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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: South East, USA
Posts: 43
Got by last night with 2 glasses of wine. Bought a bottle 750ml and poured one glass down the sink and consumed what was left. Took off the edge a little.
Felt fine and slept pretty good. I did exercise hard before I drank and made dinner soon after.
Tonight...same thing. Exercise hard, 2 glasses then eat and continue this plan until on the 31st I plan to consume just one drink.
November 1st coming quickly and looking forward to trying to stop completely. My plan is to go hiking for the day. Get home, work out again later. Eat well and drink lots of fluids...
Felt fine and slept pretty good. I did exercise hard before I drank and made dinner soon after.
Tonight...same thing. Exercise hard, 2 glasses then eat and continue this plan until on the 31st I plan to consume just one drink.
November 1st coming quickly and looking forward to trying to stop completely. My plan is to go hiking for the day. Get home, work out again later. Eat well and drink lots of fluids...
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: South East, USA
Posts: 43
No, I am very much interested in AA as a support system. I made a few contacts via email and several folks have gotten back to me and I will follow up.
Unfortunately it does not look like there are many meetings close by (I did the AA search by zip code).
Thanks Mark!
Unfortunately it does not look like there are many meetings close by (I did the AA search by zip code).
Thanks Mark!
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
I am very fortunate... there is an awesome Sun AM beginners meeting near me... I actually look forward to Sun AM's for that reason... a strong group, something special about Sun AM and all...
Well, get on here on SR Sunday and post... some of us will be around, and I'll be sure to check in to see how you are doin!!
Well, get on here on SR Sunday and post... some of us will be around, and I'll be sure to check in to see how you are doin!!
Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Ireland
Posts: 1,641
Really hope you give this your best. We will all root for you.
Through ups and downs. Keep this in mind, I found this helpful.
Do make yourself go through the suffering. It is NOT easy. Do not fold.
Also, do not entertain conversations in your head about drinking. NOT an option!!!!!! I did this and it made relapse seem inevitable, so I relapsed. Yuch!
Can you have some company on The first evening/night?
Sometimes there is the "reward" that goes with the good day (hiking).
Through ups and downs. Keep this in mind, I found this helpful.
Do make yourself go through the suffering. It is NOT easy. Do not fold.
Also, do not entertain conversations in your head about drinking. NOT an option!!!!!! I did this and it made relapse seem inevitable, so I relapsed. Yuch!
Can you have some company on The first evening/night?
Sometimes there is the "reward" that goes with the good day (hiking).
Last edited by Hollyanne; 10-28-2010 at 06:06 PM. Reason: Changes
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: South East, USA
Posts: 43
Thanks Hollanne for the excellent advise. I think I am prepared for the short haul. It's the long haul that worries me.
Had my two glasses of wine tonight. Good exercise before... and dinner after. Just a few days ago I was drinking 1.5 liters every evening so I feel good about this first step of cutting WAY down. I am going to try an minimize the detox. Little edgy for sure tonight.
No, on November 1st I will be alone. No company. Unless you call a big yellow lab company...and I do
Had my two glasses of wine tonight. Good exercise before... and dinner after. Just a few days ago I was drinking 1.5 liters every evening so I feel good about this first step of cutting WAY down. I am going to try an minimize the detox. Little edgy for sure tonight.
No, on November 1st I will be alone. No company. Unless you call a big yellow lab company...and I do
Last edited by crashin; 10-28-2010 at 06:32 PM. Reason: spelling
Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Ireland
Posts: 1,641
Of course I will be checking up on you! But, with no judgement and kindness. hehe
I am back after a relapse but something "clicked". I hope you don't, now that I told you my secrets! Day 8, but honestly, that is another thing. Not counting as much coz I got a bit caught up on that! I am now doing it.........one....day....at....a.....time......
OK bedtime.
I am back after a relapse but something "clicked". I hope you don't, now that I told you my secrets! Day 8, but honestly, that is another thing. Not counting as much coz I got a bit caught up on that! I am now doing it.........one....day....at....a.....time......
OK bedtime.
Re-Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 7,583
Crashin once I had my detox and rehab connection I waited two weeks to check in. Had my house central AC fail and need to be completely replaced, and several other things I needed to get done before I left for 5 days of detox and 28 days rehab, that I did not want to leave my wife to handle alone. It is not unheard of to have a quit date and then show up and make it.
