Day 3

[Guest]

Hello Folks, Well, this is day 3 for me! I have been taking all the meds, vitamins, listening to the cd's, walking, reading the book and this is how I feel on day 3 - I am amazed at how I do not have the physical urge to go into a bottle shop to buy wine! That is so different for me already. I could give you stories of how I have driven from suburb to suburb to buy wine just so that I wouldn't be noticed so much for the amount of wine I buy! It's just not there. I even passed a shop today and looked in the window and ..... nothing. Is that possible only on day 3? The other thing that's blown me away are the CD's - I AM AMAZED! I fought them to begin with and then had no choice but to go with it, it is so powerful and has affected me already, also only on day 3. I am finding I am drawn to healthier foods, in fact I am having to remind myself to eat, which is just not me normally.

Okay, the downsides now - I am sweaty, a ratbag, irritable and fatigued. BUT all of these things AND feeling an inner peace! Nothing I can't cope with, in other words!

This is Thursday and tomorrow is Friday (nah?), anyway, as we all know, Friday is drinkiepoos day (well, an accepted drinkiepoos day). Well, I have said from the beginning that I will still have a couple of glasses of wine on the weekends but, today, I'm not sure, but who knows how I will feel tomorrow, I don't want to spoil this feeling of finally getting my power back. Do you think a couple of glasses of wine will spoil all of that? Do you think I'll even want wine at the weekend? Any psychics out there? I wish I could see into Monday now. I hope I make the right decision.

Warm regards to you all X

[Guest]

Day 3

Hey Annie,

I can't tell you what will happen to you, but I can tell you what happened to me. A few glasses of wine progressed back into my old pattern pretty quickly after a bit, and I was feeling just as wonderful as you are now, just as amazed by not drinking. I'm doing 30 days of abstinence now and still not sure what I'm going to do afterwards after falling right back into old patterns in February after 11 days of abstinence in January, which was very discouraging.

I'm not saying that this is what will happen for you, but if you want to moderate, please be very vigilant about it, okay? sorry if I'm being a bummer

Take care, and I'm glad you're feeling good with the great progress you've made so far!

Kathy

[Guest]

Day 3

Day 3

Hi Annie,

I'm starting out too. Haven't received my supps or CDs yet, but have been sober 3 days. Feels great, eh?
I, like you, want moderation.
How I am doing it is: as long as I am nervous about taking a drink - I won't.
I hope there may come a time when I will feel totally confident that I can have 1 or 2 beers and stop. But in the meantime it's abstinence.
Good luck and welcome aboard!

[Guest]

Day 3

I just started into my 3rd week of abstinence. Going into this, I thought moderation was the goal. That's what appealed to me with this program. Now, I don't want to spoil it. I'm afraid one drink will lead to another.. My thought is that since the craving is gone, why even go there???

[Guest]

Day 3

Confession, I do drink a lot of tonic and lime, but that's probably because it's what I tell myself to crave in the hypno sessions. Maybe I should start saying water:b

[Guest]

Day 3

Annie, I would be leary about the couple glasses of wine, too. I was able to do that for about 3 and a half weeks, have a glass or two and no more, maybe once or twice a week. Was feeling great about my control. So great, that I started slacking on my supplements, the topa, started drinking "as a reward for being so good" last weekend, then if you saw my postings about my total LOSING IT on Sunday, well, you get the picture.
Now, I have Major emotional and marrital issues I am dealing with. Under no circumstance had I ever experienced that type of anger, but it happened. I'd had such a stable personality up until now!!! grrrr
By no means am I saying this will happen to you!! Just be careful about falling into old habits too early. I wish I'd had more warning...
Best of luck to you. Stay vigilant.
love, Becca

[Guest]

Day 3

I get the picture. I really appreciate the support and advice, thanks for bringing me that little bit back down to earth.

Over the past 24 hours I have been so enjoying how I am feeling that I really want to say, with all conviction, at this moment, that I do not want to swap this opportunity for a better life to go back to my old ways. But I am scared. On the one hand I feel "no worries, this is a breeze", on the other hand, I fear that little "thing" (can't think of a word strong enough) that might get me back into that bottle shop. I don't want to go through this with fear, I want to relish it all, maybe that's where time will tell, along with the hypnosis tapes and relearning my thinking.

My decision for the weekend has really been made by itself - there will be no wine in my life until further notice.

