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Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

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    Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

    Hello again MWO friends! Up until the past few weeks of mostly lurking, I?ve been away for about 4 years. Four years, and not a single AF day, none even attempted. My quit in 2010 lasted less than 10 days. I?d like to give it another go in the near future, and have been contemplating how to identify and address the reasons that I failed the first time.

    For sure I bit off too much in trying to become AF and NF at the same time. Won?t make that mistake again. I relied too much on the MWO supplements and RJ?s book, thinking that buying all the ?right? quit aids would make for magic. At the time, I didn?t realize how much fear/anxiety would arise in saying goodbye to my best friends, Al and Nic, and became panicked and overwhelmed with those feelings. My plan contained no alternative, end-of-the day relaxation/sleep-inducing options, to passing out after much wine consumption, which has been my method for 30+ years. That?s what I remember about my failure anyway, though it occurs to me to go back and read old posts for truths I have forgotten.

    On to the present. I online-ordered Antabuse after reading of others? experiences with it. This is a tool I need. I?ve arranged to have eight days? worth of diazepam on hand during detox, according to the protocol Jackie Claire has posted. Thank you, JC! I?m working on planning 3 meals a day, plus snacks, for the first week, using guidelines from Rational Recovery. I?ve located a Yoga studio nearby, and will be investigating available classes. Today I bought the book, The Four Agreements, and will soon order Jason Vale?s Kick the Drink Easily, as both have received good reviews from MWOers.
    Enough for now. There?ll be more to my plan, of course, but don?t want to wait any longer to step out of the shadows. Got room for one more?

    Pie

    #2
    Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

    Course there is room Pie! I've been working on quitting both Nic and Al myself and can def sympathize as to how it can drive one nuts. (and they always seem to go hand in hand) Any luck with getting away from Nic? Any idea what kind of meal planning or just making sure it's consistent right now? For me it has been helping to choose one day and cook for the week. Takes up more time on that day and takes away any excuse to skip a meal during the week.
    “If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.” – Zen proverb

    "See it as it is, not worse than it is just so you have a reason not to try." - Tony Robbins.

    Newbies Nest
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      #3
      Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

      Hi Pie and welcome. My plan was to take one day at a time, eat when i was hungry, sleep when i was tired, get all al out of the house, plan my routine to shop when the bottleshops were not open and to stay on here and post and post. Especially the first week or two and then the rest you can put into place. Be gentle with yourself in the first few weeks, it is really hard, no doubt about that but very doable. We can use every excuse under the sun to have that drink but use all your will power and determination that you have to get through those cravings and you will be fine. I still have my nicotine addiction but i did not feel i was strong enough to "kill two birds with one stone". Some people can and some cant. Its still a plan but for now i am quite happily nearly 7 months sober, the other will come at some point. Gest of luck.
      AF free 1st December 2013 - 1st December 2022 - 9 years of freedom

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        #4
        Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

        Always room for another one, Pie.

        Now I'm probably going to say something that's blooming obvious.............absolutely no alcohol while on the diazapam......and you'll probably feel a bit wiped out for the first 2 or 3 days.

        Don't worry if you've no appetite for a couple of days..........plenty of water and juice...........and lots of rest.
        It could be worse, I could be filing.
        AF since 7/7/2009

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          #5
          Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

          Hi Pie,
          That's a great plan you have in place. With any plan, you'll use a lot of it and some you'll readjust and modify. Like Ava said, just take it one day at a time and just concentrate on being AF, removing all al from your house. Trying to think about eating and going NF right now is way too much in my opinion. Doing that time and time again and thinking I was strong enough to tackle eating, drinking, and nicotine all at once was a mistake, but one I made over and over again. You'll find your way. Hope to see you in the Newibies Nest!
          Sometimes what you're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free.

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            #6
            Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

            Thank you all for the welcome and your kind and helpful suggestions!

            Orimus - No luck stopping smoking, and not possible for me while still drinking. Hoping it can be a separate project once I get waaaayyyy down the sober road. Your strategy to have food prepared in advance is appealing. Thank you!

