EternalQ

Madbird this is how it is in the beginning. It will not always be like this! Just don't drink when this happens and your more sophisticated coping will return. I like what your husband said: You just don't do this anymore!

I was surprised how regressed I would get over frustrations when i quit drinking, and how I felt persecuted by daily events. Eventually once I took my eyes off myself and looked around I saw others were coping with worse situations yet with greater grace. They didn't whine like me.

Unfortunately I still whine off and on. But I don't wine!

Emily2002

My son has a night job. I'm not sure I could flip my days and nights like that, even though I've typically been a night person.

I certainly hope things picked up a bit so you weren't so bored!

((((FishnHippy))))

Emily2002

That's our Lorelei....

I think we might have to nickname you "Sunshine!"

Congrats on the 17 days!!!!

Emily2002

I find some evenings, so, so incredibly hard, too, Madbird. Especially the ones when I'm essentially mourning the loss of one of my very best lifelong friends.... alcohol.

Thing is, that friend wasn't good to me at all and never will be. I'm trying to establish new routines now and hang with my new friends. Real and true ones who "get" what I'm going through.

That's why I'm here! Hang in there with us new friends, Madbird.

BELIEVE

Melina

Good morning, septembers!

I'm going to sit out on the deck this morning with coffee, catch up on SR and breathe in the lovely pending fall air/ambiance....

15th consecutive day sober here....it was probably the 90s the last time that happened.

I'm so grateful to all of you. You are all my heroes and my teachers, at whatever stage of recovery you're in....THANK YOU!

Renarde

Omg!!! Awesome!! Are you going to take it?

IOAA2

During my first weeks of sobriety it was suggested to drink plenty of sugar drinks and supplement them with sweets. The reason is that the alcohol is changed to sugar in our body and the body wants to continue that intake for awhile. Helped me!

FishnHippy

I was on a flight to Cincinnati and the beast was knocking

Emily2002

Never let him in!

Have a good day, FnH!!!

Renarde

NewLeaf, no apologies! I totally got what you were saying. Xoxo

AFM - great night's sleep. Crunch time today w work but the baby is sick and goopy in the morning so I need to make sure that settles before we go to daycare and work. So I am laying on my rear in bed while we watch cartoons. Day 22. Just 8 more and I hit 30 days.

I have been thinking about, trying on, and trying to feel comfortable with the new identity of "person who does not drink alcohol." person who loves to party to person who is very healthy and has no harmful habits. I am trying to see this new identity as a positive thing. Person who has made a choice to be healthy. Person who believes alcohol is not a good thing to put in their body. Person who does not have a crutch. I am trying to not think of this as something awkward or shameful but as something to be proud of or admire. Something that actually makes me feel confident about myself in relating to the world.

Renarde

Congrats to everyone with days creeping up into higher numbers!

SoberChristy, where are you? Haven't seen your posts in the thread for a bit.

kerryman30

Today I am 1week sober. Feeling good about the future. I was the type of man who would drink every penny I had in my pocket. And could not leave the pub till it was all gone . And would even have the cheek to ask the landlord for maybe another 50euro sub to last till closing time. Iam 30 being drinking since 19. It has to stop. Plus iam giving up smoking fromthis moment in time. It all or nothing. Wish me luck lads. :;-)

SoberChristy

Hey Renarde. That makes me so happy that you care and ask. To be honest, still struggling. It's crazy because all I do is listen to sober podcasts, read AA lit and focus on recovery. But Friday hit and I was back to square one again. I just feel bad after reading how well and positive everyone else is doing :-(

I keep reading the quote that says something like, "if what you've been doing isn't working, then it's time to try something else." Not sure what else to try! I just worry my will is not strong enough.

