Fresh Start!!!!!

[Starfish1]

Fresh Start!!!!!

Ann, I am convinced that boredom is a huge trigger for me. I need to devlelop a hobby, really. I can't force myself to exercise or clean my house, like some of you can. I need to think of something relaxing, enjoyable and inexpensive to turn to when the cravings hit.

[acadiaofmaine]

Fresh Start!!!!!

I know what you mean, completely. All I can think of is reading, calling/emailing/meeting friends, maybe for coffee, TV. None of this has been sufficient for me, though. My husband can't find enough hours in the day to do all the stuff he wants to, and he can amuse himself endlessly with 5 or 6 projects at a time (music, Facebook, computer programming). I am not like this, at least not any more.

Let's put our heads together. We need to keep busy, and also to enjoy doing nothing.

As always, do as I say, not as I do!

Ann

[Starfish1]

Fresh Start!!!!!

Yep, I do the same thing day after day, work, go home and cook supper, clean up the kitchen and isolate myself. We are about to begin working on updating our home, so this may help some...
I wake up very early every morning and usually get in "worry mode", about anything and everything, then, I usually am so mentally exhausted by mid-afternoon, I just want to escape. I never know what's going to be going on at my house, with my kid's schedules, so I just try to accommodate them the best I can, try to hide the fact that I have been drinking (if that's the case) and lay low. Terrible thing. I want to enjoy my life and bring joy to the lives of others, not hide.

[Kailey]

Fresh Start!!!!!

Sorry to hear you had trouble this weekend Ann. This is such a hard thing to kick, isn't it? Not impossible, but sometimes it feels that way. You can keep making good decisions day after day and then one little slip gets you off track again. Frustrating!

The good thing is that you got through two whole weekends without drinking, so you know you can do it. And it doesn't sound like you had that much fun indulging, so hopefully that will make it easier the next time temptation rears it's ugly head.

I don't know what to say about hobbies. I have a million of them, but unfortunately I associate doing them with a nice cold glass of white wine by my side. I've ruined many an art project that way!

Stay strong, Ann. And you, too, Star. I know from plenty of experience that it's hard to get right back on top of things. We know it's what we want/need to do though, so the sooner the better, I say!

[scottish lass]

Fresh Start!!!!!

Oh Ann, so sorry! I know that feeling so well - it is so annoying that it is so easy to allow such a lot of hard work and achievement to slip away so easily, but as said we keep getting back on track quickly and before too much damage is done and that has to count for something. I have green dots on my calendar, and I have so many more green dots than ever before - if I look at my overall success, something is working.

I also have a busy work week with lots of meetings and drives - so lots of opportunity to feel the need for a drink in teh evening - so wish I could have the one drink, but know that doesn't happen so just have to work out that it is NO drinks for me...

We have an "every 15 min" presentation at my daughters high school tonight - I am hoping they are putting on teh program (for those who have not heard it is an anti driking/driving campaign for teens - every 15 mins a teen dies as result of drunk driving) - so I have to be able to discuss drinking and impact of decision making with my girls, and I have to be able to be a role model....

Ann - I have thought about antabuse as well, but I am not a medicine fan and it scares me - maybe I just have to got to the "forever" place yet???

OK - off to join the rat race, see you all later...

[acadiaofmaine]

Fresh Start!!!!!

Thank you for all the support, friends! You are great, I feel like I have real kindred spirits by my side.

I had to laugh at the idea of having a glass of white wine while working on a hobby! Yup, I'm that way, too! Nothing can't be made better with a glass of wine! Except of course, when it all falls apart and everything is made worse....

My cravings have already started. I knocked off a couple of stressful projects this morning and my thought (at noon!) was, "maybe I'll just have one of my husband's beers (I don't like beer that much). THIS is why I/we can't have a couple of drinks one day, and expect to go back to nothing the next day. The trigger is pulled...at least for me.

So, nice glass of low sugar cranberry juice and lemon at my side, I will think about what I should do next. I need to get away from my desk and it's balmy here in NY. Maybe a little walk and a snack.

I am scared of anatabuse too. My fantasy is to get a doctor to prescribe a miniscule dose, but one I believed would make me sick if I drank, and to mix the script with a bunch of look-alike sugar pills. That way, you wouldn't get a lot of antabuse, but you would never know when you'd taken it versus a placebo. So you would never dare drink!
Maybe we should market the idea. I sure as heck wouldn't drink if I thought I had a smidge of AB in my body.

Ann

[Starfish1]

Fresh Start!!!!!

Eat a nice big lunch, Ann. I have been clenching my jaws all morning. I just ate lunch early, hoping that would help, and it has.

