January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

[dill]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

A couple more things: Lode, you asked if I do supps. I don't. I take something for occasional stress: calms forte, and I take B vitamin complex. For sleep I use Alteril or valerian root.

And about parsnips: I was incredulous today that after work I beat a trail to the grocery store to buy parsnips and a turnip. I've never tried either. But this is the same grocery store that I habitually go to after work to buy wine! I could not believe that I was there to buy parsnips and a turnip and I didn't even want to go buy the wine!:H Maybe we should start our own website: "Miracle cure: Beat addiction with parsnips/rutabagas/turnips!"

[mighty mouse]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

Hello to everyone,

Shel, Lode and Lil, congrats on all the anniversaries :goodjob:

Lod, I don't really have a plan...I don't have what I would call big cravings anymore. they are more like what LBH describes...something in the background. as Lil said, cabin fever could definitely have been a big trigger but working is stopping that one right now...and like Lav...my husband has been more of a spectator than an engaged partner in me and my childrens life and I would love to blame him for drinking alone... I still did it to myself..but he is a big trigger on the weekends. what I need to remember is doing the same thing and expecting different results. the results are never different...and i love my free days. i want to have free weekends too. I'm getting there, I can feel it.
Lav I am checking into that 21day habit site. I have to get some audio cds so I can burn them and listen to them in private.

man, that would be great to write...I think we all have a few good books in us.
SD, Hang in there:l

Sounds like soup is the food for January..Mixture of a little bitter a little sweet, some good stock and simmer till you get it right...don't stop simmering...and thank you all for being my stock.

Lil, sooty, red and more, :h MM

[Lavande]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

Hi gang!

My grandson didn't do me in afterall
I swear he should get the gold medal for speed crawling!!!

Mandalay, my grandson is nearly 14 months old & manages to get into a lot. I'm sure yours at the age of 2 is a very, very busy man! Good that he is nearby......they are a pleasure!

Dill, sounds like you are making good progress! I hope you can help your friend with her drinking issue. Steering her here to this website is a great start, good for you! And good that you were able to go parsnip shopping & stay out of the wine aisle

MM, keep doing whatever you're doing........you'll learn to ace your weekends as well. I used the Habit Busting program to rid myself of negative thinking & boost my overall self-confidence. You can use the program any way you like - it's good

Well, I'm done for the day. Hope everyone has a restful night!
Lav

[redhibiscus]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

Good night everyone. I made it through another day and had NO cravings. I will go many days without cravings, and then for stress reasons or no reasons, the cravings will again hit. It is just not a pattern I can figure out. I have noticed that after being AF over a week or two weeks, cravings, thoughts, depression will hit and that is a dangerous time. Last week, I felt depressed, cabin fever, whatever, all week and it did not end well. I really fought the thoughts and cravings, but chose to drink when angry. I used to be angry alot, and have really had less anger since I drink less. Has anyone else noticed that? Less strong feelings as sobriety becomes the norm?

I still want someone to tell me if you peel the turnips and parsnips if you roast them in the oven? Does anyone have the answer? It is fun to make soup and share recipes. I am enjoying it.

[lodestar]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

Ahhhh, comfy in my chair with my feet up after a crazy day of running around. I didn't get to bed until 3am preparing for my class, but I'm really happy with the results. Thanks for all your kind wishes about my "almost anniversary." It was a little surprising to me to see it and great news. Love "done & dusted" Lil ~ I think of that phrase a lot now that I'm here at MWO. It's a good one and you will be there in no time!

Dill, I take some supplements too and thanks for sharing about your crave-free days. I've heard the L-glutamine helps with cravings and I just take 1 capsule of that in the morning. I don't have cravings most days ~ NYE was my most recent. I don't know if it is because of the L-glut (I don't really think I take enough to help much) or what, but I like that I could increase it or break the capsule and pour it under my tongue if needed. Mine are usually more vague al-related thoughts and always MWO and all of you pop into my mind when I think of al now. Perhaps it is a new habit of thinking that has helped most or just that I feel so damn much better physically and mentally than I have in a very long time. I'm just going to keep going along like this. MM, sorry to hear about hubs and I get it about not really having a plan. I don't have much of one either.

