Sober (AF) September Challenge

[Chillgirl]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Dewdrop well done again on resisting temptation, your attitude is fantastic!
Of course there will be bad days when the thought of that cold wine sounds great but have you ever just had that glass or two? When you have that thought fast forward the evening and see what you are like 3 to 4 hours after that 1st drink, then fast forward again to how you feel in the morning, then that wine doesn't look so appealing....

Today was a big deal for me, my girlfriends took me out for a pre birthday celebration lunch, they all enjoy their wine and in the past lunch usually ended up with me still in the bar at midnight. They all had wine and I stuck to water, then just when we were winding up, a bottle of champagne arrived curtesy of one of their husbands who had called the restaurant! That was my fav drink and as it was my lunch the waitress handed me the 1st glass. Luckily one of my friends immediately asked for a sparkling water in a champagne glass which she promptly swapped for my glass, I have amazing friends! I was driver and delivered a few home a bit worse for wear. I'm sober, AF and still had a fabulous time!

[Peacefull]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hi All,

Dewdrop I am feeling the same. What a roller coaster ride it is...I felt so strong this morning now I am craving big time. Fridays are hard!!
Gotta ride this out, knowing I will feel better for it

Peace

[Dewdrop]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Thanks Chill I do so appreciate your advice and support. It sounds like you had a lovely day with your friends and I hope it compensates for some of the difficult things you are going through at the moment. I guess life sucks sometimes whether we are sober or drunk but at least sober we can deal with things to the best of our ability.

I promised myself that I would devote the month of September to being sober so I?m not going to be distracted and sidetracked at this stage. I don?t want to lose myself in a bottle again.

You are a great role model and I?m sending you a great big virtual hug :l

[Dewdrop]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hi Peace,

Sorry crossed posts, I know how you feel it just kind of hits you out of nowhere and can be so deadly, my only comfort tonight is tucked up in bed I've taken some Nytol and plan on listening to a meditation tape.

You are right to take it a second at a time or a minute at a time if need be because the urge will eventually go whether you take a drink or not so there is no point in taking a drink Yeah ? Hang in there because you will feel so much better and stronger tomorrow.

Dewdrop :h

[Anjicia]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Evening everyone just checking posts before i go to bed in bout an hour. Well done chillgirl and anon for not caving in in a difficult situation not sure how i would have coped. I was cravng a drink earlier but i just kept busy and stuck it out. Neart i got another 3 hours sleep after i posted this morning and i felt better. well good night from Dublin. I'll be checking in tomorrow some time. Have a good evening.

[neart]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Evening guys!
Dewdrop, although I'm sorry you had a tough day, I'm so delighted for you that you kept putting one foot in front of the other and got through it. I imagine that each time you get through a difficult day, you will know better for the next time what works, e.g. instead of focussing on wine all day, try to replace it with something else? Like try to think about curling up in bed with a book or a film, or how you're going to have a nice bath, etc. Fair play to you :l

Chill, way to go! Your friend does sound amazing, doing that with no fuss - it makes life so much richer having friends like that. When is your birthday?

Peace, remember One Second at a Time if needs be! Then 10 Seconds at a Time, etc etc!! That's what I do... Doesn't make me great company if I'm out and thinking about it, but it gets me through :H

Firefox, glad you got some more rest - it's so healing x Hi Choice, hope you have a good day, and everyone else too x


...oh and I almost forgot...

...but how could I possibly...

...HELLO MOLLY!!!! I HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A GREAT FRIDAY!!!!

[witchywoman]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hi Guys'
just checking in, hope all is going well, I am currantly watching it snow at the moment (this is why I love NZ in the spring) & then I think I am going to curl up with a good book for part of the afternoon, and have planned on cooking a roast tonight with apple crumble for desert.so no drinking for me tonight.
stay strong everyone
XX

[tired of this addiction]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hello everyone! Nearing the end of day 10 for me! Yes...double digits!!

Peaceseeking and Sunbeam, eating habits are not my strong point. Beside drinking lots of water and just watching over all intake I have no other advice. Its not that I actually follow this advice but at least I think about it. he he he

Anon, you NEVER crave cigarettes? That is amazing! I want to quit smoking as well but I figure one addiction at a time is about all I can handle! How did you quit smoking? Whats your secret?

[enja]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hey, Team Sober September!

I've been away from here for a few days so catching up....

Welcome Tired, :welcome: it sounds like you're doing really well - glad to have you among us!

