DrakeCKC

Congrats on the anniversaries Undies!

gleefan

Angd - Great job on 90 days, a quarter of a year sober! Keep up the good work!

WWS - Glad you're enjoying the break from work. It's awesome that your wife is sober with you. Support at home won't make a person sober, but it helps once they decide to stop drinking.

Gnik - Wow, 10 months sober is super! Good work! I'm glad your life turned around from getting sober. Mine has improved too, including ways I never knew it needed to improve.

BoozeFree - It's great to have sober friends with milestones to celebrate.

Cbf - Enjoy your sober weekend. What plans do you have?

I woke up sober, watched my son play hockey, and am getting ready to have lunch with him. It's so simple but I enjoy it. It's nice to be able to enjoy what I'm doing instead of seeing them as filler to pass the time between drinks.

Cbf123

Hey, gleefan. I'm working the whole weekend :-(, but once I get out I'll just be chilling at home with my wife and daughter, relaxing, waiting for my days!

Any plans yourself?

gleefan

You're sweet for asking. I had Friday night plans with girlfriends, Saturday morning youth sports games, and errands to run afterwards - so I scheduled down time this afternoon. (Type A at its finest; I'm working on it). For all the growth I've had in recovery, I'll be honest, I still struggle with staying in the moment.

It's ok though. Depression and lack of motivation haunted me throughout my first and into my second year of sobriety. I've had an anxiety disorder and general existential worry since childhood. I am so grateful none of that stopped me this morning. I am so grateful for just for driving to the game separately from my husband, taking my younger son to lunch just me and him, then going grocery shopping. I'm also grateful for having the motivation to put it all away immediately.

I used to pat myself on the back when things went well. I figured it was because I was doing something right. Haha, I used to think I had to do everything right. I still fall victim to my ego sometimes. What a relief it is to have found some measure of humility in sobriety, to be grateful for what goes well instead of feel entitled to it.

It's a damp New England weekend. I'm going to warm the house by cooking some meals for the upcoming week, then read, probably nap, and the. snuggle up with my kids over some mindless TV. We have an early start for hockey tomorrow morning. Or maybe I won't. I don't know! Point is I'll try to spend time enjoying the moment instead of forward tripping though.

BlueFairy

5 months today for me. Still struggling with anxiety, but I have some real stress. I've lost 25 pounds since I started-- that's good. Have found some things that are new to me that I'm interested in checking out, like mindfulness and cognitive therapy. I have hope that my life will improve although it really just seems impossible that it will. I would like to eventually gain some dignity back and be able to control the anxiety short term. One of the best things--I'm a crazy cat lady--is I'm getting closer to my cats, spending more time with them. They seem to notice the change in me and appreciate it and it is a great & special reward they give me right now. Anyway--so far so good, PAWS aside...
Cheers--Susan

Saskia

Blue, big congrats on 5 months!
It can take a good while for many of us to feel better. One of the biggest revelations for me is that life is simply better sober. Not perfect, lol, but I can handle what life throws at me much better, I don't get as anxious and I'm much better at dealing with the challenges that come along. I am much happier in a calm sort of way. My anxiety has dropped substantially, too.

waywardson8260

Not much new here today. I'm working this weekend again. The next weekend should be my last one I have to work for a while. I'm feeling a little stressed I think mainly from working weekends. It is only a few people but they expect so much.

I have started to get some cravings again. I'll have to continue to work through them.

Have a good day everyone!

KeyofC

Morning everyone!
Congrats Blue!
I agree with Saskia. All the bad days I have are far better sober hands down! Hang in there anyone who is suffering.
76 days for me!
My Mom comes today. We've never had a good relationship. Never been close. I've learned to lay all that to rest so that I can find peace. Now I'm thankful for the moments I do get as we both aren't getting any younger.
Hope y'all have a nice sober Sunday! <3. ((Hug))!