Reminds me of that old saying:

It's not the wine in my life, it's the life in my wine

(Is that not it?)

Warmest Regards to you all X

[Guest]

Day 3

Hi folks, Just thought I'd check in and report that this has now been a week since I have been on this programme and I am still loving it.

I had no probs over the weekend - I had a great weekend with no booze! First in years, normally hubby and I would get through at least 8 bottles of wine, some beer and maybe more wine. Last weekend we went to the beach early with the kids, did some gardening rearranged the furniture a bit, pottered around, played with the children I baked and made soup and, god, just the simple things. It was wonderful.

Because hubby and I are doing it together, we can bitch at each other "safetly" if you know what I mean! We both know what the other is going through and at the same time both want to hang on to this new way of life but also knowing that we have to be strong.

Here's to the next week!
X

[Guest]

Day 3

Hi Annie, that was a great email. congrats to you and your husband on the lovely weekend. I remember a thread quite some time ago about the amount of time that alchol stole from us or that we gave to alcohol depending on how you look at it.

It is so wonderful to have that time back and I happy for you and your kids that you are able to do this.

Take care

Yvonne

[Guest]

Day 3

This thread was absolutely amazing! Just what I needed to read right now.

-Nina

[Guest]

Day 3

Annie welcome aboard - I just started my supplements yesterday and tho i, too, feel tired i don't feel tempted at the moment - by now (it's 6:05 p.m) i'd be on my 3rd vodka tonic....i'm sipping flavored water....i feel very motivated but won't lie about the upcoming weekend -- praying for strength which i've lacked for years...quick thanks to everyone in here for the unreal support and encouragement and sometimes brutal honesty!!.......

[Guest]

Day 3

Hi Anne and others:

I am thinking I need to order everything and make appointment for Topa too. I have some trouble believing that "I" really need all that stuff.....that I can just quit when I want to. But reality tells me I never go more than one day in a row without my wine and more than two days/week without my wine and the other five days I drink 4-5 glasses. Those AF days are very hard and I am so so so proud of myself when I accomplish them!

I think I'm doing some bargaining too....like "So what's wrong with that? Twenty five glasses of wine/week?" I never drive that way. I get to work every day. I pay my bills....no one even knows I drink so much.....Bargaining. But the truth is I so wish I could get back to enjoying 1-2 glasses a few times/week. I remember the days when 3 would just make me feel sick so I didn't do three. I wish for those days again.

[Guest]

Day 3

Thanks everyone.

I know how it feels to justify having the wine. I would drink 4, 5, or 6 glasses of wine a night no problem, still manage to get the kids fed, bathed, tucked into bed, up in the morning (feeling a wreck mind you) off to school, (make up on to cover tired, hung over face), fuzzy head, couldn't get my head round what I needed at the supermarket, bump into aquaintances, try to act "normal", funny how I "always seem to have a cold". Yet, still see absolutely nothing wrong with what was happening (or didn't want to admit it to myself).

There's a commercial here in Oz for some cure for constipation or something and it's punchline is I NEVER KNEW THERE WAS A BETTER KIND OF NORMAL (or something like that) well, I think I can adopt that phrase for this programme now!

On to the topa now - I'm on the 50mg a day now (2 x 25mg) and find it hit me like a hammer. Do you think this will settle down after a couple of days or should I stick to 25 mg? I actually was thinking I need to up my dose by day 7 as I felt the old winey thoughts coming back but when I did (as per the programme) I felt a bit dizzy and sweaty, and the other thing is I'm getting ravenous, food wise, this week!!! I want carbs!!! I want chocolate!!! Any thoughts? X

[Guest]

Day 3

The topa got better for me as my body got used to it. I'm up to 150 mg now. Cravings much better. No physiological urge to start (but I've found to my dismay I can drink anyway, for mental trigger reasons with bad results). Mental side effects from topa slowly improving as well. Biggest tip I can give on those is get a notepad and make lists of things to do.....invaluable to me at work

[Guest]

Day 3

this is my day three -- did you guys have super freaky strange dreams -- whoa ....crazy stuff...at least i did sleep better last night -- read more of the book --I gotta tell ya friends, after reading about the side affects i'm a tad spooked to get on topa - -I do make presentations and teach on a regular basis ....any suggestions?

and omg -- how i can relate to always having a cold or better yet -- those damn eye allergies ..ahem..

have a great day guys!

jen