Class Of October 2011 pt 7
Argonaut
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 479
October is here again! Just checking in, 3 years for me in a few days, I am doing ok, I hope everyone is good too.
I am still not there with total sobriety (anti-anxiety meds, coffee) but perhaps it will come one day. Like General also working out (especially cycling) a lot, exercise clears my mind. My business - Dutch/Polish translations and Dutch private and in-company lessons - is consuming all of my time, so I rarely even think about alcohol. Negative sides? My love life is still dead
- no girlfriend.
Have a good October everyone!
I am still not there with total sobriety (anti-anxiety meds, coffee) but perhaps it will come one day. Like General also working out (especially cycling) a lot, exercise clears my mind. My business - Dutch/Polish translations and Dutch private and in-company lessons - is consuming all of my time, so I rarely even think about alcohol. Negative sides? My love life is still dead
- no girlfriend.Have a good October everyone!
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 617
Hello Sobertobers!!!!
Geralt - great to 'see' you! Amazing - 3 years!
Congrats! You've done so well. Sounds like you're staying busy 
Is your work interesting? Sounds like it would be.
Little Sparrow - Hello! How are you doing? Hopefully getting close to your one year - the 14th I think?? How was Ireland?
General - Hello! How was your big race over the summer? Have you recovered enough to schedule your next one? How is your new place? Aren't you hitting 3 years, too?
Tanja - Hi! Thanks for your kind wishes earlier in the year! How are you doing?
I'm well - so very busy with everyday life -- nothing too exciting but good. Made it through my first sober vacation in my entire adult life. A few times my AV tried to talk to me but I was able to shut it up pretty well. Even when it was whispering I just played it forward to the same bad place.... Always good to remember empty alcohol promises. On the up side - it was a very nice time!
I look forward to hearing everyone's news
Geralt - great to 'see' you! Amazing - 3 years!
Congrats! You've done so well. Sounds like you're staying busy Is your work interesting? Sounds like it would be.Little Sparrow - Hello! How are you doing? Hopefully getting close to your one year - the 14th I think?? How was Ireland?
General - Hello! How was your big race over the summer? Have you recovered enough to schedule your next one? How is your new place? Aren't you hitting 3 years, too?
Tanja - Hi! Thanks for your kind wishes earlier in the year! How are you doing?
I'm well - so very busy with everyday life -- nothing too exciting but good. Made it through my first sober vacation in my entire adult life. A few times my AV tried to talk to me but I was able to shut it up pretty well. Even when it was whispering I just played it forward to the same bad place.... Always good to remember empty alcohol promises. On the up side - it was a very nice time!
I look forward to hearing everyone's news
Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Midwest
Posts: 429
Glad to hear you're doing well, Sadsoul! And Geralt, 3 years, wow! That is fantastic. Something for me to aspire to.
I'll be reaching 1 year in a few days (yep, sadsoul, the 14th). I feel so grateful to be at this point. Wish it was 3 years instead, but I had a few more lessons left to learn, I guess.
My vacation in Ireland was amazing. The only part I didn't like was Dublin, mostly because it was so touristy. The rest of the country was beautiful and the people were incredibly friendly. It really was very green there, and it was so neat to see castles everywhere. The driving was a little scary because you're on the left side on very narrow, winding roads, but my husband did a great job handling it. Everything on the west coast was my favorite. Oh, and I didn't drink a drop of alcohol! It didn't bother me in the least. There was so much to do, and it was wonderful not being hungover for it.
I'll be reaching 1 year in a few days (yep, sadsoul, the 14th). I feel so grateful to be at this point. Wish it was 3 years instead, but I had a few more lessons left to learn, I guess.
My vacation in Ireland was amazing. The only part I didn't like was Dublin, mostly because it was so touristy. The rest of the country was beautiful and the people were incredibly friendly. It really was very green there, and it was so neat to see castles everywhere. The driving was a little scary because you're on the left side on very narrow, winding roads, but my husband did a great job handling it. Everything on the west coast was my favorite. Oh, and I didn't drink a drop of alcohol! It didn't bother me in the least. There was so much to do, and it was wonderful not being hungover for it.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 601
Hello everyone, anyone here? 3 years, one month and 27 days for me. I'm back after a bit of a gap - I now live on a boat, I bombed badly at my race and dropped at mile 27, and I'm getting divorced again. Otherwise, I'm great - how's everyone else?
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 617
General - Great to hear from you! I'll still around. Still sober! 19 months.
Are you happy on the boat? Sounds unique and neat. How are your kids doing? Are you all adjusting to the change?
Sorry to hear about your race. It was amazing that you entered and trained for it - that is a commitment! You training has always inspired me.
LS - hope all is well with you. Glad you enjoyed your vacation.
I'd love to catch up with everybody. I'm making a point to check in more often around the holidays. Kinda like taking extra vitamin c to ward off a cold. Don't want to get over confident.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Are you happy on the boat? Sounds unique and neat. How are your kids doing? Are you all adjusting to the change?
Sorry to hear about your race. It was amazing that you entered and trained for it - that is a commitment! You training has always inspired me.
LS - hope all is well with you. Glad you enjoyed your vacation.
