BeFree1971

Yes Dee, I definitely need a better plan. Thank you for understanding

Dunsuppin

Great way to start my day, reading all your posts. Cravings hit again last night but nowhere near as strong. Watched TV, slept well, feel so much better this morning, feel like I am getting a bit stronger inside. I know we can do this, have super sober day everyone.

countrysidegirl

day three again for me folks

BeFree1971

I saw a doctor on Wednesday and he is a wonderful person. He spent an hour with me discussing how to help me quit drinking. I wanted Antabuse and he gave me a script for it, but really discussed the importance of AA with me. He is known for going the extra mile for his patients and explained to me he attended Al-Anon for 4 yrs everyday for his partner, 10 yrs total. He understands that I'm Agnostic and explained the spirituality aspects of AA.

Anyway, along with AA he wanted me to try Campral vs Antabuse. Both are super expensive without insurance for me. Has anyone had any experience with Campral? Thank you for any assistance / info.

Jimuk

Hi all, hope you're all well!

Day 4 and feeling good.

capricallia

Windancer, that sounds like an incredibly tough time you are going through but kudos to doing it sober.

MeSoSober exercise really, really helps me too. Replacing the bad habits with the good so to speak. I'm pretty jealous you can hit the gym as I've been dealing with sciatica for months and miss it so much.

Fantastic going on the double figures day 10, EventHorizons!

HelenofTroy I listen to bubble hour sometimes myself, they are great.

Day 8 starting and the best thing was waking up this morning and knowing I didn't ring my ex drunk, crying down the phone (like last Friday). I fell off the August class and sobriety when we broke up, not alcohol related and mutual for the best but still painful. I felt terrible last weekend waking up on Saturday knowing I'd done it because it's a selfish thing to do and makes it harder on her too when she's finding it tough as well.

Treating myself today to the post breakup hair cut - has to be done , get some new piercings and meet a friend for lunch.

Have a happy Saturday everyone

Windancer

Thanks for the support Dee and capricallia. And to everyone else for being here.
Just woke up a little while ago. Made a coffee, fed the cat and the dog, brought my crystals in from a night out in the full moon (yes, I'm a strange one).

And here I am. I am heading to my retreat later today so I've gotta pack and hopefully get a few more things done as far as productivity goes then away I go. But I'll likely be checking in here quite a bit.

WhiskeyBent

Sending you lots of good energy Windancer. I like the idea of crystals underneath the moon.

Just some observations in my life. So the cat is out of the bag about me not drinking. Lots of reaction from friends, family, co workers. Especially co- workers. Boy do they love to ask questions and comment about it. Like **** off already. I just laugh, dont say much. Sometimes a tell them the staight up truth. Sometimes I lie. The amount of airtime it gets is really interesting. On one hand maybe it says a lot about me. Maybe that was part of my persona, drinking wrapped up in my identify. Which only thinking sober now, is kinda sad. But maybe it is the other persons problem too. Maybe they want to make a change in their own life and watching me make a change either disturbs them or even inspires them. Who knows. Its definitely a journey with little bumps along the way.

Enjoy your day September Crew.

HelenofTroy

Whiskeybent that is so true about co-workers! When my best friend and drinking partner quit drinking a couple years ago I couldn't believe how many people came up to me to ask what was up and "she's doesn't have a problem does she?" (to which I would reply no she is just making some healthy changes) and wanting juicy details (to which I played dumb). It's like it's OK to drink like an alcoholic as long as you aren't an alcoholic. I am retired now but still see many of my former co-workers and I am dreading the reaction when they find out I am no longer drinking. It's like in some wierd way they think you are letting them down!

BeFree1971

Day 3 About to help my girlfriend run her photo booth at a Elementary school's fall festival (although its still summer hot here). Should be cute seeing all the excited kids and no booze at this event, sweet. Handling kiddie crowd control LOL. Happy Saturday to everyone!

Horatio48

Saturday night. Very bad cravings. Feeling subdued and a little sad. Only one thing can pick me up. Which I can't have. Is this living? Days like this I feel a life without liquor will, for me, be unhappy. I suppose it's just one of those days. Let's hope sober Sunday will be better. Take care everyone.