Shelley, congrats on your 5 months. You're doing great! Your version of "my three sons" is a hoot. I think that should be a new television show...slogging through the academic world. I know quite a few people who would watch it

Red, there are sooooo many things that have changed for me in the past three months and thank you for asking the question. It really is an important one and I'm a little bit shy about putting myself out there with the extent of the changes, because it means I have to also address where I was. I think I'll post this now and then spend a little time on your question separately.

:h and AFness to all

[lodestar]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

Hi again all,

This is to address the changes I've experienced since I stopped using al in October specifically. I am an intensely private person when it comes to the internet, so even being on this forum has been a huge stretch for me. Revealing what is better about my life means revealing what sucked about it before, and that may leave me feeling a bit vulnerable. But I've got some big girl panties so hear goes...

Without alcohol I:
~am peaceful and when I feel anxious I can tolerate it and do something healthy to overcome it (I was anxious almost to the point of paralysis at times)

~feel happy a lot of the time (this doesn't mean I don't get lonely or sad, but the al-induced blues and overwhelming, over-the-top crying is gone)

~found my old confidence in a whole new way (I used to be really comfortable in my own "skin" -- I thought that was maybe gone forever)

~am more social all around (I used to be the life of the party...then the "party" started happening at home and I didn't have a life...now I have a life again and find that I am even more fun to be around)

~am much less fearful and have hope again for my future (Gawd, I was scared of me, of decisions, of my future)

~feel little shame or embarrassment about having developed a problem with al (I'm learning to laugh at myself and let myself off the hook about this -- many thanks to you)

~enjoy the present moment regularly

~smile with my whole face and can appreciate my own beauty again (I wondered where that radiant person had gone...this one just brought some rather unexpected tears)

~am learning to work with my body again and love it just how it is at the same time

These are just a few of the countless things that have improved, but it is actually harder than I thought it would be to write ~ not because I can't list a bagillion benefits, but because I have to think of how truly bad I felt about myself before. Gonna revisit it later if that's okay...this is a good exercise for me. Thanks for listening.

:groupluv:

[cyntree]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

Good night all - thanks for the rich and nutritive posts -
Sped - you Rockstar! -- Congrats - Great work Lode, and thanks for your thoughful posts. I completely understand about this thread being a stretch for you - it is for me as well, but I have become so happy hearing everyone's story, and now feel comfortable sharing my own.

Dill - I laughed out loud at the new Miracle AL cure...why not?! LBH - a few days ago, you wrote about somehow feeling 'not enough'. I think many of us out here understand that feeling all too well, and the anxious cloud that accompanies it. But truly, whether you are cooking a gourmet meal or doing puzzles or entertaining your birds, you really are still our life of the party Lady, and thank you for that.

Man - lovely to hear about your life on the other side of the equator. Red, SD - so glad that you're here telling your stories. EVERYONE - Lil, Lav, Sooty, MM, Open, Pnut, Savvy, Chill, and anyone that I (sorry!) missed - know that I am sending you all sweet dreams from the desert sky.

It will be a crazy day for me tomorrow - but I will be AF, and will check in with you all late in the day.

[FindingMyself]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

Congratulations to those of you who’ve reached a milestone recently!

Dill – I may have had a day without a craving, but it sure wasn’t today (but I did make it through, AF!). I do remember though, waaaay back in October when I got a few AF weeks under my belt that there were days that were pretty easy – well, relatively!

I think it’s great that you all decided to move the thread to the monthly abstinence section. I think I’ve succeeded in the past by having long-er term goals along with the day to day.

Looks like there have been lots of good recipes floating around as usual.
Spedteach – I like veggies cooked like that as well – just chop, toss with olive oil and bake. It brings a nice rich sweetness to the food.

Just a short post as I try to get back into the swing of things. Gosh, I remember jumping out of bed at 5 am and getting on line to read and post on this thread! I sure was high on being sober. Gotta see if I can dig deep, uncurl, and find that feeling again – gosh maybe I was in love with myself – or was it with the collective you?

