New to this forum
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: London, UK
Posts: 8
New to this forum
Hi All,
I'm going for my second go at being completely sober after treatment and a year of sobriety a while back - then I decided I could work with moderation. I can, often, but recently I had a pretty scary experience with proper DTs, shakes and hallucinations.
So I'm just on day two and I'm going to jam with some friends tonight - singing and playing music which is usually accompanied by booze. These friends don't know. They are very tolerant to jammers who don't drink, of which we have two, though neither of them are coming tonight. I'm bringing a big bottle of sugar free pop and some herbal tea and gonna try to stay strong.
Been reading a lot that more and more people are getting sober through forum support so I'm giving this a go. Are you guys mainly US based or are there any Brits on here like me? I will look forward to chatting with you all and sharing in support.
Ana
,
I'm going for my second go at being completely sober after treatment and a year of sobriety a while back - then I decided I could work with moderation. I can, often, but recently I had a pretty scary experience with proper DTs, shakes and hallucinations.
So I'm just on day two and I'm going to jam with some friends tonight - singing and playing music which is usually accompanied by booze. These friends don't know. They are very tolerant to jammers who don't drink, of which we have two, though neither of them are coming tonight. I'm bringing a big bottle of sugar free pop and some herbal tea and gonna try to stay strong.
Been reading a lot that more and more people are getting sober through forum support so I'm giving this a go. Are you guys mainly US based or are there any Brits on here like me? I will look forward to chatting with you all and sharing in support.
Ana
,
I could see peace instead of this
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Canada, eh
Posts: 2,360
Welcome to SR, Anastazia!
If you want to stop drinking this is a great place for information and support in doing that. There are people from all over the world here, so you're in good company.
When I first stopped, I couldn't be around any alcohol for quite a while--not until I had a more solid foundation of sobriety under me. Being around it early on was just too tempting and uncomfortable.
If you want to stop drinking this is a great place for information and support in doing that. There are people from all over the world here, so you're in good company.
When I first stopped, I couldn't be around any alcohol for quite a while--not until I had a more solid foundation of sobriety under me. Being around it early on was just too tempting and uncomfortable.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 6,902
Hi Ana,
Welcome to the forum. Pleased you found us and are here and posting.
Hope you have a good time with your jamming. I'd suggest you have an exit plan for tonight- sometimes the situations that are comfortable when drinking aren't the best places to put ourselves when newly sober. Other things arent so bad for a while, but after an hour or so we find ourselves feeling a bit rattley and in need of some peace.
Also, remember those HALT triggers - hungry, angry, lonely and tired, and plan ahead to avoid them. So, even if there will be food there, don't go there hungry. If anything makes you angry, be on your guard - your AV (alcoholic voice) will delight in using that as a tool. Also, be wary of loneliness. Being the only sober person in a bunch of people who've been drinking can be surprisingly lonely. (Maybe touch base with this place a few times throughout the evening if needs be).
Good to meet ya.
BB
Ps. I'm a Brit as well. There are people from all over the world here.
Welcome to the forum. Pleased you found us and are here and posting.
Hope you have a good time with your jamming. I'd suggest you have an exit plan for tonight- sometimes the situations that are comfortable when drinking aren't the best places to put ourselves when newly sober. Other things arent so bad for a while, but after an hour or so we find ourselves feeling a bit rattley and in need of some peace.
Also, remember those HALT triggers - hungry, angry, lonely and tired, and plan ahead to avoid them. So, even if there will be food there, don't go there hungry. If anything makes you angry, be on your guard - your AV (alcoholic voice) will delight in using that as a tool. Also, be wary of loneliness. Being the only sober person in a bunch of people who've been drinking can be surprisingly lonely. (Maybe touch base with this place a few times throughout the evening if needs be).
Good to meet ya.
BB
Ps. I'm a Brit as well. There are people from all over the world here.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: London, UK
Posts: 8
Thanks everyone for the very supportive and useful messages. Wow, hadn't even thought of having an escape plan but that's a wise idea. I know AA teaches you that you can't be around alcohol in early recovery but I've never had a problem with it in a small group of good friends. I find one-to-one harder. I'm going to see if I can download this as an app on my phone and check your messages again if it gets tough, but I think I'll be OK. Thanks again and look forward to reading all your stories.
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,524
Great to have you with us, Ana.
I was sometimes able to control how much I drank & that caused me to postpone quitting all together. In my heart, I knew it was taking over my life - but I clung to those few times I was able to moderate. In the end, I was drinking every day. You're wise to stop. Hope your evening goes well.
