day 21!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 24
day 21!
Hi everyone!
Today marks three weeks without a drink. I wanted to say thanks to everyone on this board. I haven't posted much, but I come here and read threads several times a day. It has really, really helped me. Thanks everyone!!
I've noticed a few things that have changed since I stopped drinking.
-Way more emotions in general - good and bad!
-I sleep so well now. Better than ever. I have extremely vivid dreams nightly, too.
-I'm so hungry all the time, and I crave foods that I never did before.
One other thing that I've noticed is the increased amount of time that I have in a day. This has been good and bad. For work, it's been great!! But, I noticed that I don't have the desire to spend my time doing the activities that I used to like to do while drinking. In the evenings, I have big gaps of time before I go to bed where I simply don't feel like doing anything. I feel like I need to do something, but I can't figure out what it is. This has been frustrating. I feel like I could be using this time to do fun, new things, yet I don't want to do anything. This board has really helped in those times so far.
Thanks again!
confound
Today marks three weeks without a drink. I wanted to say thanks to everyone on this board. I haven't posted much, but I come here and read threads several times a day. It has really, really helped me. Thanks everyone!!
I've noticed a few things that have changed since I stopped drinking.
-Way more emotions in general - good and bad!
-I sleep so well now. Better than ever. I have extremely vivid dreams nightly, too.
-I'm so hungry all the time, and I crave foods that I never did before.
One other thing that I've noticed is the increased amount of time that I have in a day. This has been good and bad. For work, it's been great!! But, I noticed that I don't have the desire to spend my time doing the activities that I used to like to do while drinking. In the evenings, I have big gaps of time before I go to bed where I simply don't feel like doing anything. I feel like I need to do something, but I can't figure out what it is. This has been frustrating. I feel like I could be using this time to do fun, new things, yet I don't want to do anything. This board has really helped in those times so far.
Thanks again!
confound
:Awaiting Email Confirmation
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 49
confound i feel like that too a lot of the time when i'm not drinking. i know i should be doing something constructive and i just don't feel like doing anything... i kinda wander around and generally (just like the past 3 days) drag out a bunch of junk or books and then it kinda sits out for awhile before i get myself to clean it up.
congrats on 21 -- thats awesome!
congrats on 21 -- thats awesome!
Follow Directions!
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Fredericksburg, Va.
Posts: 9,730
Congrats on the 21 days confound.
You say you have a lot of free time now and want to put it to some good use?
Well I can tell you what I do at least 4 nights a week, I help other alcoholics get and stay sober. It helps me stay sober and in doing that I have made some true friends, have had some great laughs, shed a few tears, given and been given hugs, learned how to be a better and happier person and helped others do the same, set up meetings and clean up afterwards. I keep giving and even though I want nothing in return I get far more back then I give.
You say you have a lot of free time now and want to put it to some good use?
Well I can tell you what I do at least 4 nights a week, I help other alcoholics get and stay sober. It helps me stay sober and in doing that I have made some true friends, have had some great laughs, shed a few tears, given and been given hugs, learned how to be a better and happier person and helped others do the same, set up meetings and clean up afterwards. I keep giving and even though I want nothing in return I get far more back then I give.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Cleveland Ohio
Posts: 290
confound,
I had a big problem with feeling like I needed to do something but didn't know what it was... and didn't feel like doing anything... but I had to do something... it was like I wasn't comfortable in my own skin...
I had little or no motivation and didn't want to do anything, at home or at work. I still don't have nearly the drive I once had... but it is coming back. I think the big thing for me was wanting it to come back and then believing it would. I want to have passion for my work and it just isn't there but I am believing it will.
You could sit around waiting for something to fall from the sky and hit you... saying here you go.. .here is the thing to make you happy. Here is the thing to do that you were looking for. Or you could just pick something and go do it. If it is boring then you have lost nothing... you would have been bored just sitting there anyways... this way you at least have some chance of finding that something...
Believe you will be happy and you will. Your mind finds ways to support what you think... think so and so is mean and you will see every mean thing they do and overlook the good... believe they are good and you will see the good.. and find a way to overlook the bad...
BELIEVE you will be happy... BELIEVE you ARE happy and you will be... If you have heard "fake it 'till you make it" I think that is really just this principle in action. Act like you are happy then you start believing it... then you just are it...
...
---The Stockdale Paradox ---
Retain fath that you will
Prevail in the end,
regardless of the difficulties.
AND at the same time
Confront the most brutal
facts of your current reality,
whatever they might be
I had a big problem with feeling like I needed to do something but didn't know what it was... and didn't feel like doing anything... but I had to do something... it was like I wasn't comfortable in my own skin...
