|
Originally Posted by ManInTheArena
(Post 6827133)
Hi guys. I'm going to start checking back in to this thread each day. I've had some decent strings of sober days over the past 2 years, but still fall off the wagon every few months. And when I fall off, it's usually quite a doozy! Anyway, day 2 here for me - my new day 1 was 3/17/18 (appropriately St. Paddy's Day!). Hi Venuscat :) Lots of love and happy Sunday. :hug: ♥♥ |
Originally Posted by PhoenixJ
(Post 6827015)
Gabe, I cannot offer advice on where you live, in regards to support. There is a lot of stuff online. AA and SMART...I have done both. They have online meetings. All I know, for me is that my sobriety comes an equal first with all the other basics of life- like breathing. One strategy I use (which you will see a lot of here) is to remember HALTS. If I am feeling stressed or anxious or whatever I ask myself am I Hungry- eat Angry- mindful breathing, even a 5 minute walk, distract, journal,paint (I do both) Lonely- visit a friend- go somewhere, just to be around humans, even if no interaction Tired or Thirsty- nap-nap, or hydrate Sad or stressed ???- meditate, walk, more mindful crap, chop some wood..ANYTHING! It as amazing how much just eating a snack can lift my mood enough to cope. I am a great exponent of nana naps. Rest, eat, hydrate. It would be good if you had someone you could call, when stressed. A helpline, someone you know in AA? Whatever you choose to do, posting at SR is a great beginning. Go wandering among all the threads and stories ar SR. Better than watching Judge Judy. You are wonderful PJ. :hug: ♥♥ |
Checking in for 24. V. |
7:41 am and checking in for another 24. It is a beautiful day here in California. We are heading to the HS track soon because my husband told my daughter that it was easy to run a 74 second 400, and he can do that without a problem, she told him to prove it. I am going purely for the entertainment value, and to make sure to document this in video, I am also prepared to call 911 if necessary. Congrats to all of our Milestoners today. Have a great Sunday everyone. ❤️Delilah |
Originally Posted by Gabe1980
(Post 6827031)
Reading your post, I've just realised that I don't have those specifics in place. I have general stuff I've been doing, like meditating in the morning, but not specific enough. I just ended up in a horrible place and it went for days :headbange It makes no sense as I was so happy earlier in the week. Sometimes I just think I'm unbalanced. Thank you PJ, you've given me some important things to think about. fuel = happy brain :) :hug: ♥♥ |
Originally Posted by Delilah1
(Post 6827148)
7:41 am and checking in for another 24. It is a beautiful day here in California. We are heading to the HS track soon because my husband told my daughter that it was easy to run a 74 second 400, and he can do that without a problem, she told him to prove it. I am going purely for the entertainment value, and to make sure to document this in video, I am also prepared to call 911 if necessary. Congrats to all of our Milestoners today. Have a great Sunday everyone. ❤️Delilah |
While spring cleaning yesterday I tackled one of our bar areas. Didn't think twice about it until I saw and smelled spilled wine. My throat tightened and my nose puckered up. I shut the refrigerator and left it for hubby to clean or it can stay dirty! The sight and smell triggered a tiny tiny craving, so I ate a BIG bowl of ice cream. At just over 2 years sober, I'm still surprised at my triggers. I can sit through a dinner party or social event, surrounded by drinkers and not be bothered at all. Yet, a tossed & empty small liquor bottle (the tiny ones that fit in a purse or pocket) on a walking trail can bring back bad memories and that throat tightening feeling. Thanks PJ about the HALTS reminder. It has saved my sobriety many times. H -am I hungry? A - am I angry? L - am I lonely? T - am I tired or thirsty? S - am I sad or stress? If I'm any of the above, I try to take care of it. |
Originally Posted by RedBerryJuniper
(Post 6827048)
24 please on a quiet, foggy morning with white-winged dove calling to each other. Glad I went outside—it’s quite lovely to hear. Thinking of you and your family and sending love and prayers for your mum. :hug: ♥ |
Originally Posted by Delilah1
(Post 6827148)
7:41 am and checking in for another 24. It is a beautiful day here in California. We are heading to the HS track soon because my husband told my daughter that it was easy to run a 74 second 400, and he can do that without a problem, she told him to prove it. I am going purely for the entertainment value, and to make sure to document this in video, I am also prepared to call 911 if necessary. Congrats to all of our Milestoners today. Have a great Sunday everyone. ❤️Delilah Have a great day friend....:grouphug: |
Gabe - Day Ones s*ck. Be kind to yourself today. Sending you positive healing thoughts. (( HUGS )) A Sunny Sunday here in SoCal land. And a good one to ask for another 24 of serenity and sobriety please. |
Originally Posted by venuscat
(Post 6826686)
