mrs. j

reasons that I am happy I did not drink last night. And a few things I am struggling with. If anyone has anything to add to this list, please feel free.

My head does not feel like my brain is splitting open.
My mouth did not taste like I slept with my head in the toilet.
I remember each and every thing I said and did last night.
I did not feel any shame when I woke up.
I have saved myself $36 bucks so far (average of $9 a 12 pack, every day).
My stomach doesn’t hurt. I am not fantasizing about getting a cheeseburger at lunch to soak up all of the excess alcohol.
My head is clear.
My mind is clear.
My gut is shrinking.
I do not have to worry that I drunk dialed anyone.
I woke up BEFORE the alarm clock went off.

Only downers
Depression, anger. I cried a lot last night.
A feeling of uncertainty, listlessness. I am not really sure what I’m supposed to do now.
I didn’t get along too well with the husband last night. I think it will take a while to learn how to interact with him with a sober state of mind.

Dan

Take the 36 dollars and do something for yourself you never would have thought of doing before. Give a sweet flavor to your new sobriety

mrs. j

I think that's a great idea. I think I will go get a book. Reading is the only healthy addiction I have.

FriendofBill

Good stuff, Mrs. J.....

Keep on keeping on!

mrs. j

Thanks! I will give it my best shot.

4health

I'm feeling a lot of the same things. I love waking up without a headache and bad taste in my mouth. My husband drank last night but I didn't. I feel good having survived that LOL I feel stronger and my resolution to quit is stronger.

Have you noticed weight loss? I have noticed a few pounds missing. As soon as I get my back into shape (seeing chiropractor) I am going to start crunches and walking.

Have you thought of a hobby? I am all for reading but I am thinking we may need a hobby to use our hands as well as our minds. I am thinking of knitting. My sis in law knows how. I might be seeing if I can borrow a book on it and get some tools. That would be great to learn a skill like that.

Today is day 6. Getting there!!

mrs. j

Good for you!! You made it past one of the hardest parts! My husband didn't drink last night which is probably what made it harder to get along, in the short term anyway. We're both just a little cranky and probably suffering from mild withdrawal. I just think it's a good idea to remind each other exactly why we no longer want to drink. Because when things get stressful all of those bad memories fly right out the window and all I want is a drink. At least that's how it goes with me.

Well the scale has not moved, but I can definitely tell my stomach is getting smaller. When I was drinking I would wake up and feel disgusting. I guess we shouldn't try to expect so much after a couple days. It will be interesting to see though how things change with 30 days without drinking. I am hoping for my clothes not to be quite so tight, that's for sure!

I totally agree with you. I enjoy reading but think we may need more hobbies. We dont have kids but I do have a bunch of dogs that we rescued who could always use more attention. It would probably be a good idea for me to go outside and play catch with them or something. Knitting would be cool. I don't have the manual dexterity but if you do, more power to ya! I think it is a mood lifter to create something beautiful.

Congratulations again on last night.

michaelj

Mrs J and 4Health,
I am delighted for both of you. The small benefits of sobriety are easily forgotten when we add up th pros and cons of drinking and sobriety. It's immensely useful to keep a little inventory of the small pleasures and pains and refer to it when the odd craving comes to call.
Some people call the exercise a cost - benefit analysis, but whatever name you give it you will find it useful.
If you are anything like me you will find that you have far more time on your hands than you are used to. It can be hard to fill at first but I regard the extra time as a major luxury to set against the odd desire for a drink.
Good luck to both of you.
Michael

hopealwayz

Sounds like the both of you are doing great. New hobbies is a great way to keep busy and get the mind focused on something positive. It is so wonderful when we can wake up in the morning and know exactly what happened and feel ready to start the day instead of hiding under the covers. The beauty is only just beginning.

jmhs002

Mrs J
I have a good book for you - "Drinking, A Love Story" by Caroline Knapp. Great book about alcoholism and recovery.

Congrats on your sober time!
JMHS