Meeghan

Day 5. And what I can't believe is that I have been able to hang in there with this week at work being one of the most stressful ones ever! Typically, I would have been looking forward to getting home to "destress", but I can only imagine if I did that I would not have handled the personnel issues here at work as well.

I am very proud of you all for making this choice as well. The only thing I can relate this experience to is when I quit smoking (15 years ago). I fell off the quit-smoking wagon many, many, many times until it finally "stuck". You gotta keep trying. It isn't one and done. Also, it helps to realize that this journey is not the same for everyone; for some it is much harder and for others a bit easier to stick to your goal, however there is plenty of common ground here for us to share.

Scottydog

Daisy and Terbo, welcome to the club. This is a great support group.

Minion, congrats on 40 days, that's terrific. No alcohol for me tonight so the day will end on a good note.

Dee and Doggonecarl, thanks for your inspiration and insight. It really helps me.

Dee74

Welcome Terbo

Jimdi - I'm sorry your mom is ill.

D

Applekat

Goodnight June-ers. Let's all make our weekend plans tomorrow - anything to stay sober.

Minion09

Thanks Applekat... I am in the May class also...that was where I began this journey. Today was a tough day although I got blindsided with, but I made it through and onward I go...darn u anxiety like really u suck and u come out of nowhere...well u didnt win although I for a second thought u might. I am stronger than I think, and used what I have learned and reached out and kicked you're butt! We got this everyone, even on the not so strong days. Hope u all sleep or slept well. Hugs!

kittycat3

End of day 6, yeah! Too tired to do a proper update so will do so tomorrow. Good sober night to all!

nymets86

End of day 18 here. As a binge drinker, I haven't had to deal with any withdrawal issues, but the social pressures have been pretty intense.

Have weekend plans the next two weekends for sober activities, so very confident I'll make it to July completely sober. Some events coming up in July have me nervous, but just focusing on one week at a time now.

CuteNGayYay

Yay Minion!! 40 Gummy Bears for you! :P

Minion09

Yummy gummies cute! I hope they are all all green and clear ines...lol! I hope u have a great day and stay resilient, you r da best!

Everyone, the sun is shining, and the day is bright! I wish u all a focused happy day! Keep up the fight we r stronger than we realize! Happy Friday to all!

nmd

Welcome Meeghan! thank you for the positive message, I can relate.

Going into day 3, my sober legs feel strong enough for the weekend finally. I have no lack of jobs around the house, but I think what I need to do is learn how to just sit down and relax a little bit. I get too wound up in things to do and have gotten used to unwinding with drinking.

mnrn

Day 12! It feels so good to not wake up feeling hungover - it is actually starting to feel normal. The urges to drink after work are starting to feel weaker. They are still there but are a lot easier to ignore than the first few days.

Have a great day everyone!

jazzfish

I am in the middle of moving homes and all the demands are driving my crazy. I have been awake less than 30 minutes and I already want to punch everything in the world. I will stay sober, though. I hope you all have great, sober days.

cla17soc

Day ten for me...grad party tonight where everyone will be drinking. Not me!

Dee74

do you really need to go Cla17soc?
You might find it more of an ordeal than you might think?

D

anattaboy

Day 8 for meself and life is good. Wife asked me the other day if I was high cuz I was having trouble getting my bearings driving. I say "my consciousness is most definitely altered, yes, I'm sober and have a lot more synapses firing--thanks for noticing". Other than that, these 8 days have felt bigger than any of the 180 prior.

OnlyTheLonely

Day 13 today. Unlucky for some, but not me. So far so good, keeping busy and no intention of falling off the wagon today.

Have a wonderful day folks and stay safe.

Applekat

Good morning all! Day 5 here. I just got my 30 minute workout done - 3 miles on the treadmill. Also got in 50 ounces of water yesterday. Need to keep increasing that.

Need to make my plan for this weekend - it helps me if I have early morning things going on that I know will be 1000 times more enjoyable without a hangover.

Will post later.

SoberHoopsFan

Yup. Same. Loving life now that the booze is gone. And it's a beautiful day here today! Going in my friend's pool then catching a movie later.

anewpage

Day 7 here once again! So far I haven't made it past day 16 but I am determined to do it this time. I feel stronger and more confident that I can do it. The AV is quieter, which is a HUGE relief. That stupid thing was driving me crazy.

doggonecarl

Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it.
--Lily Tomlin

Stress, along with anxiety and boredom, seems to be the major “cause” of drinking and drugging. When did stress become this horrible thing we had to avoid at all cost? Stress is part of living. It kept our caveman ancestors alive by keeping them alert for the saber tooth tiger. So why has stress become such an integral component of addiction and impediment to recovery? I don’t know. Do we react differently to everyday stress? Or did we fail at some point in our lives to develop effective coping skills? Either way, if we don’t learn how to deal with stress, it will become a hurdle to recovery.

If you can’t change those events or outside influences that are stressful, you are left with changing the inside. You change attitude, or you work on your physical reaction to stress. The latter is easier for some than the first. So here are some steps for reducing stress:

1. Sit in a comfortable, not-too-soft chair that lets you keep your back straight and your feet flat on the floor.
2. Put your hands gently on your belly, right below your ribcage.
3. Ready to take a breath? Expand your belly, drawing breath in through your nose. When you do this right, you'll feel your hands move slightly.
4. Don't hold your breath. Open your mouth a little. Slowly let your belly contract, gently pushing your breath out your mouth.
5. Repeat this for a few minutes. Try not to think of anything in particular. If thoughts wander into your mind, let them wander back out. Don't try to push the stress out of your body -- just let it go.
6. Practice this for several minutes each day. Work up to about five or 10 minutes at a sitting.
7. Do this once a day. If something is stressing you out, do a few minutes of this deep breathing until you feel calm.