Sober (AF) September Challenge

[witchywoman]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Good Morning all
I totally love waking up after a night of NOT drinking, I wake up with a smile on my face & feel ready to
tackle the day.
My favorite AF drinks are: soda water with lots of ice & either lemon or lime juice, cranberry juice with a splash of lime in it, sparkling grape juice. Or Green, Peppermint, Camomile tea, and i treat myself to a decafe coffee in the morning.
i decided to give up drinking because it was destroying me, even though I was very funcional, it was killing me spiritually, emotionally, physically. Also with my 40th birthday this month i thought it was the perfect time to start a new phase in my life, AF.
I dont really have any family support as they dont know how serious my drinking was & I havent told them,so you guys are my AF family & support system, as for dealing with craving's I remember something WIP posted about craving's & how during the craving it feels like it wont go away untill you drink, but that it will go diminish & eventually go away, especially if you focus on something else, I also try brushing my teeth, or asking myseld if I would ingest a differnt sort of poison, ie arsnic, as that is what Al is, on a chemical level it is poisonious to our system. I also try to tell myself that AL is not a reward it is the opposite.
anyway i am off to get ready as I am working today, hope everyone has a great day, see you all tonight.
FYI today is day 9 for me. Yay

[mollyka]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Nice One Witchy 9 Days and goin strong by the sound of you! I'm off to bed - these time zones are gas aren't they!!
Molly

[neart]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

2nd September - yay!!

what's your favorite AF beverage - Still figuring this one out, I'd probably say sparkling water, or club soda or red berry tea. I also drink a coffee substitute drink called Bambu which has barley and chicory in it, and I quite like it even though everyone else makes faces at it at home

what made you decide to quit drinking right now - oh, I've been building up to it for a few years I guess. Was told by a health professional about a year ago that I needed to stop completely. Couldn't accept it back then, and no one of my friends seemed to think I should stop (which I find strange, as they've seen me drunk!) Anyway, the guilt and despair during each hangover, the lonliness and knowledge that I was destroying my body and mind, the isolation and depression I felt the morning after was getting worse and worse. One day, I was googling AA, and I found this site. 51 days later...here I am

what do you tell your friends - when they ask why I'm not drinking, I say "because I'm happier when I don't drink" Shuts them up big time - how can you argue with that one?!

how do you deal with cravings - by dealing with it one second at a time "right this second, I'm not going to drink", and by thinking of the wave that they talk about here - surfing the discomfort, and finding that it passes. Wish I could say the same for my chocolate issues...

describe your family support or lack thereof - family know I'm off AL but don't know full reason why. I don't want to get into it with them. They drink wine at home, but for some reason it doesn't really bother me. I just have to be careful not to get all judgmental

[Change]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

anna;950039 wrote: hello friends!
how's it going?
well this is day 3 for me and I am feeling fine, looking forward to cooking up some corn on the cob shortly
for me whenI decide to give my body a much-needed rest from alcohol, I turn to food in a big way, that is my pattern for A/F periods, lots of food, mainly healthy but not always! yesterday i had a real urge for a magnum icecream, almond flavour and i enjoyed every lick as I walked along the street-earlier i had been chatting to myself (I know! I know!) about the groups of people who do not drink any alcohol and are happy and I thought about children, so I reckon that was why i indulged in a "guilty" pleasure and loved it, much like I did when I was a child. I enjoy working out what food I'd like to eat today and will continue like this for the forthcoming Sept days- planning meals, shopping, preparing, cooking- all help to fill my non-drinking hours! So! Anyone else keen on talking about food over the next few weeks? I find it's really important to fill that gap, that desire to be satisfied, and what with the whole blood sugar yoyo business, if I eat lots of brown rice for example, it curbs cravings for alcohol and unhealthy sugars-works for me anyhow! i probably tend to overeat when i am not drinking but that could be sticking a raw carrot or a bit of apple in my mouth, just to keep it away from harm. also certain foods just don't "go" with wine, which has to be a plus! Homemade lentil soup is another standby, especially now it's getting a bit colder here in the UK. No way would i think of sipping wine with that!
Why have I joined the challenge? because I drink too much white wine too easily and too often. lately I have been AF but only for a week at a time. I need more time to think seriously about my drinking and what needs to be done, so an initial month-long commitment seems a good starting point. I would like to wish everyone every success with this and I am most grateful for the thread :thanks:

Ha! This is a good idea! I fell off the wagon last night mainly due to wanting an oral fixation. If i had have had stuff in the fridge to make up a drink, i would have abstained, eg, smoothie stuff.

