badgerden

Welcome home Tnek!
LSW- how are you doing? Hoping all is well and looking good for you.
Rainbow- thinking of you also and hoping your sober plans are coming around for you.

Happy Thursday Nobenders
Badge

Poppy79

Greetings on this lovely Friday morning,
Tnek, welcome home and so glad you made it through the work trip with your obviously strong resolve your next trip will be a breeze.
Plenny, how did you go with resigning from your job? Hopefully it wasn't stressful and your employer understood why you need to leave, you gots to think of número uno!!
Dee, glad to hear you are feeling better. There is some bug going around QLD, I know a fair few people who have caught said bug recently, both in Brisbane and also Cairns...change of season usually brings a lot of sickness.
I did dot art yesterday, which is aboriginal style art. Made me realise aboriginals must have been VERY patient people lol. Suffice to say, I am not even half way through it but I think it will look great upon completion.
My knee is much better, so I might take an easy walk this morning. Really missing my daily exercise.
Rainbow - I hope you are going well in treatment (I hope I have your handle name on here right)... thinking of you and I am pretty confident you will be stocking up on some great tools for your sober box.
FOUR MONTHS FOR ME TODAY
And I just realised that my fifth month falls on my birthday. What a wonderful birthday present to give to myself.
Hello to everyone else - Steely, Rainy, November, LSW, Angie, Abriella, Badge, Phoenix, if I have forgotten anyone my sincere apologies (I can't scroll back to check on my phone).
What has everyone got planned for this weekend?
xoxo

SollytheGolly

Greetings Fellow Travellers, Nobenders and Class of November 2016. Checking in at 112 days (16 weeks) and still going strong.

A belated happy birthday to you Steely. Glad to see you still with us.

Poppy79

Hiya Sollythegolly (awesome handle). Congrats on 112 days. Here's to another 112

PhoenixJ

Hi Pops. (sorry, could not resist). Art is necessary for me.

Poppy79

I agree Phoenix. I am not great at expressing myself verbally so art gives me a release of sorts

kevlarsjal

Hello everyone!

I've been really bad with posting / reading here this week. This week's therapy session took it out of me. I think we're trying to approach some childhood trauma and there were so many memories and emotions coming up, I'm just one big (sober) mess. I have absolutely no energy. I just feel horrible and exhausted and like there's a big painful hole in my chest. Sorry for being a downer.

And sorry for missing your birthday Steely! So if it's not too late I'd still like to wish you a very belated happy birthday

kevlarsjal

Pleased to hear your knee is better, Poppy! I had a similar situation with my therapist like you had at your doctors. But whenever I try to rationalise my drinking or play down my addiction I just have to question what aspect of the drinking I'm missing and it's never the taste or the glass with dinner.

I'd love to see your new artwork once it's finished. I need my art too, I don't know if it's necessarily about expressing myself but it's so therapeutic and I really drift into another world when I'm painting or weaving. It's so relaxing for my brain.
Oh and well done on 4 months!


Steely, thanks for your nice words and encouragement about studying! I have to understand that it's just me I'm doing it for but I'm still struggling with the whole "me" aspect about life in general. Surprisingly my mum noticed this time that her comment on my studying wasn't nice at all and she even apologised to me. That was the first time ever she did that. Now I'm worried she might feel bad about it though.
I loved what you said about the social attitude towards alcoholism and coming out of the dark.
Where I live drinking lots and at all times of the day is the norm for many people. Still I doubt they'd label themselves as active alcoholics. But I'm sure lots of them must be addicted to a certain degree. I think partly it's cause in our society we often don't really see alcohol as the addictive drug it is. That's why it's more difficult to accept that people just can get addicted to it without having done anything really "wrong". There's often no clear line between socially accepted drinking and alcoholism. And I think that's what most people don't want to see. They have this stereotype image of the homeless old guy who's drinking 2 large bottles of vodka a day. It's an interesting topic.

Thanks November! Hope it's going well for you

Congrats on 112 days, Solly!

Tnek, well done with your business trip, you can be proud of yourself

Plenny, sounds like you made the right decision with your jobs.

I just noticed it's 20 weeks for me, that's quite a while

Ladyshipwreck

Thank you all so much for the support.

This week I've had urinalysis, labwork, and an ultrasound. So now I'm just waiting to find out what is wrong with me. And if nothing is wrong, I have severe hypochondria and I definitely need to make an appointment with the therapist.

My husband reached one year sober on Sat. I'm jealous but in a good way.

Well I don't feel much like talking but wanted to check in. The depression seems to be lifting or at least easing up. Now I just have worry about getting test results. Trying to hand it over to HP. Prayers are appreciated. Hopefully my energy/concentration will improve after I get some clarity, and I'll be more active in the Nobender's class. Again I apologize for my selfishness and for not responding to everyone.

Take care and keep on keeping on.

kevlarsjal

LSW I had serious health problems last summer, it's so stressful and exhausting to go from one doctor to the next and not knowing what's wrong. I hope you're okay and that it's nothing serious.

