Members with less than 2 weeks -Part 9

[grrrr]

I will be here. Looking to take myself to day 2 and happy to check in with folks doing the same.

And Carol is always around to encourage us as well. Thanks Carol!!

[ChameleonBoy]

I agree with you grrr, OB's courage is an inspiration as is yours.

Originally Posted by AboveItAll

Today is day one for me. It's only 11:00 a.m. and I've already made it a few hours past my normal "start drinking" time. But it is h311 and it is SO EARLY in the day still! I've spent most of the last few hours browsing this site and hoping it will keep me from drinking.

Will someone come looking for me here again tomorrow? I think it will help knowing that someone expects me to make it to day 2.

I will be expecting to hear from you tomorrow.

Ok I have been looking at recovery long enough. What I am doing right now is working for me. The desire to drink is gone again. The only thing that will stop me from staying sober is if I stop doing what I have done today. I see no reason to do that because there are many more benefits to what I'm doing to stay sober then just staying sober. I would have to be insane to not continue...... ok I probably am insane but you get the point.

Thanks for the support Carol/Dee.

[AboveItAll]

Originally Posted by ChameleonBoy

I will be expecting to hear from you tomorrow.

Thanks! I haven't even left here yet today!

[CarolD]

Hi again AboveItAll....I am the member who first replied to you
and I'm pleased to see you here with us.

I do check this thread several times a day...
you may PM me too if you wish.

[AboveItAll]

Thanks so much Carol! How long have you been sober? Since 2002! That's great. I appreciate your greeting and your support! And you WILL see me here again tomorrow.

[CarolD]

Grrr ...
CB....

My noon AA meeting's topic was how
"cunning ...baffleing and powerful" alcohol is
We shared tips on overcoming our addiction.

Y'all probably know most of them...but ..mine were
watch out for HALT
stay in conctact with sober people not toxic ones
Look at the last paragraph in the BB-page 43
and activate....

Good to see you both starting fresh

[Astro]

Originally Posted by ChameleonBoy

I have been looking at recovery long enough. What I am doing right now is working for me. The desire to drink is gone again. The only thing that will stop me from staying sober is if I stop doing what I have done today. I see no reason to do that because there are many more benefits to what I'm doing to stay sober then just staying sober. I would have to be insane to not continue...... ok I probably am insane but you get the point.

Doesn't sound like insanity to me. Sounds more like hope and a good dose of courage. I think you will continue, to do the right thing, and to make the most of your recovery, even with the occasional curveballs that life will throw your way.

[CarolD]

above....

My current date of sobriety is 4-89.
I was already sober when I came to SR in '02.
I use SR as a fantastic supplement to my in person recovery.

While I do follow the AA program...there are other ways
to find your path to healthy happy sobreity.

I was in and out of AA often
It took me 5 years to get 1 year of continuious sobriety.

I finally stopped after reading "Under The Influence"
by Milam and Ketcham.

Here is the link to excerpts ....

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...influence.html (Excerpts from "Under The Influence")

There is also a sequel some members find useful
You will see that mentioned on the link too.

[AboveItAll]

Thank you Carol for the link to the excerpts from Under the Influence. I will be purchasing that book...it is quite different from one of the books I've tryed; Alan Carr's "Easy Way". Though I like his premise, it doesn't make sense to me that I have no physical addiction, nor does his explanation that everyone who drinks, even "normal" drinkers are just at a different stage of the slide into alcoholism.

I am grateful for your support and everyone else here.

ChamelianBoy, Grrrr and OceanBound, and anyone else in this thread who have just begun the venture of (trying to) get and stay sober, I hope we all have the success that our long time sober supporters are showing us is possible. Thanks to you for trying this out with me and being here for me and eachother.

[grrrr]

Nice job AboveItAll! We can do this! I have read both "Under the Influence" and "Beyond the Influence" and they are great books. I would recommend the newest one because there is a lot of updated information.

