30 days and beyond

[peacenik]

30 days and beyond

some of my work

.

[A Work in Progress]

30 days and beyond

Peacenik, those are beautiful!!!

I love, love, love, art glass. Way beyond my abilities, of course. But I keep saying that one of these days I will get into mosaics... Once I get all these houses sorted out, then it will be possible.

[peacenik]

30 days and beyond

they are easier than they look...just cut the glass glue it on and grout it!

[KateH1]

30 days and beyond

Thank you for sharing your work with us....Peace.....truly beautiful!!

[caysea]

30 days and beyond

Hi All
John i just wanted to comment on antabuse.About 2 years ago at one of my attempts to stop drinking I used antabuse.It was great .Removed al for the 6 months of my life that I used it.The problem was after 6 months i stooped using it and thought I was in control.Well I learned I will never be in control.I wound up back to the same degree of drinking as before the antabuse.I didn't have a plan. I also didn't have enough information to realize i needed one.This time i sought out info on alcoholism which brought me to this site.Antabuse is a great tool in breaking the grip of al but you will need a plan.Read and gather info from the smart people here and plan ahead.

Stay Healthy and Keep Fighting
AF 5-16-08

[KateH1]

30 days and beyond

Caysea, I know nothing about antibuse, I used the supps instead and that worked great for me....that is, it worked great once I got serious and comitted! After several weeks of being here and really slowing down.....I read the book and set my quit date. I wrote out MY Plan on a legal pad.....I would also jot down on that same pad....inspiration that I found here on the boards! I am a strong believer in having a plan......and more importantly....following that plan....no excuses!

But, after a few months AF...I realized that I needed a new plan......the first plan was to just stop drinking...no slips and when I did slip after 28 days....I started again. I didn't F with my head and start the whole addition and subtraction thing........I knew that if I did that...the excuses would flow freely!!

So my New Plan became my "Life Plan".....I read a post from Starlight Impress that really resonated with me and that was in order to stay quit....I needed to change my thinking and my life in general.....otherwise I would remain a person fighting to stay sober! So now, I continue to work my "Life Plan" and my plan continues to expand.
K

[SAUSAGE]

30 days and beyond

Hello all

First time i've ever had a look at the long term abstinance section - wished i'd dropped by before actually - a lot of thought provoking and helpful stuff. This thread in particular is very helpful to me. May I join you? - I "see" a lot of familiar faces whom I know from AF daily, so feel at home, Not sure If I qualify as a long term abstainer although I am past 30 days- i'm on day 95 (not that i'm really counting) for reasons discussed above - did do 107 days earlier last year and then it all went wrong when I tried to moderate, and now I know I can't so i'm aiming for AF for life. Certainly am going to stop counting days when I get passed 6 months - then just months / year anniversaries etc.

I had a real struggle the other day on day 90 as some of you will recall ( I currently have only been posting on AF daily and abbercisers and the odd newbie thread that I can really relate to) but it's a little easier now I think. I can really relate to what Kate says above about needing a "life plan" to change my thinking and life in general to make this whole thing a lot easier, and i'm working on this right now. This section is really going to help me I know.

Will drop by again soon

Sausage xx

[KateH1]

30 days and beyond

Hey Sausage!! Welcome!! Good to see you. I can definitely say that coming from the old 30 day and beyond that grew into the Non-Drinker thread.....it helped me tremendously! It is the evolution of living life as a non-drinker. There does seem to be different peaks and valleys that we encounter along the way. This is an ever evolving journey for certain!

I get the 90 day thing completely! I remember that several of us coming upon our 90 days really seemed for a short period of a few days around that time to be struggling a bit!! It helped us to share, and I hope that it helps you to share as well! So share away....you are certain to get tons of support here!

Looking forward to seeing you soon!
xx Kate

[peacenik]

30 days and beyond

thanks for the heads up for the 90-ish day mark...i will prepare a plan now at 34 days!