I'd love to catch up with everybody. I'm making a point to check in more often around the holidays. Kinda like taking extra vitamin c to ward off a cold. Don't want to get over confident.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 601
Hi Guys,
Good to see you both again - I was ill over New Year - not much fun on a boat. Still, it was better than having a hangover. That's my fourth dry Christmas - getting to be a bit of a veteran.I still feel as if I'm in the midst of a big change, though - like it's not complete yet. How do you feel? Sad?
Good to see you both again - I was ill over New Year - not much fun on a boat. Still, it was better than having a hangover. That's my fourth dry Christmas - getting to be a bit of a veteran.I still feel as if I'm in the midst of a big change, though - like it's not complete yet. How do you feel? Sad?
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 617
Thought I would drop an update. Doing well, still sober and actually thriving.... Wonder how I ever held my life together. Still have occasions when the monster pokes at me but not bad. Just ignore and keep the faith.
How is everyone else? Would love to catch up if anyone is around!
How is everyone else? Would love to catch up if anyone is around!
Argonaut
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 479
4 years today. I hope everyone is ok and sober, or trying to become to.
It feels like alcohol has been defeated for good. The idea of alcoholism being a kind of allergy to my body works pretty well. I hardly ever think about drinking, swatting the thought away like a fly. My body has changed, I won't ever drink again. Period.
Others thing are going well too. Finally managed to quit coffee, had a relationship for a few months, work and health are fine. Still fighting the valium demon, it seems like every year I am making a tapering plan, and fail somewhere in the middle. It's not going out of hand, as I function and work normally, but I want total sobriety, it has been going on for too long. This time I involved my family, who is really supportive, made a slower schedule and planning to go into a clinic for the final drop to 0 mg, somewhere around December/January.
Also I would like to apologize to Dee (hope you read this). In the past years I have been kinda advocating marijuana use (as a recreational user) here on this boards, or at least making it less worse than it is. I never had problems with marijuana, and considered it quite harmless, until a few months ago, when I got into something like a marijuana binge, more and more every day, becoming lethargic and lazy, craving and spending a lot of money on it. Because of my previous experiences with alcohol I was able to recognize it and quit totally in July, but I realize now that it can be really addictive and harmful, with even some withdrawal symptoms like heavy sweating and anxiety. Never again!
Have a good Sober-october everyone!
It feels like alcohol has been defeated for good. The idea of alcoholism being a kind of allergy to my body works pretty well. I hardly ever think about drinking, swatting the thought away like a fly. My body has changed, I won't ever drink again. Period.
Others thing are going well too. Finally managed to quit coffee, had a relationship for a few months, work and health are fine. Still fighting the valium demon, it seems like every year I am making a tapering plan, and fail somewhere in the middle. It's not going out of hand, as I function and work normally, but I want total sobriety, it has been going on for too long. This time I involved my family, who is really supportive, made a slower schedule and planning to go into a clinic for the final drop to 0 mg, somewhere around December/January.
Also I would like to apologize to Dee (hope you read this). In the past years I have been kinda advocating marijuana use (as a recreational user) here on this boards, or at least making it less worse than it is. I never had problems with marijuana, and considered it quite harmless, until a few months ago, when I got into something like a marijuana binge, more and more every day, becoming lethargic and lazy, craving and spending a lot of money on it. Because of my previous experiences with alcohol I was able to recognize it and quit totally in July, but I realize now that it can be really addictive and harmful, with even some withdrawal symptoms like heavy sweating and anxiety. Never again!
Have a good Sober-october everyone!
Argonaut
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 479
Hey checking in here on the 5th year. I hope everyone else is doing ok, being sober or striving to be.
I managed to quit the Valium on the 5th of September. The withdrawals are still very bad, much more prolonged and serious than alcohol withdrawal, making very small progress everyday, and taking 2 steps back sometimes.
Muscle jerks through the body, ear ringing, memory is gone, bpm and blood pressure spikes, constant worrying. It should get better within 6 months.
Take care!
I managed to quit the Valium on the 5th of September. The withdrawals are still very bad, much more prolonged and serious than alcohol withdrawal, making very small progress everyday, and taking 2 steps back sometimes.
Muscle jerks through the body, ear ringing, memory is gone, bpm and blood pressure spikes, constant worrying. It should get better within 6 months.
Take care!
Argonaut
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 479
Hey guys, it has been going so well that I forgot to check in here on my 6th year anniversary 2 days ago.
Finally seeing someone since a couple of weeks and other things like work have been great too. Also 1 year free from benzo's, still some withdrawal symptoms like persistent tinnitus, bad concentration and memory, cramped muscles. But everything needs time.
On rare occasions I get a very short and irrational though, like a flash, about taking a drink, but it's so weak, that's easily pushed away with logic and reason.
Hope you are doing good too General!
Finally seeing someone since a couple of weeks and other things like work have been great too. Also 1 year free from benzo's, still some withdrawal symptoms like persistent tinnitus, bad concentration and memory, cramped muscles. But everything needs time.
On rare occasions I get a very short and irrational though, like a flash, about taking a drink, but it's so weak, that's easily pushed away with logic and reason.
Hope you are doing good too General!
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