For Those with Less than 2 Weeks Sober Part 6

[CarolD]

PB...

All my party/fun bottles were empty when I finally quit.
I was no longer a connoisseur of fine wines and expensive liquors
I was drinking cheap hooch with weirdo people...in crummy bars

I detested the woman I had become from drinking...

Do whatever it takes...try anything you can think of...
but please please quit drinking before you slid futhur.

Yes! you can PB...and your so worth the fight.

[EC1979]

Day 1 again.

Ive been sober a few times, over the last 5 years of addiction. It was quite progressive, first it was friends all the time, now its out of freakin control. Today is my first day, and I feel like crap. Ive struggled all day. I cant wait to be tired enough to go to sleep.

[CarolD]

EC1979....

Welcome to SR and to our support thread.

Yes..those initial de tox days are miserable for most of us.
Did you check with your doctor before you quit?

[ExNavyInHouston]

I was no longer a connoisseur of fine wines and expensive liquors
I was drinking cheap hooch with weirdo people...in crummy bars

I detested the woman I had become from drinking..

Change WOMAN to MAN and you just wrote my story too.

[CarolD]

Here is a link about withdrawing from alcohol

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html (Quitting..What to expect ..What we did)

It has information and some of our expereiences
Note that there are many varibles about de toxing.

You just can't be certain what is going to happen
and that's why doing it alone is not wise.

Hope this helps...keep posting...

[EC1979]

No-

I went through an IOP about 6 months ago, and I didnt have a medical detox. I should talk to the doctor, but I didnt. I didnt finish the IOP which is not exactly a smart move either. I was a daily drinker, but after work I would drink until pass out usually about a large bottle of wine. I feel like you and Navy Vet, I thought I was a real connoisseur of fine wines, but really I wanted to get drunk. When drinking as much as I did, it was too expensive to be a "taster" of fine wines.

[Chook]

LaDita keep pressing on with your goals. It is such a worthwhile pursuit clearing your record and getting the job you have always wanted. My absolute support to you. What a great idea.

PB hang in there. I transgressed recently too. Good for you, getting back on the wagon straight away! I unfortunately let my binge last over a week and now I'm heading into the tail end of day 2 and feeling pretty poorly. I'm looking forward to a couple of days from now when I'll start to feel good again, not so ashamed at what I have done. But for now I'm just concentrating on not picking up again. Take care of yourself PB.

Omega Man thanks for your wonderful encouraging words on this thread. You're an inspiration.

Scoob how did the AA meeting with your Dad go? I think we were both in today's SR meeting. Nice to meet you.

EC1979 good to meet you too. I understand where you are coming from and look forward to making it through the next couple of weeks with you.

Navy I think we also may have shared a meeting in the last day or so. Again thankyou for being here.

Brightening - well done on overcoming an obstacle. My mood swings are driving me a bit nuts lately too. But I just keep trying to remember that anything is better than having to deal with real life AND alcohol as well. I treasure my sobriety so much. I hope I don't lose sight of that again.

Thankyou all for reading, good luck and take care.

[dbauer00]

Day 9
I'm heading to a meeting in 30-min. I'm doing well and the group strengthens my resolve. The steps are challenging when I read them. I focus on step 1 right now and stay in touch with my sponsor. I am not going to drink today. D

[Brightening]

Day 8 here and going strong... Dealt with a lot of frustration yesterday but didn't hit a bar after work as would be my previous coping mechanism, especially with a day off the next day. Ate Chinese buffet instead and drank tea, then went home and felt fine. I'm realizing that the alcohol didn't actually make the bad badness go away, it just prolonged the length of time I thought about the badness (into the next morning, and hung over is no way to deal with badness). I would throw myself a pity party in some crappy bar and only THINK I felt better (until I started to feel sick). Also, I only eat two large meals a day and a small snack because work is so intense, and sometimes I can't take time to eat for 8-11 hours at a time...now I'm getting that what my body really wanted all those nights was FOOD, but the quick sugar in the alcohol made me think I wanted to DRINK, which of course led me to not EAT enough after two+ drinks. Hubby suggested keeping bananas around, and that seems to be a good thing for the blood sugar, without trying to eat a meal in front of customers. Sheesh what a way to live...glad I'm on a different track now. In other news, already losing weight...I was never big but the tummy is flattening for the first time in 4 years...looking forward to pants-shopping with the extra money I'm saving...

Chupa, Dita, Navy, and others...It's been great reading your posts and progress and I feel heartened that others are sticking with it through the worst. Keep on keepin on as it gets so much better...total brain makeover!

[CarolD]

EC1979....
Please do read the link I posted just above you.
It's #482....you can see the number on the top right of the reply.

Today will be another day sober for me...
I hope it will be for you too....

[Chook]

Late night argument with husband. He's really tired from work and struggling with the holidays like we all are. Bedroom activities are suffering and I'm feeling so closed off with my own selfish crap and he's rebelling. But no screaming this time. I calmly left the room and came and made myself a cup of tea and now I'm posting. It feels good to have control of this situation. So many times I would have gone to the fridge for a beer (no matter what the hour). But not tonight. Day 3 starts soon.

