Congrats Rascal!

I think it stuck with Rascal, Retired Guy and Dau. Which when you think of how many people we started with, shows just how special what they've accomplished is. Axe and Vipe, we can have that too. You too, Canguy, if you are still out there reading.

Even though Nexttime doesn't post often, I think he is doing well also.

There may be others who are still sober,but no longer post.

Rascal Amazing!!! Here's to the next 6! I cheers you with a glass of iced tea!!

Axe, there's a lot of wisdom here. You're are open to it, which is awesome. I think the program will help you realize this stuff better too. A lot of a program is getting a person to be 'reachable and teachable' and you've already got that, I think. So you can start to learn when it starts. I think the more sober time you have before the program, the more teachable you are. I remember exactly when my teachable moment came in an IOP. I realized I wasn't some special person that was more talented the everyone else, somehow better, and that I was pulling the wool over everyone's eyes, to realizing I was simply an average drunk. Someone said that in AA and I was like OMG, that is me. I repeated it about myself in group, and the social worker looked at me like it was the best thing I ever said. It probably was.

I'm struggling with my stuff too. But keeping sober. No desire makes it easy. It's fighting when the desire comes that's an issue. I have to keep getting myself in a future vision to pull myself out of here. I'm in text contact with the life coach. What a wonderful person!

Later on,

Viper

I just got caught up as I haven't been on for a while (it says July 19th up in the corner of my screen). Congrats to those who have sustained sobriety since Feb. Based on my own past experience well done to those who may be struggling but continue the fight. I was never able to do that in past attempts and I sometimes wonder if I could have made something more permanent sooner if I had the guts to keep pursuing sobriety instead of putting my head in the ground for years at a time. Keep up the pursuit!!!
I had my first big group camping trip last weekend with all of my current old drinking buddies. I had some quiet AV rumblings but nothing very loud and nothing I wasn't already prepared for so it went well. I had a great time. I also got a tremendous reminder of why I like being a non-drinker: one of my buddies was looking for Advil first thing in the morning and I can't believe how much I enjoyed giving him some and not needing any for myself. It was like coming home from the first day of kindergarten with a worksheet with a gold star on it. I didn't say a word but just enjoyed that moment internally perhaps way more than I should have but I couldn't help it. :bbj:
If my stress levels were to be graphed recently it would look like a cardiogram. Work goes from great to slow to stressful to don't worry about nothing and repeat. My biggest customer has just changed ownership and the transition is off to a rough start. I know it will stabilize but I hate dealing with so many unknowns. Time to go put out another fire. Have a great rest of the week everyone.

Good to hear from you Nexttime!

Thanks for the sentiments! Feb. class is kind of like my home base -- where nobody knows your name and they're always glad you came :D

It's funny how the shakes, a literal symptom of our condition, for me also became metaphorical. Life just seemed to vibrate at an uncomfortable frequency; too much energy flowing through too brittle of a structure.

Things are more straightforward now.

Viper - I thought I was special before, too. I was somehow strong or better and not your typical or stereotypical alcoholic. I have new perspective - it's not that I am not special, it's that I am not alone!

That's partly the reason I'll do whatever treatment tells me. It's worked for others over the years and you get out what you put in.

Sober tonight, again! 4 nights is tied for a top 3 score for 2017.

Real shakes here today people. Just sat through a 4.3 earthquake. It's completely silent, the room just trembles, then bangs, jerks hard. Then it stops, Only distant dogs barking. Look out the window...the gardener is still weeding. Unreal.

Will attempt to rejoin when I get back down to Australia. Congrats to the long time people.

stay safe canguy :)

D

Should you see a doc?

Oh gosh - I read shakes and thought you were withdrawing and that the earthquake thing was a metaphor!!!!

Stay safe.

Haha! Axeman.. funny

17 days for me. I actually started on my life coach 'chores' somewhat. Finally it begins. Part of it was getting out into nature and excercising. I took my nephew to a famous Hollow in the woods with a roaring stream. We hiked in and swam in pools under waterfalls. I'll tell ya, I'm trim but not sting anymore and climbing those rocks and swimming against the current beat the crap out of me. I found myself fuzzy and I had to chill on a rock. Not bad for a first outing. No desire to drink.

Nephew has never seen Apocolypse Now. Got it on Apple TV. Steak and sweet potatoes ready to go.

Viper

I meant not STRONG, I wrote "sting"

Axe, very true that there are a lot of people exactly like us and we need to listen them because they know what they're talking about. Obviously I was a terrible leader of my own life. Things change though!

V

Exercise needs to be in my future plans, for sure.

Tonight is my 5th night sober. That feels great. Tomorrow will tie my last year's long. Saturday will best it. Sunday, again. Monday, I get into treatment. I have such amazing odds at success on my side.

I feel content and optimistic.

They do indeed Viper :)

great going Axe :)

D

Axe I've got to mention that when you get a couple of weeks even, like I just did, you start to feel the deep benefits of not drinking. I'm sure you know, but a reminder can't hurt. I was suffering so badly with my health problems, and making it worse. I am out of that awful state. The health problems are separate and real, but just one drink causes them to really flare.

I was up at 7am today and did that hike and swim today. Very unusual for me. It just keeps improving. My tendons are muscles are still fighting me on this but I'd expect that subside in 2 more weeks. If not, whatever.

Good night

V

I can already feel it. Aches and pains are fading. Clarity and sharpness in my mind. Appetite. I love it.

Axe and Vipe congrats on the progress. Keep moving forward. Canguy I have never experienced an earthquake and I'm thankful for that. Stay safe!!
Thanks retiredguy!
My youngest has spent a great majority of his summer break on the couch in front of a video screen. Took him to the gym this week and he his very very sore. You don't have to be my age (45) to feel the effects of changing the activity level. However I'm sure the little s*** will be recovered today and ready to go when it took me weeks to walk normal when I started up again. :c043:
Anyways have a good weekend everyone I'm headed to mountains with a couple of buddies. Hopefully without phone service.

Next thanks, yeah I'm 47 and darn, I'll have to rebuild. My muscles are weak. Luckily I'm trim and have good base to start with. I feel a hungover from the workout yesterday for sure. But I was still up and alert at 7am.

I've started a high potency Probiotic (expensive), Vitamin D drops and B supplement in the morning. I'm very low in B12 and D. Those are the kinds of small chores from the life coach. Shower every day, take my supplements in the am, 20 minutes outdoor excercise, start new meds for my gut health, read The Good Gut and Microbiome Diet, start Diet (uggggg... hard) etc. it's all little things, but I've been terrible at sticking to any routine or commitments, so this starts building it.

My parents are getting very used to me being around and they want me there. They feel much safer my father told me. When I come home from being gone 24 hours they're all excited. It's kind of rough because the goal is to leave here or at least that house. I think they like me 1000 times more sober than hung over. I do not want them getting dependent and declining further in health. Then I'm trapped.

Post later,

V