Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

[j-vo]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

But you proved to us that asking for help works wonders. There are so many reasons, I'm learning the value in reaching out at our worst times, worst feelings. You did what was right. Hopefully that bottle will stay where it is until you give it away, but if you think it's too close for comfort, get rid of it. Alcohol is a poison, and you don't need poison in your system with all that's going on.:l

[patrice]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

The Lizard Brain

Hi Girls, great going Daisy.. You defeated the lizard brain!

Just read that great article posted by JVO on the lizard brain, the addiction monster
So interesting and almost simple that I can almost picture that part of my brain...
Interesting that years ago they thought About cutting out that part of the brain entirely except could because it controls eating as well, and we all need food !

Would love anyone else's thoughts on this article!
Xx
Pat

[little beagle]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

Daisy I understand about lack of sleep. I have not slept well all week. This jyst comes and goes for me. It makes me a little crazy. I forgot to close the hatch on my car today, drove half way to work. I empathize.
Eloise that studio sounds so nice. I like your attitude. Happiness is contagious. Just keep smiling, hubby will get it.
Pat I like your posative attitude.:l
Ava. :l
J-vo the Lizard Brain. I need that list.

[Guitarista]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

j-vo;1690381 wrote: The Lizard Brain

The Lizard Brain Addiction Monster

Great article in that it makes a lot of sense to me. Thanks J-vo.

[available]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

Tip it out or throw it away Daisy, you dont need it in your house. I have a bottle of wine in my fridge which i noticed this morning when i went to get the milk, its been there since Saturday (im observant). I Looked at it and closed the fridge, it can stay there, it is not a temptation for me now but if i did have the fark its, i would certainly be throwing it away.

Hey Mr G hows life going? Things settled down now the exams are out of the way? I have started walking around Albert Park at lunch time. well i want to make it my mission to walk around it in my lunch hour. It beats walking and looking at brick units i must say. No one around today with the look of rain in the air but it was much needed after the fruit loops i have dealt with today. I said to my boss i wish that smoking was still allowed at my desk as there are some peoples eyes i could have gladly butted my smoke out with. One of those days today!

Hi LB, i drove with my passenger door open nearly last night, it opened when i pulled into the driveway! Would have lost my new towels so i am lucky, oh plus half my wardrobe that lives in the car.

[Pavati]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

Hi, Everyone:

Re-post from what I wrote in the nest because I am tired from another long day at work and a night event. Zzzzzzz. I believe it is relevant to what we all feel from time to time... (especially for Daisy, Dot, and anyone struggling right now).

------------------------------------------------

I was exercising today and listened to the Bubble Hour episode called: Early Sobriety - Am I Ever Going to Feel Better. It is VERY GOOD for people with 1 day to 1 year sober - very informative about what we might be feeling and experiencing. They talk about PAWS (post acute withdrawal symptoms) that can strike at any time when you least expect them, and can frequently lead to relapse. Symptoms include:

--Anxiety
--Irritability
--Disrupted sleeping patterns; insomnia
--Confusion and forgetfulness
--Attention and focus problems

What is the one thing that we think can relieve all of those problems quickly? You guessed it - a drink. That's why PAWS can lead to relapse.

They make the point that most people get them, even if you think it couldn't be you (I know I thought it couldn't be me - I thought that was for REALLY REALLY hard drinkers...) They also make the point that as long as we're expecting them and make very tight plans to get through them we CAN get through them (like G says above). And what's the number one recommendation? REACH OUT AND ASK FOR HELP. The reason we don't want to is that we feel vulnerable, afraid, ashamed and we don't want to be talked out of a "planned relapse." We make excuses that our brain tells us are real, and get defensive when people point out the fallacy of our thinking. That is the cold, hard fact of denial.

The bummer is, once you drink, your brain is reset back, and you'll have to go through it all again.

SO... If you're feeling crummy in any way for any reason, post here, call a friend, go to a meeting, read, exercise, breathe - BEFORE you make the decision to listen to the dickhead (that's AL). The good news is that it goes away. Sometimes it takes a couple of days, but it DOES go away.

My soapbox speech for tonight.

Honestly, really, truly, unbelievably, being sober is MUCH MUCH better than being a drunk.

Pav

[daisy45]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

Pav, I had all of those symptoms and today I am gonna work my ass off to turn it around. Thanks for that.
Ava, I can see clearly now what happened....the wine is going today....someone to give it to....
Can't believe I almost fecked it up.....in a wierd way I am glad this happened and I got through it because now I see the power of asking for help and to see where I went wrong and change things.....
I honestly posted here last night and even in doing so thought there was no turning back....posted with the intention of drinking anyway.....the knowledge I gained over this past couple of months helped too.....was sitting here, on edge, will I, won't I.....can't even describe the relief today.....could have turned out so different......
Thanks you lot.....feck, do ye think maybe I might be an alky? (Joking!)

