Sober (AF) September Challenge

[choice]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hi Everyone! Happy Birthday Sidney and Chilli!!! Congrats Spinning on 30 days!!! I can't believe how much better I feel at 30 days AF. It's good to be in the September challenge too because it will take us to 40...!!!!! (and beyond). I thought this would feel like getting done with exercise. Like a 30 min workout on the bike at the gym. The first two weeks I felt like I was white knuckling it. I'm kinda amazed at how normal I feel. That's what I was looking for. :thanks: everyone to the support and :goodjob: for all the victories out there. This is such an inspiring bunch!! :h

[enja]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hey Team-

Good to hear that everyone seems to be well, trying new things, overcoming worries, finding supportive friends and staying AF! :goodjob:

On the 'coming out' to friends front, I was talking with a family member today who's coming over from the UK to spend Christmas with us this year and I mentioned that I was now AF. First of all I 'hid' behind the fact that I had to give up because of the meds for diabetes but then 'fessed up that I'd actually stopped before the diagnosis because I realized that my drinking was out of control, that I couldn't stop at one or two (or even five or six....) and was drinking every day. I'm thrilled to say that they are 100% supportive and started listing various non-alcoholic cocktails we could make. I must confess to a fleeting moment of being "robbed" of the opportunity to drink at Christmas - guess I have to really watch out for my inner junkie rearing it's ugly head - before thinking wow, that's very cool of them to be so supportive.

:h

[anon]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hi enja,peace,spinning,choice,sidney,neart,molly,tipp y,dewdrop,sunbeam,firefox,tired and doggy---and i anyone else sorry if i left you out.
Another AF evening lovely.
My friend came to visit yesterday, I told her I was AF at the moment I knew she drank as much as I did and she seemed envious of me. She came to commiserate with me re my broken bones and had to admit I looked better than I had for a long time. she is 20 years younger than me so needs to get her addiction sorted sooner than later. I do not think she is ready yet to make the commitment to herself. However,the interesting thing is that I felt so relieved that I had hit the off switch re alcohol.
I am still scared of a lifetime commitment to being AF but hey ODAT

[anon]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Sorry for all the mis spellings in a rush to go for a 10k run in 10 minutes. Still eating chocolate though----

[Anjicia]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Good morning all. Its dull grey and raining here but still mild. I'm on day 27 just wish i could get the thoughts of al out of my mind. I struggled a bit over the weekend but staying sober odat. I went to an AA meeting yesterday and i plan to go this evening. I'm thinkng of trying a zumba class and i'm looking up the internet for classes in my area so far i only found some in the city. It sounds fun and a good way to stay fit as well. Also i want to get back in to salsa dance which i did for a few years so hopefully i'll get to a class at the weekend or next week. I need to get out more in the evening apart from AA meetings. Well have a good wednesday. This is a busy tread that i can't comment individually but i wish you all a good day.

[JackieClaire]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Morning All,
Sorry I don't pop in as much as I should, but I do read it every day. Sidney, I'm thinking of you,darling.

It's just lovely to see the everyone doing so well.

anon, I couldn't help smiling at this. They'll be wanting you for the Olympics if you can run at this rate

anon;965153 wrote: in a rush to go for a 10k run in 10 minutes.

Have a super sober day, everyone.

