Giving up....in a good way!

[windycitylady]

Giving up....in a good way!

Oh, Taw. I'm so sorry. I hate feeling that way! Some AA phrases are actually helpful, and one of them is HALT. When you want to drink, try to think if you could be hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. I find I'm much more likely to crave under those conditions, and if you can do anything about it, it really helps.
I take 1200 mg/ day of gabapentin. 3 doses of 800mg. It's the only thing that's helped my depression and anxiety. I can feel it if I wait too long to take a dose. The world suddenly gets shittier. I feel tantrumy and weepy. I don't know if it's helped with my cravings. It's very possible. Of course, being less depressed and anxious is definitely helpful.
Are you on any bac? Even 40mg/day helps enormously with my cravings.
Stuck and Rusty are right. Exercise. Masturbate (I'm serious!). Anything to engage your body and get out of your head for a little while.
What you said really resonated with me. Drinking feels...right. This what I DO. This what I am. I still can't picture myself AF forever. I try not to think in too broad of terms. I try to stay in the moment and tell myself that I will not die if I don't drink. The craving WILL pass. There's an awesome SMART meeting Saturday mornings on the north side. They teach a lot of really useful techniques for recognizing and changing the irrational beliefs we all have.

Shit. Out of time. Glad you made it through this one. Take the AB tomorrow!

And sweet dreams!!:l

[Bruunhilde]

Giving up....in a good way!

Hi Taw, Rusty, Windy, Everyone,
Sorry to disappear. More business travel and now a four day Seminar.
Cant take AB due to ghastly diarrhea until seminar is done but I definitely will. Take it. Half doses daily. Lovely feeling ok in the AM.

Try the gabapentin in lower doses. Add glutamine. Eat fat and Carbs and protein.
Catch you later taters.

:H

[spacebebe01]

Giving up....in a good way!

Hi

Ive had those days feelings to TAW, and eating does help. I take 3 x 300mg gabapentin daily and it does help, when I havent taken it I notice I can all of a sudden feel low. I get it off my doc for migranes. I am also taking bac again just going to take a low dose, 15mg a day right now and will go to around 40mg to help with the cravings, I have noticed that has helped in the past.

The first thing I thought when I just woke up was Im glad Im not hungover, so with that thought in mind I have just taken my AB.

[Destiniey]

Giving up....in a good way!

Bruunhilde;1355466 wrote:
Cant take AB due to ghastly diarrhea until seminar is done but I definitely will. Take it. Half doses daily. Lovely feeling ok in the AM.


:H

Hey Bruun! I have a question and sorry if I sound stupid!!!! Does the AB cause this or is it a result of something else. Just curious!

[taw]

Giving up....in a good way!

Rusty!!! Where have you been?? Yes, I know eating is important...I need to get to the store and pick up some healthy snacks to keep at work. I am so used to drinking my calories, I forget about food. And even a drink would take that starving edge off. So off to the Jewel I go this weekend to get some healthy food. I have been taking a vitamin and a B12 complex every morning, so at leas that is a start!

Stuck, thanks for the advice! Yes, a nice walk around the block (city block) is the perfect 10 min thing to do at work to get thru that icky feeling!! Feeling much better today thus far! Fingers crossed, altho I did take a double dose of prozac this morning!

Dest, the AB can make you feel like "that" the first few times you take it. If you take it regularly it wears off...if you take it prn, then you may experience that more often.

Windy, Bruun, Space! Thank you!! MUCH better today...Took my AB, going to try the gabapentin this weekend, in a couple doses a day...Oh, not sure who asked, but no I am not on any bac at all....Just AB, and prozac....soon to try gabapentin...

Wow! what a difference a day makes!! Best to all!! :h

[taw]

Giving up....in a good way!

On a lighter note....

Ok, only I am a big enough igit to not know when I am getting asked out on a date. Apparently I have date tonight! DOH! I thought I was just going out to dinner with at friend of mine....he thinks it is a date according to a mutual friend. I guess I missed all the signs....I said I would just meet him there after work, he said no go home relax and I will pick you up at 7, hmmmm, ok does not sound dateish to me....I called him yesterday and asked if we could postpone because $$ is a bit tight this week, he said no, he asked me out so he is paying! WHAT???? According to our mutual friend he has been waiting months to ask me out....Well, thanks for sharing that tidbit before now!!!

We used to work together about 14 years ago and recently just reconnected. Have just been hanging out as buds like we used to with the couple other guys we used to work with...( I was the only chick in the department)....he is like a big brother!

I have not had a date in 2 1/2 years and that one was a set-up douple date so that does not even count!