[daisy45]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

Pav, I had all of those symptoms and today I am gonna work my ass off to turn it around. Thanks for that.
Ava, I can see clearly now what happened....the wine is going today....someone to give it to....
Can't believe I almost fecked it up.....in a wierd way I am glad this happened and I got through it because now I see the power of asking for help and to see where I went wrong and change things.....
I honestly posted here last night and even in doing so thought there was no turning back....posted with the intention of drinking anyway.....the knowledge I gained over this past couple of months helped too.....was sitting here, on edge, will I, won't I.....can't even describe the relief today.....could have turned out so different......
Thanks you lot.....feck, do ye think maybe I might be an alky? (Joking!)

[little beagle]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

Daisy I'm glad you didn't. The relief is huge. And that Lizard Brain learns a lesson!

[daisy45]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

Thanks Beagle.....heading for an AF swim now! Have a great day you!

[NoSugar]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

Hi, Daisy,

This was my post to you in the NN:

Daisy, you really used this site in the way it is most likely to work - I'm so impressed and happy for you. Now that you're on the other side of that potential crisis, doing a version of "play it forward" can be so helpful. How would it have gone if you'd decided to drink?

I bet you would have had to gulp down the first glass because you would have been feeling so guilty and wrong, you'd have needed to get to that fuzzy place of not caring as quickly as possible. I've heard the first one usually tastes pretty bad after a period of abstinence, too, so gulping might have helped you get past that, too. The second glass might have been more enjoyable but you still would have been with it enough to know you were undoing 86 days of hard work. You truly would have been swallowing all the pride you'd gained. After 2 or 3, you might not have cared about the consequences anymore and would have been on your way to the desired state of oblivion. At some point you would have reached it and either crashed on your couch or staggered off to bed without cleaning up. In the morning you'd figure out which of those had happened. And this is the best case scenario - not being as used to drinking as before, you might have gotten really drunk and sent emails or text messages that would mortify you this morning, you might have fallen and hurt yourself, or you might have for some reason had to drive and gotten a DUI or in a tragic accident.

Even if you had only blacked out, safe in your home, you would have awakened with the sickening feeling of failure. You would wonder what was wrong with you. You would have given anything to turn the clock back 24 hours or 12 hours -- just long enough not to make the horrible choice to drink.

Well, enough of "Play it Backward" because that isn't what you did . But contrasting your fabulous choice with the consequences of its opposite can really help cement in your rationale mind the right thing to do.

I hope you are celebrating your 87th day! :h

[Guitarista]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

NoSugar;1690706 wrote: Hi, Daisy,

This was my post to you in the NN:

Daisy, you really used this site in the way it is most likely to work - I'm so impressed and happy for you. Now that you're on the other side of that potential crisis, doing a version of "play it forward" can be so helpful. How would it have gone if you'd decided to drink?

I bet you would have had to gulp down the first glass because you would have been feeling so guilty and wrong, you'd have needed to get to that fuzzy place of not caring as quickly as possible. I've heard the first one usually tastes pretty bad after a period of abstinence, too, so gulping might have helped you get past that, too. The second glass might have been more enjoyable but you still would have been with it enough to know you were undoing 86 days of hard work. You truly would have been swallowing all the pride you'd gained. After 2 or 3, you might not have cared about the consequences anymore and would have been on your way to the desired state of oblivion. At some point you would have reached it and either crashed on your couch or staggered off to bed without cleaning up. In the morning you'd figure out which of those had happened. And this is the best case scenario - not being as used to drinking as before, you might have gotten really drunk and sent emails or text messages that would mortify you this morning, you might have fallen and hurt yourself, or you might have for some reason had to drive and gotten a DUI or in a tragic accident.

Even if you had only blacked out, safe in your home, you would have awakened with the sickening feeling of failure. You would wonder what was wrong with you. You would have given anything to turn the clock back 24 hours or 12 hours -- just long enough not to make the horrible choice to drink.

Well, enough of "Play it Backward" because that isn't what you did . But contrasting your fabulous choice with the consequences of its opposite can really help cement in your rationale mind the right thing to do.

I hope you are celebrating your 87th day! :h

Spot on NS. This is how it's been every time this year for me. I will awake here tomorrow sober, and cherishing, no, thrilling to day 10. :welcome:

Take care y'all.

[j-vo]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

Morning Girls,
Beautiful day here. Sitting on the back patio and taking it all in.

Pav and NS, great posts. I need to repost those in my journal. Lots of good things to do and think about.

Daisy, so glad you made it through and are now on 87!

Jane, it is job #1 to be aware of our emotions and that what we're feeling may be completely irrational due to past experiences. We need to live in the present and not past. If we're living in the past, we'll continue to make the same mistakes and never move forward.

Off to work on a bedroom. Have a great day.

[giraffe1234]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

Pav + NS: Food for thought.
I also keep on thinking about the (hypothetical) 30 day trial of having only one single unit of your favourite drink at your most vulnerable time of day. No way I could do that, which means no way I could entertain thoughts of moderation.
Thank you all again for being my constant motivation to stay sober. Everybody who posts here inspires me.
xx

[giraffe1234]

Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

:blushing:
Personal update: I have rewarded myself for 9 months of sobriety with a, wait for it, .....
A boobjob!
Actually only a boob lift, but still.