BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

[Doggygirl]

Happy Monday all you Booze Busters out there!



(and Happy Tuesday to our New Zealand Booze Busters and anyone else in the way out time zones!)


On-going Booze Busters, go to the next post and carry on as usual! For anyone new, here's what us Booze Busters are all about.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Q: What the sam hill is a Booze Buster?
A: Anyone who has a serious goal of staying Hangover Free (HF) (=Alcohol Free (AF)) for 30 consecutive days, no matter what.

Q: Do I have to join at the start of the month?
A: NO!! Your "Day 1" can be at any time. And if you are already into your first month or your hundredth month AF, come join us! All who desire to be AF for at least 30CONSECUTIVE days are welcome.

Q: Why are you being such a hard a$$ about 30 consecutive days AF?
A: Because that's how tough I have to be on myself to succeed, and this challenge is meant to be "tough love" when it comes to the goal.

Q: What if I fall off the wagon - do I get kicked out?
A: NO!! We do hope you will let us help you dust off the seat of your pants, and drag you right back onto the Booze Busters wagon. You will get your butt kicked, but you won't get kicked out. Oh - and we have a [url=http://www.fotosearch.com/bigcomp.asp?path=ARP/ARP116/Kickbu_C.jpg]Fugly Green Suit[/ulr] you have to wear for a day during your butt kickin'. That polyester green suit with high water pants is worse than the butt kickin'. Give back your stars and bling and start over at Day 1 (for purposes of this challenge).

Q: What if I am tempted to drink - really really badly tempted?
A: Come here for a kick in the seat of the pants! Read inspirational threads from start to finish, and if the desire to drink still exists, scream for help in the "Need Help ASAP" Section and yell for someone to join you in chat. (I wish I had done all that before my falls way back when!!)

Q: What does the Booze Beast look like?
A: :alf: Is one ugly SOB.

Q: How does the group keep track of what day people are on?
A: We count on YOU to shout out your stats loud and proud every day in whatever way suits you. For me, I'm collecting a gold star * for every AF day out of due respect for my inner child. At 30 days, collect your :bling . Grab a shiny gold :award: for every consecutive 30 days. SHOUT OUT YOUR OWN MILESTONES so we can help you celebrate!

Speak up if you have other questions!! We are here to prove that WE CAN DO THIS! And that we can have a little fun while we're doing it! Let us know if you have suggestions as to how we can improve the BOOZE BUSTERS 30 Day Perpetual Challenge.

Here's to a Rockin' Booze Beast Bustin' Week to kick off September!

DG
Day 110 AFHF

[Doggygirl]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

I almost forgot to post a new Monday thread!! This is a repeat...

Happy Monday Booze Busters!!!

I am SO PROUD of our 7 Day AF Booze Busters Sausage, Madi and Teardrop!! That first week can be rough and you guys DID IT!! One foot in front of the other - one step at a time - a sober life is there for the taking. And you DESERVE to be sober and enjoy all that life has to offer to the fullest.

Hi to WIP and July and all other Booze Busters!!

Teardrop it sounds like a little angel my be visiting your brother which would be wonderful!

Madi - LOL on hubby having to share the remote. Nice that you have good humor about that!

Sausage - spending lots of time here in the early days is a great strategy. Good for you keeping AL at bay over the weekend.

WIP it sounds like the situation with your mother will never really change - that is so sad for her and for you. Did you take a day off yesterday? I'm sure that IS needed sometimes for your own sanity. I hope you find a living arrangement that at least is somewhat peaceful for you! From the sound of things I don't know if your Mom will ever be at peace in this life??? Anyway - I admire you for keeping your chin up and somehow still balancing your life and moving forward while also taking care of your Mom in difficult circumstances.

I told the story of the grill on the Daily thread so won't repeat it here. What I shall miss most about never doing any business with Sears again is Lands End. Since they are owned by Sears, I won't be buying from them either and I buy more than half of me and Mr. Doggys' clothes from Lands End so Sears WILL be losing a lot more business in just a single year than whatever profit they made on that grill - not to mention years to come. The letters about that are on my to do list for today. I'm just thrilled that me and Mr. Doggy were on the SAME page and not trying to figure out how to blame each other. Sobriety is wonderful in so many ways that AL does NOT want us to figure out.

Have a great booze busting day everyone! My sobriety homework this week is to continue working on Relapse Prevention stuff to put a brick wall around that, and get my plan solidly in mind for our upcoming camping trips - will be the first time camping booze free.