Thanks for the “welcome backs”. It’s so nice to see familiar names and new names too. I'm glad to be here again!

[redhibiscus]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

Greetings to all JJDIs!

Lodestart, thanks for the thoughtful post: peaceful, confident, comfortable, social, mindful are the changes you described you have experienced since becoming AF. It appears that your perception of body, mind, and soul has changed for the better. I forgot what a bad place I too was in when I first came to this site. Thanks for taking the time to analyze your changes.

We all have so much to gain by staying/becoming AF. Alcohol does nothing for us but bring us down and take us away from who we truly are. How does this happen? Over time and with lots of use.

Today I commit to being AF and wish everyone a great day.:l

[dill]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

Hi Red! I'll commit for today along with you! You are right about alc taking us away from who we truly are, "over time and with lots of use". For me, finding my way back has taken a lot of time and non-use: accumulating AF days. Each AF day makes one stronger and better.

Lode, I appreciated you taking the time to be reflective and share yourself and what you've experienced. I look forward to hearing more. As far as being afraid to post on MWO, I was that way too. I still have nagging doubts and fears, but I get SO much from posting here and from hearing from others, that I am glad I have taken that scary plunge.

Cyn, I hope you are feeling a bit less "like Switzerland" today! You have such a busy schedule, it is great that you manage to check in with us! ...glad you do!

Finding, Your cravings will abate once again. It is a wonderful feeling of freedom, those days without them! It makes it all the more confusing when they appear, seemingly out of nowhere at times.

I would love to blame him for drinking alone... I still did it to myself..

MM, I can't blame anyone else either, although I would love to!:H

Lav, by now you've had a full night's sleep and have rested up from Mr. Speed Crawler!:H And, good, you liked Sooty's soup. I will try it this week, but not today. We're having company for dinner and I suspect our gentleman would prefer something meaty.

I must share with you all that I had a moment of gratitude last night. As I mentioned in a previous post, a friend in need called me last night and I was sober and able to converse rationally with her. The old me would've been drinking by that time and irritated possibly, for the interruption on some level, although I would've responded in a supportive manner. Then later in the evening, 10pm to be exact, the phone rang and it was my brother. He never calls that "late" so I knew something was wrong. He told me his wife has breast cancer and had undergone surgery yesterday. I was stunned. Why hadn't they mentioned it before? He said she just couldn't bear to tell anyone. It was awful hearing this news. She is 45 years old and they have 3 children. Doctors say the prognosis is good, but she will have to undergo chemo. I was so grateful that I was sober and present for that phone call. Bittersweet gratitude.

[lilmea]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

I was so grateful that I was sober and present for that phone call. Bittersweet gratitude.

Dill-I am so sorry to hear about your SIL. Those late night phone calls are so scary. I thought gratitude was strickly something connected to the good/happy times. I was amazed when I found that I was most grateful to be 'present' during the bad/sad times. I have read the long term abers talking about 'living life on lifes term' and realize this is what they are talking about.

I'm taking my Mom to the dentist this morning and then spending the rest of the day with her doing a few small chores and just spending time. I could not have done this a year ago as it would have interfered with my drinking time. I am grateful for this af time with her.

Hello to one and all. Have a peaceful, af day.

[Lavande]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

Good morning friends,

Dill & Lil, I'm so glad to hear that you are both seeing the benefits of being AF. Not only do we feel better ourselves but we are able to be fully present for our loved ones! I'm so grateful for that, really means a lot! Dill, I understand your SIL's desire to stay quiet about her Dx - I would do the same myself. I will keep her in my thoughts & prayers.

Lode, thank you for sharing your thoughts & feelings on your journey - so many of us can relate! I love be able to hold my head high & look at directly at someone knowing I have nothing to hide, apoligize for or feel guilty about

Red, cyn & Finding - greeting to you too! Hope you have a great AF Tuesday.

