The Sober Squad- Alcohol Free Living
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@73CL350 ... oh goodness, he's adorable! Glad to hear he's on the mend. Nothing worse than when our children hurt! So hey... you just made it through some tough stuff! It looks like he's teething too. If you can make it through the last week, I think you can get through a lot. I think you need to give yourself some credit now, some kindness, some tenderness. You're doing great.
The PM was through the email system. I'm new to this so maybe I messed it up.
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@73CL350 ... of good lord, he's adorable! So glad to hear he's on the mend. It's horrible when our babies are hurting.
So think of this: you've made it through some SUPER TOUGH stuff the last few weeks. If you can endure that, you can endure anything. Give yourself some credit, some kindness, some tenderness and grace. Pat yourself on the back and examine how well you're doing. Breath and gather your strength. You're doing great.
I PM'ed thru the other messaging system (via the envelope icon?), but I'm pretty new to this so maybe I messed it up. In any case, be well.
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Welcome to the new faces! We are all very supportive.
Reading some of the post of those struggling, I want to share this little saying helps me stay the course. Most of you have heard it from me before but its worth repeating: "There will be pain in giving up alcohol. But I prefer the pain of discipline over the pain of regret." I have way, way too much regret already. I welcome the discipline at this point in my life.4 -
Day four today. I have been reading all your posts since Monday morning when I woke up once again after an evening of drinking, alone, in front of my family, a whole bottle of wine and then turning to Baileys for dessert. Ugh...I have got to stop this cycle of drinking most nights. I just have no power for moderation. I haven’t even really wanted a drink until tonight. I really enjoy lemonade with a splash (well, maybe a bit more than a splash😜) of sorbet vodka and thought about having one tonight...but just stuck with plain old lemonade- yeah me. I’m quite proud...I don’t remember the last time I wanted a drink and didn’t cave in. My plan right now, is to be AF until Halloween as hubby and I have a three day get away planned. I will re-evaluate when the time gets closer as to whether or not I will drink while away. I think it’s mostly a mindset for me as I don’t have trouble abstaining at work functions or at school functions- I just never drink at either even though almost everyone else is. Anyhow, hello to you all. I find each of you and your courage inspiring, your advice valuable- I’m learning so much.
So happy you posted. You are not alone. We are all in this together. Some of us cant moderate either. I once read about 10 percent of the drinking population have trouble with that. Anyway, hang in there. Arm yourself with videos, books and blogs. Have a substitute handy - I drink hot tea a lot. Alcohol is sugar so you’ll get cravings for it. Wishing you a smooth weekend. Xo5 -
@73CL350 Ahhh that’s the cutest baby. Brightened my day ! Wishing you a fun weekend. Stay strong! Bravo on day 19!! Awesome !2
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Welcome to the new faces! We are all very supportive.
Reading some of the post of those struggling, I want to share this little saying helps me stay the course. Most of you have heard it from me before but its worth repeating: "There will be pain in giving up alcohol. But I prefer the pain of discipline over the pain of regret." I have way, way too much regret already. I welcome the discipline at this point in my life.
Thanks for this,I had a dream where I was drinking last night and even in the dream I was trying to pace myself and felt the regret that I was drinking,how weird that even in my dreamland I know drinkin just isn't right for me,let's all have a great weekend guys AF of course
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@RubyRed427 my husband took a few months but even with 5 years of sobriety, he had days where he wished he could be "normal"
i told him it's normal to have an allergy. some people have to avoid shellfish or peanuts. he just had to avoid alcohol. yes, they can't have somethings, but better to not have them than risk their life. imho
Good point about it being like an allergy. My best friend and I would drink the same amounts and I’d be throwing up and hungover and she would be only slightly hungover. Different body chemistry, I always assumed.
My sister who is 10 years sober said to me, “Julie, some families have violence, some have cancer, some have depression that runs in it... we have alcoholism in our family.” That’s just the way it is. She’s right- it could always be worse.
Tonight, I had a rootbeer and a cheeseburger as a treat. Maybe I’ll even make a fire and watch a movie or do report cards. Tonight my husband is going to our neighbors chili/beer/wine party and I’ll just hang out at home. I feel a little better tonight than I did a few days ago when I posted.
