Day 6 - Hanging In There!
 

Hi All,

Just wanted to check in with my on-line support group to let you know that it's Day 6 and I'm still sober! I'll be hitting my noon meeting today and my 7:30 meeting tonight.

I would ask for your thoughts and prayers for me as I'm REALLY struggling during the evening hours. My routine used to be as follows:

3:30-4:00ish - "Man, I can't wait to get home to hit the wine!"
5:00ish - Leave work, pick up magnum bottle of wine
5:30 - 6:30ish - Drink 2 glasses (BIG glasses) of wine

Then I would not drink during dinner, helping kids with homework and getting them down.

However, from about 8:15ish until staggering to bed, it was non-stop wine-fest.

Anyways, I haven't hit the point where I'm about to get in the car to go grab a bottle, but my mind keeps going back to the old, "How am I going to do this the rest of my life?!" kind of thing. I know I'm not supposed to think outside of the day, but I am having a hard time changing the brain channel.

Anyways, just wanted to be honest. I hope you all are doing great and thanks once again for all of your support.

RacerX

Congrats on another accomplished day! I'm beaming warm fuzzies in your direction.

Congratulations on day 6. For me, I had to change my routine while at home. When I would get the urge for a drink I would go for a quick walk (even if it was dark and raining outside), read a book...ect. Keep yourself busy.....it does get easier as time goes by.

Congrats on Day 6 as I am on Day 6 myself. I noticed that we had similar patterns and yes my drink of choice was wine....the big bottle. I have found that when the typical time period (at evening by myself) rolls around, I just either play an online game, chat on the phone/board, clean, walk, anything to take my mind off of the day. I will do anything to take my mind off of it to make it to the next day. One day at time is we must think off.

I am so proud and remember that this day will pass. Hang in and keep strong.

Huggs - Kim

Thanks so much, Kim and so glad to hear you're hanging in there as well! From one computer geek to another, I've also found that gaming helps as it changes the brain channel. Running is another thing I'm using. I guess the key is to keep idle time down to an absolute minimum.

Thanks again, and here's to a wonderful sober day!

RacerX

Hi Racer, I was wondering how you were doing today. Glad to hear you still sober. :)

Try changing your route home from. Change the times you do things, change your routine, even the kids routine. I have a new routine with my son now and it usually involves a good hour with him playing the Wii or Lego. He enjoys it and it is becoming habit and routine so it is becoming automatic.

Also remember This Too Shall Pass and if keeping it in the day is too long, just keep it in the hour or minute, as I only need to get through the next hour and not take the first drink.

intention,

I just wanted to thank you because you always seem to be there with encouragement and wonderful words of wisdom. So, from me to you:

:tyou

RacerX

Good job! Think back at how bad you felt a week ago and how GREAT you feel today!

1 week ( today) for this guy today.


Blessings,

Congrats on reaching six days sober! :grouphug:

Well done on 6 days.

A few things I think of if I was to buy/take home/pour & drink THAT wine.
Hope they help!

1: How the hell will I tell everyone who is now proud of me that I Couldn't do it?

2: Tomorrow morning won't be fresh and clean and eventful, it will be sick and sore and I will have to get through it

3: I will smell awful, look even worse and feel terrible

4: My emotions & feeling won't be raw and real, they will be dulled and I'll be wracked with guilt

5: The guilt will make me depressed and I will drink again and again and again

6: My pleasures in life are real, my children, my husband, my friends, wine is an illusion, a faker, a trickster who gives me nothing but problems and puts a block between my real pleasures, I don't want that, I am Happy Sober.

7: If I pick up that wine, I will live to regret it and ultimately die regretful

Somber I know, but SOBERING for me!! Good Luck, stay on board and enjoy your Real life, not fretting over a fake one involving alcohol. I used to think of my alcohol as a treat, as a time out, but then treats are good things and I have decided that there is absolutely Nothing good about alcohol!!

Hey Racer, still with me then eh??
I know where you're coming from...I was 1 - 2 bottles of wine a night, every night!
After a long time of stopping and starting.....this time it HAD to be different for me...my head is truly believing that I can never ever drink again...and just reading some of the posts on here has made that seem not so bad.

I come online each night...I'm on 3 forums. I read A LOT! Novel's and books about alcohol....I just never, ever want to be controlled by alcohol ever again....Sometimes it does get boring.....but someone posted a few days ago....'I never wake up in the morning and wish I'd drunk the night before'...that is so true.

I am also enjoying the fact that I'm not escaping from my husband every night too (although it wasn't him I was trying to escape from), and a simple 'real' conversation at night time with a sincere, genuine smile from him, makes it all worth while.

I will pray for you and will keep checking in on you......my sober buddy xx

Congratulations Racer X on your six days! This period will pass and the reward is so absolutely worth it, as I am just now learning myself. Hang in there! :)

And me for you, my friend! :thanks

Congrats on 6 days Racer :)

I didn't think I'd ever stop thinking about the rest of my life either...but the more you do this, the more sober days you have, and the more effort you put into your recovery, the less of an issue this all becomes...

Listen to all the advice here - but you're doing great!
D

Hi RacerX -YAY on 6 days, congrats! The timing of your post was perfect for me, because driving home today, I was thinking about how great a glass of wine would taste (which would of course end up being many more...).

Arena, I am posting your 6 reasons on my refrigerator door - they are wonderful and so true!

I agree with the previous suggestions about changing your routine and thinking about the consequences of that first drink which we know all too well. I also want to add what everyone on this site told me, and thankfully I've found to be true, that cravings really do pass if I find another way to engage my body and brain. That has been such a relief!

Keep up the great work taking it a day at a time! :dance6:.

Gee, Thanks guys, I'm happy they help. How does day 7 feel Racer? Get better hun!:ring