapses, going over pre-set limits: this takes many forms. It takes time to recover from alcohol abuse. The mental piece is so very complicated. Physical recovery is only the beginning.

[witchywoman]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Well said Sunbeam
I wish I could get to that state, I still struggle daily with cravings, I think its cause I'm not emotionally ready to not see Al as a reward, even thought interlectually I know its poison. I still wish I was able to enjoy a glass of wine. part of the problem for me is that i used to enjoy a couple of glasses of a nice red wine on a friday night over a 4-5 hour period, with all the candles on & listening to music, and it did enhance the experience as the intention was not to get drunk, I still i wish i could go back to that,, It doesnt mean I am giving up my commitment to be AF, I think its just understanding my stumbling blocks a little better.
Its really horrible the hold a simple substance can have over us, especially since we (humans) think we are the most intelligent species on the planet, but what other species deliberatly poisons not only themselves, but the planet as well.
Sometime I wish I could say "stop the planet I want to get off" & that there was some place were we didnt treat ourselves, others, the planet, the way we do, which is why I am so glad I found all you guys here, even though we struggle, at least we dont give up on trying to better our situation.
XX

[anon]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Good morning all, day 11 never got this far without a slip so new territory. I do get scared when I hear that people who manage to go AF for a long long time relapse. I am such a weak person where drink is involved so wonder if I can keep it up long term. On the other hand I feel so great today it is 6 30 am and I can go out to drive my grandchildren to school firstly because my ribs are healing so well (in just over 3 weeks ) And mainly because there is NO alcohol in my system.
Molly it was not exactly beauty therapy but leg waxing so I can start swimming again without hairy legs!
Hope everyone has a great Wednesday and other side of the world have a great evening with hardly any cravings.

[Dewdrop]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Day 15 and half way there!

Morning everyone,

Just a quick check in before I have to rush out the door, my we all seem to be in a reflective mood this morning which I think being AF for a while allows you to do and rethink your attitude to alcohol and why we let it abuse our bodies and our lives. I have decided quite firmly that I cannot go back to drinking full stop and am not thinking about the future (well as much as I can), I am continually reinforcing the gratitude thinking and try and appreciate all the great things I have in my life after just 3 weeks. I simply cannot go back to the way I was.

I really do agree with you though Sunbeam that this is a journey and it is a different journey for everyone, we have to find our path and that has to be our own path or it wont work. Witchy I also hear what you are saying and it resonates with me but I know in my heart that a couple of glasses on a Friday night will never be enough for me, I have gone too far in my drinking ? but fortunately it doesn?t leave me feeling deprived.

Anon hope you enjoy the swimming, power walking was my exercise and I?ve got to get back into it regularly soon - odat!

Love to you all and happy Wednesday - morning or evening.

Dewdrop :h

[mollyka]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hello all! Witchy, I know what you are saying - when I go back a few years I really enjoyed and managed drinking grand - and that's the part I miss, not the last couple of years that rollercoasted out of control. Unfortunately, it has been said here, and after several 'experiments' I agree, I think once we have crossed the line into really problem drinking, I doubt if it is possible to go back to the nice drinking, that's my opinion anyway
Sunbeam, it doesn't bother me either when people drink around me, it's when they all start talking shite I really hate it now!
Not sure I'd fancy leg waxing either Anon, always looks a bit painful to me.....hairy legs and swimming, not a good look tho!!
Choice, that is so true, I also started drinking for social skills and like you say I really wasn't socially very successful for the last while hence home drinking alone!
Yes Sid, the buggers are always the boozers! Without a doubt they don't want to loose a drinking pal and to be 'exposed' by non drinkers. And yes like you I also am coming around to thinking to hell with people and what they think, I haven't done anything appalling, in fact what we are doing is brave courageous and probably the most important positive thing we will EVER do in our lives!
Molly

[mollyka]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Cross-posted Dewdrop - I get bored walking - my exercise bike is my new love!
Molly

[neart]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Morning everyone! I'm not posting here everyday, but I am reading posts and keeping up
Dewdrop, I hear ya on the legs - I went for acupuncture the other day and he had to put a needle in my calf and I nearly died with mortification! out with the wax here too For me, it's also about looking after myself, that I make an effort with myself and matter. I can't swim, as I have dodgy ears (perforated ear drums) although i'd love to learn if I could get ear plugs that actually worked totally. I'll stick to the walking for now.

Choice, I struggled with what to say to people a lot a few weeks ago. I actually posted a thread asking advice. As Sidney said, most people who give you hassle are the one's with questionable drinking themselves - any healthy drinker I've met doesn't care whether I'm drinking or not. When I have to refuse, and people ask why, I now just say "because I'm happier when I don't drink" - no one yet has come up with an arguement against that one Like yourself and Molly were saying, it's about having confidence in ourselves as we are - that takes a bit of time!

Dewdrop - fair play to you! And sunbeam, I'm really happy for you that you've gotten to this point mentally - I think that's where the battle is won.

Happy 15th September everyone! The month is flying

[Anjicia]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Good morning everyone. Its day 20 for me. Its a nice mornng here sunny cool and breazy. Good day for the clothes line lol. I tried moderating in the past and only drinking at weekends but t sprirelled out of control again and i found myself on benders morning noon and night. I feel so much better but sometimes woke up groggy from too much coffee and sometmes chocolate which i'm trying to limit. The thoughts of never drinking again is scary but i all i can do and like most of us is take it odat. I still get low at times but its still early in my sobriety so i'm learning all the time. I wish you all a good wednesday whatever part of the world you are be it mornng afternoon or evening. I'll check in later. xxxx