Sober (AF) September Challenge

[mollyka]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Thanks Dewdrop, will definitely 'do the goggle' as my elderly uncle says:H, Rhona (the counsellor) seems to think it is definitely the next step for me anyway so I'll have a go, evenin' SJ and everyone else
Molly

[Hippy Chick]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Morning.

Dewdrop - I have been sober for 10 months (apart from my controlled experiment in June during which I was still sober but had al in my system) and have been taking anti depressants for about three months. It is only now that I am feeling strong enough to do the thngs I have always talked about. So maybe you need to wait abit longer too til the day when you have been sober for a while and feel strong enough. Dont put too much pressure on yourself at the start, treat your self gently. What you are dealing with on a daily basis just not drinking is a huge effort sometimes and I think we dont give ourselves enough credit for just getting to the end of one day without drinking.

Firefox hope you are feeling abit more cheerful now. I think the problem with being sober sometimes is that you feel everything and have to let your self feel it. Before we would just numb ourselves with AL but now we dont have that, we are experiencing emotions and feelings that are new to us. I feel like I am learning how to live again. Like I am a teenager and having to get out into society for the first time again. I was 15 when I discovered the delights of AL and was addicted from the very first time. It gave me so much more confidence and I could face the world and not feel embarrassed or inadequate. But now that AL is gone, I have to work out how to do things like normal people do! Good luck and keep visiting us - it does take a while but it does get better.

Well seeing as this was meant to be just a quick post before I got off my butt and went tot he gym, I had better go before I loosee my enthusiasm.

Have a great Saturday and for my fellow aussies visiting the thread...... C'arn the saints!

Hippy

[anon]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Not Mrs Grumpy today as the sun is shining on another lovely AF day.
I hope you are ok Firefox and sticking with it--30 days today?
I hope everyone has a good weekend as I realise it is sometimes Saturday difficult day of the week. Mollyka pointed out to me that it is just another day so best to keep that in mind. So glad the counselling went ok Molly. In my previous life counselling was what I did for a living. Pity I could not fix me! Although I believe I had a lot of success with my clients.

[Peacefull]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Another wonderful hangover free Saturday.

I had some really strong cravings yesterday, wow what a difference even an hour makes on this journey.

Friday nights are hard as well. Strong craving was overwhelming so I kept myself busy during that time, hopped in my car and visited friends and once the craving subsided knew it was safe to go home. I am patting myself on the back now for using my coping tools, that is helping me this time. The last couple of times I would feel sorry for myself and just go buy the wine.

Well off to a sober saturday and I will drink my soda and lime.

[Anjicia]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Well i made it to day 30 tho i don't feel well i'm bunged up with a headcold. Hope you all have a good weekend. I'm sorry this is short but i'll try cehck back later. Still getting bad headaches with blocked sinius.

[anon]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

WELL DONE 30 DAYS FIREFOX
BRILLIANT STUFF

[Spinning J]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Get well soon Firefox and Congratulations on your 30 days AF !!! Well done you . Hiya anon, Peace, Hippy, Dewdrop, Molly, Choice, Sunbeam, Sidney and everyone eles on the challenge! Hope you are all enjoying an AF weekend. I've got a chocolate cake for a treat for tonight! Day 34 for me today and feeling ok. I know what you mean Hippy about feelings my emotions are everywhere at the moment! High then low and paranoid etc. I'm sure it will pass. xx

[mollyka]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Evening everyone! Well done Firefox, so sorry you not feeling well - reckon you'd feel a lot worse with a hangover?!
Ate a packet of Rolos on the way home from work SJ and feel like a slug, still wouldn't mind a bit of your Choccie cake tho!
Was reading a book today by a recovering alcoholic who is now an addiction counsellor and in the book he more or less says if you don't go to AA you haven't a hope in the long run - I found that a bit depressing, I feel like I'm doing really well and don't want my bubble burst. Maybe I should - just really don't want to and don't feel I need to? Anyway sorry folks, just thinking out loud, have a lovely sober evening, will check in later
Molly

[JackieClaire]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Blimey, the 30 dayers and more are just spilling out of this thread. Well done everybody.

I hope evrybody is ready to shout out loud and proud tomorrow on the Shout Out Sunday thread. You can use fingers and toes to count.

anon;966501 wrote:
Only hiccup is I have invited dear friends for a meal on Sunday and they always bring lovely wine (poison for me).
I need some good strategies

Been thinking about this one,anon. When we have guests I always have a glass in my hand of something non AL. I normally use one of my prettiest glasses. A quick 'Oh I'm not drinking today' will do the trick.

Nice to see everyone hanging in there.

