sthlondonab

Love those posts Ultra. That can apply in so many situations.

Hoping everyone is having a good weekend.

My last day of vacation. I have had a relaxing time but also seen a lot of things I would not have seen one year ago and AV didn't come on this trip!

Wishing everyone a great Sunday

rah555

Okay, so I have finally accepted that moderation is not an option. The only time I can make a good decision related to drinking is before I start. Once I start I go into auto pilot mode where I start drinking and don't stop. I wish I was like other people who can be disciplined but I am not. You all have made so much progress. Can I stay with this group or should I join a June 2015 group?

determined99

Boy oh boy, a sober Sunday morning is just the cats meow baby!

So, the other night at the show, I was getting my wife a beer and I asked if they had a non alcoholic beer. They did! I really enjoyed it as it made me feel at home just having the taste. I was totally ok without the buzz. Totally ok. It was odd in that I felt like I was off the wagon but I totally wasn't. It was awesome, loud punk music, slam dancing mosh pit, freaking crazy outrageous people and the taste of cold beer without the nonsense that goes with it.

I think I will have a few of these handy to use on summer days. I think some may disagree with this, and I know caution should be used, but it really helped me the other night. Curious to hear your opinions.

Rah, of course you can stay here!! Pull up a chair, talk to us. We can help you through the tough times that's for sure.

Ultra, I am lacing up the shoes and headed out. My friend just did a 24 hour run yesterday. You guys are insane!! I mean that in a good way. Much respect for what you are doing ultra. Takes incredible resolve dude.

London, trip sounds so wonderful for the soul. You are doing fantastic! New horizons and sober muscles man. Top drawer!

Scooter, pink, Choobie, grateful, give us a shout. How is the dance troupe going? My god it would be a comedy having me give that a go!

Hey there kids that haven't checked in for a bit, give us a big howdy today! Blackbird, knb, Chris, that means you!

Onward and upward!

"When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That is my religion." Abraham Lincoln.

Love.

rah555

Feel like a jerk...I've started and messed up so many times before. It's been a cycle, do good for a while, get overly confidant, that voice in my head says "go ahead, you can handle this" and before you know it I'm back at it. For a while I do okay then I over do it. I've been coming up with reasons and excuses to make my overdoing it okay...everything from I was sad, I was stressed, it's bc of the medication I take, etc. My husband is always with me when I overdo it. We are partners in crime. He doesn't like how I get when i get drunk. He takes care of me and makes sure I get home safe. I never intend to over do it. One beer leads to another to another. I never switch to water or soda, don't know why. I know I want my life to get better.

rah555

I really need to develop better coping mechanisms to deal with stress, sadness and depression. We have a good life...I have a good job. We live in a nice apartment. We are paying off debt. And still I carry a lot of baggage and stuff inside. Every now and then those raw feelings creep back to the surface. Combine that with work stress and day to day stress I sometimes feel like I want to escape. When I drink I start feeling relaxed and feel less sad. I start feeling better and don't want it to stop so I have another beer then another, etc. The aftermath sucks...I'm 47 and it takes me a good 3 days to get over a hangover. I feel lonely a lot. I don't have any real friends. My only real friend is my husband. I miss my kids and granddaughter a lot. I get to see them almost every month bc I have to travel back for work. Still I miss them. I feel like I'm a mess and broken.

Choobie

(((Rah))) This is a good decision. None of us stop when we should. My husband and I drank together as well, and although he is a heavy drinker, he will slow down or stop. I had no control once I started. Luckily for us, it is not necessary to have one drop of alcohol to have a fulfilling, beautiful life. It takes some time to find those coping mechanisms, but when we do, it's possible to deal with stress and overcome life problems in a way that doesn't hurt us. Have faith in your decision to not drink, Rah, it's the way forward.

Stick with us- you are part of our team! But don't be afraid to reach out as much as you can here on SR. Use every tool available to you! Different voices ring true throughout our journey, and the wider base of support, the better.

Choobie

Determined, I can't imagine myself joining the hip hop dance troupe. I'm in my 40's and I don't listen to hip hop. I have never listened to hip hop. People in their late 20's keep thinking I'm their age. While I'm not planning on it, I might surprise myself by showing up and doing it!

So glad you had fun at the concert and was able to stay in the moment! I'm a N/A beer drinker. I've always drank it, though, so I don't see it as a replacement, but rather another option. Like decaf isn't a replacement for full caf coffee, just another option. I like it because I still enjoy the taste, and I feel a particular joy in that I don't have to suffer from alcohol to drink it. I think it can be a trigger for many, though, so you are smart in exercising caution.

determined99

Thanks choobie! I bet you would have even considered that a year ago! Testament to the positive life change and growth you have made.

Rah, every word resonated with me. Every word. I share those feelings and struggles. All I can say is it gets easier and you will find your place in your mind that can face these things and allow you to move on to that next phase in life and spirit. I wanted life to feel like it did when I partied. Friends around, laughing, craziness. But that I sadly realized was an illusion and life has ups and downs. I found comfort in learning we all share the same hopes, dreams, loneliness and even sadness sometimes. We are all connected and all the same. It helped me to try to give more to others and approach everything with love and have no expectations. Sometimes I got a great return on that investment. Even if it was only temporarily lightening someone's load or getting a simple smile. That, I found is life. Much love to you rah. You can do this.

determined99

Choobie I meant you would not have considered it a year ago! Dang phone..

ScooterBoo

Good morning,

Rah, stick with us. We all know exactly how you feel; been there, done that. I tried to quit LITERALLY 1000+ times before joining this group. The drinks that relax and calm you and ease the depression lead to the self-loathing miserable hangovers. Work, housework, chores are so difficult while hungover that it adds to the anxiety and self-loathing, then the drinking to relieve it....What a vicious cycle. Life is so, so much better and easier with no alcohol.