[Sunbeam]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Wow, look at all these sharing posts - this is what helps create a caring community.

Coco-nut, you are now on the member list for this thread. So sorry I missed you. Your name always makes me think of an old commercial "Coo coo for Cocoa Puffs". This link made me laugh, I didn't know this phrase had been adopted by the medical community:Urban Dictionary: coo coo for cocoa puffs

They also sells mugs with this saying on it.

So much to share, so little time. I have to run a meeting at (Presbyterian) church in an hour. I'm pretty involved there singing in the choir and all. I used to go home from church and drink myself under on Sunday afternoon! But that hasn't happened since I started posting here.

My favorite AF beverage is flavored unsweetened seltzer water. I also drink a lot of green tea and decaff herb tea. And sometimes there is nothing like an ice cold glass of (filtered) water, straight from the fridge dispenser. The seltzer water is sold in my grocery store is in the isle with bottled water, not with the soda. I like Polar brand, but there are others. They have great different flavors like cranberry lime. Some days I have 1/2 cup coffee, but I cut way back on it when I realized that caffeine was giving me night time headaches.

OK, I gotta go look for WIP's post on deserving a drink.

[Sunbeam]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Change/Reow,
I hope your stay with us, continuing your learning and your progress. Keep track of those AF days, use Drink Tracker if you like. Those 0's do add up, the only time that nothing adds up to something!

[Sunbeam]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

My thanks to WorkInProgress (WIP) for writing this. She is a counselor for problems including alcohol abuse, and she also shared our problem with alcohol. I learned so much from her:

Do You "Deserve" a Drink, Today?

I can't count the number of times I have seen someone come here and write a post in which s/he says that s/he has relapsed, or "slipped," because s/he had been doing well for a while, and decided that s/he "deserved" a drink.

And our alcoholic thinking does this to us. It totally bypasses the memory of the devastation, humiliation, and destruction that alcohol has brought into our lives, and it presents alcohol as a GOOD thing, a prize, a reward, something we want to give ourselves for a job well done.

I wrote a post a few days ago, about this way of thinking, but it was kind of buried in another thread. And I saw people talking about "deserving a drink," again today. What I wrote about was about changing our way of thinking from this self-destructive "Deprivation Mode" to a winning, successful, positive "Gratitude Mode." Here it is:

I don't think we can begin to truly grow into a successful, lifetime, AF plan until we have managed to make the shift in our thinking from the "Deprivation Mode" to the "Gratitude Mode."

In Deprivation Mode, we think alcohol is a good thing that we are being deprived of. We are sad, and grieve the loss of what had felt like a friend to us. We consider it a treat that we never get to give ourselves again. We are envious of others who "get to drink."

In Gratitude Mode, we recognize that alcohol is (for us, because of our brain structure, genetics, physiology, etc.) a toxin, a poison, something that nearly destroyed us. Mentally, physically, and spiritually. We recognize that we have the most amazing opportunity to rid ourselves of something that makes us very sick in all those ways. We recognize the craziness of voluntarily damaging our brains, minds, bodies, families, jobs, futures. We are really, really grateful for that opportunity, and we guard it and cultivate it carefully.

Most of us start a recovery program in deprivation mode. Some people stay there forever. Those people tend not to be able to create a consistently successful program, or life, of freedom from alcohol and its devastation. Some of us transition into gratitude mode.

For most of us, Gratitude Mode does not just happen all by itself. We have to make it happen. If we want to shift into gratitude mode, we learn to cultivate it. We cultivate it by being careful about our thoughts, and about what we notice. If we find ourselves thinking about how wonderful it would be to have a drink, we deliberately shift attention away from this train of thought, and we deliberately choose to think about how good it is to know we will never humiliate ourselves with alcohol again, never again have another horrible hangover, never disappoint our children again with the way we are when we get drunk. We notice alcohol advertising, pay attention to how it makes us feel, and detach from the message by noticing how distorted the message is.