BTW I also quit a three pack a day smoking habit at the same time. I was getting very shaky and flaky in the mornings, and was losing muscle tone and growing weaker by the day. I was drinking to take my mind off my smoking and its consequences as much as anything. I honestly thought and felt that if I didn't stop I was going to be dead in the next couple of years. I was not the black out or crazy type when drinking. I just maintained a steady buzz starting with scotch in my morning coffee and then switching to beers at 9 am. and continued till going to bed. I would have been very happy had I not been going downhill physically so fast, the smoking was choking me and I was a bloated mess. I drank at home never had trouble with the law, never got a DUI, never attacked anyone or got argumentative. I was just acutely aware of a snowballing downhill slide healthwise. Even though my BP and bloodwork liver etc are all great and no helath issues in my mid 50's, getting "back" into shape is a bear as you get older. Being retired and not needing to go to work made it worse.
So I resolved to get detoxed with both, do the nicotine patch, and be rid of the two poisons I was self inflicting once and for all. I did not attend AA before detox, nor sought counseling and did not feel the least amount of self pity. More I was disgusted that I had grown so lazy and apathetic and let alcohol and smoking swap roles with my will; instead of using them, I was being used and had no control at all. As with alcohol even while I was smoking I would say that I didn't smoke, the cigarette did, I was just the sucker. I quit the rehab program after two days as it was not going to help in my case, and then joined AA and got with the folks here after day 10 or so.
I wasn't prepared for the long haul, I was there. Just hadn't detoxed yet. I was unable to stop on my own and had said tomorrow is the day and might skip one irish coffee then rationalized adding it to the second one for months before I decided that with a little help, if I could just get past detox and get a start I could not only make it, but would make it.
Now on day 36 I realize that if I knew then what I know now I would have stayed in the rehab program because I wasn't thinking too clearly my first few days sober. I was over reacting to a lot of feelings not past but present. I have more energy than I have time to do all I want to now, but I am experiencing some memory issues and focus issues that I didn't feel when drinking. JUst losing my train of thought a lot and most of my fellow alcoholics had similar issues. I hear that might last from 6 months to two years along with some water retention and various other things as my mind and body heals.
I look forward to every challenge and will take all the discomforts and left curves that my sobriety can throw my way with a smile and a shrug thinking that this too will pass. I included my best friends and family in my decision to detox so they would know why I was unavailable for a few weeks. While several of them didn't think I had a problem, I got nothing but . I didn't hide my drinking at all. Just didn't fit the stereotype I guess.
I am making it fine with the help of this website, my AA friends, and my friends and family. The inconveniences of sobriety are not distracting me from the primary goal of my life right now. That is to never take that one drink, or that one smoke ever, and if I feel the urges, which surprisingly have been fleeting and not really compelling thus far (knock on wood), I have my full support network to rely on.
My point is simple. I could not do it alone after detox. And yes I have had the same emotional and physical roller coaster ride that we all do. The only thing I regret is that I didn't do this ten years ago. I am minimizing a lot of the longer term withdrawal I am going through because I simply don't care about them. I get better daily, have my down days, had a few anxious days and nights, and found out that I can survive them to thrive past them for sure. Just like the rest of us, and do come her for support and to offer it.
I have a long way to go to feeling as well as I want, but I already feel better than I ever thought possible! This is just another ride in life, and the longer term withdrawal symptoms are way easier to handle than the feelings and physical pain I had when drinking all day and chain smoking.
So setting a quit date WITH the determination to get all the help you need, all the support from others you need, accompanied by realizing that there is never the possibility of going back to one or two drinks or smokes for me, not ever. Drinking wasn't fun. It was a way to pull the plug on boredom. When in reality people are really only as interesting, as they are interested.
The only thing that could ever get me to take that first drink or smoke, well, that would be myself.
I am not stronger than alcohol, I just gave up on it as my buddy, because I see that it never cared about me at all. Never gave anything to me, just stole from me, over and over, my dignity and self respect.
I hope your determination is the same and you make it on the 1st, and every day after that for the rest of your life. But it isn't about that now. See for me it is one day at a time.
You haven't even quit yet and you are already worried about staying quit which is putting the cart before the horse. You see there is no long term for us recovering alcoholics. Just today, this minute, this hour.
Good luck on the 1st, and stay here we'll be here to help.
BTW I also quit a three pack a day smoking habit at the same time. I was getting very shaky and flaky in the mornings, and was losing muscle tone and growing weaker by the day. I was drinking to take my mind off my smoking and its consequences as much as anything. I honestly thought and felt that if I didn't stop I was going to be dead in the next couple of years. I was not the black out or crazy type when drinking. I just maintained a steady buzz starting with scotch in my morning coffee and then switching to beers at 9 am. and continued till going to bed. I would have been very happy had I not been going downhill physically so fast, the smoking was choking me and I was a bloated mess. I drank at home never had trouble with the law, never got a DUI, never attacked anyone or got argumentative. I was just acutely aware of a snowballing downhill slide healthwise. Even though my BP and bloodwork liver etc are all great and no helath issues in my mid 50's, getting "back" into shape is a bear as you get older. Being retired and not needing to go to work made it worse.
