That's really good dear dear Trojanhorse.....whatever we can pick up and use to help us? Just so awesome....sending huge hugs. xx :hug:

I was in the July group but relapsed last night. Day 1 for me and feeling pretty bummed about it. I was really struggling to quit but had made it 22 days and then drank last night. Was up all night sick as a dog, slept most of the day and just all around feel like crap. I surrendered to the truth that I am powerless over alcohol. The problem is I stopped working at it daily. So here I am, trying once again to get sober and STAY sober.

You can do it, every road leading somewhere beautiful still has its bumps.

Hang on

Thats a lovely thing to say trojanhorse :)

welcome kgirl :)

Thanks guys. I wish I had fought against the craving harder but it is what it is. Yet another reminder that you have to stay diligent on working a program everyday ODAAT. Today is all we have. If I think about yesterday it depresses me. If I worry about tomorrow (or not drinking forever) I have anxiety. I am focused on the present because its all I can control.

Anything to help Dee

good to see u kgirl i know hard it is and really glad to see u still fighting it x remember u also did long stint from last year xx

so i am with u also on day 1 still working on getting past the 2 and 3 days mark but will proceed in fighting this and work on what i did last week in trying to eat instead of picking up.

well i have work this afo and evening so that makes things easier on the witching hour.

glad to see so many still posting x

hope u have a good day x

Welcome kgirl. I felt like you did yesterday. We can do this.

Welcome back Erratic, good to see you back.

Venus-you are absolutely right. And when I got sober before I used AVRT, got the RR book and really practised it. It just made so much sense and I related to it well.

Day 2. off to work will check in later. Thank you,x

checking in for day 32.

Today was a great day, spent it with a sober sister and was out in the sun.

When I got home to work on my first step assignment, which is to wrote down how alcohol has affected others...it got really hard. Putting it all down on paper, I was able to see the pain and hurt I have caused. At moments it was too much and I cried.

I am ok, will not drink but wanted to share.

KGirl and RAL I’m glad to see you didn’t leave and you are back. On my past attempts at sobriety when I’ve relapsed I’ve left the group and that was a big mistake because we all know what happened... for me it was weeks of binging. NicLin your posts about AA are so positive they intrigue me but I’m just not ready for AA right now. I do love hearing about all the sober friends you’ve made as loneliness can play a huge role in my drinking.

It’s 3am where I am and in the night shift again! Day 5 for me:) I’ve been listening to “This naked mind” podcasts on my drive to and from work and find them very helpful and inspirational. Today I’ll go home and rest then spend the afternoon with the kiddos. Have a great day everyone!

Day 15. Sitting drinking my morning coffee and catching up on the posts on here. I've now got two weekends out of the way without booze.

I've had times when I haven't drunk in the past and had continual and acute cravings. This time around I haven't so far. They may come. I'm looking forward to getting a third weekend out of the way as I read somewhere that it takes 21 days to get rid of a habit or acquire a new one. However, I also read somewhere else that it takes 90 days to create a new habit, so I'm not sure.

I've taken what Trojan said more seriously this time around about booze not being an option. If the AV tries to say anything, I stop it dead in its tracks. It tried last week to say, "but what about holidays...they will be awful, but what about dinner parties...they will bore the pants off you now". And so it went on. Sitting on not existant balconies overlooking the sea with a glass of wine in my hand. I never did that anyway.

Apart from the no option tactic I just remind myself of the quality of my sleep now. The earlier mornings and the earlier nights. Not worrying about being fit enough to go to anything or do anything. For me that's the greatest win.

I have no idea what today will bring but I wish good fortune to the rest of the group. It is do'able.

Really great to see everyone committed and fighting hard...congrats to everyone no matter what day you're on :)

:You_Rock_
D

You haven't lost those 22 days dear kgirl. :hug: s
I know you feel awful today, but gosh how this is going to become a huge sobriety tool for you moving forward....you won't forget how this feels in a hurry.....I believe what you will carry with you is that surrender. Ultimately, it is incredibly empowering. :)

I am also powerless over alcohol. And I accept that completely. It is very freeing.

So much love and onward together. :hug: s ♥

Oh yeah, just so lovely that I am going to quote you for tomorrow's 24-hour thread post. :) :hug: s

Day 9. I'm finally feeling calmer, and sleeping better. Nice.

Unfortunately my lifelong depression, which I have always submerged in alcohol, is coming to the surface. Depression runs in my family, and over the weekend as the alcohol receded the depression began to be exposed again. I have rarely been treated for it since I was self-medicating. My wife picked up on it immediately, however, so I guess it's fairly obvious.

For example, I've been looking at new cars for a few months now, and have test driven quite a few. But then one day I realize I don't even want a new car. I said to my wife, somewhat bewildered, "What kind of a person doesn't want a new car?" She thought that was hilarious, and I did laugh along with her. But that pervasive loss of desire is not a good sign for me.

That's something to watch carefully. As the dregs of alcohol recede, I'll work on the depression, and maybe try some medication again.

Sobriety feels really good though. My desire for that is paramount.

Wishing all of us a sober and fulfilling day. We can do that!

I hear you dear Pelagic. :hug: s
I am familiar with that feeling....a lot of us are I think.
It is kind of awesome of you to be able to see it so clearly when you are in the middle of the depression....that's hard. But you did, and you can help yourself here...you are. :) That's huge. :) :hug: s

I just made this....it's a bit too bright I think.....

https://i.imgur.com/KEA2if1.png

EDIT: Hello dear nmd.....come chat with these lovely people. :) :hug: s

Glad to see you still determined to do this.....and you will.
Lovely to see you this morning dear Erratic....or maybe afternoon for you already. :) :hug: s

Ahhh love, so many hugs. :hug: s

When I was writing out my fourth step, I became devastated. I cried so hard I wet the notebook, and I was having a very hard time with it. I spoke to my sponsor, and she said.....oh Suze, it's all OK.....just stop....you don't need to confess every sin from your entire life, and you don't need to write down things that hurt you so badly you can't go on. Be gentle with yourself. See what you wrote, and let it go....you are not that person anymore, and the purpose of the steps is to set you free.

(Why we read it aloud with our sponsor and let it go.....just magic).

:hug: s xx

The thing about AA meetings is that they are at all hours. I have a 7am one around the corner I need to get to at least once a week....there was a Saturday 10pm in Melbourne (Aus) that I used to go to that I adored.....we literally kept each other safe through that hardest part of the weekend, and gosh it was a fun meeting. And 7am and even 6am meetings are my favourite, because the people that go to them tend to be really committed to their recovery....you know.....loads of people make time for the gym in the morning, because it is important to them and they want to stay fit.....that's what the early morning AA meetings are like for me. Shiny happy people who just want to share their experience strength and hope. And of course there is coffee. :) :hug: s

Hello everyone, my boyfriend and I had a little BBQ last night. The weather was beautiful... you can feel summer winding down
and the leaves are starting to turn colour. The neighbours were all out doing the same thing, cracking beers and having a good time.

We have some in the fridge, my boyfriend drinks occasionally like normal people do. He just had one last night, I honestly didn't feel
like any at all. I have some important things to do today and need a clear head. Maybe I'm finally starting to think like a normal person?
Cause not very long ago I would have drank everything in the fridge, gone out to get more, and tried to head off withdrawal and a hangover
by drinking in the morning.. doh...

12 days and I'm feeling pretty good :)