AF Daily - Wed April 27

[Cassia]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

Hi Mylife-

I can't remember exactly but what is the longest you have put in an AF stretch. I still had thoughts of AL every day right up until my 30 days and even a bit after. It's only now that I don't even think about it but I will be honest - I am worried that's only because I have so much to do and I might struggle once this move is done.

If you persevere with it, it will lessen I promise - you won't be thinking about it with the same verocity (is that a word?) that you are thinking about it now in say months time.

xx

[momof3]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

Hello All,

Wow, so much activity here. Just a quick check in so won't respond to all individually but I did want to give a SPECIAL WELCOME to Daisy45. The monthly abs section is a great place to post because most who do are really serious about being AF.

DG, To answer your question from yesterday. Yes, I am still running. I have started the coach to 5K program to get my oldest daughter running. We are going to pick a 5K to train for. It will be fun for us to do this together. You will be amazed at how much you will progress in your running. Just don't overdo it....that's what most people tend to do and then they get discouraged/injured. I think the C25K program is a good one.

Later
M3

[universal]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

Hi Jolie,

I cam home Monday night. Staying sober and positive.

[momof3]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

Hi Mylife,

Some folks call those initial days of being AF, the "pink cloud" because people typically feel such relief and even elation over being successful at staying AF. From my own experience and from what I have read here, it is not all uncommon for thoughts of alcohol to pop up after a few weeks of sobriety. And, I thnk thes dreams about drinking are actually good because it seems to me that it is our subconsicious telling us that we need to remain vigalent and not become complacent.

I can't recall when my craving for alcohol or my strong focus on "not drinking" went away. It is a gradual thing and does get easier with more time you put it. As time goes by, thoughts will pop up and take you by surprise but they become less frequent and less intense.

I also found that setting personal goals and finding hobbies or activities that I would not have done when I was drinking were extremely helpful. Creating a lifestyle that allows no room for alcohol is really important.

M3

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

mylife;1105804 wrote: Okay, I have a question for all you "long term abbers" out there. When I went AF this time I thought I would really be suffering and missing AL at the beginning and it would eventually lessen. Much to my surprise, the first 10 days went by so fast I hardly even had a chance to miss it. I had a few thoughts over the next 10 days, but again it was a lot easier than I had thought it would be.

Starting on about day 20 I have been having thoughts of AL almost every day to the point that last night I dreamt my husband was trying to tempt me with a glass of wine! It's really weird, but I thought this was supposed to get easier, not harder as time went along?

Luckily, I'm the type of person that digs in my heels when the going gets tough so it's kind of helping me now that I have something to fight off, and I feel quite sure I'm not going to give in to these thoughts, but I'm curious why they're cropping up now so much as I close in on my 30-days?

For me, when I say it got easier with time, I'm talking about a LOT more time. Some days were easy, some days were hard. Things got substantially easier somewhere in the second year or so?? And yet I know I can never let down my guard. People have HARD relapses after YEARS. I'm helping a friend right now who was sober 13 years and then relapsed. And then again, and now again.

One thing is for sure, giving in and drinking does NOT make it easier.

ALWAYS beware. Cunning, Baffling, Powerful. That is all.

DG

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

momof3;1105862 wrote: Creating a lifestyle that allows no room for alcohol is really important.

AMEN SISTAH!!!

[mylife]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

Thanks Guys for the feedback!

Cassia, since I thought about stopping drinking this time, (after Thanksgiving this year) I made it to to about 20 days once and then I think 27 days another time so here I am again on day 27.

In the past I never really tried to stop for that long I think maybe another 3-4 week period, but mostly I really just tried to cut back and say drink 1-2 nights a week and limit drinks -- that sort of thing so I'd go for stretches of "Modding" rather than "Abstaining".

And when I did stop in the past it was with the idea in the back of my mind that I'd eventually moderate at some point in the future. This time I've really tried to cut that idea out of my mind as I really don't think that will work for me long term. (I'm not sure it really works for anyone...but that's just my opinion!)

Anyway, I will wait and see what happens. I do remember days when I could care less about alcohol and would never have thought of it as something I couldn't do without! So I'm hoping to experience that feeling again some day.

Great to see everyone so active here lately! Have a great evening all.

[mylife]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

Doggygirl;1105865 wrote: ALWAYS beware. Cunning, Baffling, Powerful. That is all.

DG

Thanks DG!

