Sober 3 months & under Part 2

[steamvessel]

Day 45 for me. As if I needed another huge stressor in my life, my girlfriend told me last night that she thinks we should sell the house and do our own thing. This isn't a complete shocker as we have been discussing this for a while. It's just really, really hard to deal with on top of my sobriety AND dealing with my employment situation. I have a feeling that these will all be emotions that I will deal with later on in my sobriety. I am in pain, but I am far too numb for what is actually happening to me right now.

[kj3880]

Steam, Ugh, just what you need in early sobriety, a huge life change, not....
I hope you aren't tempted to use this as a reason to fall off the wagon, as you are doing so well, only a couple days behind me. I think you are right to set the feelings aside for now and just deal with what you can deal with at present. This seems to happen to a lot of us in early sobriety, the break-up thing. In my case, I think that it means that our relationship prolly was predicated on my using personality. I'm looking at my relationship falling away from me now. Just when we're both getting sober, too. But maybe we are just now finally able to see clearly that we were never right for each other after all??? I don't know, but hang in there, I think what you're going through is pretty common to us recovering alkies/addicts. You're not alone, if that helps.
kj

[steamvessel]

Thanks KJ. It's definately tough. There isn't any contempt between my girlfriend and I, we are just realizing how different we are and wondering if the lack of passion is because of certain habits in our relationship or if it isn't there. I think that it's easy to make excuses for things when you are drinking, so you hang on to things because you feel they are only that way because you are messed up. When you start to get better, it opens up the veil to a lot of things. Who knows what is going to happen.

I've actually been succesfully conditioning myself to not wanting a drink. I am reading Allen Carr's EASYWAY to Quit Drinking, and one of his methods suggests that if you can see that alcohol actually gives you no type of advantages and come to realize that, the cravings will subside. As much as I might have an immediate reaction to wanting a drink, I know that I really don't want one. This makes it tremendously easier for me.

Good job on your 48 days!

Day 46 for me (11 days no smoking)

[a fallen man]

sorry to hear about the stressor added on steam. love the avatar. i'm at day 41 and feeling pretty good.

i also plan on giving up the nicotine soon. did you do it yourself or did you use chantix. i've seen folks that were severe chain smokers get off the cigs with chantinx.

i wanted to get 2 full months of sobriety behind me before i tried to get off nicotine. congrats to you on both brother.

[kj3880]

Day 50 today!!! Yay...just back from a good meeting, think I finally found me a sponsor, too...what a good day, unfortunately, now I gotta go to work..ugh.
kj

[seawatcher56]

It's five weeks and still have very strong feelings about drinking?It would be graet for others to share their strength and hope with me. I picked up after being sober six years and now starting over and trying to figure out what I didn't do before that I just had to drink.
For Today I'm Sober for that I'm grateful.

[Last Call]

Day 58 here, closing in on that 2 month chip! Should be a nice relaxed day off, maybe get in a hike and some yard work.

Wow seawatcher, if you were sober 6 years you know those cravings are going to pass if you wait it out. Get something to eat or a NA beverage and let it pass.

[FizzyWater]

I've read Alan Carr's EASYWAY Steamvessel although I read it around 2 years ago for the first time and here I am on day 18, I kind of dispute the EASY part.

Been dipping in to it again though and it all makes sense, he describes Alcohol as poison which is exactly what it is. Why does anyone drink it when we all know its going to make us feel unwell.

I like the bit about where he says to never envy people who can drink sensibly, everyone starts off drinking sensibly afterall, the odd blowout here and there then gradually over a number oy years you find yourself drinking everyday. Todays once a week drinker could just be not as far down their journey as ourselves. For some they may never hit problems but a problem could raise at any age.

I consider myself lucky that hopefully I've caught it now and I can put an end to it.

[steamvessel]

Originally Posted by a fallen man

sorry to hear about the stressor added on steam. love the avatar. i'm at day 41 and feeling pretty good.

i also plan on giving up the nicotine soon. did you do it yourself or did you use chantix. i've seen folks that were severe chain smokers get off the cigs with chantinx.

i wanted to get 2 full months of sobriety behind me before i tried to get off nicotine. congrats to you on both brother.

Thanks for the concern. No, I gave up cold turkey. It's really all mental after about a week or so.

I'm now on week 7, 49 days and 2 weeks no smoking.

[steamvessel]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I've read Alan Carr's EASYWAY Steamvessel although I read it around 2 years ago for the first time and here I am on day 18, I kind of dispute the EASY part.

Been dipping in to it again though and it all makes sense, he describes Alcohol as poison which is exactly what it is. Why does anyone drink it when we all know its going to make us feel unwell.

I like the bit about where he says to never envy people who can drink sensibly, everyone starts off drinking sensibly afterall, the odd blowout here and there then gradually over a number oy years you find yourself drinking everyday. Todays once a week drinker could just be not as far down their journey as ourselves. For some they may never hit problems but a problem could raise at any age.

I consider myself lucky that hopefully I've caught it now and I can put an end to it.

Yeah, I can see how you would feel it's not that EASY. But it is easier with the mentality he describes. I think the author quit when he was in his late 50
s or 60's and I can see how it may have been easier for him. I'm 31, alchohol is very much a part of my social scene, and as much as I can try to convince myself that I really don't want a drink, there do come those times where it just seems like it would fit right in.

[kj3880]

Day 52 for me! Next Sunday I will get a 60 day tag! Having a relaxing day off today, just seem to need a lot of sleep. My PAWS has been getting the best of me this week. I've been falling all around the place. I fall on my butt at least once a day now. It's only a matter of time before I break a leg or an arm or something, although I seem to made out of rubber. I fall hard, then jump right back up. It's embarrassing, though. People think I'm high now, and before they had no clue, when I was actually high. Ironic.

[Horselover]

Day 15 today and yeah!!! I can join you all finally. I am so happy and glad to be making progress. I hope everyone had a great weekend.

[steamvessel]

Well, day 50 for me. I'm doing all right, just really stressed and kind of down. I still need to find a job, my car didn't start this morning. The stress of finances and my relationship situation are overwhelming, the last thing I need is my car not to work. I'm trying to keep a good attitude though. I don't know how much PAWS is having an effect on all of this. Most importantly, I'm not drinking or smoking and that will make things better in itself, right?

[FizzyWater]

Hope so steamvessel, I'm working on a principal that things have got to go better for me if I'm sober and feel well.

Good luck on the job front, your bound to have a better chance 50 days sober than drinking.

Know what you mean about drinking just fitting in sometimes though, I'm 36, on day 19, and I keep thinking of future events where I know it would be easier to drink then not.

[steamvessel]

Day 51 for me. Tonight would seem like it would be a test, my girlfriend's graduation party from college. I don't want to seem complacent, just confident now that I can pass these tests. I haven't made much of an attempt to not surround myself by drinking like some of you have advised and have gotten used to people drinking around me. I actually kind of enjoy being sober when everyone else is getting drunk. I can still get that excitement from them drinking, but I get it remain sober. I know it's kind of strange. Anyway, I'm the designated driver for the party, I never thought I'd say that phrase.

[Last Call]

Day 60 today! woo hoo!

No real issues with not drinking. Although my attitude has not been real good lately, not a lot of patience these days.

[steamvessel]

Wow, congrats Last Call. 60 days is huge, that is the milestone I set for myself when I wanted to quit, 60 days.