Skye2

Unashamedly pinched from a UK site.....


The battle with day 5

Day 1.
BODY: Hey liver, hey kidneys. Something strange is happening. There is no booze to poison the body today. Jeez. We can have a day off work – but stay alert. I want you all watching on shifts. It could happen again at any time.
BRAIN: I need a beer
BODY: Shut up you tosser.

Day 2
BODY: Hey guys. Still no booze. This is great. We have been working overtime for the last few years just trying to process this stuff through the body – damage limitation. We can have a change of duties today. It’s been ages since we could work on the other stuff. C’mon guys, let’s brighten up the skin, get rid of those puffy eyes, start working on making the hair grow thick and lustrous. All these things have been neglected for so long. It’s going to be knackering hard work but let’s go for it while we have the chance.
BRAIN: I still need a beer, big time.
BODY: Leave us alone, we’re busy

Day 3 and 4
BODY: I feel absolutely exhausted, tired all the time, think I’m coming down with flu. Yesterday was such hard work, I think I’ll just curl up under the duvet today and feel sorry for myself.

BRAIN: Feeling sorry for yourself? Have a beer, open the wine. That’ll make you feel better. Go on – you know you want to. My head is hurting too. I’m so used to the booze burning off a few brain cells a day – and now the buggers are growing back. It’s all changing. Chemically. Still, there is just about enough booze left in my system to cope.

DAY 5

BODY: I feel better than I have done for ages. Lot’s of energy, a spring in my step, bright eyes,

BRAIN: That’s it! I’ve had enough. My head is totally clear of alcohol now and I don’t think I can cope. I MUST have more drink now!! I’m in a whirlwind, a chemical maelstrom; I can only think about one thing. Oh God, put me out of my misery. Crack open that VodKa….. NOW! I’M DESPERATE – time for desperate measures. Time to get sneaky methinks.

Whispers: Just one little drink can’t hurt can it? You have had four days off, you’ve been good, exceeded your expectations. You feel better than you have for ages thanks to Body’s hard work. You can handle a glass of wine. Go one. You know you want to.

jazzfish

This is telling. For years, I thought sobering up meant getting over a hang over. "I got better so quick so it couldn't have been that bad" was probably my most frequent thought leading into another round of drinking.

However, it is the changes that occur during the first weeks and months (and years, I have read) of sobriety that truly indicate the amount of damage we've done to our bodies and minds. I have to remember this and focus on long-term goals over short-term gratification.

Skye2

You're doing great man and thanks for posting !! xX
For years, sobering up DOES mean getting over a hangover and then one day NO headache and that's where the problems begin - brain is SO used to it and has chemically altered and wallop - we have addiction Always a BAD sign when no hangover headache Xx

IOAA2

Hi. A very serious side affect of our continued drinking is death because in many cases we get so depressed by the alcohol we give up and it wins. Not very pretty also is the death from drinking. My wife, a Hospice Nurse says it's close to the top of the list of painful ways to go. I don't suffer well so I refrain from picking up.

BE WELL

Skye2

I'm also a nurse - or was - gave it up to have the kids and no - it's an awful way to go
Thakfully, lots of us pull back before it reaches that point

LadyBlue0527

How true this is! Being a weekend binge drinker I thought that my body had recovered every week from Sunday's hangover through Friday when I would pick back up. It took about a month of sober weekends to realize that this was not the case. The focus and clarity that I had astounded me. Things would happen at work that used to be major irritations that created so much stress. The same would happen after I was sober yet my outlook would be "oh well, this will pass". It was then that I realized that the irritation wasn't about the situation itself, it's because I wasn't drinking and I was waiting for Friday to hurry up and get here.

I'm still convinced that even though the pink cloud experience is somewhat feeling accomplished at what you're doing it's also your body starting to feel good for the first time in a long time. It feels healing.

Skye2

jazzfish -
OMG you're from Texas - is it too soon to propose? That is one hell of an accent you guys have there in Texas !!

Louise82

Thanks for posting this Skye. I can definitely relate. My brain thinks it's going crazy because it hasn't had alcohol for so long but it's really just healing itself. *I* know what's best for it, not my AV!

jazzfish

Why thank you, ma'am. That makes me feel as fine as cream gravy! I need to check with my wife about the proposal. Some days, it probably wouldn't be soon enough.