Thank you Open Tuning, this is EXACTLY what I need to hear.

Only this afternoon my AV gave me categoric assurance that I'm not an alcoholic. Apparently I just needed to rest and recuperate before "going again".

Meh, I think I'll pass thanks, AV.

Good luck with your course, I hope it goes well.

Well lar night i went to coach my kid's hockey team and was skating like the wind. Normally i call everyone in and explain the drills on the white board.
Well that's different.

Every autumn I fear the onset of the shorter days

The last couple of years I've almost been paralysed with depression. It starts mid October and by mid November I'm a mess and don't even talk to me about December.

January? Meh.

Blinkin' heck, can you Adam & Eve it.......regardless of the time of year I've not had a single low day since I've stopped drinking. Not one. Not even a minor moment of moroseness.

It's a revelation. There was me thinking that my S.A.D. was worsening every year as I got older. It would appear that my drinking was the problem.

A chipper November it's been for the first time since I can remember.

Well that's different!

Good going Tufty! :) Keep on keepin' on. :)

Glad to hear that Tufty and that you feel brighter without the booze. I watched my Dad suffer horrendously for many years with SAD however he never drank at all - think I've more than made up for him over the years and with it caused my own issues with depression and anxiety - his depression was all consuming from my earliest memories and was so sad to see him getting ever worse in his last few years until he unfortunately decided he could take no more - it was 16 years ago on 21st November.

Incentive enough for us both to steer clear hey - I know it's caused all of the issues I'm having right now - after feeling on top of the world at the start of the month having gone 5 weeks without a drink or drugs to where I'm now at after a mental 8 day binge - day 16 and this time seeking proper help too rather than just doing it myself.

Need to get back to that natural high that you sound like you've found - there's no better feeling !!

That's awful Andy, I'm really sorry about your Father, that can't be easy for you.

My father suffered from depression too, as did his mother. I'm sure there's a hereditary nature to it. He died a slow and painful death from acute alcoholism when he was only in his sixties.

Plenty of motivation for both of us.

Well done for your sober time, like you say, this feeling of natural well being is so much better than false highs of drink and drugs.

I hope the help you are seeking bares fruit. We owe it to ourselves.

My fourth Friday in a row without a drink.

(I have a horrible, sinking feeling this may be my longest run of sobriety since I was eighteen. God I hope note. The fact that I can't be sure tells me all I need to know anyway.)

I had no idea how stuck I was.

Well, I suppose that's different.

Only a small thing but quite significant for someone who has such low self esteem.....

Since becoming sober I've noticed I no longer berate myself with negative self talk as I brush my teeth in front of the bathroom mirror at night; usually with words like "get your act together Simon" and "here you are again you useless drunken idiot" or "you need to sort this out you w**k*r".

Instead the self talk is much more positive and has been replaced with words like "crikey, this is real, you're actually doing this" and "well done, you're still sober".

Well that's very different and I like it.

It's 11:16 on a Saturday morning and I'm nursing yet another freakishly bad hangover.

At least I would have been seven months ago.
I would have been useless and feckless all day.

However, rather than someone who had a reputation for drinking and carrying on most of the time; it would appear I have gained a bit of a reputation for being trustworthy and reliable these days.

Friends have mine have asked me to drive their four bridesmaids to their wedding so in two hours time that's exactly what I'm going to do. Sober.

So that's different!

God Tufty you just scared the daylights out of me. I realized this was an older thread and then read the first line of this post and my heart sunk. Then I read the rest and was relieved!

So glad to see this :)

Tufty, there really ought to be a rule against doing what you just did! Mods? ;)

Me too!! I spent two pages cheering for Tufty; got to page three and said, "Oh No!" Amazing how quickly we start caring for fellow travelers on this website; it's a great thing...

Great job on your 7 months.

Right on.

It took some time, but one day about a year ago my oldest daughter called me to tell me that her boyfriend had just proposed. (The wedding is next month). This was a girl who wouldn't take my calls, and I don't blame her.

Things change.

I did a double take too, Tufty. Very happy to know you were trusted with the precious cargo. :) Proud of you.

I do believe you have just experienced your first taste of freedom that sobriety brings! Congratulations :) Keep going....it really really does getter even better :)

You had me scared for a second too. ;) Glad things are going well for you. :)

I've noticed people are saying lovely things to me and about me.
Not in a sycophantic way, in a gentle and genuine way.

People are asking me to join them for social functions, gatherings and nights out.

I've gone from being the life and soul of the party (in an annoying alcohol soaked way) to being the life and soul of life itself.

Well that's different.

And I haven't had a depressive episode for over five months, not only is that different, it's unheard of.

What a wonderful gift sobriety is.

That's a terrific update Tufty - good to hear from you :)

D

I wouldn't have got this far without you Dee so thank you!