I'm meeting an old friend for lunch today, no AL invited! We always have fun remembering our old war stories, we worked together for 10+ years

Wishing everyone a terrifi Tuesday.
Lav

[sooty]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

Hello everyone, snowing here again, evening class cancelled - I shall be so glad when things get back to normal, I'm getting fed up of all the disruption now!
Thanks for the rutabaga link Lav - now i know what you're all talking about and they're not rutabagas they're swedes - we have them quite often and I absolutely love em. Mashed with butter and black pepper, in stews - gorgeous. And here I was thinking this was something you had invented! Funny how our language is so similar but has such differences.
Dill, well done on being sober for your phone calls - its a good feeling when we can help someone and know that our response is sober and clear.
I'm on standby to look after my friend's children as her father is gravely ill and I want to be clear headed and ready to drop everything if I am needed. I feel quite proud to have this responsibility! I would have worried about volunteering a while ago in case I could not meet the challenge and how embarrassing would that have been!
Ok I'm going to make myself a cup of tea now, Mr S made a veg stew for our evening meal which has left me feeling very thirsty!
Have a good Tuesday you lovely lot - see you all on humpday
love Sooty

[sdlovespackers]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

Hi ALL!

Well I'm home with a sick child today. He was up at 1:00AM puking...I was thankful I was "present" for him as I remember throwing up as such a scary thing as a kid...pretty certain I couldn't have said that a year ago!! So sad!!

Lav--thanks for your kind words about the ex...I know I should learn to ignore him more...I don't know why it still bothers me...sometimes I think he posts things JUST to hurt me...I just have to stop thinking/worrying about it!

Mandalay- THANK YOU SO MUCH for telling me how to block my ex. I got on there today to do it and my son walked in and asked if I was deleting his dad...I'll do it later today when he goes to bed...he's too smart for his own good!! But I really do appreciate the advice...no sense in making things harder on myself...cause I just can't help but looking...ugh!!! Thank you!

Dill, MM--thank you as well for your supportive words. Dill-although the news wasn't good< I can totally relate to feeling good about being there for someone at a bad time (my sister last month needed me and I was able to be there when her hubby kicked her out). I will keep your family in my prayers!!

Red--I'm with you on the more intense feelings of anger or whatever when al was a daily part of my life. I walk such a fine line too when it comes to triggers such as depression (weather doesn't help AT ALL) and getting upset/angry (like with my ex). I'm hoping with more AF time under my belt...those triggers won't be so easily tripped!! We've just go to be thankful for the changes we have made and for the AF time we have accumulated!!

Lodestar--your self reflection post brought tears to my eyes!! Thank you so much for your reflection!!! You truly sound amazing!! I will keep that post (if it's ok) to reflect back on....you touched on a lot of similar areas in my life as well!! Good job with your AF success!! Keep it up!!!

I have to take my son to the drs. in about 30 minutes so I need to get moving...Cyn, LiL, FM, Sooty, Peanut...and all others...have a peaceful Tuesday!!! Biggest Loser tonight!!! Yippee...I LOVE remembering who got voted off the next morning!!!:H
SD:l

[mandalay]

January:Just Do It~AF~Week 2

Hi all

Everyone seems to have done well since I last posted and really going well with the soup!

Sooty - you would have been amazed when you discovered that rutabaga is good old swede! I always mash mine too, with salt, pepper and a dollop of cream yum! Don't recall ever roasting it, but there's no logical reason why not. Red - yes, I would definitely peel the parsnips and any other root veg. Depending on the size of them I take the really long skinny tail off (it burns too easily and can taint the oil you are cooking them in), cut them in half acrosswise, then cut them in three along the length. They do have a 'core' but I ignore that except on the really big parsnips (say about 4 inches at the top for example, which can be a bit tough). Happy eating!

SD - so glad I was able to help with Facebook - did you also r ealise that the quickest way to hide someone is to hover the mouse to the right of their post? It will then offer you the option of 'hiding' them. Every so often I go to 'options' and unhide them, and have a quick read incase there is anything important on there about my granddaughters but there never is.....so I just hide her again. She is none the wise

Lavande - yes, you are so right about my young grandson! We had him all day yesterday in the end, which gave her lots of time to get on. He's a joy but hard work!

Gotta rush! Have a great AF evening, everyone!

Mandalay