Day 2 for me. It was a little tempting to drink last night, but only a little. It did help out that I have posted here. If it is not such a big deal why do I journal about it and write on this board about it? Yeah, cause it is a big deal and needs to stop.

[CarolD]

Glad to know above and Grrr are moving forward
Those early days are just a Yuk....as you know.

The more water you drink...the quicker you will flush
out the toxic liquid.....alcohol. Sloshing is good...

Eat small healthy meals if you can keep them down.
Oatmeal was a standby for me..
Juices and fruit are also good. Hard candy helps with
the shakes. It was Lifesavers for me. ...
which just ticklerd me to eat.... Aspirin for aches.

That's how I started feeling better. It may help you too.

I'm running errands with an AA friend who can drive.
As my vision lessened ...I had to give up my car.
The area is far safer but Drat!

Thanks for checking in....I'll BBL

[AboveItAll]

Feeling a bit weak right now...late afternoon, normally by now I'd have 3 or 4 beers in me. I have so many yucky things to face, the closing down of my business, dealing with pissed-off customers (who have every right to be mad). I really just want to bury my head in the sand instead.

[ChameleonBoy]

AboveItAll Sorry to hear about your business and the angry customers can mess with the mind for sure. I hope things turn around for you. You know now I have to tell you drinking won't help, because of course it won't. My emotions are all over the map in early days of sobriety so know the way you are thinking and feeling will get better the further you get away from the last drink. Choosing some form of constructive proactive form of a recovery/sobriety program makes all the difference. I'm glad for today you are here with us.

Hey grrr, it's a big deal for me too. I go strait to the bottom anymore when I drink. It's so not worth it......unfortunately that alone is not enough for me.....scary stuff.

Thanks for the support Scott, you da man.

I'm slowly learning your story too Carol, thanks for sharing yourself with us and being in this thread. Doing early recovery alone is so overwhelming, it's good to have you here.

[AboveItAll]

I made my bed, now I have to lie in it. I'm pretty sure things wouldn't be so bad if I had spent more time on the business and less time drinking... c'est la vie. I hated the business though, and I blame it partially for my deep dive into the alcoholic pool. Prior to that I had just been wading waist deep.

I agree with ChameleonBoy, Carol, your help with us early-on sobriety seekers has been most appreciated. You've taught me a lot already.

Now it is the end of my online day and beginning of the family time. See all of you here tomorrow.

[CarolD]

Hi Everyone.....

Gee...I don't know if the U.S. is the only country
that celebrates Labor Day. ..
However...
weekends can be tricky for many of us.

Wanna share any plans for your sober weekend?

And remember....

[grrrr]

Originally Posted by ChameleonBoy

Hey grrr, it's a big deal for me too. I go strait to the bottom anymore when I drink. It's so not worth it......unfortunately that alone is not enough for me.....scary stuff.

Yes, it is scary. I went from picking out which Snapple flavor I was going to drink to agreeing to have a drink in a free round of booze to being out till 5am getting smashed.

I am on the evening of day 1. Not drinking. Going to think of just how much it is worth it to stay sober and get that through my head as best I can.

[CarolD]

Hmmm.....
While I did journal ..that was kept at home.
My lists of pro's and con's began the pages.

Sooo as most of my drinking was out of my home

I wrote down my 3 days of miserable withdrawals.
Actually carried a copy with me at all times

When tempted ...by reading it... I stayed sober.

I also used the Serenity Prayer often.

Le's all srive for a better tomorrow
:

[thirtybubba]

Hi y'all.

I kinda miss having a group.

Not that I don't love everybody in August, I just stopped being able to relate to/understand pretty much everything they said.

So, um, I was wondering if I can be in this group? I got 7 1/2 days... and I'm hoping I don't go down again, but that's 6 1/2 days left to 2 weeks...

[CarolD]

Of course you are welcome to share with us here
and you may use the August group too if you wish.

Well done on your early sobriety.....
How are you doing? Notice any changes for the better?

