100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

[Sunbeam]

TJ, there was also no big event behind my final quit. I was just ready, had been getting ready since joining this forum a few years prior to my quit. It all sank in gradually for me. I just looked at the wine bottles in the recycle bin and said , "That's too many, I'm done." Like anyone, I had to figure out how to structure the needed work, but I did it. Life was never better.

[Byrdlady]

It took hitting bottom for me, unfortunately. It takes what it takes....and I'm grabbing on with all I've got!
AL addiction is so powerful. B

[Eloise]

I think it was headaches and a new marriage for me (haha..somehow reading this makes me laugh).

Oh wait, I think I have to add learning Dutch. It is a little hard to remember all those irregular verbs when you drink so much!

[Lavande]

I was SICK & TIRED of disappointing myself & the birth of my first grandchild made me finally quit for good.
I wanted to be proud of myself once again & I wanted full access to my grandson. So AL had to go, for good!!!! Quitting AL was the first step but I also had to learn how to deal with a lot of negative stuff & people in my life too. No AL = no bandaid, I had to grow up again. It was hard work but I am grateful, happy & proud of myself once again

[Samstone]

I'm selfish, I like living too much, if I didn't stop I'd had some serious health issues coming my way.

[j-vo]

Right now, I'm covering a health class and there are no plans. So looking around the room, I see posters, lots. One is "how alcohol affects your liver." It was the fear of this happening to me, and I knew it was, it was the sad, isolated life I lived, the low self esteem that never seemed to increase, the goals that I could never meet, and so much more. Just saw on FB a guy I went to high school with passed last week due to end stage liver disease. I don't want to be that person.

[Sunbeam]

J-vo, it was so depressing going through that time, knowing we needed to quit, not quite knowing how, worrying about the damage and the future. It is all behind us, on with our new lives!

[Lavande]

That whole 'forgiving myself for screwing up so badly' thing was difficult for me. But it has to be done so we can move forward. Learning to trust yourself again requires a leap of faith. It's something we all have to do

[STEADFAST]

I got to the stage where i could no longer hold out until the end of the working day for the first drink. I'd go out at lunch break and knock back a beer or two, and stock up on mixed spirit cans which i kept in my bag and desk drawer at work. Off to the ladies' I'd go and drink down as much as i could. I remember one afternoon when walking to get my supplies, i thought to myself, "I am SICK." My partner was starting to say things like "I don't know how much longer we can go on like this...." I was unable to drive to my Mum's 80th birthday, unable to attend so many things. And i felt like i was going MAD - drinking and thoughts of drinking were on a 24 hour cycle.

No matter what my life is better now!!:thumbsup:

[Byrdlady]

Steady, that was exactly how MY life was going, too! It was just a downward spiral and I could see it and feel it but it seemed like I just couldn't do anything about it.....until I did. A bad day sober is better than any day drinking. Byrdie

[Byrdlady]

Warming up a seat for Kensho!!!

[Quit wining]

Welcome KENSHO! Awesome that you're here.

[KENSHO]

Howdy Ho! (hee-hee, blush). Fun to drop in now that I can be official! It's pretty funny - the grab that alcohol has. The pull to moderate, the "I'll try it one last time" BS. There's absolutely NO CONTEST comparing then and now. Happy to join the real party!

[Eloise]

Um, I take that back. This does not make me laugh. i:

I think it was headaches and a new marriage for me (haha..somehow reading this makes me laugh).

Oh wait, I think I have to add learning Dutch. It is a little hard to remember all those irregular verbs when you drink so much!

[Elvis]

I'm on vacation in Oregon for a few days. I spent my Day 500 hiking in Silver Falls State Park. Absolutely beautiful day and gorgeous park. There's a trail that has 10 waterfalls on it, though they must not count the little ones because I swear there were more. It also says the trail is 8.5 miles long. My feet think that's a lie too! I underestimated the amount of water I thought I needed to carry along, but I was okay. I did think how freaked out I would have been if I underestimated the amount of alcohol to carry along, out in the middle of nowhere, hours from the nearest liquor store. Glad those days are over. Good riddance. Then again, I never would have done something like this during my drinking career. First, I wouldn't have been in shape to walk that far, and second I never would have gone on the trip to begin with. Stay at home and drink all weekend, or get on a plane and go someplace where I don't know where or when my next drink is coming from? Would have been a no-brainer then. Now it's an easy choice too, but for all the right reasons. :happy2:

Have a great day everyone!