DG
Day 110

[vlad]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

Day 8 for me - raring and ready to go!

[cymru]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

Im slowly but surely making my way through this site. So much to read...In a good way! Im on day 9 today and feeling strong.

[Doggygirl]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

Congratulations vlad on 8 days!! :cheering:

:colorwelcome: cymru and congratulations on getting to day 9!! :cheering:

We're kickin' Booze Beast Booty and takin' names.

DG
Day 110

[retteacher]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

DG: Again, I applaud you about the resolution of the grill issue. Those types of problems just loomed very large for me in the past (when I was drinking). It would have caused all kinds of friction between my husband & myself. Thinking clearly solves so many problems.

I'm doing well. Each day that I choose not to drink brings me closer to seeing myself as a true non-drinker. Yesterday I thought about my past drinking. Often on Sundays, I would drink an entire 1.5 L bottle of pinot. After the cleaning-out of my system, I don't think I could do that wo/getting very, very sick. My mind is finally starting to readjust itself to sobriety. I'm not making the connections I used to make: husband watching football = drinking for me or husband being out for the day = drinking for me.

Take care everyone.

Mary

[A Work in Progress]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

My mind is finally starting to readjust itself to sobriety. I'm not making the connections I used to make: husband watching football = drinking for me or husband being out for the day = drinking for me.

That's a great relief, isn't it, Mary? I find myself actually surprised sometimes, these days, when the old connections/habits/impulses rear their heads again... "Oh! It's you again! You can leave now, thanks very much!"

Yeah DG, my mother will never change till she dies. With or without dementia, she has always made life as difficult as possible for herself and everyone around her. Seeing her every single day is just too much for me. If it were helpful to her (in some way other than letting her "vent" her bitterness on me), then I'd do it. As it is, I can manage it 5 or 6 days a week, and short visits, at that.

Good for you on the feckin' grill! Oh, how I hate that kind of hassle with appliances and those that sell them. That includes computer stuff. Grrr. Makes me want to go live as a hermit out in the middle of nowhere, off the grid, with a goat and a well for water. And some dogs. And wireless internet, of course... for MWO! LOL !!

wip

[retteacher]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

WIP: I'm training my shelter dog who was never socialized as a baby to be less fearful. He's responding very well. If my puppy can make new connections in his brain, then I can too. The more I do the right thing, the more natural it becomes. Mary

[SAUSAGE]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

Hi everyone
Into my 2nd week now - still AF (day 9)
Last night was easy as I went out to visit a friend and had my car with me so couldn't drive - no-one expected me to. Had a really good evening just drinking tea / fruit juice. Didn't really think about drink at all - so much easier than Sat. Hopefully things have turned a corner although I expect it's normal to still get the odd rough day out of the blue - but less of them - is that right?
My 4 year old started school yesterday and I don't want to be a hungover mum dropping her off at the gate either so this is another insentive to stop.
Also went on a 3 mile run (first one since my hysterectomy almost 6 months ago and my time was as good as before my surgery even though I've only really been doing swimming as exercise recently so maybe my AF state is helping with this also although in only a week i'd be suprised if it made that much of a difference. Feel really positive this morning - but the it is only 7am - 7pm tonight will be a different story
Have a good day everyone!

[madisonmay]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

Hi Sausage and everyone to come

I am on the same af days as you, day 8 last night. Good on you for being on day 9. I feel better now that my sleep pattern seems to be settling down, I just wake up a few times in the night, but am surprised when I realise I've been asleep for a couple of hours, although it feels like I have just dozed off. I am a bit tired though because I would have had a couple of hours sleep/passed out before going to bed late at night, but now I don't go to bed until late at night, so losing out on the couple of hours, but no doubt this will sort itself out in time. My difficult time is evening time, when I would get the urge for a glass/bottle of wine, it has always surprised me that it does not bother me in the day, and would say to myself I can't be an alcolholic if I don't want a drink day and night. So I have a conflict is it habit or addiction? But what ever it is I know when I have 2 drinks I have to have the bottle or 2, so it is a problem.

I hope you all have a good AF day, and if anyone has sunshine in their part of the world, can you please send some to the UK, especially the North West, as we have been under cloud and rain for so long I forget what sunshine looks like!!!

Madi:l:h

[happydog]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

Hi all you booze buster out there!

Well 8days af 9thday. Felt really low and down in myself late everning.(never seem to know went they are coming, but just comes out of the blue) i dont think i wanted a drink but felt exhausted for some reason. so went to bed early had a good sleep but i always wake up a few times in the middle of the night with my mouth dry. feeling ok today.