That kind of thing is crucial. We literally can BUILD a new way of thinking and feeling about things. And I think that's something to be grateful for, in itself!

[paguy]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hello Everyone!

September has gotten off to a beautiful start here in the Eastern USA but we are bracing for a nasty storm named Earl

what's your favorite AF beverage - Still figuring this one out, I'd probably say sparkling water, or club soda or red berry tea. I also drink a coffee substitute drink called Bambu which has barley and chicory in it, and I quite like it even though everyone else makes faces at it at home

what made you decide to quit drinking right now - oh, I've been building up to it for a few years I guess. Was told by a health professional about a year ago that I needed to stop completely. Couldn't accept it back then, and no one of my friends seemed to think I should stop (which I find strange, as they've seen me drunk!) Anyway, the guilt and despair during each hangover, the lonliness and knowledge that I was destroying my body and mind, the isolation and depression I felt the morning after was getting worse and worse. One day, I was googling AA, and I found this site. 51 days later...here I am

[Change]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Sunbeam;950259 wrote: My thanks to WorkInProgress (WIP) for writing this. She is a counselor for problems including alcohol abuse, and she also shared our problem with alcohol. I learned so much from her:

Do You "Deserve" a Drink, Today?

I can't count the number of times I have seen someone come here and write a post in which s/he says that s/he has relapsed, or "slipped," because s/he had been doing well for a while, and decided that s/he "deserved" a drink.

And our alcoholic thinking does this to us. It totally bypasses the memory of the devastation, humiliation, and destruction that alcohol has brought into our lives, and it presents alcohol as a GOOD thing, a prize, a reward, something we want to give ourselves for a job well done.

I wrote a post a few days ago, about this way of thinking, but it was kind of buried in another thread. And I saw people talking about "deserving a drink," again today. What I wrote about was about changing our way of thinking from this self-destructive "Deprivation Mode" to a winning, successful, positive "Gratitude Mode." Here it is:

I don't think we can begin to truly grow into a successful, lifetime, AF plan until we have managed to make the shift in our thinking from the "Deprivation Mode" to the "Gratitude Mode."

In Deprivation Mode, we think alcohol is a good thing that we are being deprived of. We are sad, and grieve the loss of what had felt like a friend to us. We consider it a treat that we never get to give ourselves again. We are envious of others who "get to drink."

In Gratitude Mode, we recognize that alcohol is (for us, because of our brain structure, genetics, physiology, etc.) a toxin, a poison, something that nearly destroyed us. Mentally, physically, and spiritually. We recognize that we have the most amazing opportunity to rid ourselves of something that makes us very sick in all those ways. We recognize the craziness of voluntarily damaging our brains, minds, bodies, families, jobs, futures. We are really, really grateful for that opportunity, and we guard it and cultivate it carefully.

Most of us start a recovery program in deprivation mode. Some people stay there forever. Those people tend not to be able to create a consistently successful program, or life, of freedom from alcohol and its devastation. Some of us transition into gratitude mode.

For most of us, Gratitude Mode does not just happen all by itself. We have to make it happen. If we want to shift into gratitude mode, we learn to cultivate it. We cultivate it by being careful about our thoughts, and about what we notice. If we find ourselves thinking about how wonderful it would be to have a drink, we deliberately shift attention away from this train of thought, and we deliberately choose to think about how good it is to know we will never humiliate ourselves with alcohol again, never again have another horrible hangover, never disappoint our children again with the way we are when we get drunk. We notice alcohol advertising, pay attention to how it makes us feel, and detach from the message by noticing how distorted the message is.

That kind of thing is crucial. We literally can BUILD a new way of thinking and feeling about things. And I think that's something to be grateful for, in itself!

Hear hear! Brilliant post. Sunbeam, i think you should create a thread about what you have written, it is great!

Yep, this hangover is certainly NOT NICE and it's interesting how i can notice the effects of that poison on my body. My body is aching and i had become used to that feeling, it felt 'normal'...

I know the reason i drank last night: physical loneliness. I am working on forging new and genuine friendships, but i live on my own and the physical loneliness gets unbearable sometimes... I'll have to think of another strategy because the 'i deserve it' mentality isn't working...

[Change]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Gratitude mentality: i am in a really good place in order to meet that somebody special and make rational decisions as to whom i want to hang around with . That's what i am going to hang on to, my sobriety, and i'm actually going to enjoy it.

