Krodos

Malcolms, Thank you. If it was between playing the game again and drinking I would play. lol. I know being sober is my greater goal here, its just Wow has stolen almost as much time from me as drinking has(well quite often I was doing both at the same time), and I feel it is time to move on. I am too much of a gamer though to not pick up another game or 2... just ones not so addictive(I would spend 4-10hrs per day playing wow). I appreciate your post.

But enough of WOW.

Today is day 8 sober. I am lucky cause I work steady afternoons.. so getting to Saturday(which is day 13) won't be too difficult, I would usually have 3-4 drinks after work, but I'm not really missing those for some reason.

My next real challenge is the coming weekend.

Krodos

Congrats BJB, my story sounds like yours... minus the blog. Jan 4th was my first day of soberity. And there are many others here with a similar start date, its nice to know we are not doing this alone.

joel

Last drink was Jan 2nd. My head is much clearer and my apartment much cleaner. I got up early to clean this morning, what a mess my apartment was and it looks so nice right now. I have actually woke up a few times and was half asleep wondering if I should be hungover or not, kind of strange. I haven't really been tested yet, mostly because I have stayed away from all social gatherings involving booze. Hope everyone continues to stay sober. Joel.

BJB

Something I've found helpful is to shift my perspective and habits around failure.
1) After reading the story about Edison and the light bulb, I realized there is no such thing as failure; only ways NOT to do something.
2) Every time I caught myself thinking the word "failure" I would catch myself and say, "No Betty! There is no failure! You just learned another way not to do it."

Just another perspective.

Heart,
BJB

intention

Great post, thanks. 7

intention

Hi Steppen, that's your cunning alcoholic mind thinking for you.

I never drank like that
I can't relate
I don't deserve to be here
Maybe I am not a real alcoholic
Maybe I am not an alcohoic at all


.......you know the rest, I don't need to tell you what the next thought will be.

Try listening to similarities in others' shares instead of the differences. I guarantee if you think like that instead you will relate to everyone in that room. "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

Congratulations on being sober.

intention

Smoking as well ? You are doing well. Congratulations.

intention

Hi Betty and welcome.

I can really relate to that. I am not telling any family and friends that I am an alcohoic because I know the first response would be "no, you're not"

Like you, it was behind closed doors.

This is a great support site. Good to see you.

Malcolms

The biggest thing I'm getting out of AA and SR is a chance to talk to people who understand. MY friends and family are supportive, but they don't really get why I can't just drink less, or why, if its such a big deal, why I can't just quit. Knowing other people with the similar issues makes it much easier for me, and this class thread has been great.

Krodo's, yup, I get it, especially if it is a trigger for you. Congrats on killing two birds with one stone.

December15

I'm with the January group. When will I learn? I hope I do learn before it's too late.

Steppen51

Thanks Intention you are so right. I also quit smoking a bit over a year ago so I'm a little bit shakey not doing caffiene, booze, and cigs. Have to admit to a really healthy appetite and sugar and chocolate are being over indulged a bit. Hey to those not sleeping. i got some Valerian, and Melatonin from the local health food store, just herbal type sleep aids, no prescription, no narcotics... You will sleep unless you are really a mess. I actually have blown off my presciption sleep aid most night in favor of this natural stuff. Thank God for another sober day!!!!

BJB

Thanks, Intention. It is such an empowering thing to know I'm not alone in that. I never feel "lonely" just "on my own." I've never met anyone with the same issue. Thanks for connecting with me.

It is getting easier each day but drinking is still always on the back of my mind. Happy to see you folks checking in and talking about what you are experiencing. My routine is becoming to post on my blog in the AM which helps me commit to another day of sobriety and to check in here before bed to see how you are all fending. The combination keeps me going and optimistic.

Tonight I went to a monthly marketing party that I usually go to. It is at a bar and most of the time people are all about drinking too much. Many of us are entrepreneurs and so we work from home. It is easy to get caught up working at the house and not getting out. So, people tend to really cut loose at this party. I went for the last hour and didn't drink. When everyone was ready to go to another bar, I said good night.

I know there will come a time when I can go out and chat folks up and stay out late and not drink. I've done it in the past. But I just don't trust myself 100% yet. Plus... I was tired and ready for bed. I had an incredibly awesome and productive day and it tuckered me out.

I've noticed that in lieu of booze, I've been craving hamburgers, chocolate, and just weird stuff I never usually want to eat. Seems like my body is begging for some toxic coping mechanism since I am depriving it of the bottle. I just ignore it, eat a salad, and enjoy some flavored mineral water or something. It actually does the trick. My body is just adjusting.

So, here is to another day of us honoring our bodies, our lives, and the people in it with our sobriety. Thanks for posting guys. It is a gift to hear from each of you.

To your success,
BJB

InsideOut

Day 12 and feeling good about it!!

Enjoying everybody's positive posts, thank you for sharing!! Helping me make it through another happy, sober day!!

PilgrimPat

1/10/2010 is my first sobriety day.

Went through the same 'motions' around this time last year; told family and friends I was going to do 90 days and see how it went. Well, my college basketball team upset the #1 team in the country on 1/7 and I said the usual 'aww, f*** it!' and really let loose that night. So much so that I ended up with a DUI.

Stopped drinking for a while, but started another 'controlled' drinking experiment (never alone, only x amount of beers, blah blah blah) and ended up back at my usual 2-3 days-a-week, watching movies, everything-by-myself passout-fest, with some embarrassing drunk-dialing thrown in for good measure.)

Anyway, here I am again. Going to dust myself off and get back on that wagon.

Good riddance 2009....


One day at a time, 2010. One sober day at a time.

intention

Hello Pat and welcome. Congratulations on your decision to get sober.

It's a great place here for support. Do you have any different plans to help you stay sober this time round?
Keep in touch.

Serendipity13

Glad to see other Newbies here. I have been on and off since New Years. Last drink (s) were Monday night. This weekend is going to be hard. I have managed to taper down but WOW, the sleep pattern is all jacked up. I am starting to feel better but SO tired. Anyone else sleep for like 4 hours and then toss. I still feel better than hung over everyday! Congratulations to all of you guys who have stuck through it so far this year. I go to my first AA meeting tonight. I am looking forward to it as this website has been extremely helpful.

David2010

My first day was Jan 11th - I'm only into day 3 so far, but feeling good about the changes I'm making in my life

Wallingford

Glad to read Steppen51´s contribution because I have a hard time sleeping. Actually it is a problem I have had for most of my life; my parents claim that I didn´t sleep much as a baby. For lots of years I have "solve" the problem with alcohol. I found out as a teen that a single strong beer was a great sleeping pill. Later a single beer just wasn´t enough. It is not a good option and not an option at all anymore...

So yesterday I bought some chamomile tea to drink in the evening instead for black tea (I skipped coffee 15 months ago).

Slepping only 2-3 hours a night is pretty hard.

PilgrimPat

I'm going to not drink!

Seriously, though. I take meds for depression/anxiety and drinking while on them is as about as useful as a glass of water for someone who's drowning.

I have to get off the emotional roller coaster that has been my life for the past 20 years. Unemployment, missed family gatherings, sleeping the days away....

I'm moving to Seattle in the spring and hope to make a fresh start there.

Thanks for the welcome, and godspeed to all who are fighting the good fight.

joel

DAY 11, woot woot. Life right now is much easier being sober. As I was driving to work today I just remembered the times were I was so hungover and no matter how nice of a day it was it still felt like a black cloud was over my head. Great to be alive and not have to worry about drinking anymore. It's strange to think that something so small can take a hold of you so easily. It may sound a little cliche but my worse day sober beats any day I have ever had hungover.