AL48

Just over 12 months in and life is really good. I always wanted to stop and i tried it just took a long time to stick. That voice telling me its ok just have one and for a time that voice won. So i like to remind myself about how good it feels now against how bad i felt back then. Why you might ask? Its a tool i can use every time the voice comes calling. So i will start with sleep. To wake up with no pain, no guilt , no regret. I think its one of my favourites.
For those of you struggling keep at it its so hard but so worth it . Last night was a good night🙂

fishkiller

I stopped because my life was miserable while drinking.
I Stay stopped for many reasons.
Sitting here eating breakfast and feeling good is a big one.

Great post Thanks!

QuitWhileAhead

Great post AL, and I absolutely agree about sleep, a big thing for me is to not wake up in the middle of the night with racing heart, needing hours to fall back a sleep (if at all). Another one is to not have that constant pain under my right rib cage. And the skin issues, itching, abscesses, and so on. I’m on day 8, and it’s already much better, can’t wait to feel fully recovered.

Mizz

I'm am so happy for you. Sleep is so crucial. It keeps up HEALTHY!
I like seeing that you are getting into the REM stage for a good 4 hrs. YAY! If I am reading that chart correctly?

Keep on Keeping on! Congrats on your sober time. You are doing so well.

AL48

Mizz, there you go. Cant remember any dreams from last night only that i slept well

KAD65

Congrats on year one! My sleep was so bad during my drinking years, especially the last 5 years of them. I'd drink till I passed out, and then wake up 2 or 3 hours later, panicking, anxious, sweating, and then I'd hit the bottle again to at least calm my nerves. I'd usually fall asleep again about half an hour before it was time to get up. Every day was a serious struggle to make it through the day...and do it all over again. Nope, don't miss any of that!

Zebra1275

Thanks for the post!

I rarely track my sleep because my Apple watch battery needs to be recharged about the time I go to bed. I have heard tech rumors that next years Apple watch may have the battery incorporated within the band to get a longer lasting battery, hope that's true.

AL48

Another good reason to stop those sweats were horrible and just came out of nowhere.

AL48

Zebra i have the fitbit charge 4 i get about a week out of the charge so really good at the moment.

Introvrtd1

Yeah a good nights sleep was essential to my healing and recovery…It was a very slow process….At first, couldn’t sleep, therefore, my recovery took time…as sleep got better, so did recovery. So forth and so on…

Congrats on over a year…

least

I was sick of who I had become and how awful I felt most of the time.

AL48

Before i go to sleep tonight another health reason was i had terrible reflux really bad. It would wake me at night even in the depths of alcoholic sleep. The weight didn't help but add the bottle of wine with dinner and omg it was awful i was eating Rennies like smarties. Now weight gone no alcohol and stress lowered = no reflux🙂. More reasons tomorrow. Good night everyone and TY for the response.

brighterday1234

Life seemed like a chore and completely unmanageable.

Grateful to be sober 🙏

AlbaSober

REM's the weakest of all sleeps. (Rapid eye movement).

That said I like REM and Michael Stipe. I think they should reform.

advbike

Great post, AL. Thank you so much.

AL48

Yes AlbaSober shiny happy people is the name of the game

AL48

This morning another big one for me is clarity of mind.
I don't have that conversation anymore i think we all have in our minds after a few to many. Beating myself up about giving in and drinking again. That depression, self loathing and all out miserable feeling inside i had. Today i still have low days but i can face them now and solve them as best i can.
Its not all dancing with bells on, its just i can now see life clearly with a lot more optimism.
Have a great day everyone

PeacefulWater12

Congratulations on a year. Great work.

I also am happy about better sleep. When I drank I would wake 1am or 2am, heart racing and pounding. Anxiety thoughts flooding through me. Trying to piece together what horrible thing I had done during blackout.

Awful. My self esteem destroyed.

Triggered

When I was starting out on my illustrious alcoholic journey, I was rewarded with a racing brain and thoughts of utter despair when I would begin to fall asleep, oftentimes jolting bolt upright on the cusp of dreaming. I would then spend the next few hours reasoning with myself that 'things look so much better in the morning'. It was much later when I realised my drinking meant that 'things were NOT much better in the morning' that something needs to be addressed. Of course my AV convinced me for a long time after, that I could circumnavigate the troubles I had brought upon myself. I battled with myself for years until it became unbearably obvious that I need to actually do something and stop making excuses. It's just been a few months that I've been sober but that 'impending doom and guilt' free feeling that's becoming the norm is a freedom I havent experienced in a long time. Sleep is gold AL and I'm glad youre getting yours

AL48

TY Triggered and Peacefulwater early night tonight for me 😴.
I will have another reason in the morning and may be a bit of a moan also. I like to give out every now and then about the difficulties of getting sober and that kind of stuff only people like ourselves in this situation would understand.
I hear from family in particular about stopping drinking alcohol "sure if you dont want to drink dont drink" like its that simple and "Sure you'll be grand" and my favourite "for god sake what harm will it do, its only one". Ive started moaning already better stop now. Good night everyone.