My NEW Story Starts Here...

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hello everyone. I haven't been around MWO a lot this summer. I've been a little off kilter emotionally as my Dad passed away on July 2. I am blessed that I took the summer off from school and was able to spend a lot of time with him and also my Mom before he died. I am so grateful that I was fully sober and present for this experience, no matter how sad and emotional it was.

I am also paying the piper this summer for my years of self neglect while drinking. Dentist??? Who wants to go to the dentist reeking of booze????!!! :egad: Since sobering up I've had a wonderful lady working on cleaning up my teeth. And thankfully my teeth have never been cavity prone. But..the cleaning wasn't enough. In order to save my teeth for as long as possible, I had that gum flap disgusting surgery done on half of my mouth in July, with the other half scheduled for December. OMG is that a horrible surgery! It's my own doing though. Consequences.

School starts next week and I'm looking forward to the challenge and stimulation of classes, interesting teachers and lively debates. I'm so grateful to have a full life with the freedom to choose what I will do every single day. With AL, I had NO freedom in the end. AL demanded that I spend all of my time planning to be with him, being with him, and recovering from the experience. I'm not "free" to drink. But I'm FREE TO NOT DRINK!!! Sobriety is such a gift. I hope everyone here finds it!

DG

[Janice]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi Doggygirl, great to see your post but so very sorry to hear about your Dad.

Sending big hugs your way and wishing you well with your classes.

xx

ps I too am loving the freedom!

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi Janice! It's great to *see* you. Thanks for your kind thoughts about my Dad.

I'm glad you are enjoying FREEDOM!!!!

I've been busier than a one arm paper hanger, whatever the sam hill that means. (and I don't know what the sam hill sam hill means either) Hello to all - I hope to have more time soon for catching up.

Stay sober one day at a time - it is SO WORTH IT!

DG

[pixie]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

DG,

Thanks for writing all this down. I just read through (most of) it from start to finish (I had a big sandwich). Very inspiring. Very VERY inspiring. You have given me ideas for some things to work on.

Good luck with your classes.

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

pixie;1375272 wrote: DG,

Thanks for writing all this down. I just read through (most of) it from start to finish (I had a big sandwich). Very inspiring. Very VERY inspiring. You have given me ideas for some things to work on.

Good luck with your classes.

Good luck to you Pixie! Believe in yourself - you can do it.

DG

[Nanette]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

I have just joined the site and I have never blogged before so this all a new experience for me. The one experience that is not new for me is trying to stop drinking. Do I drink to the point of passing out or falling down? No. Do I drink to drunkenness (not sure that is a word)? Yes. Do I drink everyday? Yes I have been having a couple of drinks everyday for many years. Well those couple drinks are now 3 drinks and sometimes 4. That doesn't maybe seem like many to some people but I am usually buzzed by 6 so when I go to bed at 10:00 or so I feel a little hungover already. I want to stop drinking and for some reason I haven't been able to. I am going to try one more time. I have decided that I am killing myself slowly. I should also mention the I will drink instead of eat quite often. Well, that is it for now. I will post again tomorrow and let you know if I made it past day one. Good night. P.S. I love Curves too DG and because I have been drinking more I have been coming home to drink instead of work out.

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi Nanette! I hope you did well on your first AF day. No matter what happens, keep coming back and trying again until you figure out what works for you. Maybe that will happen on the first try, and maybe not until the 100th try. The only way to fail is to stop trying!

The number of drinks a person drinks, nor even how often a person drinks is the issue. The issue is whether drinking is negatively affecting your life. If you are starting to decide to go home and drink instead of engaging in other enjoyable life pursuits, then it is negatively affecting your life. Better to nip it in the bud now then wait for the problems to get worse. And they DO get worse! I know that from first hand experience!!!!

Good luck!

DG

[wineglugger]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hello

Are people still posting on here?:new:

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi winelugger and :welcome: to My Way Out! If you want to post something here about my story I will see you and respond!