[paguy]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hi Everybody:

September has started off to be quite warm here in the Eastern USA and we are bracing for a very nasty storm that is heading our way? ?Earl?

What?s Your Favorite AF Beverage: I?ve become quite fond of a mineral water drink (SOBE) that comes in some interesting flavors: fuji apple pear, yummy pomegranate, and black and blue berry. The drinks are 0 calories, no added sugars and are loaded with anti-oxidants. If you have a Costco Warehouse in your area, check these drinks out!

What Made You Stop Drinking Now: I abused alcohol for 30+ years and frankly, I just got to the point where I was very BORED with my relationship with alcohol. It clearly had control of my life; I was re-stocking my vodka supplies at least 3-4 times a week. I was very aware of the grip it had on me but I felt powerless. Although I rarely drank before 6PM, I began planning my drinking every day around 3PM.

In the past couple of years, I found the willpower to address other areas of my life that needed improvement. Two years ago, I began a regular exercise routine, along with better nutritional eating, and managed to lose 35 pounds and have kept the weight off. Also, I took up running as a hobby and have successfully completed several half-marathon races, 5K, 10K and 10mile races.

When I looked at my life, and saw what I was able to accomplish with focusing on diet and exercise, I started to become more confident that I could apply the same willpower and determination to stop drinking once and for all. Yes, I had tried to stop drinking in the past with limited success but always went back to the bottle. This summer, something felt different.

Another key motivator for me is that I really hope to retire from my job within the next 1 ? to 2 years and I was very concerned that if I did not overcome my addiction at this point in my life, my retirement would be very short lived and that is NOT what I have worked so hard for all these years. I want to be healthy, vibrant, and enjoy my retirement years!

So, here I am on my journey to be completely AF. I know that moderation is not the answer or solution for me. I am on Day 51 and my commitment and willpower have not wavered. Yes, I have challenges but I am determined to beat this thing!

[sapphire1]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Morning all.....Day 3 in the Sept, challenge for me. and day 44 AF Yeahh!!!!!! My favourite AF drink is Lemon and Barley Water with ice, although it tends to be a bit high on the sugar content. I cant have anything in soda because I am taking Topomax and it tastes terrible...but thats just a small price to pay for the remarkable help with cravings. Gotta zoom...will check in later have a wonderful sober day today friends..love and grace:h

[Sunbeam]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Sapphire1, I just added you to our group list because it sounds like you plan to continue posting here. The larger we are, the stronger we will be through all the support available.

Change, this gratitude post and several other outstanding posts from WIP and others are on the Tool Box thread, the very first thread of the Monthly Abstinence section of this site. This thread is inspiring both for the tools and attitudes it shares and helps us adopt. You can't re-read that thread too many times because each time something else will pop out at you.

[Change]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Sunbeam;950350 wrote: Change, this gratitude post and several other outstanding posts from WIP and others are on the Tool Box thread, the very first thread of the Monthly Abstinence section of this site. This thread is inspiring both for the tools and attitudes it shares and helps us adopt. You can't re-read that thread too many times because each time something else will pop out at you.

Ah, thanks Sunbeam, will be reading that tonight

Guess what? I just got a promotion, which means i'll DEFINATELY HAVE TO GIVE UP drinking, for good. I am more inspired than ever... I won't be able to do this job if i continue like i have been, so this is the final nail in the coffin of my bad habit. I said to myself earlier today that if i get this job, i will HAVE to give up d/ing and i will WANT to anyway, cos it's a good opportunity to really advance my career. I think i am almost excited!!

[OverIt2007]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Wow PAGUY!

I was reading your inspirational story! Thats awesome all the goals you are achieving!! 35 pounds is amazing to lose and to keep it off. It sounds like you have turned a positive page and plan to stay there! GOOD FOR YOU!!

CHANGE! You just got a promotion??? Now I think all the signs are there! TIME TO QUIT FOR GOOD!

YAY SAPPHIRE!!! Your Wayyy ahead of us, but we will catch up!

Cmon Gang... Lets do this and find out just how HAPPY we can be in the process too!

And THANK YOU SUNBEAM for being such a Great Host with this! Your doing a great job!!!