[espresso]

"No-one said it (recovery) would be easy, and of course there is an easier, softer way - to carry on drinking/using. Alcoholism is a progressive illness and I know from my own experience that the yets can and do happen. I also know what it's like to keep relapsing but I never gave up, and eventually, the penny dropped. To anyone struggling, just don't pick up that first drink Today.

[EC1979]

Day 2

Thank you, Carol

I read through all of the posts, I slept about 8.5 hours last night. Weird Dreams, woke up several times, but was able to go back to sleep.

I feel slightly better today, but its still early, I will probably have more trouble as the day goes on.


Thanks everybody for your support.

[PaddingtonBear]

Just a little note to say a huge thank you
for all the on-going encouragement here,
and for not giving up on me

Thanks Least, Omega Man, TryingSoHard, Carol, Chook, Espresso, infact everyone here in this thread.

I'm determined to fight hard for my freedom :
freedom from hangovers
freedom from captivity to a bottle
freedom from the mindless boredom and drudgery of drinking
freedom to reach out to be the best person I possibly can be

Thanks for giving me the courage to fight, and not give up.

[ExNavyInHouston]

Rolling into Day 4 feeling good. I'm to the gym and today I am actually going to make it in the front door.

[CarolD]

Hi Everyone....

That's what we are my friends....each of us who are
working to be the best we can be.
We are stars!

I'm so tickled to have you on this awesome journey.
Thank you for sharing with me...

[Chook]

Well it's Christmas Eve night here in Aus and I'm really nervous about tomorrow. I made it through today despite some really strong cravings after a very sleepless night last night. Being tired makes it all so much harder. I was really teary this morning and I had a big loud, long cry into my pillow. After that I came and chatted online at SR and started to feel a bit better.

Today I have had strong feelings of loss/anger/disappointment at the realisation that I can't drink at all. I don't remember having any of those feelings during my last sober period of 13 days (a week or two ago). Perhaps it's Christmas and the stress of the season but this time around I feel my emotional/mental withdrawals are a lot harder. Oh well, I have to keep sticking this out. We all feel the sadness and the opportunity cost of giving up this old friend of ours don't we? Even though it was SO NOT working for us in the end, it was what we knew, familiar, and its scary to be without that. I'm looking forward to the time when my new, better, healthier, more useful coping mechanisms are familiar old friends.

Dbauer congratulations on day 9 - way to go!! Hope you have a lovely Christmas and keep up the meetings, if they are strengthening your resolve in keeping sober and providing you support then that is where you should be!

Brightening - so pleased to hear you have conquered another obstacle - you just keep jumping those hurdles. So true what you say about the alcohol only prolonging the time until you have to think about the badness. I have noticed that problems don't seem to be as insurmountable when sober, even though it is so scary to face them head on. Chinese buffet - yummo. Much better substitute than going to a bar. I also really agree with your point about how you got used to taking alcohol instead of food. I have definitely developed a habit of that and I'm taking care not to let myself get too hungry, especially around dinner time. I find those early evening cravings seem to fade right away if I have a good meal.

EC1979 I'm glad you had a good sleep. Along with hunger, tiredness is such a resolve killer.

PB I loved your post. Keep fighting for your freedom! Sobriety is so precious and worth fighting for. Have a wonderful Christmas tomorrow and I hope Santa Claus brings you whatever you wish for.

Navy - lookin good mate. Keep up with the gym and enjoying those endorphins.

Carol thankyou so much for all your wise words of encouragement and support and I wish you a very happy, safe and joyful Christmas.

Goodnight everyone and may your HP bless you all!

[PaddingtonBear]

Morning everyone!

Just checking in. I'm off this afternoon to my parents for a few days.

I guess I'm quite fortunate - when my Mum was working as a nurse,
she spent some time in a ward looking after alcoholics.

I can have open and candid conversations with her about my alcoholism,
and I'm really grateful for that.

This will be my first "alcohol-free" Christmas. I'm actually looking forward to it -
an "alcohol-free" Christmas = a healing Christmas.

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas! Thanks, everyone, for being such great company on a difficult journey. I'll check in again when I get back from Mum and Dad. Happy holidays!

[dbauer00]

Thanks for the kind words.

Day 10....meeting in an hour. I'm not going to drink today. Dave

[FizzyWater]

This time of year can be tough for everyone but more so if your in the first couple of weeks of sobriety I reckon.

Just popped in to wish everyone all the very best and Happy Christmas.

[Omega Man]

Starting Day 18 (ya baby!) but I'm taking liberties as thread originator to stop in and wave the pom-poms!

Paddington, Chook, Dbauer, ExNavy - glad your here with us.
This will be my second sober Christmas. I did it last year during my first serious attempt at sobriety and it was great.

It's so nice being able to participate with friends and family instead of holed up at home, hung-over and wallowing in self-regret and depression.

Keep that in mind over the holidays because we all know that there are extra temptations and stresses this time of year. Getting drunk is not the answer and we all know that it's not going to make anything easier.

My Christmas wish for all of you is a safe, happy and sober Christmas and to graduate from this newbie thread.

Stay sober and Merry Christmas!

[ExNavyInHouston]

Thanks Omega Man ... I am enjoying my Day 5 so far.

Nothing but good thoughts here. No let me get out of here and see if people annoy me today ... towards the end of yesterday I was glad I was away from people.

[CarolD]

When our threads get to 500....
they are closed and another begins.

Please do check in our new one