tjp613

I hope this isn't a duplicate of some sort -- I just wanted to start a sobriety group for those starting with Day One in October, like me!

This is the second group I've belonged to... I was in September 2010 but didn't maintain sobriety over the weekend. I'm picking myself up and starting over hoping that this will be the last Day One for me.

I'm heading out to my second AA meeting tonight and looking forward to it very much...I found a really nice women's group near my home. YAY!

So---everyone WELCOME TO THE OCTOBER GROUP!:ghug3

Dee74

Thanks for starting this tjp

D

caribbean

I'll join you guys here -- even though my "official" sobriety date was 9/29, I only had two days in September -- so I'll feel a more legitimate part of an October "class". Thanks for starting the thread!

Anna

Thanks Tjp, and welcome Caribbean!

October looks like a good month!

badrad29

Hi,

Glad to be a member and looking forward to receiving support and giving support as well.

I'm hoping the withdrawals won't be so bad. So far just a little anxiety and fog.

How long will the physical withdrawal process last and is there anyhting I can do to speed it along?

Thanks,

JR

Cottonwoodchris

Hi, Badrad and welcome! Detox (or withdrawls) are different for everyone. Mine were severe enough I went to my DR and he gave me some meds to get thru. I highly suggest to get some medical supervision during detox, which can take 5 to 30 days (depends on how much/ often you drink/ drank) Give yourself some time and patience, you didn't get to where you are overnight. Don't expect it to all go away overnight. Also, look for an AA or NA meeting in your area. Support is the most important thing in recovery!

tjp613

Hi Everyone and welcome!

JR - How are you feeling today?

Caribbean - So you're on Day 6 today? You must be feeling pretty good. Isn't it nice to have a clear head in the morning?

I didn't get to the meeting last night (ran late at the grocery store ) so I went by the bookstore and got myself a copy of the Big Book and Under the Influence and started reading those.

It's a beautiful day here in Texas. Ya'll have a good one!

And remember.... One Day at a Time and Just For Today I will remain sober!

badrad29

Thanks! I talked to my Doctor about quiting and he gave me a prescription to help with the withdrawals if get bad. He also told me to check in with him each day.

badrad29

Hi tjp,

I'm feeling okay but still in the fog. I'm going to a AA meeting this afternoon for the first time. I'm a little worried about the meeting but anything is better than the way I was feeling while on a drinking binge.

Thanks,

JR

tjp613

JR, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised about the meetings. I had been to Al-Anon before so I was familiar with the format and that made it easier. The hardest part is getting out of your car and thru the door...after that it's a breeze. So just put one foot in front of the other and get over the threshhold and you'll be fine. Remember that you are certainly under no obligation to speak or share at all except to maybe raise your hand as a newcomer -- but you don't even have to do that if you don't want to.

So glad to hear you have your doctor's help in all this! That's a brilliant move.

caribbean

Hi tjp! Yes, feeling good overall -- although I had some sort of head cold over the weekend that felt like what a bad hangover must feel like -- I almost never got hangovers, part of my problem with drinking so much!!

One thing I like is my dreams have started to come back. I used to have very vivid dreams at night, with all kinds of interesting things going on. When I was drinking daily, I almost never had (or could remember) dreams at all. This was a pretty big loss for me; I'm glad to be getting that part of my life back again.

Yes, I guess this is day 6 for me. Went to another meeting last night; we talked about old ideas and attachment to them, and how they would not serve us in sobriety. One thing that struck me was how many people said that before they got sober, they always thought they were smarter than or different from "real alcoholics", that their problem made them unique. That alcohol was just one of a bunch of problems that needed addressing, and once they addressed the real underlying issue, the alcohol thing wouldn't be a problem anymore (I sure relate to that one!). One man talked about how he wound up in the hospital and then rehab three or four times before he realized he would have to let go of this kind of thinking... he'd be fine for a while and then would pick up again. I haven't had his experiences, but I sure don't want to -- that's why I'm choosing sobriety now.

caribbean

JR, good luck! Yes, the hardest part really is getting in the door. The rest, all you have to do is listen if you want. If you don't like the meeting, try a few different ones out. The formats and group members make every meeting different.

Let us know how it went for you, if you'd like to share -- we'd love to hear it! Good luck with your day today.

racinstalldev

Throwing my hat into the Class of October 2010 Group!

First day was 10/3/2010.

Dee74

Hiya Caribbean, JR and Bob
D

Anna

I'm glad you're all doing well!

CarolD

Congratulations to all sharing on their early days ....

tjp613

Hi Racinstalldev! Welcome!

Thought for today: being around drunk people makes me realize I don't want to be a drunk person. I have friends that are slinking into some pretty serious problems caused by long-term use of alcohol. Ugh, I so don't want to go there.

racinstalldev

Thanks!

Good thought for today.

An ex-neighbor of mine is a great example of this. She drinks until blackout stage almost every time she drinks. Its amplified since she also has an eating disorder, where she eats tiny portions for meals.

Her and her husband used to be fun to hang out with, but lately, even if I were drinking with them, she became annoying. Asking the same question 10 times, and having no recollection of it the next day.

Luckily since we moved away, we don't see them nearly as often, and not at all as of late. I think part of the reason is that its harder for her to get smash drunk with us, in that they have to drive to see us.

Me staying my distance from them right now is a good thing.

Bob

caribbean

Good morning, everyone!

For anyone living in the northern hemisphere, this is the time of year when it starts to get colder and darker. For me, October almost always triggered depression, much of it related to the season. One year when I was in my early 20s, I once spent pretty much the entire month of October on the couch or in bed. I went to work most days but I just sat there and surfed the Web; I don't know how I got away with it but I literally did not do any work for an entire month -- I was incapable. I could barely function. I didn't want to kill myself; I just wanted to die -- I couldn't muster the energy it would have taken to kill myself! Sounds crazy, but anyone who has ever suffered from a deep depression can probably understand exactly what I mean....

This was before I started drinking more regularly. Drinking helped. I didn't realize until recently that it helped because alcohol doesn't affect me like a normal person. I had always heard "alcohol is a depressant" -- well, not for me! It made me happy, confident, and feeling like I had control. How was I supposed to know it didn't work that way for everyone else? And why on earth would I want to quit something that did that for me?!! (Um, because of all the other things it did *to* me, later.... sigh.)

I'm incredibly grateful that this year, I am not (yet?) affected by depression. AND I'm sober, with help from others. It feels healthy and GOOD!

/[rambling thought of the day]

tjp613

Interesting post, Caribbean! Funny how alcohol affects people differently. I was just reading last night in Under The Influence about that very thing you described... how it relieves your depression. I'm one of those who gets cranky and tired after a certain number of drinks. The problem with me is that the "certain number" is about 4 or 5 or 6!! I make really stupid decisions at that point, say really stupid things, I don't sleep worth a darn, then wake up with a whopping headache and a hangover that lasts all day. Uh.....who wants that???? But "relaxing with a glass of wine" is such a habit for me and I've realized that I rely on it far too often....like 5x a week....and have for the last 35 years. Ridiculous! Hangovers are just getting worse and worse as I get older and the drinking part is not such a thrill anymore either. However, STOPPING and/or even moderating to "no more than 2 glasses at a sitting" seems to be a problem for me...at that point I easily talk myself into a 3rd or 4th glass.

I slept like a rock last night after taking a hot bath in Lavender bath salts! Someone had recommended it to me and WOW it worked like magic! I've also heard of getting a lavender spray for the bedsheets. So any of you that are having trouble sleeping, you might want to give it a try.