Sober October Challenge!

[Spinning J]

Sober October Challenge!

Hiya Team!!!! Glad to see everyone doing so well. Hangover free Mondays rock Day 43 for me. Will have to catch up with all the posts later there's loads! xx

[K9Lover]

Sober October Challenge!

Happy Monday morning everyone!
Another sober weekend, and it feels great! I was super busy. My daughter and I went to orientation at the Animal Shelter so we can become volunteers, then dinner at my parents where I had the best steak ever Then Sunday was church, followed by dinner at some friends house, with about 13 teenagers...I played freeze tag with them in the dark and realized that I am no longer as young as they are. They kept "tagging" me and I was like "Good, I need to rest". LOL
Hope everyone is doing great!
K9

[neart]

Sober October Challenge!

Hi everyone!
K9 lol :H I was doing soccer training recently, learning how to train kids so they had us doing some of the exercises, and I was worn out within minutes! My pilates instructor was saying today that my left side is weak so I'm going to have to start working on strengthening exercises. A new target for me!

Enja - I can sympathise, but I don't really have any advice about what to do with drunken people. I find it doesn't matter how good a friend they are, if they get really drunk I just can't even do small talk - I just don't know what to say, as they can't understand me, keep repeating themselves and can't focus - such an eye opener to me - every time I see a drunk person now, I think "there but for the grace of God..."

Cmhguy you are doing great! :goodjob: Peace, hope you're feeling better soon :l Molly hope you had a good day at work? Firefox, great to see you around again

Tired - it's true - I can't think of how drink has actually benefitted me really - I know I thought it was relaxing me at the time, but when I think of the eejit I made of myself on numerous occasions, the potential relationships I ruined, the days wasted...

Dewdrop - I love your descriptions! Makes me want to go to Scotland I'm reading a book at the moment that is partly set in Cornwall, and it sounds gorgeous too. Maybe I can save my drinking money for a holiday next year. There's a thought!

Hope everyone is having a good day. I'm afraid to name people as I'm sure I'll forget someone, so hi everyone!!

[choice]

Sober October Challenge!

Hey there everyone! Just popping in to say good morning. It's good to see you Firefox it wouldn't be the same without you! It is finally sunny around Auckland today. I'm busy trying to get my paperwork done for admittance into graduate school. I've hit a few setbacks with getting residency so late in the game and need letters from people I don't know. Hmmmmm???? Kinda frustrating. I'll just have to plug along and do my best. In the past I would have used this as an excuse to get drunk thinking there wasn't much I could do about it anyway. I am pretty amazed at how through the years I have had this sorry attitude and how it's taken away my what use to be fairly good problem solving skills. Humph. I'm in the beginning of the book Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr and I'm hoping this quitting smoking goes pretty smooth. I woke up at 3 am and was up until 5 my mind running non stop worrying about things that at the end of the day I have no control over. I think it might have been from chewing nicotine gum? Not sure. I'm doing well, but sometimes I get this wealth of anger feelings that are obsessive. It helped to write that down. I guess I can think about those types of feelings when I go to the gym tonight and try and work them out. Have a good one everyone!!

[neart]

Sober October Challenge!

Choice, that book really helped me quit smoking. I didn't always like the style he wrote in, but it worked! I had to read it a few times to really get through. I have to say, when I broke the back on the smoking thing, I felt such a weight lift from me - I hadn't realised the influence it had over my mood and my mind. I genuinely felt free. Maybe that's part of the reason you were awake? Nicotine is a very powerful drug. Fair play on it - and best of luck with college applications x I am doing job applications at the moment, so can sympathise - they are no fun!

[choice]

Sober October Challenge!

Thanks Neart,
I just noticed you quit smoking and drinking in the same month. Whew! that's amazing work!! MWO is amazing because you start to really care about your health. I was going to wait until New Years to quit the smokes but each day I felt crappy every time I lit up. We'll see how this goes... so far so good. Good luck with your applications. whew do I loath applications.... but they are a means to an end.

[icandothis]

Sober October Challenge!

Happy AF Monday night everyone! (At least it is here!)

Dewdrop, I love that description of the seagulls and the sandy bay...I just relaxed when I read it!