So I resolved to get detoxed with both, do the nicotine patch, and be rid of the two poisons I was self inflicting once and for all. I did not attend AA before detox, nor sought counseling and did not feel the least amount of self pity. More I was disgusted that I had grown so lazy and apathetic and let alcohol and smoking swap roles with my will; instead of using them, I was being used and had no control at all. As with alcohol even while I was smoking I would say that I didn't smoke, the cigarette did, I was just the sucker. I quit the rehab program after two days as it was not going to help in my case, and then joined AA and got with the folks here after day 10 or so.
I wasn't prepared for the long haul, I was there. Just hadn't detoxed yet. I was unable to stop on my own and had said tomorrow is the day and might skip one irish coffee then rationalized adding it to the second one for months before I decided that with a little help, if I could just get past detox and get a start I could not only make it, but would make it.
Now on day 36 I realize that if I knew then what I know now I would have stayed in the rehab program because I wasn't thinking too clearly my first few days sober. I was over reacting to a lot of feelings not past but present. I have more energy than I have time to do all I want to now, but I am experiencing some memory issues and focus issues that I didn't feel when drinking. JUst losing my train of thought a lot and most of my fellow alcoholics had similar issues. I hear that might last from 6 months to two years along with some water retention and various other things as my mind and body heals.
I look forward to every challenge and will take all the discomforts and left curves that my sobriety can throw my way with a smile and a shrug thinking that this too will pass. I included my best friends and family in my decision to detox so they would know why I was unavailable for a few weeks. While several of them didn't think I had a problem, I got nothing but . I didn't hide my drinking at all. Just didn't fit the stereotype I guess.
I am making it fine with the help of this website, my AA friends, and my friends and family. The inconveniences of sobriety are not distracting me from the primary goal of my life right now. That is to never take that one drink, or that one smoke ever, and if I feel the urges, which surprisingly have been fleeting and not really compelling thus far (knock on wood), I have my full support network to rely on.
My point is simple. I could not do it alone after detox. And yes I have had the same emotional and physical roller coaster ride that we all do. The only thing I regret is that I didn't do this ten years ago. I am minimizing a lot of the longer term withdrawal I am going through because I simply don't care about them. I get better daily, have my down days, had a few anxious days and nights, and found out that I can survive them to thrive past them for sure. Just like the rest of us, and do come her for support and to offer it.
I have a long way to go to feeling as well as I want, but I already feel better than I ever thought possible! This is just another ride in life, and the longer term withdrawal symptoms are way easier to handle than the feelings and physical pain I had when drinking all day and chain smoking.
So setting a quit date WITH the determination to get all the help you need, all the support from others you need, accompanied by realizing that there is never the possibility of going back to one or two drinks or smokes for me, not ever. Drinking wasn't fun. It was a way to pull the plug on boredom. When in reality people are really only as interesting, as they are interested.
The only thing that could ever get me to take that first drink or smoke, well, that would be myself.
I am not stronger than alcohol, I just gave up on it as my buddy, because I see that it never cared about me at all. Never gave anything to me, just stole from me, over and over, my dignity and self respect.
I hope your determination is the same and you make it on the 1st, and every day after that for the rest of your life. But it isn't about that now. See for me it is one day at a time.
You haven't even quit yet and you are already worried about staying quit which is putting the cart before the horse. You see there is no long term for us recovering alcoholics. Just today, this minute, this hour.
Good luck on the 1st, and stay here we'll be here to help.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: South East, USA
Posts: 43
Thanks Itchy. What an amazing story. Thank you for sharing that and I am taking what you said to heart. It's inspirational story really and I hope we can keep in touch.
Got by last night with two glasses of wine....and didn't sleep well at all! Tossed and turned and there was like a rolling series of really weird dreams.
Anyway, feel pretty good this morning, considering the lack of sleep.
Tonight 2 drinks. Tomorrow 2 drinks. Sunday 1 drink. November 1st a new phase of my life.
Thanks everyone...you guys are great
Got by last night with two glasses of wine....and didn't sleep well at all! Tossed and turned and there was like a rolling series of really weird dreams.
Anyway, feel pretty good this morning, considering the lack of sleep.
Tonight 2 drinks. Tomorrow 2 drinks. Sunday 1 drink. November 1st a new phase of my life.
Thanks everyone...you guys are great
12-Step Recovered Alkie
Join Date: May 2010
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Posts: 5,797
Originally Posted by crashin 
No, I am very much interested in AA as a support system.
