LastInLine

I didn't know that people count days when they quit drinking, but funny enough, I started doing it right away without knowing that. I guess it's completely normal.

Day 13. I'm trying to get my thread thing stabilized here. I hear there's no real rules and I can appreciate that, but I feel sort of ... I don't know, starting three different threads in less than 2 weeks, so I'm just going to stop here and count days.

I really feel a lot better. I thought about drinking today. I mean I really didn't think I was going to do it. But it's Friday night and that's what I do on Friday night. Well, every night, but if it's Friday I don't have to work tomorrow, so then there was no attempt to limit it. I'd just drink until I blissfully passed out. Then wake up a few hours later, so thirsty that there's not enough water on the planet to quench it, and then not sleep at all the rest of the night.

That has to be the single biggest reason that I'm not really tempted to drink. Sleep. Sleep is so wonderful, I forgot what it was like. Sad, but true. The thought of going back to no sleep like that is just not acceptable.

I noticed after about a week into no drinking that I had dark circles under my eyes. I asked my wife if I was like that before and she told me that yeah, but it wasn't as noticeable because my eyes were always real puffy. Great. The dark circles are still there, but only about half as much as before. I hope it goes completely away.

The other thing I've noticed is mental clarity. It's sort of hard to describe, but it was like I was walking around in a fog all day, every day and now all of the sudden, the fog it clearing and everything looks much brighter and clearer. Anyone else get that?

least

Congrats on almost two weeks sober! I had brain fog too, at first, but with continued sobriety it got better.

I counted days, then weeks, then months, and now years. Some count, some don't, but I like to know how far I am from my last drink.

fishkiller

I think counting gives you a sense of accomplishment. Positive reinforcement or something.

I felt the same way about posting too.
But if they say it's ok and you want to post then post.
We will read it.

I always thought I had to at least have a few drinks to sleep but when not drinking I sleep SO much better.

Tetrax

Yeah proper sleep's amazing to get back; sometimes I still can't believe the body can shut down all on its own without poisoning it into submission. I ran on the insomnia excuse for years! 'But you don't understand, I need to drink, or else I won't sleep,' etc. etc.

DaisyBelle7

I’ve been on message boards in the past that are very heavy handed wrt what you can/cannot post. This mb has been wonderful. Everyone is so friendly and supportive. Have you joined the Class of January 2020 thread yet? There are a bunch of us who all quit drinking in January. We’ve been posting quite a bit... would love to have you join us.

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...-part-2-a.html

Surrendered19

I count and am living in Day 59. It is just one of the tools in my tool box. But I've seen many opinions on this site about that topic. Most of the folks with long term sobriety dismiss counting days and say that that really doesn't help. They tell folks not to worry too much about the day count but just stay sober. But I'm going to keep counting for now.

LastInLine

Yeah, that's what I thought to. Until I sort of realized that can't be true because my sleep got to where it was nearly non-existent. I spent time researching all of that starting weeks before I quit. I knew I was going to quit, but the idea felt really frightening, so I wanted to know what I might be in for. Like not sleeping, which turned out to be just the opposite.

Seems we don't really sleep when we drink a lot. We pass out. Then we awaken from our passed out state and then never really get into real sleep, especially REM sleep. It must have been years since I actually remembered a dream upon waking, until a couple of days after quitting. Now most morning, I wake up and at least vaguely recall a dream I had been having.

Cityboy

Thank you for sharing that.

Day 8 for me. Nothing that has occurred the last few days was planned out, it has just been unfolding as it goes. I didn't plan to count days either, any more than I planned to crash this site on day 5 or blab about my story and become a wreck on day 6.

I could have written almost the same thing about sleep. My cycle would be passing out in recliner, waking up and go to bed about 1, wake up again at 3 or so and get up to raid fridge and chug a tall cup of water with lemon juice, watch TV on silent until getting sleepy and going back to bed about 5. Skip the cycle a night due to hangover. Repeat cycle again. It seems so utterly ridiculous.

I have long noticed that on days with hangover I would forget things like names while talking to someone, and sometimes forget what I was going to say part way through. Looking very much forward to that no longer being the case.

LastInLine

Yeah, exactly that. I remember telling my wife a couple of days before finally quitting 'But I won't sleep!. Crazy being afraid of not sleeping when you already weren't sleeping.

I think it was just another excuse. Like all the others, it's someone's birthday, I had a hard day, I'm happy, I'm sad, it's hot outside, it's cold outside, it's raining... well I think you all get it.

fishkiller

If you don't mind me asking is your screen name a musical reference?
Love me some Dio

LastInLine

Yes, that's where I got the name from. I can't really remember why I chose that though, I was all sorts of screwed up in the head the day I found this place and needed a posting name. I was drawing a total blank and somehow came up with that when the song popped into my head for whatever reason. Seems like I remember that song was alternately playing in my head along with Queensryche Jet City Woman.