Still reading here every day though.

misspond

Good afternoon all I'm late checking in today but I've been reading threads and doing stuff with my son today. Dull and rainy outside but inside things are looking up x

BLKDIESEL

Congrats on Day 17 Lorelei, the days add up don't they!!!:0))
#IMAFINISHER

BLKDIESEL

~~~Food 4 Thought - Weekday Edition~~~
~~~Some Mental Appetizers~~~

“Those who are able to stay completely focused in pursuit of their dreams are the ones that are most likely to become champions.” -Steve Backley

“To dream by night is to escape your life. To dream by day is to make it happen.”
-Stephen Richards

“Everyone creates realities based on their own personal beliefs. These beliefs are so powerful that they can create [expansive or entrapping] realities over and over.”
-Kuan Yin”

“A person can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up their thoughts.”-James Allen

“You can start to change your luck today. Begin believing that you can have what you desire and superior things will arrive.” -Steve Backley

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”-Wayne W. Dyer

“Focusing is the great secret of power. If you want to use your full amount of focus, you must close down all other thoughts and direct your power of generating mental steam toward one outcome.” -Stephen Richards

“When the mind is free, magic happens.” -C.G. Rousing

~~Day 22 Awaits and feeling mar-ve-lous....Be great 2day SR...Njoy!!!#IMAFINISHER~~

Bird615

Thank you, Eternal and Newleaf.

On thinking about it, I think my moodiness has something to to with the HALT thing (don't get too hungry, angry, lonely or tired). I've been more tired than usual and that really is one thing that makes me emotional. Sounds like more sleep is in order.

Getting out of myself and helping others also helps me, but when I'm like that, I'm so self-centered I forget it all.

Other than these momentary tantrums, I know from past experience that it really will get better and sticking with all of you is also making all the difference. I only lasted 18 days last month, and mainly because I didn't have any outside support like on SR or meetings. Having support is vital to my recovery. Thank you to each and every one of you for being here.

I'm so happy I found this place, and this is my most favourite smiley thing on SR:

phoebe64

I think I am catching the cold my daughter has had. Feel it coming on. I have a somewhat hungover feeling, with a scratchy throat. It got me to thinking, "How on earth did we do it anyway?" all the hungover mornings, late nights drinking too much, pushing our bodies to their limits?

I have been feeling very tired each day, even though not like when hungover. Just not sleeping well. So, it makes me think I could never function like that anymore anyway.

Going to try to get some rest the next few days. I have a friend coming from out of town and want to be able to show her around this weekend.

eveval

Congrats, Grindilow! That's super exciting!!

firstandlast - Sometimes I feel like I am personally keeping diet coke in business. Also, diet sprite! I always have a case on hand at home. I figure there will be a time to cut down on that addiction later.

Renarde, this really resonates with me. I really cultivated that whole "wild, fun party girl" identity for a long time. Ironically, almost all of my closest, dearest friends are not heavy drinkers or really drinkers at all (which I am really especially grateful for now, cutting out the drinking buddies was easy). I was always the instigator among my friends for excessive nights of partying, and I generally had the reaction from my friends "Oh you're popping open a beer at 11am, that's so cute and carefree" "Oh you're hungover again? Tell me what happened last night?!"

So now my life has been trying to do a total 180 for the past year now, and putting on that new identity of the healthy non-drinker, someone who meets life unmediated no matter what, has been one of the biggest hurdles for me. It's definitely one of the reasons I relapsed this summer. I still have a hard time not occasionally romanticizing my drinking life. But the truth is I was on my way, with haste, to an early death. I blew up my cute party girl spot by landing myself in the hospital and a psychiatric ward, and my drinking was no longer cute or fun, and I could no longer ignore the pain I was trying to drown out.

Anyways, that healthy non-drinker? That person is amazing. To have the strength to turn away from an incredibly dangerous and addictive substance that has had you in it's grips for years takes such courage and determination, it's hard to even fathom that anyone can accomplish it. But we do and we keep getting back up if we stumble. I was ashamed for most of this past year about my struggle with alcohol, but I don't think I am anymore. I'm proud that I am fighting it. I'm proud that I haven't given up. I'm proud of all of us.

Bird615

I think this is fantastic, Renarde. This worked very well for me in my previous sobriety and even more so when I finally managed to quit smoking. I had to find a new identity and a replacement for the addiction(s).

And it ended up being one of the things that pushed me back towards sobriety again; being a boozer just did not fit with that lifestyle, drinking was getting in the way of my health and fitness big time and I had to decide which was more important to me, which one I wanted more.