matilda123

Good morning! Today is 21 days. Since getting sober, I've noticed the following changes:

Health: Sleep continues to improve. I'm still waking up sometimes in the middle of the night, but not with a pounding heart, staring at the ceiling for hours. Usually, I can roll over and fall back to sleep and I'm waking up feeling refreshed. Also, [tmi alert] I was having really bad migraines at the beginning of my cycle. Spoke to my GP who chalked it up to being perimenopause. But this cycle, absolutely no headaches! Yeah (they were really pounders). Another thing, which seems small, is that my fingernails are growing and getting stronger. I realize I'm not chewing them, which of course help (Another piece of evidence that drinking did make me anxious). But I also think my body is getting more nutrients from the food that I'm eating now that I'm sober.

Work Has been wickedly busy this week. And yet, I feel very calm and productive as I move from thing to thing. On Saturday, I thought I'd spend a few minutes working on a project that usually makes me anxious while my partner was out running errands. The next thing I knew, I looked up at the clock, shocked to see that two hours had passed. It has been so long since I have had that feeling of absorption in my work, rather than anxiety. That has been the biggest joy of the week! Also, at a work dinner--one in which everyone was sipping cocktails out on a deck--I stuck to my guns and drank grapefruit juice and sparkling water. It was tasty!

Outlook: Feeling moments of spontaneous joy. Driving down the street, singing to the radio; buying flowers at a local market; chatting with folks at the dog park. There is more there, there, if that makes sense.

Thank you to all of you for your support and inspiration!

ccam1973

Fantastic job on 21 days Matilda. That's great, keep going strong!

Soberwolf

Way to go Matilda

firstymer

I love this post.

With positive improvements like this, in just 21 days, your path from here seems obvious.

Keep doing what you are doing, matilda123. The road will have some bumps. But stay focused and know that you are on the right path. And you will be fine.

Thanks again for the uplifting post.

Kirky

Congrats Matilda, thats amazing!

entropy1964

Yay Mathilda. And it just keeps getting better.

Meraviglioso

Fantastic post, thank you so much for sharing this with us. I am always so happy when I read things like this. It sounds like you really have a handle on things and are enjoying this journey, good for you and congratulations!

PurpleKnight

Fantastic Matilda!! Keep it going!!

Dee74

Congrats on 3 weeks Matilda - great post

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Anna

I am really glad to know that you're doing so well. It's great that you see so much improvement already.

thomas11

Nice to hear. Sounds like sobriety is working. Good job.

Rar

Congratulations Matilda! YAY!

dru1085

Awesome. I love being able to sleep better that's like the main reason I want/am stopping. I feel like my body has a lot better circulation so I don't have to wear socks anymore before going to bed lol. Cozy warm. I still have real vivid dreams though but I still seem to wake up rested. Just crazy dreams lol.

Congrats tho!

Dru -

MrSmith

Day 22 here Matilda, great post. I too have been having moments of spontaneous joy, and I am definitely seeing everything in a whole new light. I am enjoying waking up each morning without experiencing the adrenaline dumping fear that I might need to start damage control with my wife because I may have "done something" terrible the night before. The clouds are beautiful, and the sky is blue.

I find it amazing that during my 15 year relapse that I never realized just how much the alcohol was affecting me even when I wasn't drunk. I was simply ignorant to the fact that things were slipping away. Thanks for the post, it is really great to contemplate the positive things that I have been noticing during the last 22 days. It gives me strength to carry on.

Carver

Thanks for this post and congrats on 21 days! I feel the same. It was SO worth quitting. It's still hard some days but even when I struggle it beats being in that alcoholic fog

Keep it up!

sobriiestote

Well done and am so glad you're feeling the effects, me too : )))

23 days today and I have fallen in love with my pyjamas, just one of the very small things that I am really enjoying, so much that I am online shopping for another pair. I think 23 days in I must have saved at least £230 gbp on wine and I am going to buy a new fridge freezer as our current one is over 10 years old. Trouble is I see some of them have bottle racks inside as an extra, definitely NOT going for one of those, lol!!!

Am also sleeping well, waking refreshed, no more heart attack wake ups, worrying about the night before, worrying about the wine stocks, worrying about how to buy more, sneak it into the house...

matilda123

Dru, Smith, Carver, FF: Congrats on your sobriety. I won't lie--not every day is peaches and cream. But I'm trying to focus on the positive stuff and record it so as not to forget. I think that is one reason I relapsed. As someone noted on another thread, forgetting seems to be part of ism of alcoholism!

I hope everyone has a great day!

PS: FF, I'm going to buy myself some new pjs--great idea!!

sobriiestote

I know it's a silly thing, but after most nights waking up after blacking out on the sofa, or waking up fully dressed in bed or half undressed in bed, sometimes with wine spilt on me, the bed or the floor... Now to go to bed sober after putting on a warm pair of pj's and then waking up in them is pretty awesome : ))))