[boozehag]

30 days and beyond

Hello all
I have found that getting sober is a journey and although we all have different drinking habits or problems there seems to be many similarities in the journey itself. There is the initial counting of days and the psychological battle of breaking the addiction/habit and the hoping and praying that you can be strong and make it through each day but not much confidence only determination. Then as the days pass the benefits in your life start to outweigh the pull from AL so you feel more confident and sure in your ability to beat it. Then there is the honeymoon period - the sheer euphoria of being free of the beast (usually the 30 - 60+ days). Then you start to get used to it a bit and the memories of the horrible place you were in dim a bit and you start to think was I really all that bad etc - after about 90+ for me. I too had a slip then but it taught me a lot and now I see it as an important (even vital) part of my understanding of my drinking problem and my journey out. Being an alcoholic or a problem drinker is hugely time consuming - its sort of like having a hobby but just one that will kill you. So losing AL from your life is a bit like a grieving process - there is the shock/horror of rock bottom, then coming to terms with the loss of something that has been so hugely time consuming in your life, the anger, the sadness and eventually given time the acceptance of the every day gift that is life without it. If you have been stuck in a binge drinking cycle like I was it really is a bit like being given a second chance at life. You appreciate life so much more having lived it through a glass darkly for so long.
BH

[A Work in Progress]

30 days and beyond

BH, the description and roadmap you (and others) give is quite familiar to me, from my first time in serious sobriety, when I did 3 years in AA, about 10 years ago. For some reason, this time is different. Not so many ups and downs. Certainly, I have a huge sense of relief at being free... but also a blessed lack of doubts that this is the right path. And no longing for alcohol. Maybe they will return. I hope not. If they do, I believe I can handle it. Today, I was thinking: if I ever start thinking again that drinking alcohol is something I would like to have in my life again, I can just remember the image of my father lying in his coffin, after he blew his brains out. I had started drinking like he drank, this time around. I had not gotten to all-day drinking, but I was knocking them back directly from the bottle, compulsively, pretty much every evening. And I know beyond any doubt whatsoever where that was taking me.

[retteacher]

30 days and beyond

Hi Everyone: I just found this thread. I don't stray much from 30 day abs...especially the daily thread. What a wonderful thread this is! I do have over 30 days abs & am working on a lifetime of freedom from AL. I feel like a non-drinker but am counting days, because that is still a big motivator for me.

I came into alcoholism late in life. It was certainly building up throughout my 30's & 40's, because I was always the person who drank more than most. However, in my 50's, I started drinking alone which was my biggest downfall. Drinking was no longer about socializing. It was all about numbing out for some reason or other. I retired from teaching at age 60 in 2005, & that left me w/more time & energy to drink in spite of a full life. I knew I was in trouble when I was drinking a large bottle of wine 3 - 5 times per week (at least). I tried everything I could think of on my own. I was a very secret drinker, so there wasn't anyone who knew for sure how big my problem was. I made up a lot of "rules" about drinking in order to mod.

I found MWO in Apr. 2007 intending to "control" my drinking. It took quite a while to learn that I couldn't moderate my drinking. Either I abstained or I drank to excess. On new year's eve 2008, I said "enough is enough." Dec. 31, 2008 is my sobriety date. I accepted on that day that I absolutely cannot drink like a normal person.

Thank you so much for this thread. I will come back to it often.

Mary

[peacenik]

30 days and beyond

i would just like to say how much i appreciate all of your stories...they really help us newer folks to carry on and feel good about feeling good.

thank you from the bottom of my heart!

[johnnyh]

30 days and beyond

Hey Caysea, I can absolutely relate to what you are saying. I am aware though. In actualy fact I am very scared going of the Antabuse because I hardly see myself over the hill. I get cravings consistently and the reason I will not give in is because I tell myself I'm on Antabuse and I'll get sick. What if I'm not on Antabuse anymore? Well I dont' know. So I'll stay on it for another 2 or 4 months and will definately start formulating a plan. But for the meantime I am glad that Antabuse is giving me a headstart!

Kate, Antabuse is a drug that develops an Alcohol intollerance in your body. Even when weening off you are unable to drink alcohol for 7 - 14 days. It doesn't effect your cravings, etc. but rather makes you undable to drink at all. The reaction of drinking on Antabuse is an immediate (after 10 minutes) hangover with about 10 times the worst strenght you can imagine (so I've been told. Thank goodness I've never tried). It makes it easier to choose not to drink when you can't, doesn't it? Well that's the idea.

[doubter]

30 days and beyond

Hi

Hello everybodyl

Nice thread. Just thought that I too should introduce myself to this long termers thread.

I came to mwo about eleven months back. Have stayed sober since then except for a slip on a couple of consecutive days four months ago. I have a simple goal now. To stay sober for this calendar year. Although I don't post frequently, I do come over here to keep myself motivated.