By the way, I value all of your honesty on this thread. I know that I wear my heart on my sleeve a lot and you’re all so kind and supportive. It also feels good to post during good times and bad. It’s cathartic.
I was watching a NOVA episode on opioid addiction; that’s a truly brutal addiction. But in general with addiction, our brains get dopamine surges due to alcohol, so that when we quit, our brain just isn’t used to the sudden stop. It always wants equilibrium, and that’s why we crave. Not sure if I’m saying that right, but that’s the gist.5 -
I've missed lots!
Trying to catch up. .
((Hugs)) to everyone!
As I read through the posts, I always find something I can connect with.
Thank all of you for sharing the struggles and the triumphs!
@73CL350 hope little man is feeling better every minute!
@RubyRed427 any update on the car situation?
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I've missed lots!
Trying to catch up. .
((Hugs)) to everyone!
As I read through the posts, I always find something I can connect with.
Thank all of you for sharing the struggles and the triumphs!
@73CL350 hope little man is feeling better every minute!
@RubyRed427 any update on the car situation?
Thanks! After two weeks in my garage, we dropped it off at the repair shop tonight. Should be another two weeks in repairs and then I’ll be back in that beautiful car.
Hope you’re doing well! Xo2 -
Hi Friends, just doing some light reading about the BRAIN and addiction. LOL
Anyway, I am not implying all on here have alcohol addiction, just that it’s good to know that it’s not all about having willpower to quit alcohol. There are underlying very complicated things going on in the brain that shed light on why we crave alcohol.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/how-addiction-hijacks-the-brain4 -
Julie, thank you for the insightful article about addiction and our brain. I love when our little team here posts articles/advice/tips to help us all grow in knowledge.2
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Hi to everyone. I'm 7 years off the booze, one day at a time. I'm lovin' the sober life and I hope everyone here finds what they're looking for. Big hugs all round.7
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@RubyRed427 Very interesting article on the hijacked brain as I'm listening to my pot-smoking neighbor cough up a lung as per usual several times a day & night. Our country very recently legalized pot & I heard a radio commentator refer to it as "The Great Canadian Experiment." The "experts" admittedly have NO idea the social impact this will have, but obviously the governmental income this will generate is apparently worth the risk!!!(????) No debate from me on this topic - it is what it is!! I used to smoke pot years ago & YES, I developed a dependence/addiction to it. In fact, I preferred pot to alcohol.
The article highlighted the genetic component of addiction & it makes total sense to me that 40% of those with at least one alcoholic parent will become alcoholic (that's a stat from another article I read) My father was an alcoholic & my mom certainly liked to drink her share, so no surprise that most of my siblings & I have had a struggle. The only one of us who was spared (?) had a significant enough brain injury from birth that she was spared a life of another sort of injury.
Yesterday, talking with a friend about some drama, was the first time I had a particularly strong craving to take the edge off. It took me by surprise cause it just arose within me...I'm unsure what the exact trigger was but I think it was some disappointment I was feeling & a sense of hopelessness about a particular situation we were discussing. It was the reality of the situation that I wanted to momentarily escape...just take the edge off!!! YetI knew that, "this too shall pass," AND it did!! SO glad that it did!!5 -
alfiecampbell wrote: »Hi to everyone. I'm 7 years off the booze, one day at a time. I'm lovin' the sober life and I hope everyone here finds what they're looking for. Big hugs all round.
Thanks for stopping by! Congrats on 7 years. That’s a lucky number
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@lorrainequiche59 Sorry you are experiencing a stressful situation. I recently learned E + R = O which means event + reaction = outcome. Makes sense to me. You responded positively and the outcome was you didn’t drink. Awesome effort!3
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Child-free, plan-less Friday nights are rough for me, but I often force them upon myself in an attempt to "re-train" and adjust expectations on my social life. RSVP'ed "no thank you" to a social event, and stayed centered with myself - and it was fine! Went for a run after work (a sloggy 2 miles - ugh), and prepped some tasty food. Stayed up too late (damn you and your binge-ability, Greys Anatomy!), but otherwise... wow, it's so nice to wake up with a clear head and a body that feels fabulous. I'm grateful to all you folks here that provide inspiration and insight!6
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@RubyRed427 glad the car will be fixed soon.. hopefully it goes smoothly
I've read articles on addiction and how it rewires the chemical reactions in the brain. Very interesting stuff!