Choice/Neart, I have read those Allan Carr books too. Except I read the EASY WAY to stop drinking. I think he's better known for the stop smoking thing, but the stop drinking book was interesting too.

This is such a great site for information. I came here several years ago, and then just kind of dropped it. Anyway, I'm going to use it and stick to my guns this time. I think I initially thought I could go Mods, but it's just not working for me. I hate the obsession with how much/when etc. to drink. So I just don't want it in my life anymore. Anyway, feeling good -- went to the gym tonight.
Talk to you all tomorrow!

[Hippy Chick]

Sober October Challenge!

Morning guys.

Had to pop in and admit something to you all. Hopefully it will change the outcome!

It is my wedding anniversary on Sunday and my husband and I are going to stay in a lovely beachside hotel for the night.

And I have already talking myself INTO having a drink.

I havent had to worry about cravings or urges for so long that I cant understand why I think it is OK to have a drink on the weekend. I honestly believe (well, my booze brain does) that I can "just have one" when the 30 years of my drinking history has proved that wrong! I really believe that I can have a drink on weekend then stop again by Monday. (See it has already turned into a weekend of drinking, not just one!).

I wasnt going to admit this to anyone (except Molly - I was going to PM you) but I really think I have to confess these feelings and get as much help as possible.

I had even put it into my brain how I would feel on Monday after blowing my AF time. I was watching a show on payTV last night called "After the Intervention" (it is about addicts that get an intervention from their families and councillors and send them off to rehab and it was a catch up on how they went after the show). There was one woman who was such a mess before rehab and I could relate so much to her. Then last night she was saying that she had two years of AF time. When she said that I felt disappointed because I was going to blow my AF time and would never get to two years. Talk about projecting into the future!!!

I need to stick close to you guys over the next few days because I know how much support is here.

Hope you are all doing OK

Hipster

[Hippy Chick]

Sober October Challenge!

Wow! That felt so cathartic... x

[mere]

Sober October Challenge!

Wow Hippy Chick good for you for posting where you are! Although your insight is awesome so hopefully you'll re-read that and the feelings you had about "blowing your AF" time and aiming for the future. Although right now I'd say ODAT and keep close to this site.
I am not great on advice since I'm new to this as well, I just know in the past I've set lofty goals and met them and I'll be damned if I'm going to not stick to this - I feel so "me" again. And it sounds like you have been on that track as well. Hang in there and keep us posted.

[choice]

Sober October Challenge!

I'll echo Mere- Wow Hippy Chick- I think you can stick to the AF and enjoy your weekend even more then you would with drinks. It may feel a little weird at first to be celebrating without a drink but I bet you won't regret it. Good for you to recognize what your booze brain is up to. What's great is you've got some days to get your thinking strait. kudos!

[dextie]

Sober October Challenge!

Hi back to day one for me .this is so hard after I was doing so well I had not drank for six weeks and felt great so holw did I end back on day one ? Disappointed in self!

[anon]

Sober October Challenge!

Hippy Chick Well done on posting. Just get the booze brain out of gear for the weekend and stick close to this site if you can.
Dextie Well done on 6 weeks If you can do it for 6 weeks you can be AF again!!
Off for a walk in the Welsh mountains.

[anon]

Sober October Challenge!

Firefox great to see you back Hope you are ok

[enja]

Sober October Challenge!

Thanks for the input Anon, Dewdrop, neart and y'all - guess there's no easy out for dealing with repetitive drunks one thing's for sure, I'm certainly not going to join them!

Way to go, choice, :goodjob: on giving up the smokes...I bet you'll start to feel even better before too long.

HippyC, well done for posting about your dilemma and for seeing through the "booze brain" talking. I agree with mere and choice (and yourself!) that you'll feel better if you stick to being AF. I believe in ODAT but there will always be anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, christenings, Christmas, NYE, etc. and it's a good idea to have a plan in place for them. I'm trying to think of them as just another AF day and not a reason to make an exception. I don't know your history but for me an exception, even for a special occasion, is just the thin end of the wedge and it's waaaay easier to not have a drink than it is trying to stop again. Good luck and stay strong. :l

Dextie :welcome: to Sober October - you'll find lots of support here to start you on your AF journey!