I was sometimes able to control how much I drank & that caused me to postpone quitting all together. In my heart, I knew it was taking over my life - but I clung to those few times I was able to moderate. In the end, I was drinking every day. You're wise to stop. Hope your evening goes well.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: St.Petersburg, FL.
Posts: 1,077
Welcome, Ana! I'm glad you found this wonderful place for information and support; SR has been a huge help to me. I have 25 months of sobriety after going to inpatient rehab and I have had unfortunate experience with hallucinations and withdrawal; I felt as if I was dragged to the depths of Hell and I never want to go back there.
I'm a musician too, am often in places where alcohol is served and have to always be on guard. I will say that as my sober time increases I have found my cravings to have lessened a lot. Wishing you all the best on your sober journey. Sobriety rocks.
I'm a musician too, am often in places where alcohol is served and have to always be on guard. I will say that as my sober time increases I have found my cravings to have lessened a lot. Wishing you all the best on your sober journey. Sobriety rocks.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: London, UK
Posts: 8
Wow.. Feeling quite overwhelmed by all your lovely messages of support, thank you SR people :-)
The jam went well and I didn't drink and still haven't, which is the most important thing. There were only five of us - close friends - and yet not one of them mentioned or asked why I wasn't drinking. We even did a champagne toast with cake for one of their birthdays and I just poured ginger beer into my champagne glass to toast - no questions asked! I'm now paranoid they have either all clocked I'm an alcy or they all think I'm pregnant or something. What lovely friends I have.
The night wasn't so good. I stayed over and had a terrible broken sleep of nightmares and horror movie style sitting bolt upright in bed almost screaming. Felt dreadful the next day. So I guess I'm still just riding the detox rollercoaster.
I keep telling myself with every cup of loose leaf tea I drink, made in my lovely Japanese cast iron teapot, that it'll bring me one step closer to the good stuff in sobriety. My mood is all over the place today and I felt like stopping on the way home for a big glass of wine, but it was the terror of where that might end that stopped me. I've written myself some flash cards that I'm carrying around with me that answer all the questions about why it's not good to even have one drink.
Thanks again all..
The jam went well and I didn't drink and still haven't, which is the most important thing. There were only five of us - close friends - and yet not one of them mentioned or asked why I wasn't drinking. We even did a champagne toast with cake for one of their birthdays and I just poured ginger beer into my champagne glass to toast - no questions asked! I'm now paranoid they have either all clocked I'm an alcy or they all think I'm pregnant or something. What lovely friends I have.
The night wasn't so good. I stayed over and had a terrible broken sleep of nightmares and horror movie style sitting bolt upright in bed almost screaming. Felt dreadful the next day. So I guess I'm still just riding the detox rollercoaster.
I keep telling myself with every cup of loose leaf tea I drink, made in my lovely Japanese cast iron teapot, that it'll bring me one step closer to the good stuff in sobriety. My mood is all over the place today and I felt like stopping on the way home for a big glass of wine, but it was the terror of where that might end that stopped me. I've written myself some flash cards that I'm carrying around with me that answer all the questions about why it's not good to even have one drink.
Thanks again all..
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: London, UK
Posts: 8
Originally Posted by Verdantia 
Welcome, Ana! I'm glad you found this wonderful place for information and support; SR has been a huge help to me. I have 25 months of sobriety after going to inpatient rehab and I have had unfortunate experience with hallucinations and withdrawal; I felt as if I was dragged to the depths of Hell and I never want to go back there.
I'm a musician too, am often in places where alcohol is served and have to always be on guard. I will say that as my sober time increases I have found my cravings to have lessened a lot. Wishing you all the best on your sober journey. Sobriety rocks.
I'm a musician too, am often in places where alcohol is served and have to always be on guard. I will say that as my sober time increases I have found my cravings to have lessened a lot. Wishing you all the best on your sober journey. Sobriety rocks.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: London, UK
Posts: 8
Originally Posted by Hevyn
Great to have you with us, Ana.
I was sometimes able to control how much I drank & that caused me to postpone quitting all together. In my heart, I knew it was taking over my life - but I clung to those few times I was able to moderate. In the end, I was drinking every day. You're wise to stop. Hope your evening goes well.
I was sometimes able to control how much I drank & that caused me to postpone quitting all together. In my heart, I knew it was taking over my life - but I clung to those few times I was able to moderate. In the end, I was drinking every day. You're wise to stop. Hope your evening goes well.
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