@joha5603 binge watching a show sounds like some good "you" time! And it's always nice to wake up FOG FREE!
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@alfiecampbell I totally missed your comment earlier about being sober 7 years. If there was a thumbs up emo, you'd be getting it... 1
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What an awesome thread! I am AF for 1 year and 20 days. I was diagnosed with a tumor last year on October 1st, and swore to cut out alcohol and get my life and health back on track. I am vegetarian, slowly cutting out dairy.7
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Jennifer1Gore wrote: »What an awesome thread! I am AF for 1 year and 20 days. I was diagnosed with a tumor last year on October 1st, and swore to cut out alcohol and get my life and health back on track. I am vegetarian, slowly cutting out dairy.
Happy to hear from you. Congrats on 1 year and 20 days! Xo Hope you’re doing much better this year healthwise.1 -
6 weeks tomorrow, been some hard days! All in all I'm glad I'm doing it. I was the guy that sometimes drank 3 or 4 beers, but other times I have slept in the flower garden. It's just something I don't need in my life and I find a hard workout is just so much better for my mind and my soul.6
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hookmcrosseyed wrote: »6 weeks tomorrow, been some hard days! All in all I'm glad I'm doing it. I was the guy that sometimes drank 3 or 4 beers, but other times I have slept in the flower garden. It's just something I don't need in my life and I find a hard workout is just so much better for my mind and my soul.
Lol! I may have found myself in a flower garden or two myself. Thanks for the laugh and the reminder of why I'm on this journey.3 -
Hi Guys. It’s been a while. My job in juvie is totally my calling. It’s a ministry. And I’m still not drinking. Love you all and especially Julie for starting this up in January. Got to sign off because I barely have time to brush my teeth but I wanted to say goodbye and thanks to all. Xoxoxoxo.9
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hookmcrosseyed wrote: »6 weeks tomorrow, been some hard days! All in all I'm glad I'm doing it. I was the guy that sometimes drank 3 or 4 beers, but other times I have slept in the flower garden. It's just something I don't need in my life and I find a hard workout is just so much better for my mind and my soul.
I must admit you made me smile! I once found my shoes in a flower pot after a wild night ; happy you are doing well!0 -
Hi Guys. It’s been a while. My job in juvie is totally my calling. It’s a ministry. And I’m still not drinking. Love you all and especially Julie for starting this up in January. Got to sign off because I barely have time to brush my teeth but I wanted to say goodbye and thanks to all. Xoxoxoxo.
You are amazing and inspiring. It is your calling to work with this population. Your heart must be so fulfilled and exhausted too.0 -
Welcome to @hookmcrosseyed and @Jennifer1Gore and hey there @donimfp. It's great to see old and new faces here! I started the South Beach Diet yesterday, the old school, blue book one from the early 2000's, not the newer one where they send you food in the mail. Anyway I am extra cranky without my wine, and now, no sugar and carbs for the time being. I've done it in the past and it really does work. Check it out of the library and try before you buy if you are interested. I have my annual physical in December and hope all my blood work numbers are good, especially my liver. My cholesterol was through the roof last year and I feel like that was due to my heavy alcohol consumption. Hopefully everything, including my weight, will be in the normal range. So fun to be starting a diet with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas in front of us.
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@JenT304 I hope your blood work comes back OK too!
I recall having to retake a test or two because of drinking the night before.
All the temptation everywhere with the holidays sure is tough.
I almost considered having a drink on Halloween. Instead, I keep reminding myself of all the negatives that come with drinking.. and there are waaay too many of those than positives. I'll stick with a piece of candy corn, and maybe an M&M.
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@jhilkene yes candy is far better for you than a drink! I may have one treat then the leftover bags go off with hubby to work the next day.2
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