10 Days and counting!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London, UK
Posts: 16
10 Days and counting!
Hi guys. I am now up to ten days. Feels like a milestone has been reached. Haven't got this far in ten years.
Things are starting to seem a bit clearer now, the headaches and tiredness have shifted and my moods seem a lot better.
I was suprised on Monday that people from work had noticed that I'm not rough, I didn't think anyone knew how much I was drinking.
Anyway just want to say thank you to everyone for their support, kind messages and fab posts that keep me on the right track.
Christmas Party tonight, have no intention of drinking have made everyone fully aware of that. Still this is the first real test coming up I think!
Things are starting to seem a bit clearer now, the headaches and tiredness have shifted and my moods seem a lot better.
I was suprised on Monday that people from work had noticed that I'm not rough, I didn't think anyone knew how much I was drinking.
Anyway just want to say thank you to everyone for their support, kind messages and fab posts that keep me on the right track.
Christmas Party tonight, have no intention of drinking have made everyone fully aware of that. Still this is the first real test coming up I think!
Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New York City
Posts: 221
Congrats on 10 days. Milestones we mark are important. Your body is only beginning to heal and doesn't it feel good? After a couple months the alcoholic hypothymia lifts and we feel profoundly different.
That people noticed you're not as "rough" as usual, well that's the start of realizing we were not fooling anyone but ourselves! I'm looking back and astonished at the amount of denial I was in. It's very bizarre realizing I did not know my own mind. Returning to sanity is real!
As for your Christmas party, be careful! Make sure you get your own mocktails. I recommend Tonic and water with lime, or seltzer with Lime. The Lime makes the drink look like a cocktail so you don't feel left out. And themost important advice I could give you is, Leave Early! Make your appearance, shake some hands, give a few hugs, and GO!
Congrats again on 10 days!
That people noticed you're not as "rough" as usual, well that's the start of realizing we were not fooling anyone but ourselves! I'm looking back and astonished at the amount of denial I was in. It's very bizarre realizing I did not know my own mind. Returning to sanity is real!
As for your Christmas party, be careful! Make sure you get your own mocktails. I recommend Tonic and water with lime, or seltzer with Lime. The Lime makes the drink look like a cocktail so you don't feel left out. And themost important advice I could give you is, Leave Early! Make your appearance, shake some hands, give a few hugs, and GO!
Congrats again on 10 days!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London, UK
Posts: 16
Thanks everyone. I will be leaving the party early if possible. I have no intention of joining in with the drinkers. I'm finally starting to see the rewards from not drinking and I don't plan to go back there.
Re-Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 7,583
Congrats!
Remember the destination isn't the thing . . . it is the journey. Alcohol had us on the sidelines of life warming the bench. Now we gotta just get in there and play till we have our game back. Easier done than said. When all is said AND done.
Remember the destination isn't the thing . . . it is the journey. Alcohol had us on the sidelines of life warming the bench. Now we gotta just get in there and play till we have our game back. Easier done than said. When all is said AND done.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London, UK
Posts: 16
I went to the party and its hard to tell if its a success or failure.
As soon as I got there one of the partners of the company handed me a pint of Guiness. I couldn't really refuse so I sipped at it, and drank about half of it over an hour then put it down when I had a chance.
Then I was given, (yes I could have refused but didn't) a glass of champagne at the reception which again I drank about half a glass then left the rest. Had a really nice meal and left a full glass of wine.
Then I left early by which time everyone was drunk.
I'm not sure what to make of it. The fact that I drank is bothering me and I feel really down for doing so. On the other hand in the past I would have gotten really drunk and been the last one there telling people to carry on somewhere else.
I'm not very happy, wish I hadnt had anything at all but can't take it back now.
Lost my good ten days work
As soon as I got there one of the partners of the company handed me a pint of Guiness. I couldn't really refuse so I sipped at it, and drank about half of it over an hour then put it down when I had a chance.
Then I was given, (yes I could have refused but didn't) a glass of champagne at the reception which again I drank about half a glass then left the rest. Had a really nice meal and left a full glass of wine.
Then I left early by which time everyone was drunk.