J x
:l

[mollyka]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Anon, it takes me 20 mins on me bike to do 6kms:H:H
JC, you're wicked Nice to see you here girl - why don't you post more often and give us the benefit of your year+ status! I Will get there!
Enja and Anon, good on you for 'coming clean' with friends and family - I'm still going softly softly with that one (actually only came out 100% with one person outside my family), but one thing you said Enja about not drinking at Christmas - I was sober last Christmas, and when you said that I just sort of felt 'well that won't be a problem cos I've done it before'. I've always thought that 'learnt experience' and habit are a very big part of my addiction anyway and that thought reinforced that belief to me.
Firefox, my nightlife sounds about as exciting as yours - 'cept I don't even go to AA! I do find tho by the time I get in from work I'm exhausted, but I suppose I'll have to think of some outlet.
Relaxation Sunbeam, I have to admit I don't do anything like meditation or stretching or anything. I've embraced the bit of exercise so maybe some ideas from the folks here for relaxing?
Choice, I think most folks just white knuckle for the first few weeks, I think the problem happens when they continue on for some length of time without working around the sober life and introducing a new life instead of just living the same life without a drink in the glass. I know my first attempt failed for that very reason, at the same time I'm now going gently with introducing new things, as I say the exercise is the new one and I prob will think about relaxation next - you're doing great girl:goodjob:
Neart, I have to tell you this. My 16 yr old came in to me this morn before he went to school and gave me a kiss (usually just bangs out the door) and thanked me for our chat last night so good advice girl!
Molly

[Peacefull]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Happy Hump Day All,

Everyone sounds great, this thread is inspirational that's for sure.

Glad things went well with your son Molly. I have 17 year old son it's such a hard age, almost adult yet still our babies....

Way to go Anon on your running, I use to run regularly and hope to get back to where I was in my earlier AF days. I am taking part in the Breast Cancer Run Oct 3, will walk/jog it.

Feeling good, still get some fleeting thoughts of moderating like " I will only drink on holidays, we are planning on going to Paris in 4 years (need to save up lol) and can't imagine not having some wine. Why am I thinking so far ahead?? I have had so many wonderful sober holidays and why would I want to ruin it with a hangover. Cross that bridge when we get there right ODAT.

Have a wonderful Wednesday,

[anon]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Good for you Peace:goodjob: I will be doing my 10k on the same day as your breast cancer run.
Molly, Glad to hear your boy gave you that lovely affirmation this morning I have 3 daughters all grown up now but they are such a responsibility at times.
Did my 10k training run longest I have done for a while. I was really pleased as it did not take me as long as I thought (not 10 mins JC) i felt so good without the hangover stuff YIPPEE

[sidney]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

good morning everyone. I am glad yesterday is over made it through my birthday sober. thanks to all you good people. In a week we will be 30 days! Gotta run Sid.

[neart]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hiya!

So glad everyone's day is going well. Anon - mucho respect for the 10km! I get out of breath walking up the hill to my neighbours...

I know what everyone means about looking ahead - I got quite upset one day a few weeks ago at the thought of Christmas dinner without wine, and I was looking at pictures of a friend in Paris a while back and she was drinking wine in the pic and I thought "how can I go to Paris and not drink wine?!" Am realising how important ODAT is. The reality is if I drank wine in Paris on hols, I wouldn't be able to get up the next morning to go sight seeing anyway... Like you said Molly, once you do it once, you know then that you can do it again. I am going to visit friends in Galway tomorrow for the weekend, and although we'll be going out, I've been out with them before (a couple) and they were great about me not drinking, just really supportive without making a fuss. And they don't drink excessively at all. It's the sh*te talk as the night goes on from other people that I dread! Time to practice my patience Enja, delighted about the support you are getting. Sidney, glad you got through yesterday okay :l

Firefox, do you have to have someone to go with you to Salsa? I'd like to go but I don't know many people around here.

Molly - that is so cool about your son! He sounds like a real dote And you sound like a great mam :l

Must go paint ceiling in sitting room - am feeling very sorry for self!

[Spinning J]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hiya everyone! Glad you had a sober birthday Sid . Anon its great that your body has healed so quickly and you are running 10 kms. Day 31 AF for me today and feeling good. I went to Ikea today and bought a lovely new lamp and it cost the eqivalent of about 5 bottles of wine!!!!! I usually start thinking of moderating after 30days AF not this time. I know what you mean neart about the hols and Christmas thing I felt the same before I went away and had my last binge( which was very scary) now I'm actually looking forward to having an Al free holiday one day. Hope you all have a great AF day/ evening??? x

[Dewdrop]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Really glad that you are still with us Tired, you?re doing so well. Molly I had to laugh at the thought of you like a giraffe on speed, and you have coped so well with your son, good on you. Neart seems to have a very wise head on her young shoulders and Anon you seem to be trucking along quite the thing. Fifefox I hope you can find a zumba class near you but salsa sounds great too. Peaces don?t worry about Paris it?s far, far, far too far away.