I had little or no motivation and didn't want to do anything, at home or at work. I still don't have nearly the drive I once had... but it is coming back. I think the big thing for me was wanting it to come back and then believing it would. I want to have passion for my work and it just isn't there but I am believing it will.
You could sit around waiting for something to fall from the sky and hit you... saying here you go.. .here is the thing to make you happy. Here is the thing to do that you were looking for. Or you could just pick something and go do it. If it is boring then you have lost nothing... you would have been bored just sitting there anyways... this way you at least have some chance of finding that something...
Believe you will be happy and you will. Your mind finds ways to support what you think... think so and so is mean and you will see every mean thing they do and overlook the good... believe they are good and you will see the good.. and find a way to overlook the bad...
BELIEVE you will be happy... BELIEVE you ARE happy and you will be... If you have heard "fake it 'till you make it" I think that is really just this principle in action. Act like you are happy then you start believing it... then you just are it...
...
---The Stockdale Paradox ---
Retain fath that you will
Prevail in the end,
regardless of the difficulties.
AND at the same time
Confront the most brutal
facts of your current reality,
whatever they might be
not a greeter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: padmasana
Posts: 13,927
Way to go... 3 weeks is sweet 
!
Who says you must do something with the free time... if you don't feel like doing anything after work give yourself a break and just veg out with the TV, computer, books, whatever. You can get into a new hobby when the mood strikes.
!Who says you must do something with the free time... if you don't feel like doing anything after work give yourself a break and just veg out with the TV, computer, books, whatever. You can get into a new hobby when the mood strikes.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: some where / no where
Posts: 1,019
Welcome to SR, Confound.
Congrats on 21 days! Emotions can be a roller coaster, but they will level out a bit more as you go. I found that I had to make a real effort not to get too upset. Early in my sobriety, I would often make "gratitude lists" when I was upset. Thinking about positive things is important when negative thoughts creep in.
You're doing great. I hope you keep coming here, and posting. Sharing how we feel can help us recover.
chip
Congrats on 21 days! Emotions can be a roller coaster, but they will level out a bit more as you go. I found that I had to make a real effort not to get too upset. Early in my sobriety, I would often make "gratitude lists" when I was upset. Thinking about positive things is important when negative thoughts creep in.
You're doing great. I hope you keep coming here, and posting. Sharing how we feel can help us recover.
chip
Coffee Drinker
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Lobstah Land
Posts: 1,122
Hi Confound,
You could do worse things than hanging around here!
When I first got sober I read several books on addiction. I wanted to learn as much as I could about my disease.
Good to meet you,
Ted
You could do worse things than hanging around here!
When I first got sober I read several books on addiction. I wanted to learn as much as I could about my disease.
Good to meet you,
Ted
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Somwhere over the rainbow
Posts: 1,175
Congrats on your sobriety and the three weeks. That is awesome and I am happy for you.
In terms of the free time, I found the same thing. At first I was a bit lost... now I have found that free time is good for doing things for me... fun things, stuff around the house, relaxing, connecting with friends, reading, exercising, etc.
It takes a while to find things to do with yourself, but eventually you find that you do have a fully and happy life. You just have to keep at it.
Peace, Levi
In terms of the free time, I found the same thing. At first I was a bit lost... now I have found that free time is good for doing things for me... fun things, stuff around the house, relaxing, connecting with friends, reading, exercising, etc.
It takes a while to find things to do with yourself, but eventually you find that you do have a fully and happy life. You just have to keep at it.
Peace, Levi
Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 1,622
Confound - I Know exactly what you mean. When drinking, I use any free sober time I have like crazy - knowing that if I don't get it done now, it might not get done later. When I don't drink - that panic leaves me and I know I will get around to it at some stage. Little things just don't seem so important. I have puzzles lying around and half started books. Go with the flow. 21 days is so wonderful. Well done you!
Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: PHILADELPHIA, PA
Posts: 155
Congradulations Confound , I'm trying my damnedest to catch up to you (only 9 days by his grace ). I have faith that I will and wish you and everyone , continued successes and daily victories ,I've posted several times that I had been depressed or some personal crap had me feeling down , but there is a reason to celebrate and rejoice with everyday that we are granted sober. IT'S MAJOR !!!!! Good Wishes , Prayers and Love for you and all who post here at SR , you guys are really a blessing to me. I also have a lot of time to kill , school does'nt start till the 30th, but I am determined not to drink or use no matter how bored I am . Thinking of something to do today , Right now . again Happy 21rst day , Love..... JEI
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