(((Leigh))) ♥♥ Hope you feel better tomorrow love. :hug: |
24 more hours please. Feeling restless and cooped up and tomorrow is another day without vehicle, stuck at home. Going to check out some competitive dog frisbee finals at the park I start working at Thursday. We did a lantern lit group hike there at dusk last night which was nice but only 2 miles and not challenging. Afterwards we stopped at our favorite country store where we normally get beer or wine. They've opened their new outside bar for the season, where they've got a fire pit and wine slushies. Got a little down that I never got to try it, since by the time they opened it on a trial basis late last summer, I already realized I had a problem. So we left with old fashioned sodas in glass bottles (finally got to try Bubble Up!) Small win against the very gross AV who is rude and obnoxious just like most on st patty's. |
Originally Posted by Gabe1980
(Post 6826977)
I've been so moved by the messages I've got today that I just going to go for it and see if anyone can help me. I worry all the time. I manage to stay sober from around 3 - 6 week but the pressure I feel builts until it's intolerable. I drink to block it out. I'm really hungover today and it's a relief tbh. I cope when I'm sober by having rules for everything, obsessing about everything and then I start failing at things. I can't just be. I can't not just let myself be without feeling guilty/lazy/useless. Then the pressure keeps building. I don't know how to stop it. I know that I need to work on my self-worth because that's at the root of my social anxiety and that's when I usually begin relapse thinking. I have such a deep seated fear of rejection, of making mistakes, of being ridiculed or disliked that, day to day, I have safety behaviours and coping strategies for everything. It's utterly exhausting. I'm getting to the bottom of what caused my alcoholism in the first place. It's overwhelming. So that's some stuff... The other stuff is that we moved to this small island 18 months ago. I love it, love my job, love our house, have made great friends and I think this is way I've been far more successful at gaining sober time/skills and finding SR (though that seems a bit laughable today.) My husband, on the other hand, hates it here, it terribly homesick and has been struggling ever since we moved. He just wants to give it all up and go home. He has also been drinking far more heavily than normal and, although he supportive, he also misses us drinking together and is feeling bad about drinking in front of me. I just want him to be happy, but I also don't want to walk away from everything. If we go home at least I'll be able to go to AA, which is what I really want and I feel I need. I've been reading the BB and some of the other material and it fits perfectly with my understanding of myself and my own experience. This is a big chance from when I first joined SR back in August. I never thought AA would be for me but something spiritual has been happening and all of a sudden it clicked with me. I've been reading about step 4 and thinking about my own personal inventory. It really scared me and I spent a couple of days feeling emotional and frightened. I feel frightened most of the time. I think I would need support with the steps but I just can't do meetings here. There are 3 a week but the community is tiny and it would outing myself in the profession I work in. I not able to do that. I wouldn't feel safe sharing in that setting. So going maybe going home would be a good thing. Then there's all the crap that makes it really confusing. Am I an alcoholic? Maybe I have had emotional problems and as those have improved my drinking has been less frequent. Maybe I just need to have a drink every few weeks and what's so wrong with that? But then I'm here posting. There's a voice inside me that is telling me to keep going because I'm on the right road. I think that's my HP. All this just goes round and round and round. Anyway, I hope this isn't too much and thank you all for everything. I really appreciate you all and sorry for the drama. Gabe x First, I am so glad you are here posting. This is not easy, especially in the beginning, but I can promise you as you get further into your sobriety some of those emotions around failure, and anxiety will start to fade, and you will have found healthier ways to deal with them. There are some wonderful podcasts, and videos around mindfulness, particularly the fear of failure that may be helpful to listen to. I can hear myself in some of your inner conversations: maybe I'm not an alcoholic, maybe I can have a drink every now and then... I tried this unsuccessfully for several years. I would alternate between periods of sobriety, and then convince myself I was fine tinmiderste, but the drinking always crept back up on me. Try logging in here as soon as you think about drinking, the fact that you are here this morning sends a clear message that you really do want to stop. Have an honest conversation with your husband about drinking, both his and yours, share how you are feeling. Let him share how he is feeling about living there, and how it may be affecting him. Consider talking to a counselor together, or on your own. You need to start the hard work of early sobriety again today, but it can be the last day one for you, and I promise in a few months you will feel a new energy, and when you hit that one year mark you will feel like you can do anything, and it keeps getting better. You've got this my friend!!! ❤️Delilah |