Dee74

Congrats on 13 days LIL

D

Delilah1

Great job on 13 days, you’ve got two weeks tomorrow!

VinnyMcM

Hey Last. Congrats on your sobriety! The first couple weeks are difficult but you made it.

I count my days. I’m the type who needs instant gratification (which is the opposite of what sobriety is). Adding one more day to my counter every day gives me that gratification.

Post as much as you want. I’m 33 days in and this is my first real attempt at sobriety. The first week in, I was starting a new thread every day because I had so many questions on what to expect. You have hundreds of people hear waiting to hear from you and provide any guidance they can.

And finally, the dark circles under the eyes. I hate them so much! I’ve given up on blaming alcohol for this. I thought they would go away instantly but mine are still there darker than ever. Going to have to blame the aging process on this one. I always make fun of my wife for the weird creams and face masks she puts on but it looks like I’ll have to join her soon

SoberRican

Hey congrats on your sober time. Yes the whole sleep thing . how bout it huh? Feels pretty darn good to get some solid shut eye. Hey and the longer you stay off the sauce the more goodies you are going to encounter. ✌

fishkiller

Sleep. Ahhhh
Got about 8 hours last night almost uninterrupted.
NornallNormally would have hit the bathroom 5 to6 times to drain all the beer.

Feels so good

Abraham

Yep, the fog and counting days are very common. Congrats on almost two weeks. Keeping that going is vital now. Sounds like you are doing good but it gets alot easier, at least for me, after about 4-6 weeks.

Mary88

Congratulations on 13 days.

I like counting the days too and it seems to help somehow.

DriGuy

This is a good place to be. I think most of us have had thoughts about drinking in later recovery, but we also know we won't act on them. They are just thoughts. Earlier in recovery, any thought can be an overpowering craving. From that point on in my recovery, craving was replaced with recall of information: "Thoughts are harmless, but drinking takes us back to square one." It's simple to remember. The danger is that you are now feeling so much better, that we begin to think we are no longer susceptible to the first drink, and we think we are superhuman enough to disregard the information: "Drinking takes us back to square one." That one bit of information may be the Federation of Alcoholic's Prime Directive: "Drinking takes us back to square one." Some call it playing the tape forward. Although some will debate this, I say, "You haven't really stopped drinking if you start drinking again. You just took some time off, but never solved anything."


I have, but it's not like I walk around thinking about how clear my thinking is. It was more subtle for me. It would only occur to me when I saw some alternate behavior that makes things better; Something simple that I had missed before. Maybe I would have had that insight even if I never quit drinking, but what was unmistakable was that after I quit, I started having such insights at a much higher frequency.

LastInLine

Hi everyone. Checking in for day 15.

Yesterday my wife and I drove around a lot, we're looking for a new home to buy. It was really nice, just driving around like that talking.

We talked and I told her that maybe we should slow down a little. I mean I want to do it soon, but I just stopped drinking after a 12 year long binge and my judgement might be way off. I don't think 15 sober days has fixed that. We need a bigger place, we outgrew this years ago, but some drunk guy kept us here because he was too busy drinking to care.

I'm driving my wife crazy because I don't know what to do most of the time. She asked me if I can possibly be still and just relax for a few minute, but doesn't seem I can. I feel like I need to do something... but half the time I don't know what it is so I just am pacing about the house driving her crazy. Although I did do way more stuff in the last 2 days than I have in years in an avg 2 days, but it was still next to nothing. I fixed a couple of things that need fixing for many years. I had to clamp one thing and I had never used that clamp before and I was getting really mad because it kept slipping off because I didn't know what I was doing, lol. My wife was like 'What is wrong with you' and I'm cursing that clamp. Sigh, how sad. I completely renovated 2 homes I owned, mostly by myself, and now I can't use a damn small clamp to fix a broken kitchen knife handle.

So, the hyperactivity... I made some tea and then I decided I needed a 2nd cup, so I put the kettle back on the stove. Then when I went to get it off, I realized I still had half a cup of tea. My poor wife, I see her eyeballing me, watching me with much suspicion and apprehension. I'm driving her crazy, and me too.

You know how you, you ever wanted something to eat, a late evening snack, but you can't figure out what it is, so you just keep opening all the cabinet drawers and the fridge, but you still can't figure it out? I'm like that now, but about everything.

Sorry, so much rambling...