OnTheWagon1

Well I made it to my first meeting :-) and WOW! What a wonderful group of people. Even went out with group for a coffee after. Just want to thank you all sincerely for your kind & supportive words, I don't think I'd have plucked up courage to go if I hadn't found this site. I can finally say I AM an alcoholic & am READY to recover

LBrain

great to hear it OTW1

OnTheWagon1

Sorry I thought my first post had disappeared, didn't realise it had gone onto another page, doh! Ty! :-)

Mags1

Hi OnTheWagon1, welcome to sr, great news you had your first aa meeting.

It certainly is better being sober for me, no regrets,no hangovers, no memory losses.

It can only get better and there is always someone here on the forum if you want to vent, share your experiences , read others journeys.

Hawkeye13

Welcome to SR OTW--you've made a great start getting to a meeting so fast

What other plans do you have for staying sober?

Sometimes it is hard to fill the former drinking time unless you think it out in advance.

Eating well and staying hydrated are also important in early sobriety.

ButForGrace

Well done. Delighted to hear your first meeting went so well.

trez

I've blacked out, done stupid $hît and felt like crap many times. Glad to hear your first meeting went well. It's tough to take the plunge of admitting that you drink differently than others. But, you'll realize from the thousands of people on SR and all the people at meetings that your problem is not unique and it is surmountable.

OnTheWagon1

Thanks all and hawkeye13 I have got the ladies at my groups numbers, I plan to use them. I have got wonderful friends thankfully who are supporting me all the way & already want to organise nights/ days out that don't involve alcohol (as right now I should be on a hen night with them all, riding round in limos, which I've turned down despite paying a fortune for.) Gonna take it day by day & not try to think too far ahead. I was trying to do the whole "well, I could just have ONE more night out" thing & nipped it in the bud. If anyone wants to suggest any coping strategies I'd be glad to hear them

ButForGrace

AA suggests asking something outside yourself for help (a higher power) each morning to stay sober for the day and thank it at night.

This can be any higher power of your choosing and understanding for example, the universe, God, Buddha, A deceased relative or friend.

I found this practice very useful to my recovery and since I started doing it the cravings and compulsions have faded away.

OnTheWagon1

Yes, do you know, something REALLY strange happened when I came home. I wrote "time to shine" as my facebook status, then pulled a leaflet out of my door for "time to shine" cleaning company. As I walked into my living room thinking "wow, that's weird," my 2 y.o had been playing with my tv remote & found a channel called OH tv.... And what program was on? "Time2Shine" Really freaked me out & although I do not believe in any particular "God," I now believe wholeheartedly there's a higher power giving me a message. Strange to think that not 3 hours before I was chuckling at the thought of talking to a "higher power" Thank you for your advice

toomuchtoolose

Good for you! There will be highs and lows but stick with it, it is sooo worth it :-)