            Ava - Wow! Nearly 7 months sober! Obviously your plan is working for you. Early on, eat when hungry, sleep when tired, sounds delightful! Appreciate your advice!

            JC - I'm planning to start day one with both Antabuse and diazepam, so yes, NO alcohol! And I'm blooming thankful for you long-time sober peeps who are still here and reaching out a helping hand.

            j-vo - Thank you for reminding me to tackle one day at a time, and needing to focus on beating back the AL beast! Very kind of you!

            Gratefully,
            Pie

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              #7
              Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

              Very best Pie. You can do this. I drank for decades before my last quit in Oct 2012. I did have some long sober stretches during my years of drinking but I never finally shook the booze until I turned up here (and had a serious health crisis ). I don't smoke however so that's not a factor I can advise on.
              Like you I also looked for magic fixes in the past - nutritional supplements, books etc but none of this was enough for me. I just had to stop and for me a brief fling with AB did the trick.

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                #8
                Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

                Always room for pie!
                2 great links in my signature line! Hope to see you in the nest! Welcome aboard, you are going to love the new you!! Byrdie
                All you gotta do, is get thru this day. AF 1/20/2011
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                Newbie's Nest

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                  #9
                  Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

                  Welcome Pie, you are very wise to get on this site. I've been here forever (longer than my join date implies) and am finally two months sober but you have to really be ready and it sounds like you are. The people on here have given you excellent advise. Stay close and even if you have a hiccup come right back.
                  "If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."
                  Lao-Tzu

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                    #10
                    Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

                    Good morning all!

                    treetops - Thank you! Sober since Oct 2012 is wonderful! For how long did you take the AB, and if you recall, at what dose?

                    Byrdie - Lol! Thank you for the welcome and the links!

                    SS - Congrats on your sober two months! Agree with you on the need to be ready, and hope I really am this time.

                    Pie

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                      #11
                      Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

                      Following is about where I left off in 2010. Posting here to have it handy.

                      " Haven't been posting here much myself because I'm stuck. I want to be alcohol free, but don't want to do the work. Is it Mario that says, "you can't wish it away?" In another thread, Sheri posted this about quitting:

                      Strategy #1: Take massive action. If nothing changes, nothing changes. The scope of what you are trying to do (quitting drinking) is truly massive. You are trying to change your whole life. This takes a huge effort. Do not underestimate it. Go big or go home.

                      It's spot on, of course. I did underestimate the amount of change needed, and the effort that would take. Thought I could just put down the glass and carry on. So, lesson learned. Need to figure out how, one day at a time, I can "go big."

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                        #12
                        Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

                        Pie - I took AB for around 3 months I think and at a very very low dose. I had poor liver functions already and didn't want to add to the damage I had done. Plus the AB seemed to make me pee all the time but I had to drink a lot of water as the AB left me with a dry mouth. I don't know I am kind of sensitive to some medicines but that might have been because my liver and my blood counts were in bad shape.
                        There was no problem for me being on the low dose and I did not play sober roulette with the AB - I had my own schedule that worked for me. But that doesn't work for everyone.
                        I really wanted to quit and had the extra motivation of not wanting to die before my daughter had finished her teenage years.
                        And I had tried all the supplements, had a very healthy food diet but the big factor was AL.
                        As it was even after stopping AB and of course AL my liver functions were way out of any normal range for several months. In fact they went up while I was on AB.
                        This is just my experience and my body so not to be generalised.

                        Due for more blood tests soon. Oh joy!!!

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                          #13
                          Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

                          Hi treetops, Thanks for sharing your AB experience. I really appreciate it!

                          Pie

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                            #14
                            Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

                            Welcome Pie and so glad you are here. Stick around and read read, post post and check out the newbies nest. I am rooting for you!!

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                              #15
                              Well, Look What the Cat Dragged In

                              2 Fabulous Books

                              "Allen Carrs Easy Way to Control Alcohol" and "Kick the Drink...Easily" by Jason Vale.

                              Both have stupid titles, but you'll NEVER view alcohol and drinking the same after reading either of them

                              May as well try mindulness and urge surfing etc, because the more you know how to deal with this problem, the better you can control it

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