If I ever hear, "I just decided to quit drinking today and couldn't wait to get here," I think I'd pass out.
Re-Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 7,583
I'll be here Crashin.
BTW the morning I checked myself in I had coffee. Then after doing all the admitting and bloodwork on admission for several hours I took what I thought was my last smoke break, with my last cigarette. Then it took another two hours to get checked in, so I went out and bummed a smoke from someone in the smoke area outside the hospital, told the lady that was my last cigarette and gave her my lighter in return for that last smoke as a thank you.
I am at day 41 as soon as the clock strikes midnite, I haven't smoked or drunk alcohol, or even craved much either in that time. So I did not taper off really except the day of admission because I had to drive there. I count that as day one for the smoking too.
BTW the morning I checked myself in I had coffee. Then after doing all the admitting and bloodwork on admission for several hours I took what I thought was my last smoke break, with my last cigarette. Then it took another two hours to get checked in, so I went out and bummed a smoke from someone in the smoke area outside the hospital, told the lady that was my last cigarette and gave her my lighter in return for that last smoke as a thank you.
I am at day 41 as soon as the clock strikes midnite, I haven't smoked or drunk alcohol, or even craved much either in that time. So I did not taper off really except the day of admission because I had to drive there. I count that as day one for the smoking too.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: South East, USA
Posts: 43
Congratulations on 41 days Itchy!
Well today is the day. Been tapering off the last few days. So I basically went from drinking 1.5 liter of wine a day for about a year, to one drink last night (but it was a FULL glass of wine). Been doing good with my self imposed detox but my sleep has not been very good. And I wake up to pee a lot.....don't know what that is about??
Setting off to do a day of hiking with my Lab.
I'll get home around 2 and plan to keep busy. Kind of been jumpy, nervous and depressed but exercise has helped a lot. Wish me luck on my first day of sobriety
Well today is the day. Been tapering off the last few days. So I basically went from drinking 1.5 liter of wine a day for about a year, to one drink last night (but it was a FULL glass of wine). Been doing good with my self imposed detox but my sleep has not been very good. And I wake up to pee a lot.....don't know what that is about??
Setting off to do a day of hiking with my Lab.
I'll get home around 2 and plan to keep busy. Kind of been jumpy, nervous and depressed but exercise has helped a lot. Wish me luck on my first day of sobriety
Re-Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 7,583
Good on you crashin.
Detox on your own ain't fun, but it is the gate we all have to go through to reclaim a life, and keep our health, as you know. I went into the hospital for mine. I was dtermined and . . . chicken!
So keep your eyes on what you need and differentiate that from what you want.
Let us know how you are doing daily and more if need be.
Detox on your own ain't fun, but it is the gate we all have to go through to reclaim a life, and keep our health, as you know. I went into the hospital for mine. I was dtermined and . . . chicken!
So keep your eyes on what you need and differentiate that from what you want.
Let us know how you are doing daily and more if need be.
Groovy Dancer
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: The States
Posts: 4,751
Good luck crashin! Sounds like you have a good plan. I too picked a date to quit, then stopped on that day.
Sleep may be an issue but gets better for most people fairly quickly. You MAY be getting up more to pee just because you are not knocked out from all the alcohol. You may be more conscious of things like that. I had those issues too.
Keep us posted. You can do this, it is up to you.
Sleep may be an issue but gets better for most people fairly quickly. You MAY be getting up more to pee just because you are not knocked out from all the alcohol. You may be more conscious of things like that. I had those issues too.
Keep us posted. You can do this, it is up to you.
Groovy Dancer
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: The States
Posts: 4,751
I haven't read everything in this thread so sorry if I repeat...have you considered Face To Face support? In addition to giving support, you might meet people. What about jumping in chat? There are some people there now.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Ireland
Posts: 1,641
Hi Crashin,
Good on you!
I am sorry you feel lonely. I was quite emotional at first and was a blubberin' mess at times.
Glad you have pup for company. You might just be peeing as part of detox. I took a while to sleep, but it is temporary. Try and get up at an early hour and not take naps. Soldier on. Rootin' for yea.
By the way, candy helps but I made myself sick with it tonight so, moderation might be good. Ugghhhh.
Good on you!
I am sorry you feel lonely. I was quite emotional at first and was a blubberin' mess at times.
Glad you have pup for company. You might just be peeing as part of detox. I took a while to sleep, but it is temporary. Try and get up at an early hour and not take naps. Soldier on. Rootin' for yea.
By the way, candy helps but I made myself sick with it tonight so, moderation might be good. Ugghhhh.
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