Mon. - Dec. 10

[retteacher]

Hi Everyone: For anybody who is wanting to start AF or mod...Monday, Dec. 10th is a great day! So far, the holiday season has been completely sober...a brand-new experience for me. I like it. I'll check in later. Love, Mary

[tylyr]

Mon. - Dec. 10

Today

I'd like to join from today. I've done an AF Christmas before, but the desire to drink always, always comes back. This year, I don't want to make a fool of myself. So, today is Day 1 for me. Hope you'll all be there for support. Tylyr

[YoungAtHeart]

Mon. - Dec. 10

Of course we'll be here for you Tylyr. That's what our group is for. Just jump on in!

Mary, this will be my first sober holiday since I was about 17 or 18, so I don't even want to talk about how long that has been. I'm really looking forward to it though.

Getting through decorating the tree was step 1, and that went fine.

Hugs to all,:l
Kathy

[retteacher]

Mon. - Dec. 10

Tylyr: Welcome to MWO. If you're new to MWO, there is a very good Newbies in Need ODAT (one day at a time) thread on the Just Starting forum. The premise is that we can commit to long-term sobriety, but the work is a one day at a time kind of deal. It's very supportive as is this daily thread that we're on right now. I keep track of my drinking (now it's my non-drinking) w/DrinkTracker. If you look at the main menu, you'll see a DrinkTracker link or you can go to the bottom of any page & use the drop-down menu. If you register, you can use it to keep track. I love seeing all the zeros lined up for each day...it's a motivator.

I came to MWO in April & faltered through the first few months. I had a pretty long (for me) stretch of sobriety during the summer & then slipped. I never stopped coming to MWO...the people here are totally non-judgemental. I'm now feeling committed to an AF lifestyle & have accumulated 66 AF days today. I drank for a long time & to excess. If I can do it so can you. Mary

[rustop61]

Mon. - Dec. 10

Hi Mary, Kathy, Tylyr and all to come

If you can do one Christmas AF Tylyr you will have no problem with another. Once you can do something like that or 30 Days AF it does get easier. Well not as hard as the first time but it does require commitment and hard work. I find that the supplements really help as well as the boards.

Just back from shopping and found an organic berry AF mulled wine. I am stocking up on AF wine, beer etc so that I have it on hand over the holidays in case I am tempted. Hubby still has wine so its in the house. It would be much easier if it wasnt but I'm the one with the problem not him so I am learning to deal with it. Day 42 and feeling good.

Rustop

[tylyr]

Mon. - Dec. 10

Thanks

Thanks everyone, for your support and for answering so quickly. I really want to do this, so I'm going to come here every day, and take advice. I don't feel terribly confident and the moment, but in the past I've found the craving gets a bit less each day - and then I give in.

I'm going to start on the non-alcoholic drinks too. Thanks a lot again Tylyr

[meditation mama]

Mon. - Dec. 10

Hello, my friends.

I would like to jump in here for a while. I think I may be overthinking right now. I need to stop and slow down and think of only today. I have had so many big events running my life lately and I have let them get the best of me. I am trying so hard - it feels like I am actually struggling too hard - you know the old quicksand scenerio. So, I need to stop making this bigger than it is. I will take it seriously, but I need to bring it down to size and continue looking at it in smaller pieces - managable pieces. I haven't had any problems staying sober on non "occasions". So, I may need to bow out of those for this year. Whatever it takes. Anyway, today I will not drink. That is for certain.

Thank you for being here.

MM

[Breez]

Mon. - Dec. 10

Morning All-

First Welcome tylyr. You've come to the right place. I find that with each social occassion I do AF I grow stronger. It's always the parts leading up to that moment that are the hardest. I always hem & haw should or shouldn't I drink? But I've made a fool out of myself so many times that I'm tired of people looking at me to see if I'll over-drink or if I'm already half in the bag.

I've gone thru stages of obsessing that I do need a drink to handle these social situations to obsessively watching everyone drink. Now it's more of "look Breez is not drinking-poor alcoholic"~you know the feeling that everyone is watching me not drink and labeling me (a good part of hubby's family know I have a problem).

I remember about 3 or 4 yrs ago when I was struggling to be sober that at sis-in-phoniness' Christmas Day thingy everyone was drinking and it became so over-whelming that everytime I needed to go to the bathroom I'd pass this huge table in the mud room filled with alcohol. Yup you guessed-I'd sneak booze into the bathroom. These people must have thought I had a UTI! Then I accidently grabbed a beer & realized in the bathroom it wasn't a twist off! I had to sneak back & grab an opener & rush back into the bathroom. Ugh-way to much effort & drama of getting caught.

Last year I started my AF journey Dec. 18th-right before Christmas. Granted I developed an aweful ear infection & would have loved to drink to numb the pain (couldn't see Dr. till day after x-mas) but the equilibrium ear thing & drinking-no too smart.

ok-I've babbled for awhile now. Gotta run. I'm exhausted because daughter woke up w/stuffy nose wanting to sleep in our bed & I already had insomnia last night. So I finally fell asleep around 4. Luckily we had an ice storm & there was a 90 minute delay-so I slept a little more. Now I'm behind schedule!

Happy AF day to everyone! Attached files [img]/converted_files/385039=2805-attachment.gif[/img]

[Determinator]

Mon. - Dec. 10

Happy hangover-free Monday ABsters!

nice to see you all up bright and early and a big welcome to Tylyr.
beautiful morning with the sun making our snow sparkle like tiny rainbows all over.

feeling well and strong. been AF since my tradeshow blowout and not looking back.
MMama I think I know what you mean. I tend to get lost in the quicksand of my mind also and it almost becomes a depression for me....darn brain is so complex! sounds like you have a good strategy tho.

be well friends

[vinophile]

Mon. - Dec. 10

Hi Absters,
Oh Determinator, I love that " getting lost in the quicksand of my mind" !!!!!! I have a great deal of quicksand around me now....yikes!!!!
Breez, I think we must be in the same icestorm. It is TREACHEROUS to walk !!!
Hi Kathy, I tried the AF Arial wine that you recommended and found that I really liked it. I have had AF beer several times but I'm not much of a beer drinker. I was surprised because it smelled like real wine and tasted ok,just a bit watery but I got to hold a wineglass in my hand. I was worried that it might lead me down the wrong road but I had 1 1/2 glasses and had no desire for the real stuff. Thanks for the suggestion !!!!!
Welcome Tylr!!!
Mary and Rustop, you are both as solid as ever.
Hi MM, if I can't handle a certain social situation I'll feign sickness. As Chief said if necessary "lie like a rug". It has caused a certain "ill-will" between my husband and me this year as he just doesn't get the wine thing with me. Right now my feeling is ....TOO BAD. I don't care. I'm going to do what makes me feel better. I hope you feel better.

This weekend I felt very blue for some reason. A very cold and gray Monday and all of a sudden I feel better. For now I feel very strongly about remaining AF but I knwo that can change from moment to moment.

I'm going to remain vigilant for all that quicksand around me.
Have a great day

Janet

[Miss October]

Mon. - Dec. 10

Hi Mary,

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm in ! I'm tired of being on Day 1....ONCE AGAIN.

Looking foward to reading everyone's posts for much needed support !