Originally Posted by cornpone
(Post 6827074)
24 please for day 3. also... I GOT THE NEW JOB! I start April 2. No more bartending for me!! Prayers answered !! ❤❤❤ |
Originally Posted by venuscat
(Post 6826687)
♥ This is a list of everyone who posted their commitment to stay sober in the last 24 hours: 10 pm EST ~ 9.59 pm EST. It is awesome to have every single one of you here with us! :) :hug: ♥ 1newcreation abcowboy Alysheba aussieblue Awake61 Babs1234 badgerden bandicoot2 BarbieKen Bubovski Canadian Koala ChloeRose63 Coldfusion cornpone CrossYourHeart Dee74 Delilah1 Delizadee dizzybee Endoftheday erfra7 FormerBeerLover Gabe1980 gatorman Gilmer Goat goodbyeevan goose333 Grapeless Hats Hevyn Jack16 Jaffacake joandmelandhan jsm273 julietUK Kaneda8888 kenton Kris47 least lilymaz Lostmyoffswitch lyddie madtown42 Neoo Neverthought NewFighter Nic233 Optimist4ever57 PhoenixJ pixiedust78 Purplrks3647 Quincy quitter62 Rainman1 Rar RedBerryJuniper Saskia Scout17 shortstop81 soberista SoberLeigh stargazer016 Sunflower79 Sunflowerlife Sweetpeacan Tang tgirl TheToddman theVman31 tomls vanaprastha venuscat VikingGF Vinificent Vivie Waterboy85 WaterOx WeaverBird wiscsober yukonm Zanna zeppodog Onward together! ♥ https://i.imgur.com/LqEmgeR.gif Thanks, Suze!!!!💜 |
Originally Posted by bandicoot2
(Post 6827110)
Good morning my 24s, please count me ALL in. Congratulations to our fabulous Milestoners!! :You_Rock_ Spring is just around the corner and the birds are singing. The gifts of sobriety just keep giving....I started my spring cleaning this weekend. It feels good to be so organized. Wishing everyone a sober and peaceful Sunday (or Monday). Love to all....xxxx |
Originally Posted by venuscat
(Post 6827156)
HI sweety.....isn't it beautiful????? :) :) Thinking of you and your family and sending love and prayers for your mum. :hug: ♥ I woke up feeling very down- I was going to rest yesterday but instead had a manic day of errands, housework and catch-up. So just a shower, and a trip to farm supply for the Cat and garden. Time to play with plants and flowers. Perfect therapy. It’s full-on Spring here. Will phone Mum and eat some of the healthy food I made yesterday . I think it’s a HALT day. I don’t want to drink but I want to escape—so that thinking could lead me there unless I have something else to escape to. Sooo..perhaps I should enter the kingdom of Plants and that will be my escape! Love you and everyone Red |
Originally Posted by venuscat
(Post 6826687)
♥ This is a list of everyone who posted their commitment to stay sober in the last 24 hours: 10 pm EST ~ 9.59 pm EST. It is awesome to have every single one of you here with us! :) :hug: ♥ 1newcreation abcowboy Alysheba aussieblue Awake61 Babs1234 badgerden bandicoot2 BarbieKen Bubovski Canadian Koala ChloeRose63 Coldfusion cornpone CrossYourHeart Dee74 Delilah1 Delizadee dizzybee Endoftheday erfra7 FormerBeerLover Gabe1980 gatorman Gilmer Goat goodbyeevan goose333 Grapeless Hats Hevyn Jack16 Jaffacake joandmelandhan jsm273 julietUK Kaneda8888 kenton Kris47 least lilymaz Lostmyoffswitch lyddie madtown42 Neoo Neverthought NewFighter Nic233 Optimist4ever57 PhoenixJ pixiedust78 Purplrks3647 Quincy quitter62 Rainman1 Rar RedBerryJuniper Saskia Scout17 shortstop81 soberista SoberLeigh stargazer016 Sunflower79 Sunflowerlife Sweetpeacan Tang tgirl TheToddman theVman31 tomls vanaprastha venuscat VikingGF Vinificent Vivie Waterboy85 WaterOx WeaverBird wiscsober yukonm Zanna zeppodog Onward together! ♥ https://i.imgur.com/LqEmgeR.gif 💜 Awesome list!!! Awesome us!!!!💜 Awesome 83 of us!!!!💜 |
83 Commitments to Sobriety!!!!! Wow!!!!! :bbj: |
Originally Posted by bandicoot2
(Post 6827153)
While spring cleaning yesterday I tackled one of our bar areas. Didn't think twice about it until I saw and smelled spilled wine. My throat tightened and my nose puckered up. I shut the refrigerator and left it for hubby to clean or it can stay dirty! The sight and smell triggered a tiny tiny craving, so I ate a BIG bowl of ice cream. At just over 2 years sober, I'm still surprised at my triggers. I can sit through a dinner party or social event, surrounded by drinkers and not be bothered at all. Yet, a tossed & empty small liquor bottle (the tiny ones that fit in a purse or pocket) on a walking trail can bring back bad memories and that throat tightening feeling. Thanks PJ about the HALTS reminder. It has saved my sobriety many times. H -am I hungry? A - am I angry? L - am I lonely? T - am I tired or thirsty? S - am I sad or stress? If I'm any of the above, I try to take care of it. Love you my sober twin! |
| All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:40 PM. |