NikTes

Thanks for the comment, peanutbutters. (Me too, a glass means two bottles.) I'll try what you suggest. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis two years ago and could truthfully say that I'm laying off the wine to help manage the inflammation. The thing is my siblings etc. are not supportive about anything related to physical or mental illness -- even towards their own children! They're judgemental and harsh. They consider any mention of a physical/mental 'complaint' to be a form of whining. I try not to be around them... I'll let you know how it goes!

Dean1978

Im in day 3 and feeling great.

Mel12

Dear all,

My preference is to avoid the drama and tedium of providing a long explanation that has to be repeated umpteem times.

I once collected SR no-drink reasons that avoid the drama. I have forgotten most, but do remember a few:

1. Ulcer (I don't use this one because it is not true for me, but SR people say it works like a charm to avoid the drama).

2. Confusing paperwork to do after (and, unfortunately, I always have overdue paperwork to do!).

3. On an early AM workout schedule (this won't work for me, since everyone knows I can drink and get up early).

4. Difficult phone calls after (sometimes true for me).

5. On the Calvin B. Goodnik Radish Miracle Diet (sometimes true for me )

6. Please, coffee only if I am going to stay awake through this event!

7. The nuclear option: UTI

Mel

Mel12

Dear Purplelily,

Thank goodness on your liver result. I am glad to hear it is not too late.

Mel

canguy

Mel......good lines.

But the last one? UTI?

peanutbutters

Works for women better than men. Urinary tract infection.

Dee74

Just on the reasons thing...

when I got sober I was really worried what people might say or think of me...I had these long essays detailing why I quit....

I found that, outside of drinking buddies, noone really cares if I drink or not. I as assuming that everyone else took drinking as seriously as I did.

99% of the time, 'no thanks I don't drink' really is enough

D

CapDB

Day 4.

It is amazing how long days are when you're sober.

Cameron57

Major wobble tonight, resisted temptation, feel like crap though and really struggling....it's only the end of day 2. night time is damn hard although going to be harder tomorrow when DH is off work and he is a heavy drinker.

Reluctantly carted myself off to bed. Hope everyone is keeping well today/tonight.

Sorry for the downer post. My positivity has well and truly left the building tonight.

happytobealive1

Good for you for staying the course, Cameron! Sorry to hear you're feeling poorly. Totally ok to be a downer---I think that's what this forum's for, to have a place to get it off your chest rather than choke it down alone. And also to pat yourself on the back for the daily success, like today (although I guess that's already yesterday, for you!).

Can you do anything for yourself that might make this easier? Ask DH to drink elsewhere, visit a sober friend, etc. I'm working on engineering my lifestyle to reduce temptations---for me, that means taking different routes that do not pass places of temptation, scheduling in social time, etc. Is there anything of the sort you could try?

Cameron57

happytobealive1 yes, I def need to come up with a plan. its something I need to seriously sort out in the morning, need to really think about it. Like today was so hard because of an event I take the kids to every Tuesday I would always buy a bottle on the way home. It was routine...and I live by routines. Same as when Dh is off work, our routine is to start drinking at 9pm til silly o clock in the morn.

Thanks for taking the time out to respond. Going to watch some Netflix in bed and hopefully fall asleep. I'm getting damn angry at alcohol. Onwards and upwards though. Tomorrow WILL be a better day.

Thanks again, hope you're well.

trachemys

The end of the day is particularly hard for most. It's when we gave ourselves the reward for another day's efforts.

So, we drank ourselves to sleep. Big reward. Pay for it tomorrow.

You need new rewards. And time to learn to appreciate them. Trading in a bottle of wine for a pot of tea takes effort and time. But, you won't have a tea hangover in the morning. And, you'll be able to function normally. And you'll wake up smiling instead of groaning.

Stubbs16

Good evening all. Welcome to the new people, and hello to the class!
Day 2 coming to a close. Easy day for me, no bs, no temptation. This will not always be the case tho, so keeping up my defenses.
Sorry for those having a tough time today, hang in there!
CapDB I too noticed that about how much longer the days seem, when we are really present. Strange, isn't it? But I like it! At my age, I need all my time to stretch out as long as possible!

Hope everyone stays strong and sober. Have a great day, evening.

Cameron57

Fantastic maximus. Keep going!

Stubbs16

Thanks Cam. U too! Sorry you had a moment, I think what Trach says is so true. We need to reward ourselves in healthy ways. I often catch my mind going back to my same old routines, triggers. Then I want to drink. It has become such a bad habit for me. One I have to change.

NikTes

Sorry you had a wobble night, Cameron. I wobbled too, but I did make it through the birthday party without reaching for the wine. (I did get some looks for not having any but nobody overtly asked me about it.)

Here too, maximus. Same triggers. And -- mostly -- the same old routines. I was very cranky today, likely because of the switch-up. Glad to be heading to bed.

Good riddens, Day 3.

360shoes

Thought I'd pop in and say hi Marchers 2015.
I'm a Marcher 2013.

Just wanted you all to know that all your hard work and honesty and never giving up will take you where you want to be. Hang in there and keep moving forward. Take turns leaning on each other.

I look back now and I barely recognize the girl I was 2 years ago. My life is infinitely better and I am about as happy as a person can be. And it isn't all because my life changed all that dramatically. It's because I changed.

It was a heck of a roller coaster ride at first. But I'm so grateful I did it.

I have a calm, peaceful, sense of pride, positive outlook on life I never had drinking.

You can do this. You deserve it.

xoxo

whatismyname

I'm learning to navigate this site. I'm a little confused, is this the March 2015 group,

happytobealive1

Stayed strong and happy all day until tonight, when the strain got to me. I resisted the urges and did not give in, but I also didn't get anything done either. I forgot that not using means feeling all those things that using helped me forget. No bathtub, so I tried taking a long, hot shower instead, but the waves of anxiety just keep pounding and pounding over my head.

Does it ever stop? Does it ever get easier? Will I have to feel my feelings for the rest of my life? Is this what I want life to be like? Beats using, I think, but I'm not so confident about that at the moment. Not sure if I should see a psychiatrist and ask about anti-anxiety medication or just try to soldier on with a non-medicinal arsenal of journaling, exercising, meditating.

Edit: Just saw 360shoes' amazing post. Thanks so much. That was exactly what I needed to hear. Any practical tips on how to ride the waves for the next few weeks?

kk1k5x

Early morning of day 4. Weird to say this, but I was awake the whole day yesterday, from 6 a.m to about eleven in the evening - somewhat new for me. Previously I always had to take a nap sometime during the day. Plus the wake-ups weren't at 6-7, more like 10-11 (if possible).
For me, one of the worst physical effects from alcohol was the unstable sleeping. Ruined many days for me. Feels good to not have that constant foggy and sluggish feeling.
This also proves that the 'days are long when sober'. Need to find something to do with those hours.