I'm not sure what to make of it. The fact that I drank is bothering me and I feel really down for doing so. On the other hand in the past I would have gotten really drunk and been the last one there telling people to carry on somewhere else.
I'm not very happy, wish I hadnt had anything at all but can't take it back now.
Lost my good ten days work
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London, UK
Posts: 16
I will add that I was fully aware of what I was drinking which is a first for me.
Also I felt quite shunned by people who I normally socialise with for not drinking.
Do you need to drink lots to fit in with people in London. I think it could be time to move back home (North East England)
Also I felt quite shunned by people who I normally socialise with for not drinking.
Do you need to drink lots to fit in with people in London. I think it could be time to move back home (North East England)
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: springfield, va
Posts: 1,385
First, I don't believe you lost 10 days of work. You had a lapse not a total relapse. That seems to be progress to me. Eliminate the one day and keep going. That would mean tomorrow you are on day 11. Instead of feeing bad - try and congratulate yourself that you didn't have a full blown relapse. But, also be very conscious that your addicted brain might use this to prove that you can drink again. Take it one day at a time and take something away from it. Avoiding places where alcohol is served for at least the first few months.
Re-Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 7,583
Well you did lose the count but you haven't lost the work at all. See you won't have to go through detox all over again will you? And you learned but don't seem to have said what you learned from this experience. You do need to have a drink in hand or someone will shove one in your hands as happened, and it is not their responsibility for your drinking is it? I usually say I quit drinking and smoking for my health and am trying to eat healthy too, but if you have to lie! Tell anybody that you have a venereal disease and are taking a powerful antibiotic to offset the brain damage.
You wouldn't say that would you? :rotfxko Of course not! But aren't you acting just a bit like refusing an alcoholic drink and taking the initiative to say hey! Thanks but no thanks on the beer, let me get a drink and I will drink with you. Then just go and make a Scotch rocks soda and lime, hold the scotch. Or whatever mocktail you like.
Refusing a drink and fixing your own non-alcoholic drink is not as embarrassing as saying the VD statement above, but when we are newly sober we seem to think it is.
Doesn't make sense does it? We all go through this, just don't beat yourself up too badly over it and make a decision. Either you are quitting or not. I think I would rather that embarrassment than wondering what I did last night the morning after, or dieing to drink, literally.
Just realize we all have been exactly where you are now. And many of us got through it, holidays and all. I am celebrating my second Christmas in a row sober. I am not getting through it any more, I am celebrating. But I had to go through the rough first few weeks and then I got better, the alcohol didn't.
Ready?
You wouldn't say that would you? :rotfxko Of course not! But aren't you acting just a bit like refusing an alcoholic drink and taking the initiative to say hey! Thanks but no thanks on the beer, let me get a drink and I will drink with you. Then just go and make a Scotch rocks soda and lime, hold the scotch. Or whatever mocktail you like.
Refusing a drink and fixing your own non-alcoholic drink is not as embarrassing as saying the VD statement above, but when we are newly sober we seem to think it is.
Doesn't make sense does it? We all go through this, just don't beat yourself up too badly over it and make a decision. Either you are quitting or not. I think I would rather that embarrassment than wondering what I did last night the morning after, or dieing to drink, literally.
Just realize we all have been exactly where you are now. And many of us got through it, holidays and all. I am celebrating my second Christmas in a row sober. I am not getting through it any more, I am celebrating. But I had to go through the rough first few weeks and then I got better, the alcohol didn't.
Ready?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London, UK
Posts: 16
I think what I learned from tonight is that I don't want to drink. I didn't enjoy what I did have and didn't really enjoy the company of the people that were drunk.
This is all very new to me and this so far has been quite a steep learning curve.
I could observe other people and the way they are drinking and can see how I was. Which is an eye opener. I can also see that people who drink a lot seem to be looking for someone else they can drink more with hence the reason I felt a bit shunned whereas I used to be the centre of the party.
I guess we learn something every day.
This is all very new to me and this so far has been quite a steep learning curve.
I could observe other people and the way they are drinking and can see how I was. Which is an eye opener. I can also see that people who drink a lot seem to be looking for someone else they can drink more with hence the reason I felt a bit shunned whereas I used to be the centre of the party.
I guess we learn something every day.
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