Tuesday 8th April

[Janice]

Such a busy thread yesterday!!! It was great to hear from everyone - Londoner thanks for joining us!! Yesterday was a tough day for some - Seto, hope you come back to us today and let us know how the Doctors goes. Miss October, well done for picking yourself up and getting straight back on that wagon!! Hope today goes okay with colonoscopy. Janet, stay strong - you are doing so well!!!

I started a new book last night which I've posted about on "Books to motivate us..." Its called Mother's Ruin and I can tell I'm not going to be able to put it down. A bit too close to home though in parts where my mam's concerned and I had to keep stopping. Strongly recommend it to anyone with children who's struggling with Al.

Day 42 today for me and its a day that always rings bells. First time round AF last year, not long before Dad died, day 42 was the day I decided I could start drinking again and be "normal". Well, the rest is history.....and this day 42 will be the only day 42 I will do again.

Hope everyone has a good day....if you've got a run of AF days then protect them with your life.....getting started and in the right frame of mind to tackle Al is the hardest part, so be strong, be disciplined, be positive.....be happy.

Janicexxx

[kaddy]

Tuesday 8th April

morning Janice hope you have good day
well done for the 42 days
am 30 days af today

good day for everyone to come

[Seto]

Tuesday 8th April

Hi everyone
Thank you very much for the kind words. I felt so ashamed yesterday that I couldn't go past one day. It has really shocked me how bad this problem is. I suffer from post natal depression and yesterday all my symptoms came back even though I am on ADs. So off I went to the docs this morning. I felt so ashamed admitting I had a problem (it wasn't my usual doctor so it made it even worse!). Anyhow, he told me that I shouldn't just stop. That it would be easier for me to wean myself off it. He gave me some plan and said I should gradually do it. Knowing me though I don't know if I can do this but I am going to try my best. Probably I should move to the moderation board until I feel ready for the 30 day AF, hopefully sooner rather than later. I am also going to get the Kudzu from this site and see how I go on it. Once again thank you for caring, it means so much to me at this time of need. Wish me luck and please god let me join this board in the very near future. Well done to everyone else - keep it going you are truly an inspiration to people like me who are just starting out. :l

[barebones]

Tuesday 8th April

thanks janice for starting todays thread, sry i missed yesterdays one, i was bz . good job janice on 42 days, just let the day go ahead with out any thought of if and buts or past thoughts.

Kaddy! well done on 30 days, thats a celibration point, it means cake, i must have cake!
keep it up and hope to see u at 60 days the next mile stone.

seto im sry u have post natal depression, i understand how it is, i suffer from depression myself. i dont understand where ur doc is coming from normaly they would advice u to stop as mixing ADs and drink is not really a good combination. but anyway what works for u is the main thing. so i hope u can manage to mod.

to everyone else who comes, i hope u have a not to bad day, just remeber today is another day so let go of yesterday, whatever happend is we cant change it.

day 39 AF for me, and im kicking al arse all the way to kingdom come.

[4theboyz]

Tuesday 8th April

Good Morning Abbers!!

Betcha all thought I forgot about you!! No way! Still lugging the old ice pack around but hope to get back in the swing of things, my mornings are a bit foggy these days with the meds and all but today not only will I be AF but Vicodin free as well.

Seto, I hope to see you conquer this beast once and for all, you can do it!

Kaddy has a 30 day celebration going on today - very nice job!

Barebones is out and about kicking some AF butt and dear Janice has once again done a fantastic job starting us off.

Have a great day everyone!

[retteacher]

Tuesday 8th April

Hi Everyone: Regardless of what your status is in terms of the number of AF days, please feel free to come to this thread & share. If you are committed to an AF life someday, you are in the right place. We're all in different places, & we've all had our ups & downs. Janice, I so identify w/your going back to drinking because you thought you could drink "normally" again. I can't tell you how many times I've done that. I had so many excuses for going back to drinking...it's called denial in my case.
-"I'm not really that bad."
-"I deserve this."
-"I'm functional."
-"There are people out there that are far worse off."
-"blah, blah, blah"
I only have to remember my worst & most painful drunken episodes to realize that: "Yes, I am that bad!" Part of recovering for me is to realize deep down that these are all excuses to keep feeding my addiction.

I must also remember that my worst sober day is far, far better than any drinking day I've ever had.

Love, Mary

PS: Day 2 of full-time babysitting for the g-sons (ages 3 & 4).

[charlee]

Tuesday 8th April

Morning all
Janice,Kaddy and Barebones..double digits....whoo hoo!!!
Seto - You are here now, realizing that you have a problem. You will find your way, be patient, and do not ever feel ashamed..just keep sharing.
4the boyz...glad to hear from you, and hope you are doing better....
Secondchance - I do believe we have the choice, I am still choosing not to drink for just today..
Mary, full time babysitting...Oh my!!...don't know if I could do it!!
I would love to think I could be a normal drinker someday, but I also know I would be back to square one in a flash......I need to remember the worst also......It is so vivid in my mind, hitting bottom, and those horrible mornings.......When the urge pops into my head, I only have to remember and I snap back very quickly....I don't want to go back there and to be truthful I don't think at my age my body could take the abuse...
Everyone to follow, have a great day!!

[Beck]

Tuesday 8th April

Morning Fellow ABsters,

Another drizzly day here - need sunshine!!!