[NoSugar]

Fresh Start!!!!!

acadiaofmaine;1586831 wrote:

I am scared of anatabuse too. My fantasy is to get a doctor to prescribe a miniscule dose, but one I believed would make me sick if I drank, and to mix the script with a bunch of look-alike sugar pills. That way, you wouldn't get a lot of antabuse, but you would never know when you'd taken it versus a placebo. So you would never dare drink!
Maybe we should market the idea. I sure as heck wouldn't drink if I thought I had a smidge of AB in my body.

Ann

Hi, Various Daisies

I like reading your thread because you are all so enthusiastic and supportive of one another. Maybe I'm a Daisy-Wanna Be .

Anyway, I have often thought how since AB primarily works through a fear-based placebo effect, something like what Ann describes here really could work! I was thinking that if someone I knew needed AB, I would offer to pick up the Rx for them, do a little switcheroo and then that person could just take sugar pills but be rid of the internal warfare. If you read Free At Last's posts, she's had great success taking AB just once every several days. Anyway, it is another tool to put in your box if you get too frustrated by all the stops and starts.

For what it's worth, I nipped those stray thoughts in the bud with a quick "I don't drink". Done. No further argument. No debates or excuses or justifications. Like with a small child, sometimes you just have to not engage.

All the best to all of you - you're lucky to have one another.

:h NS

[Starfish1]

Fresh Start!!!!!

NoSugar;1586837 wrote: Maybe I'm a Daisy-Wanna Be .



:h NS

Well, that makes us even, because I'm a No Sugar-Wanna Be :yourespecial:

And I think the antabuse/placebo idea is brilliant. Why didn't I think of that?

During my last quit, last fall, I was absolutely able to tell myself "I don't drink" and it worked like a charm....not so much this time :upset:

I am trying to find what WILL work. I think each time is different, and I have had so much practice, seems I've used all the tricks in the book and now my AL brain isn't buying in. I know I have to work hard to come up with a new plan.

I am so glad I have all this support! Thanks, NS!

[acadiaofmaine]

Fresh Start!!!!!

NoSugar, Please please join us on the Daisy thread! We'd love it! Nothing exclusive here...SF, I know exactly what you mean. My quiver is out of arrows...or something like that. I had gotten some AB from River Pharmacy a couple of years ago, but was too scared to take it, I think because of the risk of liver damage. However, I do agree with what we're saying-what if I got some, and shared it with you all, and we each took a tiny shard each day or every few days? I still wouldn't drink even on a shard. Hmmm...

Scary and exciting to think about.

Ann

[Starfish1]

Fresh Start!!!!!

I wouldn't drink on it either, believe me!

And yes, N.S., Stick a daisy behind your ear and join the club LOL!

[4thekids]

Fresh Start!!!!!

Hi All: Starting again on Day 1 and have been rereading the board for a awhile today. I started here last winter and was able to make it 40 days without drinking...only to get very proud of myself...thinning I had overcome my "problem". Well, here I am back at it again. Ironically, the last time I stopped was on the 18th of February so I view this as a great omen that I am starting again on another 18. I hope you all don't mind if I join your post. I do find that it is easier to have a group and some accountability for my behavior.

Any things that you all have done lately that you have found helpful?? No Sugar, are you still avoiding carbs and sugar? Do you still think that is the key to your success? Are you using any herbal supplements?

Hoping that this journey gets me back on track. I am looking froward to getting to know you all better.

4thekids

[acadiaofmaine]

Fresh Start!!!!!

Hi 4,

Tell us more about you! So glad you are joining us! 40 days is nothing to sneeze at (I think I once did 52!). But keeping it up is the trick...so let's support each other through even more days.

Ann

[Kailey]

Fresh Start!!!!!

acadiaofmaine;1586831 wrote: My cravings have already started. I knocked off a couple of stressful projects this morning and my thought (at noon!) was, "maybe I'll just have one of my husband's beers (I don't like beer that much). THIS is why I/we can't have a couple of drinks one day, and expect to go back to nothing the next day. The trigger is pulled...at least for me.

Yes! That's it exactly. I honestly think that if I could go right back to not drinking the next day there would be no problem with a once in a while blow out. But as you said, that's not what happens. One day turns into two, then three or more. Better to just not mess with it at all.

Welcome 4!

[acadiaofmaine]

Fresh Start!!!!!

Kailey,

WHY IS THAT NOT POSSIBLE? It makes no sense, that we can't say yes today and no tomorrow, or "ho-hum" all the time! Why is it so darned important, drinking?

I guess if we knew the answers, we'd be rich, happier, and sober!

I am just frustrated. And tired.

Ann