Muhv

Hey class! Just checking in and letting you know that I'm doing fine. I have so much energy and I have done so many things, I even went for a walk this morning at 8.30, just because I wanted to. That was strange because all the streets were empty
Now I'm off to bed, it's already 22:05, tomorrow is a normal work-week after a long long long period of national holidays and shortened workdays. But I'm ok with that. I like routine and rules.

TigerLili

Day 8! I am now on vacation for two weeks. Planning on focusing on my recovery and things that support it.

ActualAlcoholic

Went to brunch with some old friends for the first time in many many many months. Woke up at a reasonable hour and actually had a decent conversation and a meal, instead of looking for my next drink and feeling hung over and out of it. Week 1 in the books

MariahGayle

Sounds like a great plan TigerLilli Take it easy & take care of you!!

Great (((Muhv)))that you are feeling some "peace" in sobriety.....those are the moments that make the "uncomfortable" ones worth while.

Winding down for the night.... cold but beautiful sunshine here in Oregon this week-end. Was nice to get out in the Sun today Great week to you all!

MariahGayle

Actual - Great job on 1 week!!! Keep it up

dazmistry

Great work guys, im day 16 and feelng great, except being stuck at work :p if anybody out there thinks they can't recover they need to turn there thinking around and ask for God's help cause they can!! All the best

Beanie25

Day 24. Happy Monday. Another day moving forward I hope.

hda

day 12, had my first drinking dream last night. been waking up early and listening to the radio. making breakfast and coffee..finished a book last night. paid my credit card bill on time

JackieC

This made me smile. I paid all my bills on time this month. I'm usually scrambling and still late so having to pay late fees. Between saving on late fees and the HUGE amount I'm saving on not buying wine, maybe I won't be in as much of a panic about money this month.

Day 16 for me. Kids finally go back to school tomorrow. Back to the routine -- kind of scares me but at the same time, I'm very excited about getting to get back to exercising (it's so cold, I'm not sure what I think I'm going to do, but anyway).

Here's to a peaceful Monday. I know a lot of us are headed back to work today after some time off and that can be difficult. I'm having a hard time focusing on work (and of course am here instead).

Jackie

Babs78756

Good Afternoon December-ers. How is everyone doing? I'm back at work today after 2 weeks of holiday time off. It's actually nice. I do love my job and the people I work with (other than the daily 3:00/4:00 happy hour at my office.)

So, I'm checking in on day 31, besting my last sober stint by 1 day...and tomorrow it will be 2 days and the day after will be 3 days. Officially making it the longest sober stint in a decade. Made it though the holidays, new Year, the daily stare down with a bottle of champagne at my mom's house for 5 days and the airport on both ends of a trip. Phew! Feel good. I'm still having the phantom pangs of 'oooohhh... i'd love a mimosa or 12," and then I realize not an option for me and I quickly refocus.

I'm traveling to DC this weekend to visit my best friend who is aware of my struggles but not aware that I've been abstinent for over a month. I know she'd support me and will make me comfortable no matter what. I'm sort of looking forward to not drinking around her. We are celebrating her daughter's 2nd birthday and of course there's the 'adult' entertainment which includes a fully stocked bar because what 2 year old birthday doesn't have cocktails at noon? It might be a challenge but I just have to remember, its not an option for me and I'll be fine after the first hour or so....

Dee74

Congratulations Babs

Hope everyone else is doing well?

D

kcbf

Congratulations Babs. I have not done as well as you through the holiday season. But, I am back here working on sobriety and not giving up. I plan to get it right this time around. I cannot say when the last time I went 30 days or more without a drink. Heck, really the longest I have gone is 3 days in the last few years. So, I commend you. Keep at it. And, happy 2014. I wish you all the best and everyone else here who is working hard at sobriety!

TigerLili

Day 9! 9, I tell you! 9!