PennyLane76

Hi Blue! I'm heavily involved in cat rescue! Spend lots of time volunteering with my group, which rescues and adopts out socialised cats, or tames out and adopts feral kittens. I also TNR occasionally with ferals. All my kitties love it when I'm sober! That is a good reward for us! Do you have any empathy kitties right now? I lost my true empathy boy to heart disease at an early age, still miss him so, but love my kitties so much. Just thought I would ask about empathy kitty as only true cat people who have had one know what I mean. Best to you!

waywardson8260

Congratulations on 5 months sober BlueFairy. That is awesome!!!

Incontrol15

Yes....congrats on 5 months! Great job!

amp123

Hey Blue! Congratulations on 5 months! Just passed that point myself a couple of weeks ago! It's beginning to sound like quite a long time, eh?

Take care!

Saskia

Hi Sadie, I have an empathy kitty! She snuggles with me when I need it :-)

Dee74

late congrats but congrats from me too BlueFairy

D

gleefan

BlueFairy - Five months is fabulous!! When I stopped drinking I found that slowly but surely I became more available for everything and everyone around me. I think your gratitude for your extra availability for your kitties is great. Gratitude gave me the spark to keep on trucking through the depression, exhaustion, and lack of motivation I suffered in early sobriety.

WWS - How are you meeting those cravings? Booze had hold over my body and brain for a long time and it didn't go away without a fight. Today the obsession is gone. I attribute it to not just stopping drinking, but working every day on changing the thoughts and behaviors underlying it. I hope you're feeling more comfortable now!

It's always great to hear from the Undies. I hope you're all doing well.

SportsFan15

I'm 2 weeks today. So grateful for a sober support network online. My problem was kept mostly secret so I can fall prey to the AV and voice of people who say I don't have a problem because they didn't see the evidence. I'm making myself check in regularly here because I know the magnitude of my drinking problem. I don't need other people to validate what I already know. All of you help so much because you take me at my word and believe me when I say I have a problem. You understand! So I will continue to check in regularly even when things "seem" to be going so well.

gleefan

SportsFan - Welcome! Some alcoholics' bottoms are higher than others. From the outside, I looked like I had it all. And no one wanted me to quit. Fact is I am an alcoholic and alcoholism only progresses and gets worse.

I applaud you for taking a stand to do what your instinct tells you that you should and stop drinking. Stay strong; we're here for you!

Saskia

Welcome, SportsFan!

Congrats on 2 weeks sober. I'm happy to hear you are planning to keep checking in. Also important is to check in if you are thinking about drinking before you pick up.

Dee74

congrats sportsfan

D

BlueFairy

I know exactly what you mean. One of my girls would hang with me when I was at my lowest in my worst depression. I would call her my 'death' kitty like those cats at retirement homes who hang with the people who are about to die. she has in the last few years really started spraying around the house and now she just sees me as someone who yells at her a lot unfortunately. I need to realyl try to figure her out. this is what I mean when I say I've neglected things when I was drinking. I usually am able to Jackson Galaxy most of the cats --but why she sprays and how to stop her I haven't really figured out. I honestly think I need to spend more time with her and keep putting food in front of places she sprays--that always stops her. She also one to be found in the middle of most cat 'fights'. I do have another that I am extremely close to sleeps with me but that is constant. With Penny--she always knew when I was upset. I gave up volunteering years ago when I decided I had my own 'rescue' and needed to spend time with those I have. I volunteered when I was a kid at our local high kill shelter. Then I stared volunteering as an adult at the same place, another shelter, a TNR organization, and as a vet assistant at the city spay and neuter. Add to all this a husband who is tender hearted who works for a carpet company that frequently will carpet houses and apt. where cats are constantly abandoned and everyone knows you guys are the ones who will bottle feed and take other hopeless cases-- I have over 20 now. But the last few years have really put effort in to say no--direct people to other sources. Many of mine are seniors from the days I volunteered at the high kill shelters so are #'s are bound to be down in the next 5 years or so--a lot of heartbreak but they are worth it every one!