[greeneyes]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

momof3;1105862 wrote: Creating a lifestyle that allows no room for alcohol is really important.

I have no idea how there WAS room for alcohol. There are never enough hours in a day for me.

:l:l to everybody!

Glad you're back knicker ripper!

[universal]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

My life, I relapsed after almost 7 months because I got complacent - I basically went "okay, I gotta a handle on this now" And now I am fighting to get back there. Complacency kills us - cunning baffling powerful is right - we have to remember the disease is doing pushups while we are sober. It is ALWAYS looking for an opening no matter how long we are sober.

I may lose some battles - but I will win this war. And this time when I hit 6 months I am going to have a little cake and ice cream with my friends to remind myself that it's a milestone and to remind myself NOT to get complacent. And with that, I go to bed - sober. And grateful to have my MWO friends to always support me and understand.

Love you guys.

[papmom3]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

Greenie!!! Good luck on your interview tomorrow!!! Kick ass girl! :l

Uni-keep going with those positive thoughts! How is Boo?

My Life-After my first 30 days I had a one night/half bottle relapse because I thought I could handle it. The next month it was one whole bottle because I was feeling blue and anxious and not right. The next day I started the journey over again and haven't really looked back. I had some cravings early on and I didn't go to my sister's Labor Day party 4 months later because I felt it would be too much temptation just to fit in. I've since gotten through many family get togethers and a couple of social events and it's all been fine. No desire to drink at all. Hang tough - I think once you reach 60 days those thoughts will be gone-at least they were for me. BUT, as DG and Uni have said, and others, the beast is always waiting in the background-waiting to pounce if we let our guard down. Know your triggers, remember HALT and always have a plan in place-even for ordinary days. My days are also filled to the hilt like Greenie and M3 said-no time for AL here!

[Lavande]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

Good evening all!

Busy here today, I was pretty busy myself!

Uni, so glad you are OK. I hope your appointments & plans you have in place do the trick for you. Just hang in here with us in the meantime

mylife, I think you'll find a big change in your thinking when you are 2 - 3 months AF, I know I did. I continued to use the MWO CDs, they helped so much. I was able to get on a plane, fly to Quebec for a few days about 2 1/2 months after I quit drinking (smoking too) & had absolutely no problem whatsoever. I was too determined to keep my quits!!!

Greenie, good luck

DG - today's YB's courting dance involved tilling up the veggie garden for me :H
He came over after work as promised.........I was nice & fed him dinner afterwards :H

Papmom, I hope the big storms due here tomorrow don't show up in your neighborhood this weekend Good luck to you as well

Calling it a night!
Lav

[Sarasmiles]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

Hey Everyone,

Busy, busy day of work and kids! Nary a thought of alcohol today.

My dear sister emailed me that she fell asleep on Saturday night, and neglected to be the Easter Bunny. I had such a pang, wondering if she had been drinking or was just tired. I also felt so grateful that I will never have to carry the burden of mistakes made while drinking again! Yay!

Be well, everyone!
Sara

[Determinator]

AF Daily - Wed April 27

Hidy ho ABerooooos!

greetings from a hotel room in far north California. gorgeous drive through the snowy mountains with sunlight gleaming off the lakes and streams. just breathtaking.

big welcome to our new friend Daisy45!

Uni, so glad you are staying tight with us.

Mom3, you're setting such a great example with your exercise routine.

relapses? lemme tell you all about it. 2 years and 10 months and I took a major crap on myself (colorful term for relapsing). Don't EVER take your eye off the opponent. a powerful trigger for me in addition to this hotel lifestyle is 'rewarding' myself by eating sugar and garbage. I normally eat really good clean Paleo/Primal at home, but on the road have tended to reward myself. that is not logical or healthy behaviour and it's officially OVER! today I didn't eat one stinking bad carb. I even picked out all the croutons from my salad. i also did a bunch of pushups in my hotel room before dinner. trying to be good! lemme rephrase that: I AM being good.

Bear, the martial arts I'm currently doing are native to the Philipines and are called Arnis, Eskrima or Kali (all are correct terms depending on your location). Here is a video of one of the two great grand masters of the sub-style I'm currently taking. we are actually planning a field trip to the Philipines in 2012 to visit the various masters. how cool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQltqe2FFcE[/video]]YouTube - Kombatan Arnis - Grand Master Ernesto G Presas Jnr

be well friends