One thing that I noticed rather soon.....I just looked
healthier and happier. I also started wearing wering
brighter clothes ...no more all black outfits for me

I'll check back tomorrow...hope you will too

[thirtybubba]

Oh, and I'm still from August (and July *blushes*).

Hmmm, changes for the better. Stopped shaking mostly, and just little tremors now and then. Stopped sweating altogether--the extra sweating part. I live in Southern California, the sun and the arsonists make everybody nice and sweaty. Haven't started wanting to eat yet, which is sort of disturbing because I always ate when I drank. Got addicted then unaddicted to candies.

A longtime friend of mine I was talking to earlier. He always used to ask me if I was drinking 'cause he could never tell. Tonight he said that I sound much clearer, and that he notices now the difference.

Mostly I feel like a silent movie character. Can't walk straight, do silly things I didn't really mean to, walk into walls and so on. Some serious memory lapses, especially short term. Used to could keep my monthly schedule in my head and get to everything. Now I have a paper, well a receipt I repurposed (it's California) into being my to do list. First time in my life for that. And the emotional rollercoaster--'nuff said.

But I don't have to worry about the next drink, and I've been going to five classes a day without a shot or even having to plan for one. I'm sleeping better, sometimes five or six hours in a row. Sometimes when I'm supposed to. I can close my eyes in the shower without almost falling over. That's been happening to me sober or drunk since I started trying to sober up. I lost my ability to close my little eyes in the shower, which is not convenient. I did it this morning, and didn't even think of it till I started typing this.

Lately I stopped focusing on my symptoms and started thinking about things I'd like to do in the future--unfortunately I kinda drew a blank. Been drinking since before puberty. Got nothing to fall back on. Always thought of nice things as out of my reach, so well.

So basically, it's a push, house (sobriety) wins this round.


Also, I was just curious, my skin's all messed up now. Is that normal? Will it go away? I don't care in the short run, pariahs can look however they want, but I would like my clear skin back, preferably without whiskey.

[Dee74]

Well being a man I didn't really notice LOL....but to me it stands to reason that detox, and all that sweating, is gonna leach all kinds of stuff out of you...

I hafta say now you mention it I cant remember the last time I had a pimple, so I'm guessing it gets better, Bubba

D

[Dee74]

Gee...I don't know if the U.S. is the only country
that celebrates Labor Day. ..

I can tell you we celebrate it in Australia Carol - we celebrate it on May Day tho (May 1)...

New Zealand and the UK and Canada celebrate it too I believe...I'm not sure about the rest of the world

Weekend or not SR's great tho in that there's always someone else around - stick close and get some of that community support gang!

D

[thirtybubba]

Just thought of something else. I'm very tasty to insects nowadays. I would have thought I was always nice and sugary, but lately I keep feeling ants all over me. Sometimes they're not real--ah withdrawal--but unfortunately this dorm is full of them, little tiny ones that can walk on you without being felt. And they bite, which is quite painful. And when I go outside, all sorts of wasps and spiders think I'm food.

[CarolD]

30....
I too had yukky skin for about a month. Yes it cleared up.
Insects? Not in my experience but I got sober in a
city in April. Not many flying biters there.

Of course I was watching the firestorm clips on the news.
How frightening it was! Hope you and yours escaped
any devestation. ..

If your still not eating well....I sugguest a liquid supplment.
Ensure and Boost are 2 good ones. Try small meals
instead of heavy food....that also might help.
I followed an eating plan for about 6 months.
Ask your doctor or Google for hypoglycemia diet.

Thanks again for joining us...

[grrrr]

Evening of day 2 for me. Just attended an online SMART meeting. I really like all of their literature, it is exactly what I have been working on with my counselor. I realized how many tools I have and how much I have learned. Listening to everyone, I remember how great life is being sober. I didn't have as many tools when I got sober before, but being sober was still great. I hope I can put it all together this time and I love SR for helping people on all different paths to recovery.

K