So, now I have a date I don't want to go on and I can't even drink!!! Not to sound chicky at all, cause I really am not, but am I supposed to dress up? Jeans? UGH!!! Fake the flu? Maybe I should drink on the AB and get really sick so I can't go!

Is there a manual I can read quickly before this? There has to be one for 40 yr old divorcee, long time single, way out of the loop on this dating crap? Perhaps after tonigh I will write one!

OH, and he does not know that I quit drinking...which has pretty much been the center of everything we have done.

Well, wish me luck!! It can't be too terrible, can it?? Might make for a good story anyway! :H

Feel free to chime in with any words of wisdom.....:anyone:

[StuckinLA]

Giving up....in a good way!

Go get you some girlfriend.

[taw]

Giving up....in a good way!

How did I know that would be your response, Stuck???

At least we are going to Bennihana so maybe there will be other people for me to talk to! Is that bad to be thinking already???

UGH!!

[StuckinLA]

Giving up....in a good way!

Damn, I really am predictable.

Seriously, though, I've often found antibiotics to be a great alibi for not drinking. Not only are you not really supposed to drink while taking them, the underlying reason for taking them is almost always something that's making you feel crappy. So you also have a reason for seeming out of sorts/not really into the mood.

Say you have a sinus thing/infection/whatever. It'll bring the whole night down a notch, but that seems to be what you're looking for. Or hey, maybe he'll even be smart about it, if you tell him this right when he picks you up, and he'll save the dinner/real date for another night when you're feeling better. I would. Then maybe the two of you just grab a coffee (or beat him to it and suggest that).

That way it looks like you (neither of you) want to start this "new level" off on a sour note. And instead of taking a vague rain check, you could suggest something very specific in the future, and you can make it something where alcohol is not involved. Like a hike or some shit. (I'm really bad at that part.)

Best of luck!

[taw]

Giving up....in a good way!

Thanks Stuck! I am going to go into it with at postive attitude! Make the best of it and consider it practice for if and when someone I WANT to ask me out actually does!!

And at least I am still smoking so I won't completely freak out!

[spacebebe01]

Giving up....in a good way!

Just go and play it as it goes, he seems to have the hots for you so let him down gently if you can. At least you can get something nice to eat so make the most of that.

[Destiniey]

Giving up....in a good way!

I would love to be able to give you some advice Taw....but I am 42 years old and have been married since I was 19 to a guy I started dating when I was 17!!!!! Holy crap...talk about being out of the dating loop!!!!! Stuck and Space had some great advice. Just go with the flow and enjoy yourself...besides...he may be an animal in bed......YOWSA!!!!!!

[StuckinLA]

Giving up....in a good way!

Inquiring minds want to know, Taw. How'd it go?

In all seriousness, though, hope it was a good night and I'd love to hear the story.

[taw]

Giving up....in a good way!

Hey Stuck!

I went the antibiotic route for not being able to drink. I was going to come clean with the real reason figuring if I was enough of a head case, he would run! I took a gabapentin before which I really think helped! I was me....not a nervous me, not a drunk me....

It was ok...BUT, and I KNOW this is really going to sound snobby, but I looked at his shoes, and that was it.....I could not get past them....old, white gym shoes that looked like he had washed clean just for this...I know that is wrong, but hey...I am being honest.

Like I said, we used to work together years ago. We worked in the same hotel and he actually worked for my dad. So when we were driving home he said we should do this again, I said, yea, that would be fun. He said "Funny tho, I feel like I was out with your dad, a prettier version, but you are your father's daughter". So I am not really sure what that meant.

So, he dropped me off and I had the car door open before the car completely stopped.

I said have a good rest of the weekend and that was it!

So, I guess I was more nervous than I should have been. I can do things sober! At dinner I was watching the other people at our table (we were at Bennihana, community table) and how they were drinking...He had 2 sakis, the other people barely had one drink. One chick oredered a glass of wine, drank about half and ordered a diet coke.

No blooming romance, not even a spark!! But good practice and a nice pat on my back for doing this sober!! And not backing out just because I was out of my comfort zone.

Thanks for checking Stuck! What's going on with your bartender? Not to cross threads, but I am here now and thinking of it....will check your thread for an up date!

[windycitylady]

Giving up....in a good way!

Wow, Taw! It seemed like such a crisis last night (good thinking on the antibiotics, Stuck!), but now I'm really GLAD it happened! So what that there was no spark? You're right, it was good practice for when you do meet someone you really like. It's got to feel good to know that you went into a scary situation without AL and not only came out on the other side, but didn't even really struggle that much. Yay!
Happy birthday to your son! I know he's not with you today, but hopefully you guys will celebrate soon.