Determined, I tried one n-a beer and did not like the taste. I agree with Choobie that you are smart to use caution.

London, are you back to work tomorrow?

Pink, how is the new house? How far is it from work?

Grateful, how is school going? You must enjoy the commute a lot more in this weather. After that awful winter I find myself appreciating these Spring days. It reminds me of when I broke my leg - - every now and then when I am walking on the beach I think how lucky I am to have no problems walking. I think we appreciate things more when we haven't had them for some time....hmmmm, like sobriety!

Ultra, my av is very positive - a real cheerleader - "I can do it! I can moderate! One or two Lite beers isn't going to hurt me; I can easily quit again tomorrow. I should prove to myself that I can do it. One glass of wine at book club will show 'the perverted one' that I did not stop drinking because she called me out! I can do it! A margarita-tasting party for Cinco deMayo?? I can have margaritas! They won't make me start drinking again. I can nurse one so I can go to the party." That is how my inner av works. I now know that it is definitely related to HALT - usually I am hungry or thirsty when it starts; sometimes it is because I want to belong and socialize, to go to a wine tasting, etc.

Let's keep on keeping on.

rah555

Day 1 down! Nice day...pool time, took a nap, dinner at my parents house. Thankful I get to see my parents, even if it's only once a week.

Ultramarathoner

As we know- everyone's on their own journet here Determined.

As one who keeps beer for guests in a basement refrigerator- I'm the last one to mandate a one size fits all approach.

I have no issue with non-alcoholic beer, or anything else that works for an individual. What triggers one does not necessarily trigger another. Like Scooter I tried one and didn't like it and am glad you had a different experience.

Nice work on Day 1 RAH

sthlondonab

Hey all

Hope everyone is good.

Scooter - yes, back to work today but I fee refreshed coming back with is a chance to previous holidays dragging myself in after a full week or more of binging. On my way in and heading straight for a big Starbucks!

Rah - stay with us! We want to see you do this and you can. I too read everything you wrote and it resonated with me. For me it to a few maybes about moderation before I realised it was smashing me to bits. I just had to accept 'no more, I am done' You can do this! Read, read, read is my tip. Check in here. Read around other threads. See what else is out there.

Determined - that concert sounds loads of fun! I agree, no one method can fit all. If non-alc works for you I say use them to help you.

Must dash as already at my station! Hoping for an easy one today but let's see :-)

determined99

Happy Monday!

Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend. Let's go have a kick ass week and throw some fun in with the work peeps!

"One person with a belief is equal to a force of 99 with only interests." John Stuart Mill

Laugh today!

ScooterBoo

A quick Hello - Hope everyone is doing well as we approach our ONE YEAR this summer.

Let's keep on keeping on.

Grateful11

Hey everyone! I'm on jury duty all week which is creating twice as much work as far as lesson planning. I dont mind the actual serving but it is making me anxious not knowing where I will be each day until the last minute.

Scooter - yes my commute is soooo different now. I do appreciate every minute of this nicer weather (although it was freezing here yesterday!)

Rah - So great to hear from you. I can relate to everything you said also. We all share the same issue and we cant do this alone so stick around and let us help you get back on your feet. I believe you can do this.

Choobie - amaze. I am jealous of your hip hop dance troupe. You must be in great shape! I used to teach hip hop and other dance classes. Miss it so much, ive been taking a cardio funk class which is so fun and terrific exercise.

London-your trip sounded wonderful, glad you feel rested!

Determined - I would just be careful because there is the tiniest percentage of alcohol in NA beer. Ive read its the same amount you would find in fruit juice but most of us would moderate the juice intake. If it works for you then enjoy. Im playing around with some fun mocktails to help me get through summer.

Ultra-how is the training going? How do you have enough energy to run that far? Thanks for the inspiring posts.

Pink-how is the new garden? Any Mavis sightings?

Grateful to be sober.

determined99

Good Tuesday morning!

One year is ahead scooter, unreal isn't it!

Thanks for the tip on the na beer grateful. I agree, and it does feel strange drinking it. I will keep that to a minimum.

Hope everyone is shiny and happy this week.

"Happiness does not lie in happiness, but in the achievement of it." Dostoyevsky

Giddy up.

Ultramarathoner

Training is going well Grateful! I felt great during a 1/2 Maraton at my retreat this weekend. I carry two 24oz bottles on my back. One is an electrolyte drink which helps maintain my energy.

Consistently proving my aversion to moderation I just signed up for a Trail Marathon two weeks prior to my 32 mile goal race.

I was supposed to do my longest training run that day (24 miles) so figured another couple can't hurt. And, I'll gain experience in running a supposed race. Makes me nervous to type this which is a good thing.

Let's keep embracing life Team!

sthlondonab

Hey all

Loving our positivity

Late post today as I have been travelling with work and cramming in typing stuff between meetings on the train. Same again for the next two days but I have some energy after my break so all good.

Hope everyone has a great Tuesday.

Sober muscles keep strengthening here in Team A!

pinklinzangel

Scooter and grateful, the new house is coming on box by box. Not as quickly as I'd like! The garden is slow progress, have removed all gravel and turned soil, now need to add top soil, compact and then turf. I've bought a hanging basket to keep me entertained until I can plant in the garden! New house is a 20 minutes ride to work so not too far. I love it here, we have waited a long time for this! So damn happy!

No mavis sightings. So sad! Will keep looking and keep you posted!

Not much news here work is hectic so not much for any down time at the mo. Grateful to have a job that I love though!

Off to bed now as early shift beckons me!

Rah, good to see u! Congratulations on getting through day 1!
London, safe journey man xxxx weather is crap here just to let you know what you're in for!

Much love peeps x