DG

[NoSugar]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Dear DG,

Rather than being an overdrinking, current events junkie, I've been spending my spare time reading sobriety success stories. I briefly "met" you a while ago on your No Sugar Challenge thread and noticed the safely-in-the-past sobriety date in your signature - so, I thought that if you had posted your story, I would read it. I am so glad I did!

Your clear-headed, clearly written, open and honest account of what you have accomplished is a wonderful thing for anyone, but especially someone like me who is early in this process, to read. My heart was breaking as the hopeful, optimistic you started out on each of the quits that failed because your sobriety date was the clue as to how each of those turned out... I read as quickly as I could to get to your 5/22/08 entry! Then I was able to relax and learn how you grew and changed in all areas of your life.

We are approximately the same age and appear to have many things in common but have done some in opposite order; e.g.: You gave up AL, then sugar, in your quest for health. I (stupidly and in an effort not to have to stop drinking) did the opposite. You embraced exercise and fitness when you became sober, I stopped over-exercising and am giving my body a break on all levels as I become sober.

There are some things you are doing that are my goals to do, also:
- to be more honest with the people in my 'real' life about my alcohol addiction.
- to be willing to make changes, possibly even career changes, to be consistent with the me that will be once I'm sober.
- to look forward and not wallow in past mistakes.
- to be constantly aware and grateful.

I posted a link to your thread in the Newbies Nest because I think it would be such an inspiring read for anyone. I mentioned there that I am totally jealous of your real-life friends but very happy to have met you here!

Thanks for posting your story - I'm looking forward to reading the upcoming chapters!

NoSugar

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi again NoSugar!! I am happy to report Day 2 (again) SF. I came here to check in on MWO because I am traveling alone this week. How cool to see your message! And how timely too. I'm checking in for good reason. While I haven't had any gut gripping alcohol cravings in a long, long, time, I had some sneaky AL thoughts fluttering across my brain today. I'm traveling alone - will be at the world figure skating championships all week. You can imagine what AL was trying to whisper in my ear. Ever vigilent, I am checking in with my sober networks and staying my course! LOL - I fully stocked this hotel room with enough food for an army. (all SF!!)

It looks like we indeed have much in common. I look forward to getting to know you better. We're not getting older, we're getting better! So much of my growth work these days is the deep internal stuff so it's hard to talk about here - not because I'm not up for sharing it. Just stuff that is hard to describe. Sometimes I will try try to type and I just can't get this stuff into words. It's all good though! I would MUCH rather be here than where I was in 2007 or any time before that.

No AL for me. I'm off to the showers!

DG

[nicelife]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Doggy - we can never be too cocky. I was sober since 2004 and it won briefly many years after that. Never, ever, ever give those thoughts a second......

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

nicelife;1475837 wrote: Doggy - we can never be too cocky. I was sober since 2004 and it won briefly many years after that. Never, ever, ever give those thoughts a second......

I can never hear that reminder enough. I remember how I struggled after that first little AF stretch in 2007 unable to get 1 day...2 days...etc. I have also experienced the same agonizing process with my other addictions (nicotine - finally quit Feb 26, 2007) and sugar (still battling - today is Day 3 for the millionth time) I have known people in AA who have had brutal relapses after many, many years. A guy who drank at 17 years sober comes to mind. That was a couple years ago and he is still struggling to get sober again - life falling apart in the mean time. No thanks.

It will be an AF day for me today. Thanks to all MWO members for being here. You all help me stay sober no matter where you are in your own journey.

DG

[NoSugar]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi, DG.

For me, the L- Gln was even more helpful fur sugar cravings than for alcohol. Have you been using that to help with SF? Also, do you eat a large amount of "good" fat? I saw on the holistic boards that you know all about the metabolic issues involved in sugar cravings so don't want to write a ton of stuff here but I know that I sometimes forget to eat enough fat.

It is good to 'hang out' with people who before I joined MWO I would have thought were essentially past the point of addiction. I want always to be reminded not to become complacent!

Good luck with your competition this week!

NS

[doubter]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi

A quick hello to you from an old acquaintance DG!

We started our journeys almost at the same time. I was always drawn to your evolving story through your regular posts.

Peace to you !