Rob65

Just wanted to say hi to the September crew. Starting day 8 and feeling positive. Later this afternoon, cravings will kick in and I hope the positive feelings are still there. It was so great waking up this weekend morning without a hangover and without guilt.

You ALL inspire me. PEACE !! ✌️☮✌☮

Pirene

Helenoftroy and whisky bent- I totally hear you about the coworkers. Last weekend when I attended my work social one of them even said to me that she was disappointed in me for not drinking with them. How screwed up is that? Whatever, let them do as they will.

Pirene

Capricallia, it does feel nice waking up with a clear conscience. Like they say, you never regret staying sober the next day.

Windancer, glad to hear you're staying strong and on track. You're very brave to not drown all your emotions in alcohol right now. You go girl!

Pirene

Horatio48, it definitely feels overwhelming living without alcohol. It's very scary to me too. Think of your life as a balance scale. On one side put on the "good" things about alcohol, it gives me a buzz, drowns emotions, make me feel more free. Now on the other side put on all of the times alcohol has done you harm. I know that for me the embarrassing, regretfully, dangerous, painful, unhealthy time definitely outweighs the other. Hope this helps you, and all remember why we are here.

Proud of you for staying strong.

Windancer

Getting a bit nervous for my retreat. It's actually an Ayahuasca healing ceremony if any of you have heard of it. It is a sacred healing herb and is well known for it's ability to greatly assist and heal (there have even been cases of alcoholism and addiction being CURED with Ayahuasca treatment) those with mental health issues and/or addictions. I have been to a two day Ceremony before and the experience was life changing and the results lasting and profound. It is not a magic pill by any stretch. Recovery is still a journey. And it isn't an easy experience ... quite the opposite. Their is much disciplined and preparation that is done pre-Ceremony and the experience itself can be much like releasing a lot of poison all at once. If anyone is curious feel free to PM me.

*Note: I don't care to debate controversies over Ayahuasca or whether it's a "relapse". It is most certainly not a relapse ... no one in their right mind would take Ayahuasca for recreation purposes. It is a sacred, healing plant (actually, it is a mix of two plants). Saying taking Ayahuasca is a relapse is the same as saying taking kava, or valerian, for medicinal purposes and it's calming ability is relapsing. And this is just my opinion (though it is an informed and educated one) and my experiences. I don't have the courage to get into this with my AA friends so I thought I'd share it here.

Lightning Bug

I took Campral, started it in early April. I found it really helped cravings. I was sober without cravings from April 4th to my relapse on June 27th. Keep in mind, my relapse in June was 99 percent Klonopin, 1% alcohol. It was the drugs. I went to rehab immediately following that (didn't have it in there) and started back up on it around Aug 1. I have taken it sporadically since then.

Campral, unlike Antebuse, does not make you sick if you slip. Whether that is a good or bad thing is up to you.

Good luck!

Disonant

Day 6, I really want to drink today. Bad cravings.
Last night at work, the doors wouldn't close so we had to stay until first shift showed up. I ended up working a 15 hour shift. Then only had enough time to sleep for about 4 hours before I had to come into work again. On top of that, thinking of all the chores I need to do at home and I'm going to be working 75 hours next week. It's got me really in a bad state of affairs.
Reading through your guys posts has helped me calm down some. I left my wallet at home so I wouldn't buy any alcohol on the way home from work. Think there is a meeting tonight I can go to near my home, so that's something I should really be more focused on.
Really gray dreary day today here, on and off rain and muggy. Big college football game on tonight. Phew boy, I'm gonna need alot of help tonight folks.

Windancer

Ok Septembers! You all rock!
I'm off on my retreat! I hope everyone stays safe and sober!
I'll be back tomorrow

EventHorizons

Good luck Disonant. I know how you feel. Watching football without beer almost feels un-American! (Of course you couldn't be talking about soccer I suppose, but I don't know anything about that. ;-P )

Stay strong! I partially handled that one by forgetting the time my team was playing. Lol. Not sure if that's the right way, but that's what happened.

EH

*could be I mean