Sunbeam thanks for the relaxation link it looks interesting and I?m going to have a longer look later. I haven?t found the cd?s from here very effective at all and am using others that I had previously; I think its personal taste really. Enja I?m pleased your friends are being so supportive. Hi to Tippylou, Choice, Spinning and Sidney glad you had a good birthday, and good to get support from you JC. Hope I haven?t missed anyone

Regarding holidays and Christmas I am not concerning myself with that at the moment and by the time we get to Christmas we will have 4 months under our belts AF so it won?t be a problem. After all what difference will it make to anyone if we raise a glass to toast Happy Christmas and it has tonic water in it rather than wine? When the others snore away on the couch all afternoon after Christmas lunch we will be able to go for a long walk and really appreciate the day. Guys it?s not a problem, it's only a problem if we make it one and I'm not doing that, I'm going to have a sober Christmas for once.

Happy Wednesday

Dewdrop :h

[choice]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hi Guys,
I woke up so happy to get on line and see how everyone was doing :h

Neart, I've kinda felt bad that I said go for it on the boyfriend front... I'm just a rookie so got excited for you for thinking about it. After what DG wrote it got me thinking (as her advice always does :l) Actually, quite a bit! :thanks: DG... In between relationships I realized that I had taken some steps toward getting control over my drinking. I always pick heavy drinkers... (now I see for obvious reasons) and then would eventually have a problem with their drinking and struggle in the relationship and with my own intake of booze. I'd end things, take a good long break single (1yr... or 2... last time 3)... then pick another booze hound. I really wish that I had looked at my own relationship with AL because I think it would have saved me a lot of heartache and grief in romantic relationships as well. So I'll just say I think your doing so well on the recovery route!!!

Molly, I think what's happening with your son is heartwarming. My Dad is a alcholic and didn't drink for 20 years. Basically my childhood until I was an adult. I wish he had talked to me more about this. I only remember a few times and only a few things he's said to me about drinking all of these years. Now, I imagine it was pretty difficult for him to say anything. And the things he did say took more courage then I even knew. His words have echoed this past month and helped me even if it was just a few small sentences. One thing he told me years ago is that "Drinking is a real tricky thing that can bring you into very dark places. Be really careful and watch it closely it can get pretty scary."

[neart]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Oh Choice, don't feel bad! I was smiling away when I read your post recently, I just lost track when I was replying :l I am always worrying that people will take things the wrong way, usually it's just me overthinking something. I do find it exciting in a lot of ways, the idea of meeting someone new, although I cannot imagine a sober first date!! But I've just thought of an episode of Sex and the City when Miranda goes on a date and drinks too much for dutch courage, then the guy tells her at the end of the night that even though he liked her, he doesn't want another date cause she was too heavy a drinker. So maybe it's for the best that I should be sober - at least I'd remember what I said I'm the same in terms of picking heavy drinkers, and then his drinking being as much or more of a problem than mine, and both of us just exacerbating each others problems. If I meet someone now, I wouldn't like them to be anything more than a fairly light drinker. I'm just not interested in dealing with a heavy drinker anymore, not now. The only thing I'm trying to guard against now is getting caught up in the idea of having to meet someone/have kids etc - to try and just live my life and what will be will be!

Dewdrop, I just love how you put it about Christmas and how you feel about all that - that is an attitude I am going to try to adopt

Spinning, isn't it nice to have the money to spend on these things, guilt free? Books are my thing, although I have spotted a very nice winter coat in Debenhams...