The Morning After

[paula]

The Morning After

I know just how you feel,been there many times.
I have managed to remain af for 3 whole months
now, and I am happier than I have been in years.
It took me such a long time to get here,but it's
worth it. It's scary at first but a lot scarier to keep
on drinking, try and do it for yourself because it will
make you happy, and when your happy it infects
all your family, the changes don't happen overnight.
My son said to me the other day "mum there is something
different about you do'nt know what it is but I like it"
So very best of luck AZ,hope you feel better.

[Jacy]

The Morning After

Azcrazy.

I was having this crazy spell myself for at least the last 3 weekends but the last 2 were the worst I really can't remember much of them. Last Tuesday (because Monday was a holiday for us) I went to work so hung over I felt sick. I couldn't think the shakes were extremely bad I am amazed that I made it through the day. The one thing I have said (and that isn't all the time) if I am going to be stupid to drink more than I know I can handle especially if i have to work the next day then to bad for me I can suffer it out. I ended up drinking some Tuesday because I needed something to stop the shakes and calm me down. I was so aggarvated by then that I said enough is enough and started AF last Wednesday. If only I had self control but I don't.

[Arial]

The Morning After

Welcome Az - good to have you with us!

As someone said, all change is scary, but what you fear is just not going to happen! - you make adjustments as you go along and you'll find that you are fun without alcohol (in my case I find I actually do so much more that it's raising my confidence to handle situations sober). I also find that I don't get as stressed out when not drinking and when I do I handle it so much better than with the usual stress reliever of a bottle of wine! You have a whole new life awaiting you, so get excited as well as nervous. Think how it will feel to start eradicating your child's memory of 'sleepy mommy' and replacing it with memories for both of you to treasure! I have teenage girls and I'm desperately trying to give them some memories of another person to the one asleep on the couch with mouth open and no use to anyone...

Being worried about facing up to the reality of your past actions is hard, but you'll find here that we all have years of alcohol abuse and have done many many things that we'd prefer to forget, wish we'd never done, have been life-threatening, lost friends etc., etc. - you're right, giving up alcohol means you're now in a position to look back and make judgements - but rather than dwell on it, use it as a weapon to move you forward. You're now taking control of your life and what happened yesterday we can have no control over - but we can learn from it - Now you're creating choices for your future and for your family's future.
I love this quote from Mark Twain, as the energy in his words really make me feel that there's a whole new world waiting for us out there if we choose to grab life in both hands rather than experience it from the depths of yet another bottle...

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

So good luck with the start of your journey - we're here to help, though you're guiding the way! Look forward to hearing how it goes. :l