Janice - thanks for starting us off. You sound so determined. I'm going to get that book. Over the past few days I can actually feel my resolve flagging (insert all of Mary's excuses here). It's unsettling...actually more like scary. Don't want to go backwards. Even so, I'm still in the AF game. Love tucking my kids in and being silly with them just because. Also helped my 15 year old study for a history test. Now quite knowledgeable about the rise of the textile industry in England. In the old days I would have forgotten all about the spinning jenny...

Janet - hang in there. we've all experienced those hanging on by our fingernail evenings.

Miss October - good to see you are rebounding rather than giving up.

Barebones and 4tB - welcome back.

Kaddy, congrats - 30 days is a big deal. you should be proud of it.

Mary, Second, Charlee - good to hear from you.

Take Care,
Beck

[cmhguy3]

Tuesday 8th April

Good Morning all,

Someone in chat last night said something similar to Janice's wise words, protect, protect protect! That is my mantra for the day! I made it to this point and there is no stopping me now! No more fantasies about getting days under my belt then maybe I could have one little drink....That little voice in my head has been put on mute!

Guy
Day 16 AF!

Seto, stay close! You can do it, the first steps are the hardest!

Janice;306487 wrote:

Hope everyone has a good day....if you've got a run of AF days then protect them with your life.....getting started and in the right frame of mind to tackle Al is the hardest part, so be strong, be disciplined, be positive.....be happy.

Janicexxx

[retteacher]

Tuesday 8th April

Guy3: You are so right. I must resolve every single morning to guard my sobriety. I take nothing for granted, because I know very well how quickly I could make an excuse to drink. M

[rustop61]

Tuesday 8th April

Hi fellow abbers

Well done Janice on Day 42. As you say protect, protect, protect. I am gradually beginning to change my thinking. Because I had no problem as a social drinker or even sharing a bottle of wine with hubby over a meal, a part of me did not want to give that up. Now I am questioning myself, is it really worth it?? Yes I have proved many times that I can do 30 days, I can moderate when I choose BUT I can also be tempted to open that bottle of wine when on my own and going way way overboard. It may not happen that often but I'm not happy that it happens at all.

The more AF time I got under my belt convinced me that I am happier being completely AF. I am taking it ODAT and feeling positive on Day 9.

Rustop

[Prest4time]

Tuesday 8th April

just a quick hello!

I am gleaning from all of your words of encouragement, and your enthusiasm is contagious and is giving me a lot of strength right now. Going on day 3 for me on the Antabuse and its amazing how it really does shift my mental thinking. I think, "Oh, I could have a glass of wine" only to be followed by an immediate, "No you cant or you will get sick!" And then the battle is over. Done. No stewing about it....

I'm feeling great today and have tons to do, so I'm grateful to be full of energy and finally seeing a light at the end of the moderation tunnel and into the AF world.

Have a great day everyone!

[on my way]

Tuesday 8th April

Seto,

I don?t mean to be critical or to offend you but I think your Doc totally missed the mark. *First I am not a Doc and have very limited medical training. *I do know from experience there is no easy way to come off of al. Call it what you want, a person who can not control their al intake or can stop once they start is an alcoholic. *The first week is the worst, after that it gets better day by day. Remember that day by day part. *I do not know of any alcoholic who could wean themselves off al, that idea is ridicules to me.

I am a newbie to this and a work in progress. I have learned a lot from the kind people here and continue to learn daily. I am amazed by all their kindness and wisdom. I have been an alcoholic since my early 20s. I am in my mid 40s. Never drink while pregnant, but stared up afterwards. Had post partum depression and took ad to over come that. Al is a depressant, does not make since to use al if you?re taking an ad.

As a mother I know how I love my children, they are my life. I have enjoyed them more in the last few sober weeks than I ever thought possible. You and I are both role models to our children; they deserve to see strong sober mother figures, not some half functional person. Seto, There are meds they can prescribe to help your anxiety and discomfort while detoxing. Seto, I will pray for you and hope you find the strength to seek out another opinion or see your regular Doc.

On my way

[Miss October]

Tuesday 8th April

Happy Tuesday April Absters !!

Janice, once again thanks for getting us going, and your forty two days is awesome !!

I could have started this thread this morning since I was still up prepping for my colonoscopy this morning. I barely slept, but it was all worth it. Results are in and no signs of cancer or polyps, or anthing else. What a huge relief !!

OK, so why do I have problems with extreme bloating......I know the answer.....it's the bottle of wine I would drink everynight for years. I can no longer use it for medicinal purposes to help my stomach, because now it has turned on me. I know I need a good string of AF days, and I'm going to work real hard on it once again. I know I really need 90 days, but whoa...can't think that far out. Back to working on the 30 day committment....again.

Caddy, congrats on 30 days.....a dream come true for me
Seto, try to mod for just a few days, then try to abstain....cold turkey does not always work so well depending on how much we drink.
And Barebones at 39......very very nice. Prest4time, good luck to you on the Antabuse !!
4theboys, second chance, Mary, charlee, Beck, Cmhguy, Rustop, and On my Way, and everyone to follow, keep up the good work !!

[Determinator]

Tuesday 8th April

Top of the Tuesday ABworld!!!!

another happy bunch of great inspiration here..so nice to see.

Kaddy, huge congrats on the big 30!

Prest4, so glad you are feeling better, it just keeps getting better

MissOctober, your bloating may also be an intestinal candida overgrowth. it's actually quite common and it feeds off of simple carbs and alcohol. quitting the AL is going to help with that a lot...just try not to substitute for sugar.

Feeling marvelous here, basking in the glow of another clear-minded day and being productive.
One thing I've noticed is that my eyesight is much better after not drinking....interesting.

be well friends!