ReadyOrNot123

Hi all - checking in from the Feb 2015 class - 10 months in and I want to encourage you all to stick with it! It truly gets easier with time, the early days are awful but eventually you'll be so grateful you stuck it out. And if you stumble, keep trying. We all deserve good health, and good self esteem - the best gift we can give ourselves.

Happy Holidays!!

MissPerfumado

Merry Christmas everyone! Had a good time on Christmas Eve, enjoying time with family... sober. Went for a run with my sister early today and now preparing lunch. It feels great to be bright and clear on Christmas day.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone wherever you may be.

ulfr

Day 1 for me ( Eating disorder stuff and self injure i want to be honest and not use other addictions )
its nearly Christmas day here 23.48 kinda scared about tomorrow with all that food but ill be ok
i hope you all have a sober Christmas

Stubbs16

Hope everyone has a blessed, and sober holiday.

Thanks to all my friends at SR.

ubntubnt

Morning all, merry Christmas. Day 25. Woke up 9am'ish. Breakfast of fruit and coffee, gym, walk on the beach. Beats the usual of wake up at noon hungover, fried breakfast and start drinking again.

Soberwolf

Have a nice sober day today guys in this together - Merry Christmas & I wish prosperity for you all throughout 2016

brach123

Day 5 - so far had the best Christmas I can remember and I have no intention of ruining it for everyone. Have a very happy sober Christmas guys!

Wheatgrass

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful day. I really appreciate the other classes coming over to share encouragement. I will have to pay that forward.

GhostFace

Made it past Christmas eve sober with so many people tempting me to drink.

Merry Christmas to everyone and thank you all for your support

beautifulpines

Hi all - so grateful to be sober upon awakening and feel I can do this. Daughter, who is not speaking to me - did send me encouragement to go to long term rehab, but been there, done that - doesn't work for me - although I know, for many it does! Gonna continue coming here, seeing my therapist and keep reading. Have a beautiful Christmas!

courage2

Merry Christmas, December '15! May it be your last Christmas season ever without a sober year and a fruitful year behind it! Forward into 2016!!!

SunnyDenver

Man, being an alcoholic can be so hard....I have 13 days off from work and dedicated the time as "me" time to get sober again. I've been trying on and off for, well, it seems forever. I visited the family for Thanksgiving, so was home solo for Christmas. I thought I was in a good space, but by yesterday evening I went into "poor me" mode for being home on Christmas Eve and drank again.

I am so sick of the on again, off again battle. I want to be sober, forever from now on. I feel that I understand the triggers and have the tools but just get sucker punched by my addiction. I wake up fine, but then it's between 3 and 5 PM when the cravings kick in. In my first days of sobriety when I start in again I am so tired I can barely get myself off the couch, let alone out the door. I know I should be going to recovery meetings, but I just want to be sober a few enough days so I have the frickin' energy to get out the door to a meeting! Is a week of sobriety so I can then begin the real work of recovery too much to ask?! Anyone have any secrets?

One thing I will do is post to this board every day from here on out. I hope my struggle helps others in their fight. Happy holidays all.

Wheatgrass

Hey sunnydenver. I think what has really helped me is to make my sobriety the number one most important thing in my life. Most every thing I do or don't do revolves around not drinking.

SunnyDenver

What's been your strategy to make it so far this time?

Highwind

9pm xmas day in the UK...back home from families house sober and content....they all know about my alcoholism sdo quite easy, everyone pretty happy to see me not picking up. Enjoy the rest of your night all.

Wheatgrass

Reading on this site has helped me a lot! I was pretty ignorant to the effects of alcohol. For me, in the first few days, and weeks, it helped to eat...a lot. I have gained about 10 lbs. Also I have a huge variety of non-alcohol drinks on hand always. In the car, at work, after work, before breakfast, you get the idea. I read on this site about the dangers of mocktails...anyway imagine a pina colada without alcohol. So for me I drink something that does not resemble the old ways. Pomegranate Sanpellegrino is my drink of choice. Second choice sea salt and clam juice V8 or snappy toms.My heart burn is gone mostly so I can handle it. For now that works for me. Oh and coffee. Aside from food and drink little projects have helped keep me busy. Honesty with new and old friends regarding my drinking and quitting has been most difficult and most helpful. I am lucky enough to have a friend of about 18 years. For the first 9 we got sh**** fa*** together. I mean bad bad. A lot, all the time. For the second 9 years he has been sober. When I told him I wanted to quit he offered to call every night. He has. That was 25 days ago. Normally we would talk twice per year. Hope that helps.

ubntubnt

Good morning everyone from the tropics (so good to be away from the cold for a few days). Yesterday was full of temptation.....drinks by the pool, cocktail hour at the hotel, wine with dinner etc. We blagged our way in to use the facilities at a really high end hotel for the day and it just seemed liked all the rich people were just spending their day getting sozzled. Thankfully I wasn't tempted and was driving anyway.
It made me realize what i have been doing without realizing - driving somewhere reasonably remote for dinner each day to "explore"....but really putting myself in a situation where I can't drink as I would never risk drink driving, especially with my family onboard.
Day 26.....whatever it takes right?

Wheatgrass

Yes.

Viperidae

Hi everyone! Long time trying here. I'm making progress. Maybe I'll come in here.

Sunny, having that food around as mentioned is a big help. I like to eat coconut bars covered with dark chocolate, fatty foods, people turn to ice cream a lot I've noticed. You kind of need it for a coupe of months and that dies off.

I would also recommend having something scheduled for your bewitching hours 3-5. I have the same exact hours. It seems like a great idea and you're all amped up and flustered. If you can make it till 6, it's over. So that could be like ... the gym :/. Ok, so we're not in top shape, but the sauna and 10 minutes on an elliptical machine, a super hot shower and go home. Have food ready to cook up (I love cooking for an hour). Set up your shows or get into some binge shows like True Detective, Breaking Bad, Dexter, whatever. Netflix and HBONOW could save your life. I'm thinking a Playstatin to regain my mental sharpness.

I'll meet everyone tomorrow. I'm beat. I'm a recovery expert because I've done it 10 times.

Tropics?? I can't see your handle now because I'm on the app, but I am too. I can walk directly into a 5 Star Marriot $600 a night and just chill out. Have a small bag and just go into a restroom and come out in a bathing suit and sandals and t-shirt. Then hit the hot tubs, pools, etc. the beach access is just open to get in. But I can simply follow someone through a gate or walk right in through the front door. Hilarious. And yes, they have goblets of wine with 1/2 bottle of red in them. You can order if that way. And they order like 4. 😬

ubntubnt

Hi Jonny, welcome to the group. I live in China but am on hols in South East Asia now.

Had a funny moment last night. Just couldn't resist it. We were outside winding down the day talking to an American couple (both lawyers) over drinks, mine a diet coke. It was a nice relaxed chat insofar as a chat with two lawyers can be :-). At one point one of them asked casually what everyone's best achievement of year was (I dislike this kind of self congratulatory crap at the best of times).
Anyway half an hour of talk about charity, promotions and saving the earth later it was my turn......so I kept it simple and said "I realised this time last year I am an alcoholic, tried to quit, lasted 11 weeks before hitting the booze again. But then realized what was happening and quit again, this time for good, hence the diet coke. Happy Christmas and here's to a sober 2016".
Even my wife's mouth hit the ground.....