Hi all,
I'm going to hang out here with you all if it's OK.

Today is my day one. I was last here several months ago, and succeeded in staying sober for three months before convincing myself that I could handle alcohol.

I'm back. I'm tired of feeling like crap, fighting with my wife, lying to my wife, my wife having to explain to my daughter that daddy is tired. I'm tired of feeling embarrassed and weak every time I walk in the ABC store.

This caring environment helped me before and I need it again now...

Welcome back Tootiesdad :)

D

The reason behind it is to try and get my circulation going. We're heading into winter here and I really feel the cold. Today is 23c. I'm wearing a long sleeve shirt, long sleeve thermal vest and scarf. :emb If I make an effort to get my body going, it does help me feel less chilly. I'm just naturally lazy, so always procrastinate, rather than exercise. Oooops.

Hello everyone on day 3 here (and sick, on top of it. Bad cold) and gonna try this again. I had 55 days in the class of Feb this year .. And slipped here n there since. I've always been a binged could be alcohol free for weeks..then just drink one night and it turns into a mess. I'm never gonna give up. Happy to be here. :)

Welcome back CAGY. Get well soon :)
Any idea on what you might do differently this time?

D

Day 15 coming to an end...glad to be here and SOBER!!

Dee i know i need to continue with my counseling...I believe it's getting me places. I do a lot. I go to a meetings ..have counseling. Have good support from friends... I really just need to not have that first drink. Somehow. Someway. Cuz I'm pretty much an outgoing kinda guy anyway. Appreciate you much Dee :)

Morning all

Having joined the May group a few days in I didn't 'last' (again) despite feeling positive. BUT I now realise all I was doing was juggling around my 'plan for sobriety' rather than realising it weren't working for me, mentally screwing it into a ball and throwing it into the waste bin.

I NEEDED to rethink totally and begin a fresh plan. So, that's what I spent Saturday doing (after a 3 bottle of wine bender on Friday). I'd always thought AA wasn't for me but I spoke to a lady from a local group on Saturday evening who gave up a couple of hours yesterday when she could have been with her new born grandson to meet me outside a lunchtime group. For me the meeting was a 100% positive experience and I got so much from it - mostly around ways of thinking etc.

Anyway, that's my chosen path - each to their own :-)

Good luck everybody on the beginning of a fresh new week/fresh new page x

Good morning everyone. Here I m again in another day 1. I am sick and tired of the whole sorry mess. I have been up and down over the last week and enough is enough. So her I am. 1 day at a time. Desperate to get past the awful initial phase again (and my danger day 6 which has defeated me a few times now). I don't know what to do differently if I am being totally honest. Just want to stop lying to myself and being weak. I also don't want to lose you guys so I am asking if you will accept me back and I will be 100% truthful. In utter anxiety hell. Sweated and nightmares all night. I know the score and am beating myself up that I am back here again. I can't go on like this. I am in an awful trap (alcoholism - yes I know it's true) and somehow need the strength to slowly beat is day by day. Really dreading a day at work feeling this way but I know it has to be done. Sorry for the post it's very "me me me" but I'm just getting it off my chest.
I really do value everyone here and am so pleased for those doing well.
Oh dear the tears have come.....this really is difficult but I want sobriety sooooo much. HOW DO I DO IT????

Welcome back jo I was wondering how you were getting on. Just start again. Let's get to day 7! screw day 6 it's no different to any other day. If it's a mental hurdle plan something for this day 6. You know we are all here anyway. :grouphug:

Thank you Ben 😊

Jo you're always welcome

maybe a more definite plan is a start?

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ery-plans.html

Think about the support you have?
is it enough? do you use it when you should?
how could you use it better?

Think too about the changes you need to make in your life to support your desire to be sober...

If you're a sociable drinker, maybe your social life needs to change?

If you're a stay a home drinker, what kinds of things drive you to drink?
how could you deal with those things in a better more healthy way?

They're hard questions, but the better you can answer them the better your plan will be :)

D

Thank you Dee. I am a stay at home drinker so it's my home life which needs some work.
I haven't worked on a plan yet so maybe that'll help and keep me stay focussed. Also incorporate some sort of journal so I can keep referring to it when it gets hard.
Okay so plan for tonight is get a good A4 binder and stationery for my plan (and start it)

Jo, keep at it! You will get there.

Do you read? That's helping me at the moment. If doesn't have to be an epic novel, even a trashy magazine can be distracting enough to ride out a craving. I've got back into Terry Pratchett and am finding his writing really transports me out of my own head. It's helpful. :)

Thanks Flossy 😊

This is what I did to begin with. Approached it like a work project, set goals with rewards. I'm a trained corporate monkey so it worked for me. And I love stationery.

You keep coming back J, you want this badly, I have every confidence in you.

Welcome all who are new!
Jo-hang in there! I recently made a recovery plan for myself.....the original plan consisted of, "don't drink stupid", which clearly wasn't enough. It took me a good week but it consists of really down to earth alternatives to alcohol when my AV is talking or I'm experiencing cravings. I have a plan for my triggers but I'm mostly trying to avoid them at all costs at this point....things like no bars is obvious, but hidden triggers are more sly (old photos, certain songs, allowing my mind to go down an Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole of past memories). Like you, I lost someone very close to me 6 years ago. The wheels came off the drinking wagon at that point....until now. I hope you will consider taking some time with yourself to work on a plan and keep posting here. We care, I care. Yay Day 1! You can do this! You want this! Sending positive vibes and your way!

I've done some work this evening (had a report to write) - without wine to sweeten the chore. Who knew you could do that?

Feeling ridiculously accomplished. :emb Going to reward myself with a hot chocolate instead.

Hi all, a full one day behind me. Encouraged and enthusiastic to be back. I didn't realize before just how helpful it is for me to be accountable by checking in every morning.

I hope everyone has a great and stress-free day...

Day 1.
I am part of the January group but made the choice to drink this weekend after four months of sobriety (my longest stretch ever.)

I am caught somewhere in between hating myself and really trying to just accept it and move on.

Life is so complicated but in the end it's all about choices and these choices don't have to be labeled "right or wrong" but it's best to choose things that benefit our bodies and minds (and our highest self)- drinking isn't one of those things and it never could be. I refuse to let booze win this time. I am stronger than that. I just need to work on having a plan for the next time my AV has me convinced that I can drink.