beautifulpines

Yes Happy New Year. I only have one resolution. Stay sober, no matter what. Hope my daughter will forgive me this year, but that is out of my hands. Let's stay sober and present all!

ubntubnt

Similar enough for me. I usually set resolutions and think about what I would like out of the year ahead and the kind of person I would like to be. Even as the resolutions break it's useful to have a compass when you get lost sometimes.

SleepyDots

Good morning class and happy new year! I am still around, though I am back on Day 5. I have realized that I have been attempting to get sober with no real plan, just willpower alone, and that is obviously not working for me. I have read here on SR about the importance of having a plan probably a thousand times and I think it has finally sunk in for me. I'm going to go back over the links about this and really put some thought and effort into coming up with a plan for myself.

forabetterlife

SleepyDots, I just wrote something similar in my journal...how I always have all of these goals and dates set to accomplish things, but rarely sit down and figure out what is going to happen in between, how will I get there? Determination alone isn't enough because it can be fleeting.
I think this quote sums it up: "A goal without a plan is just a wish"...
So true.

I am writing down some of my goals for this new year and next to them, steps it will take to achieve each goal. I am proven to myself that simply wanting something isn't enough. Writing about it, reading about it, talking about it...isn't enough. Action, daily action, baby steps and maybe even some mini-goals and rewards.
Going to get it right this time and regain some confidence in myself.

bluedog97

Good morning, I made through too. I'm realizing I need a plan too, this is not going to be as simple as not drinking. I need to work on myself. I'm considering AA and maybe even going back to outpatient rehab (I've been before, and failed).

I'll admit it feels strangely odd, not having a hangover on New Year's Day. I can't remember the last time I didn't drink on NY. But glad to be here with you guys, we've got a good start to the new year. Let's keep moving forward.

Happy New Year

brach123

Happy new year to all of you! Quick check in for me on day 11 as I'm about to head out for a meal in 5 mins and have been out most the day. I'll read through the thread when I return but very happy to see the posts above indicating a lot of you guys had a good sober NYE!

I really enjoyed my NYE also, I was in bed by 11 which definitely makes a change but it was a really nice night. I'm off for this meal now, my family will no doubt be drinking but I've checked in on myself and I'm feeling quite content and positive so will be ok.

CuteNGayYay

Day 7 . Made it through and had no issues. So happy to see all of the successful nye nights! Let's keeps this going all!

CuteNGayYay

Brach same as u. I'm always around drinking family. Somehow that never bothers me. Often the smell of it sickens me. It's crazy how easily we can pick up the smell of alcohol lo

ChickChick

I've gone crazy cleaning, organizing and as my bff says purging in my room. It needed it bad. It has sadly been neglected for a while. Hubby may not even recognize the room! Lol. We had a computer desk in there for years that I hated. The 12 yo helped me disassemble it ans get it out of there! I'm feeling pretty good. A couple of drinking twinges.... but really I want to eat out for dinner more. That is my other resolution other than drinking to eat out less. Sober should last the year and beyond, eating out may not last long.

Jenses

Funny, that is the exact thing I am dealing with. Not drinking has magnified my underlying urge to escape from myself - which is what drinking has done for me in the past.

Came across the following in a book and it made me stop in my tracks:

When we stop the busyness of the mind and come back to ourselves, the enormity and rawness of our suffering can seem very intense because we are so used to ignoring it and distracting ourselves. When we feel suffering, we have the urge to run away from it and fill ourselves up with junk food, junk entertainment, anything to keep our mind off the pain that is there inside us. It doesn’t work. We may succeed in numbing ourselves from it for a little while, but the suffering inside wants our attention and it will fester and churn away until it gets it.

We run away from ourselves because we don’t want to be with ourselves. Our pain is a kind of energy that is not pleasant. We fear that if we release our diversions and come back to ourselves, we’ll be overwhelmed by the suffering, despair, anger, and loneliness inside. So we continue to run away. But if we don’t have the time and the willingness to take care of ourselves, how can we offer any genuine care to the people we love?

Not sure if that helps, but for me, realizing how uncomfortable I am with myself has been my underlying, primary trigger.

rahrah

Made it to day 20 only to wake up with the flu! ugh... Was all geared up to start the year enthusiastically...but instead I'm trying not to die...at least I'm not hating myself and furiously making apologies for the night before!
But definately a bummer as I was looking forward to the meeting tonight but will be back in bed long before it starts.
Happy New Year to all...and thank you to everyone here these past 3 weeks that supported me and helped me hang on and stay sober...I'm SO grateful!
RahRah

MissPerfumado

Morning, all. Welcome to Obladi, Romandel, and solow! Solow, I read the thread you started - and am so glad you're here in this class with us. The great thing about SR is the feeling of not being alone in our experience and our journey back to sobriety.