I realised that for me the alcoholism coin has two sides. One side is the booze, and I have put that down. The other side is resentment and negative feelings, and that one I carry around with me all the time. This is what I need to deal with if I am to stay sober. I am learning to feel my uncomfortable feelings without going into a panic and trying to push them away. Uncomfortable feelings are uncomfortable, but they won't kill me and I am ignoring my AV when it tells me a drink would be a good idea. I can walk or drive past a liquor store without wanting to go in. I am, however, eating a lot of chocolate hahaha.

TigerLili

oh my goodness. Here is my very first post on SR. I don't even recognise the peson who wrote it. My history with recovery is I had a couple of years sober and then have been drinking off an on since then while bouncing in and out of AA. Obviously something is working because the Tigerlili who wrote these posts is no longer part of me.

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...d-meeting.html

My first day 8 was 29 June 2008.

TigerLili

Holy carp I've just been reading back at my old threads and wow, what a misery guts I have been!

It's so easy to see in hindsight how being either engaged in active addiction or not drinking and instead just simmering in resentment lead to more drinking.

Oh my the self pity! In hindsight, I can see how some things I thought were really true and real at the time were either completely imagined in my own head, or nowhere near as bad as I perceived them to be.

I hope this means I'm getting better. Despite identifying 4 new sobriety dates, and those are just the ones I posted about here. I guess that having some years and months sober at different times has helped me to grow. I can honestly say that my life is fine. There's not a thing wrong with it and I feel fine about myself EXCEPT when i pick up again. Then I quickly become suicidally depressed.

At 6 months sober, I was writing about how horrible my life was and how bad everything was. I just didn't see that the problem I had was untreated resentment. I can see that as clear as day now. Clear as day.

Owllie11

Day 23...the word gratitude definitely fits me today!

zerothehero

TigerLili, I can relate. I've had numerous day ones, but the difference for me this time is that this time I mean it. In the past, I always looked at it like "a break." Now I recognize that I need a break for life.

I, too, am addressing resentments and negativity and working on gratitude. I really have a lot to be grateful for and like you, my life isn't horrible. Today is my day 11, and my first day back to work after a two week holiday. I feared I would return to work and that same cloud of frustration, disappointment, and resentment would take over and I would want to come home and immediately drink wine (I managed to practice moderation on work nights, but scary binging when not required to get up in the morning). Happily, I stayed positive and enjoyed my job even though it has evolved into something far from my original vision of what I wanted to do when I went to grad school. But that's a long story.

You may find this website interesting: Your Daily Challenge | Mental Health & Happiness I signed up, and each day they email me a daily challenge. I took their advice and started keeping a journal based on these challenges. They are all based on William Glasser's Choice Theory, and they are all about choosing happiness and mental health. The challenges vary. Today's was about the tendency to complain and see the negative in things, and how we are actually wired to do so - to be on alert for dangers - but that we can choose to see the positive. It was a perfect challenge for my first day back to work. It's worth checking out. Happy adventures!

zerothehero

Hear is some wisdom about gratitude: Gratitude | Mental Health & Happiness

MariahGayle

Wow....lots of encouragement in everyone's post here tonight....Thank You!!! I have 10 days today (last relapse was at 10 day's) I too, feel something different this time.....I have "said" I've surrendered in the past, but really "feel" I've surrendered to the fact that I am completely "powerless" over alcohol once I take that first drink. My thinking has been NOT that I can't drink, or that I'm somehow missing out on something without it, but that I don't Have to drink again & that I'm not missing out on a damn thing when I think back to the last drunk (or the last 100 honestly).

I had a great day today.....I like to consider myself a pretty optimistic & happy person, but I felt just "really happy" today, like I haven't felt for quite awhile....was great! Keep it up everyone......your awesome

Beanie25

Hi all. Day 25... Wow 30 days is in sight, feeling my resolve growing with every sober day. Trying to tackle giving up cigs as well these last couple of days(pushing it?)..Hope evryone is doing Ok.