My NEW Story Starts Here...

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

It is NOT "sadly that it is day 2 for you..." Congratulations on Day 2. THAT is a HAPPY FACT!! I am sad to hear that you relapsed - that is the sad part. This isn't easy. It can be SO hard to get back on the wagon and I am happy that you are working it.

What went wrong?
What did you learn?
What are you doing different now as a result?

:l

DG

[DiscoBunnie]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi DG...

What went wrong?
Well, I didn't know how to handle feeling so good, I got in over my head thinking I could do it all, forgetting to take time to just "be me & be thankful". I lost sight of the fact that I have a disease, a disease that is dependent on just that one first drink...

What did I learn?
That I cannot do this alone, that it is okay for me to ask for help. That I need AA in my life, for the support and the friendships I can find there. Only those that have been where I am can really know where I am!

What am I doing different now?
For today, my 3rd day! whooo hooo! I am thankful that I am sober for today. I am grateful that I was graced with the assistance of overcoming my craving this afternoon. That I was strong enough to stay away from the grocery store and the liquor aisle for today! Tommorrow, I will figure out what I will do when tommorrow is here...

=0) Thanks DG Wow you are really close to 1000 days!!!

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

One day at a time DB! You can do it.

DG

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Thought I would update my journal with what I think is an important step that I took last week. I have never been very good at keeping committments to volunteer work. Drinking and helping others just didn't go together for me.

A couple weeks ago I worked at one local shelter cooking / serving lunch. I am now signed up to help once a week at a local mission. I also attended volunteer training for their family center, and gave my finger prints and permission for the background check - requirements to work in that program.

It feels really good to get out of myself and get involved in this important aspect of my local community. There are a number of fabulous charities here that are making an amazing difference in people's lives every day. I always used to think I was "doing enough" by sending a small donation once in awhile. Now I am trying to be more regular with financial help and especially more giving with my time.

Feels good. It's NOT all about me. What a shocker.

DG

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Holy crap. I just read my first post in this story from July 2008. :H:H My how things change with time. The one truth in that post was not being able to predict the future! :H

That 10 days AF must have FELT like forever because I sure seemed to think I had this thing licked. :H

I will stand by those comment on Positive Mental Attitude.

My comment about desire to reach out to other alcoholics is interesting, in retrospect.

I think I better continue on with no predictions about the future! I will just say I hope I'm back here in a few weeks to report 3 years of continuous sobriety. And a new AA coin.

DG

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

I suppose I should articulate what I had ready/heard about AA that made me very sure it was NOT FOR ME a couple years before ever attending one single meeting. :H

1) The "spiritual" part of it (FEAR!! FEAR!! Danger Will Rogers!!!)

2) And now for the biggest reason of all....the fact that it is a program of ABSTINENCE.

I secretly loved the fact that MWO offered a Moderation Option. I loved that idea in the dark corners of my addicted mind. Well, if you were bored and read on in this story, you already know how that worked out!

DG

[Bruunhilde]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hey DG, glad you kept this thread going - I had two weeks of AF going and felt I had it LICKED! Boy was I wrong.

I'm off to the dog park, drive through food, and then back here to take ALL-ONE, my fish oil, etc in preparation for white knuckle night.

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

I'm proud of you Bruun. I was an all day, every day drunk in the end. I was 49 when I first showed up here to try to get sober (or my dirty secret - try to figure out how to drink moderately :H:H:H). I wanted to kill myself. I had a huge stash of pills saved up for that purpose.

And here I am today sober almost 3 years. If I can do it, and all these other people around here can do it, you can do it too. I KNOW YOU CAN. I hope YOU believe too.

:l

It won't always be white knuckle. You can get through today. Enjoy the dog park. Wear yourself out and then go to bed early. LOL - early to bed is my great antidote for cravings!! And I'm not talking about going there with Mr. Doggy either! (maybe a beagle, but we're "just friends.")

DG

[Bruunhilde]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

I know you're right, I've been there, and I think it was just the suggestion that you could still do the diet I was on and have "low carb" AL which means my descent into hell. I'm so suggestible.

That dirty little secret is most of our dirty little secrets, of course!

[Newgrange]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Just found this DG! What a journal and a journey. Full of honesty. Inspirational. :thanks:

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Day 1 Whole 30

Bruun, I think that whole "low carb AL" thing is a falacy. I think AL processes different than food. I suppose it can work for normies who drink "just one." For me, it's more like "just one giant bottle." That's a no-go on every level! :H

Newgrange, you are doing really well! One thing is for sure....the time it takes to read this journal will give you something to do besides drink for a LONG long time. Glad you stopped by!!

[timetochangeforme]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

I read the beginning and skipped to the end but I want to read the rest. I also quit smoking first about a year and a half ago and QuitNet was very helpful. I see a lot of similarities with myself in your experience and I have read a lot of your posts. I know that alcohol has changed for me and it is time to get rid of it. I will be reading more, a lot more. I need a plan for myself, I am glad I found this site, I actually found it through quitnet "Other addictions" forum.

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi Time to Change and :welcome: to My Way Out! Quitnet, My Way Out, and a few other resources have saved my life, that's for sure. If I can get this monkey off my back, I KNOW you can do it too. Congratulations on quitting smoking!!! THAT ONE IS HARD!! If you can do that, you can do this.

DG

[jennyneric]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

DG, I just read this whole journal, it took about 10 days and it was wonderful. I wish you would have posted more in the second and third years however the first 6 months and the year of posts before that were riveting! Thank you for the time you take to document your journey and help others.

I will start documenting my journey today. I will spend the evening and long weekend going through old posts and copy and paste them into it. I am no where near as insperational as you are now. . . .however it sounds like you started out as everyone does, down, out, and reaching out for help. That's how I started so maybe my story will one day be as insperatioal as yours, if not to others, to myself.

Thank you DG.

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Wow Jenny! You really put some time into that effort!

I really should consolidate a lot of what I write about in other places about the things I have been working on in the last year+. I have reached a point quite some time ago where AFness has really been effortless. Well, I do put effort every day into staying physically, spiritually and mentally fit. Lots of effort goes into that, and that's a huge part of what keeps me sober I think. But it's not the same sort of effort that staying AF in the early days took. The early days took a lot of energy just specifically on the task of NOT drinking AL.

My life is so much different and better today than it was in the darkest hours of my last drinking years, it's hard to even describe. It's like looking back on somebody else's life - not mine.

These days I'm trying to figure out how to live up to my potential. Not sure what that is yet, but I'm working on it!

For anyone who stumbles across this journal, I wish you strength and hope on your journey to recovery. If I can do it, you can do it too.

DG