Welcome back, Sleepydots and Leash ... awesome to have you guys back here.

There was a discussion on shame and embarrassment a couple of days ago on our class thread, which I'd meant to contribute to, but forgot. I've certainly had shameful moments - for me they centre around work e.g. taking calls in the evening which I knew were important but I wasn't quite fit to be taking. But when/if I happen to recall them, I register them and move on quickly to thinking how I must make sure it doesn't happen again. I only have today and what I do today may impact tomorrow - but it sure won't change the past.

Which is why I much prefer the discussions on NY resolutions (I have plenty but haven't written them down yet) and the power of planning.

Getting into a bit of detail on my plan is what gave me new tools I had not thought of. It wasn't just the daily (important) techniques of good diet, exercise. checking in on SR and journalling. By listing my many, many triggers (so many!), I had to come up with really specific techniques to deal with them. Hence, the new organisational projects and hobbies.

Chickchick, I am so impressed by the effort in organising your room! Just reading it makes my heart lift. I've finished my bedroom, and the bathrooms - now for the rest. Thank goodness there isn't a garden to worry about.

Please keep posting everyone - about how you're going, what you're doing to continue on track, your challenges, rants, BUMOSI's, everything.

Dee74

Get well soon rah rah

a big welcome to everyone coming back and starting fresh in 2016

Yes, I think a plan is essential...otherwise you'll find yourself blindsided one day and no real idea of what to do about it.

D

Obladi

I agree that it's essential to plan.

And for me, to include a plan to switch it up quick before I think about it if the plan fails. Even if I find myself in a liquor store, there are still almost limitless opportunities to keep the booze from getting into my system.

Of course, following the first plan of having no liquor in the house prevents the need for the rest....

Just sayin.

ubntubnt

Making my house an alcohol free zone is essential for me. That means alcohol free for everyone else in it also. My wife doesn't really drink and never at home so she is ok with it. For other guests....it's just a no alcohol zone, sorry. That's how it is. In my experience everyone is cool with that.

ubntubnt

Back to the real world today. Tanned, healthy, rested and ready for work. Hard to believe i just finished a two week holiday in the sun without a single drop of alcohol. Only one occasion when I found myself daydreaming about drinking before I snapped myself out of it. A few minor cravings but they passed easily enough. Overall it was great. Targeting 56 days now which was my record last year before I dived back down a hole for 10 months.

Dee74

Yeah I've never had trouble with my no alcohol rule

D

kittycat3

End of day 4. And a whole brand new year ahead! I got a lot done today with cleaning the old place and finally bought myself a TV after not having one for almost 2 months. It's nothing fancy or too big but it is working out lovely for me and my lap warmer (kittycat)

Thx for the replies you all had on my embarrassed / shame post. I know I am not done with all that, but I'm feeling much kinder and forgiving of myself today. I've moved on for now. Important for me to do that, so I don't get too caught up in self-loathing which only leads me back to the bottle.

Onto day 5!

martina12

Hi all

I have had to up my plan each time I have fallen off. My house is also alcohol free.

Day 6 and slept a whole 6 hours last night so the best nights sleep since my last sobriety stint. Hoping for even longer tonight

Having computer problems, well router problems so I am hard wired in at the moment. I am an old dinosaur on computers so really hoping I can get it sorted today..

I am checking in on the 24 hour thread too and another member posted a really good idea if you are having cravings try to list all the members on here who would be rooting for you to stay dry. I thought I would share as I really liked that

MissPerfumado

Lot's of planning and tidying going on today, which is good to see.

I called my dad today. I had spoken to him Christmas Day but hadn't told him then that I had quit drinking, so I told him today. I don't think I have ever heard him react so happily to anything I've ever told him I'd done. He said it was the best New Year's gift he could receive.

My dad is 70 years old. He drank for the better part of 40 years and has been sober for over a decade. Growing up, I rarely saw him without a bottle, can or mug of beer in his hand when he was home, unless he was sleeping it off. Alcohol created a huge gulf between him and the rest of the family. In that gulf was sadness, fear and confusion.

I finally did understand my father and I knew he would understand me when I spoke to him today.

I feel like a few layers have been peeled off me after the conversation I had with him. Don't get me wrong, because it was a good conversation. Full of support, sharing and encouragement. But there's too much in this whole thing for me to process right at this moment. All I can think is that I have tried my best not to allow an unhappy past create an unhappy present. I thought I had done it, but there's still a lot more work to do.

Peace everyone. It feels a bit raw, but it will come good.