J x
:l

[anon]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Thanks JC That is exactly what I will do! Have got just the glass and I love sparkling Perrier.
Hope you are feeling better Firefox like Molly said better without the complication of a hangover.
Molly I went to an AA meeting and got a lot out of it but my dear husband reckons I do not need to go as he thinks I have given up so easily!!!
I think not drinking is SUCH A HARD BATTLE. If you are not an alkie so hard to understand this daily fight. However, the rewards are tremendous like the great feeling every morning when you realise there is no hangover.
I love this thread:thanks:

[mollyka]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hey Anon, My doc, counsellor and my hubs all want me to go to AA. Not that anything new has happened or anything but I definitely feel their perception is that I'm just 'white knuckling' it and not dealing with life in general - just the alcohol. I don't feel that's what I am doing - yes I don't go to pubs unless I have to, yes I don't go out with 'drinking' mates unless I have to etc. but I feel very content in my life, have started exercising ( a little bit) and plan on looking into the meditation and got a book on yoga today. Hubs has been very supportive of me from the beginning but I notice he is getting a bit impatient with me when I'm on my laptop a lot, I mentioned last night that there was going to be a meet up in Dublin of some members here and he thought that was great cos it would be interacting with 'real people' in a sort of dismissive tone (I felt) about this site. Maybe I'm being the touchy ex-alkie, not sure, but this place is very very important to me, I just hope they aren't all right and that maybe this place is TOO important to me and I should do the AA?
Sorry, I know I'm going round in circles, just a bit pensive this evening
Don't worry about the dinner tomorrow girl, just TELL yourself you're not drinking - then you don't, once the Perrier is in your glass it would be double complicated to change it to wine anyway without it being a fuss!!
Talk later
Molly

[choice]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hi Guys just thought I'd check in and say good (Sunday) morning from Auckland.

Thanks for your posts Hippy I got thinking about how much time I pop into this sight... and think about drinking and not drinking soooooo much right now. So I kinda took a break yesterday. I decided to go a bit easier with myself. I get so worried about others and it's causing distractions in my own goals. And, I'm no good to anyone drunk if I let myself slip, especially in my real life. Sometimes I feel like a crab in a barrel on the sight. Soooo.... I think I realized that I'm up to my old tricks of worrying what other people think and do to take the focus off my own problem. I don't mean that I don't want to offer support. I think that is positive and I also really appreciate support myself. What was starting to happen was I was feeling disappointed and let down, I started to feel like judging. That's just not a good direction.:h So I've decided to change gears and begin learning again.

Well, I've had a pretty crazy weekend even though it was drama free. I said no to a 40th B-day party invite about 3 weeks ago because it was part of my "plan" to not be around heavy drinking during my first 30 days... During those days I just said no to anything in the near enough future that caused my heart rate to go up regarding drinking. The party was 2 hours away and my boyfriend decided to go, and has been gone for two days. SO, needless to say, while I did the right thing by sticking to my plan... It was the first weekend I've had alone in years without a bottle. Let me say that I had some very intense moments of "no one will ever know", then with all the slips on the forum I felt kinda felt like if I did slip who cares. Then I realized it's not about me and no madder now confusing life can get especially with AL. All I can do when I don't know the answer to anything is not drink by default. ODAT.

[mollyka]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Hi Choice, you are right to take a break from here if that's what you need. Sometimes I feel I'm a bit too dependant on this site. I can imagine the thought 'no one will ever know' must be a very strong one. My hub never goes anywhere on his own, but I imagine if he did, that thought would cross my mind - DANGEROUS!! Well done you - and of course, if you did slip, it doesn't matter a toss what anyone else thinks - but you would have known, and you would have cared. Have a lovely Sunday - I'm heading to bed now and will catch up tomorrow!!
Molly

[mollyka]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Morning All ('cept Choice who's prob goin to bed:H). How is everyone on this lovely crisp autumn morning? I feel full of beans but am facing a mountain of ironing and scrubbing. Am going to get up now and get chores done so I can relax and have a lazy Sunday. Come on girls - surely someone is up, I'm lonely:upset:
Molly

[Anjicia]

Sober (AF) September Challenge

Good morning from a sunny Dublin. A bit cool but nice day so far. No plans as such for today i might go for a walk and get a bit of exercise. I havn't been to any AA meetings since thursday. I bought a 5 day bus pass for 20 euro during the week and when i looked in my bag on friday it wasn't there i checked around the house and i didn't find it. It must have fallen out of my bag on the way home thursday. I was going mad as i had 3 more days left. Ahh well these things happen i just have to be more careful. Well have a nice sunday folks what ever you have planned.