Sidney, so sorry to hear about your husband - thinking of you and sending :l:l

Sounds like there have been a few challenges to the Challenge but it appears that everyone is winning - well done everyone, especially Dewdrop, Chill, Anon and Peace.:goodjob:

Witchy - a roast and apple crumble? *double YUM!*

Day 20 AF for me today and doing OK but feel a bit sad and a little resentful that I'm not able to join Mr enja in a glass of wine or two this evening- I love the idea of having a couple of glasses while unwinding but it's just not possible for me to stop there - it would be more like a bottle or two.... Focusing on how it would really end and how great I will feel tomorrow.
:h

[anon]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

JUST SENT a very long post and it dissapeared andit took me ages to write. Tired it was about giving up cigs I was able to succeed as my family all thought it was disgusting and I smelled awful and they could even tell when I was doing it in secret with mints and fresh air spray.
I wish they felt like that about my drinking they think I should just modertate--right I would understand if they had not seen me pissed and been angry with me for that.
Sidney hope you are coping. My husband was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer 10 years ago What a roller coaster of emotions.
Love to Sidney,witchy,choice,sunbeam,peace,firefox,tired and Enja and all the other septemberites.
Where are you lovely Molly I missed you last night

[anon]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Good morning and Hello also Neart and Dewdrop you were in my original post! Sorry

[Anjicia]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Good afternoon anon and all the rest of the September gang. Day 23 for me since i have get getting a few cravings to drink but i won't cave in as i'm so close to my first 30 days but it won't stop there. Right its just odat. i have to tackle my coffee and chocolate binges but first things first and staying sober is my main priority sight now. I need to drink more water which i don't find easy when it starts getting colder but when i hav more af time under my belt i'll deal with that. Need to lose the fat round my middle but i hate exercise classes. Any have a good saturday and hope you all get trough the rest of the weekend. Sidney i hope you are ok. :heart::choc::cupajoe:

[Sunbeam]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hi all!

Enja, good to see you back. I think people post here whenever they need to and are ready. I am happy to see everyone, including newbies taking on this AF challenge, and originals on that first list. If you can be rid of the alcohol problem without posting that is better yet, but those of us who post here know we need this support, and are ready to face up to "doing something". Figuring out that something is part of the challenge.

Anon, if find you are writing a longer post, click on the Go Advanced button. That will save what you have already written, and display it in a larger box as it will appear when posted. You continue typing in the smaller box. Clicking Perview Post does the same thing - saves and displays it, but it hasn't been posted. I have lost posts when I see that display and think it has been posted, so it is easy to get confused on this. When you're done you have to click Submit Post for it to actually be posted.

Tired, congrats on double digits. The more days you get, the easier it gets. You develop new habits, new responses to difficult situatons. An AF future may not be guaranteed, but a better life without alcohol in charge will emerge as long as you keep working on it.

Firefox, Dewdrop, Chill you are fighting the battle and winning - good for you.

I'm here on the weekend, which is the harder time for me to stay AF. We plan to go out for German Food, since it seems to be Oktoberfest everywhere. I have a friend visiting Germany for the real one. Beer would be the usual accompaniment, but mine will be AF birch beer.

[Doggygirl]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hello fellow travelers in Sobriety for September!

I love this post and it ties in to another thread I was just reading.

enja;961967 wrote: Day 20 AF for me today and doing OK but feel a bit sad and a little resentful that I'm not able to join Mr enja in a glass of wine or two this evening- I love the idea of having a couple of glasses while unwinding but it's just not possible for me to stop there - it would be more like a bottle or two.... Focusing on how it would really end and how great I will feel tomorrow.
:h

So good that you recognize the fanstasy (one or two drinks) v. the reality (one or two bottles). It took me a long time to get honest enough to realize that I never - even years ago - was truly satisfied with a drink or two. Here are a few things that "normal drinkers" do that I have never done:

* Order a glass of wine with lunch (or any meal), take 2 sips and forget the rest of it.
* Order a non-al beverage when it was possible / acceptable (or even borderline unacceptable) to order an al beverage.
* Have "a" drink.

Some things I DID do on a regular basis that truly normal drinkers do NOT do:

* Try to hide the fact I was drinking AL by putting it in a coffee mug.
* Drink plenty BEFORE the social event so I could manage to only have a "couple" at the event. (then carry on when I got home, of course)
* Cancel out of family events so I could stay home and drink as much as I wanted instead.
* Go drink in a bar full of complete strangers so I would not be "drinking alone."
* Make all kinds of rules about drinking such as "not before 5PM, not on Mondays, never at home alone, only at home, not before noon somewhere" etc. that I could never keep.

My husband is a "normie" and he just when I describe this thinking and insanity to him. (he is very understanding, just has never had thoughts anything like that about AL)

I am absolutely where I belong hanging with the AF crowd.

DG

[OverIt2007]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Great post by Doggygirl (as always).

We have talked alot lately about how having just a "couple" is just not possible for many of us. If that were not the case, then we would not have been seeking out a website to help us!

For me, pretty much everytime I drank.. after two drinks all rational thought goes out the window. My brain is only focused on one thing, which is getting more to be satisfied. Problem is I am never really satisfied, there is no such thing. That half empty wine bottle is calling my name. I wont stop until it is gone, and then its possible I will go to whatever means to get me more.

I think once we really see and understand the insanity of our behaviors, it is easier to accept and realize that we have a problem we need to address. Admitting a problem is step number one. Step two is figuring out how to solve it.