I know we mention this last week ( im a bit slow.)
I also did that 4 categories write a list of the posotive and negative side as well towards drinking.
The reason why im bring this up again because i remember when hippie did a thread on changing unhelpful thoughts., which i find interesting at the time because i had to do a emotion diary with my 1to1 therapists at the time. writing down before you take that first drink your feelings thoughts and the emotion side of it which i find really hard. i did this for a few weeks or more, it did help you to realise that these feelings will not last forever. I do sometimes tune in straight away now when i notice my emotions through physiacal sensations like sweating or a tingling feeling in fingers or toes. Well like i did last night i suppose. If you get a chance read the thread. im thinking of taking up yoga hoping it will help me.

Take care ALL:l

Love
Teardrop.x

[SAUSAGE]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

MM
Hi - you sound exactly like me (and we're on same no of days too!) - I only ever craved a drink in the evening around 7pm not at any other time of day , but the amount I would drink once I got started was steadily going up. Started off just a large glass - about 2.5yrs ago, then went to 2 large glasses, then over half a bottle, then well I might as well finish the bottle and then finally when I realised I had to do something about it I was starting to or wanting to start a 2nd bottle all within the space of 18 months or less

However despite all this I felt OK next morning, never really hung over, just a bit dehydrated, (however I was starting to gain weight). I think this was because I drank lots of water with it over the evening and my body was getting used to this amount of alcohol !!

I'm now having a problem because I've never had a really bad time after alcholol I can't imagine those really dark times so I sometimes think i can moderate ( but I know in my heart I can't because after 108 AF days I went straight back to 40-50 units a week within a matter of days and the amount I was drinking was still going up). Don't know where i'd have beenin a yr or two if I had't tried to stop. Still not confident I can keep going AF but really want to......One day at a time.

Sorry can't send you any good weather I'm in UK also and yet another day of really heavy rain !!:H

[retteacher]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

Hi Everyone: I do think it's helpful to be aware of our emotions & physical state when we get a craving. Even a small disappointment or upset will get me thinking. It happened last night while I was babysitting my g-sons. Something small happened, & I immediately noticed my daughter & son-in-law's small garage fridge where she keeps her wine, beer, twisted tea, etc. I made sure I didn't open the fridge, because that would have put me closer to a slip. I put the thought & action (opening the fridge) out of my mind & went on w/my evening.

Today, because of this thread, I'm thinking about the drinking thought. The incident that triggered it was small & fixable. I'm working on a solution today. I must remember that if I had given in & had a drink, I'd be feeling miserable about myself & wouldn't be looking at a way to solve the problem.

Emotions & feelings come & go. Alcohol used to offer me an instant relief to something that might have bothered me. Now I know that a more permanent answer is to think through the feelings & do something about them. Drinking only prolongs the problems.

Thanks for the insights. I hope this made sense. Mary

[A Work in Progress]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

Mary, that was a GREAT example of how to deal with a craving/impulse. Notice it, step back a bit, and "walk it through," or go carefully step by step through what will very likely happen if you give in to the urge, all the way to the hangover and self-hatred (that's where it ends up, for me).

Another tool: Within the world of mindfulness-based relapse prevention, Alan Marlatt came up with the term "urge surfing," which is a way of stepping back and observing the "natural life" of an urge. As soon as you notice you are feeling an urge, step back and examine it: what are the thoughts and bodily sensations that are involved? Continue to observe them, compassionately (not trying to stomp them out or condemn them), as they rise and fall. Inevitably, you will see that they do not actually keep getting worse until they nearly kill us... instead, they naturally just rise to a crest, and then diminish and disappear. Just knowing that they are time-limited, that the don't last forever and have NEVER been known to kill anybody... that can be very helpful.

DG, where are you? Hoping all's well.

wip

[retteacher]

BOOZE BUSTERS Week of 9/8/08 30 Day AF Hangover Free Challenge!

WIP: Thank you so much for your knowledge. In the earliest days of my recovery, I was on survival mode & had to just mindlessly banish any & all drinking thoughts (& there were many per day). Now, that I have some time in between thoughts (sometimes days go by), I can dissect the thoughts & feelings a little better. The self-hatred struck a strong chord w/me. The whole next day after a binge (even after the hangover subsided), I be plagued by the guilt, remorse, & outright self-hatred. The satisfaction I now feel about going through life's ups & downs unadulterated is such a morale boost! Sometimes, I feel like a kid again.

Thank you so much, Mary