I'm not a religious person, so no prayers but thinking of you and sending you hugs

Dee74

I hope everyone has a great sober weekend

D

rainypnw

Congrats to you both (Poppy and Solly) on the 4 month mark! Congrats, Kevlarsjal, on 20 weeks!

I'm on the last day of my trip to visit family. Very ready to be home sleeping in my own bed. The trip has been good. But, I'm pretty wiped out emotionally. I'm glad that I had this group to check in with every day. You all help keep me focused on the road ahead. Looking forward to a weekend with more house hunting. Anyone have big plans for the weekend?

badgerden

Hello all, Congrats on the 4 month mark Poppy!!
LadyShipWreck- sending all the positive vibes your way, the waiting and your imagination are the worst. I have been having issues with my left eye, and have myself fairly well convinced that I have a tumor, supported even by WebMd on Google, along with 2 dozen other less dramatic diagnoses. I do have a yearly eye exam in 2 weeks, so will discuss then, assuming of coarse that my tumor doesn't explode in my head and kill me before my appointment.
My weekend plans involve another trip across state to pick up our boat, stay over night with some friends than turn around and come home,,,sigh

Love ya'll
Badge

PS; - I hope no one takes offense at some of my posts, my sense of humor is rather dry and self effacing, which doesn't always come across in the written word as I would like. It is something that has gotten me in unpleasant situations more than once,,,,,,,,,

Dee74

No worries with me badgerden

D

kevlarsjal

Badgerden I hope it's not a tumour but one of the less dramatic diagnoses instead. And I really like your sense of humour! Your weekend plans sound exciting, what's to sigh aboat? (Sorry I love puns and boats )

Thanks rainy! I know that feeling, I love spending time with my family but it's so draining for me.

I have the opposite of big plans for the weekend: absolutely no plans at all! Which is just what I need, some time to process stuff and relax. And sleep.

rainypnw

Badge, have a good trip to get your boat! You're sense of humor is great. I'll be sending good thoughts your way for the eye exam.

Abriella

Badge... I love your sense of humor! I hope the "tumor" doesn't explode before your appointment too!! lol

Solly & Poppy!! Congrats on reaching the 4 month mark!!

Kevlarsjal... great job on 20 weeks. You're doing great!

LSW... Hubby reaching 1 year sober... that's awesome! I'm jealous in a good way too.

Rainy... I'm glad to see the family trip has been a good one. They are draining aren't they? I can relate. Have fun house hunting. I've often thought that we need to downsize now that the kids are grown and gone. We'll see. Might be in our future soon.

I've been feeling sick all week. Came down with the crud a/k/a cold and sinus infection. Yuck. It's taken all my energy this week. Finally starting to feel better though, so that's a plus.

Hope the rest of the Nobenders are coming along nicely.

Hi Steely, Tnek, Plenny, Phoenix, Kimmy, Angie, Dee, and anyone else I may have missed....

I'm happy to join the triple digit club!
Day #102!!

Poppy79

So many of us hitting some great sized numbers.... it's an inspiration congrats Kevlar on 5 months, 1 month off half a YEAR!!! Holy moly that is awesome.
I'm off to go to some garage sales now. I think the Americans call them yard sales lol.
Then I plan on going for a massive walk (no dogs allowed on this one)
And afterwards I am going to start a new painting
Have a wonderful Saturday nobenders xx

Steely

Don't know where to start, except to say that I'm sober, but now really wondering what I am going to do with my life now that alcohol has been removed. All of the frozen I/me stuff can really get in the way of productivity, but I guess too, it can act as as an excuse for not doing anything.

Have decided to quit smoking today as my lungs really are feeling laboured. There is not one single positive attached to smoking, at least with the grog I felt happy for 5 minutes

Only kidding, alcohol is the big one for me, but smoking is really disgusting and I hate being tied to it. I also need the money, which would allow me to do a few of the things I would like to take up on. Feels good writing it down, makes it seem doable.

Plenny, I got it arse up I thought you had been offered a promotion, but didn't want to take the job because of the drinking involved. Now I see it is your original job you are leaving. Congratulations on the promotion.

Kevlarsjal I understand the way you are feeling and can only send (from a girl who knows) my love and support. It is really difficult stuff always crowding away in my mind denying me peace. I think we can only push it away for so long 'til comes a time we have to act to expunge the shite. Freedom.

For myself, I think that feeling of paralysis could well come from the way I felt when those things happened to me. Frozen, powerless, unable to move, prevented from moving. I can't live like that anymore. Take it easy kevlarsjal and be real kind to yourself.

I love your sense of humour too badge. Tell you what, without a sense of humour I probably wouldn't be here today. Keep laughing badge, and congrats on 102 days, and glad you are feeling better.

Hey fellow hypo's was going to tell you about the cancerous tumour that is about to eat my leg before devouring my brain. I'm pathetic, fair dinkum.

My love to all, and don't want to miss anyone out except to say we are all doing so very well. We are all involved in change.

Steely

You've inspired me Poppy. I'm taking myself in to check out the op shops. Thanks.