The Sober Squad- Alcohol Free Living
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Meditation is extremely helpful, I've found. I'm not an expert by any means, but just adding 10 minutes at the beginning of the day makes a huge difference.
Speaking of adding pastimes . . . I've become obsessed with "skin care" during lockdown. Reading books, blogs, etc. and for the first time in my long life developing a consistent routine. I find it really fun and relaxing. And this week, I was having a conversation with my principal (both of us masked) when she said, "Your forehead looks like you just had a facial." I exclaimed, "I LOVE YOU!!!" It was so fun to have confirmation that the routine I've followed since mid-December is actually making a difference. I know it's a weird "hobby," but it's a nice escape and also a form of self care. Also, I've learned that smoking, sugar, and alcohol are about the worst things you can subject your skin to. Motivation.8 -
Meditation is extremely helpful, I've found. I'm not an expert by any means, but just adding 10 minutes at the beginning of the day makes a huge difference.
Speaking of adding pastimes . . . I've become obsessed with "skin care" during lockdown. Reading books, blogs, etc. and for the first time in my long life developing a consistent routine. I find it really fun and relaxing. And this week, I was having a conversation with my principal (both of us masked) when she said, "Your forehead looks like you just had a facial." I exclaimed, "I LOVE YOU!!!" It was so fun to have confirmation that the routine I've followed since mid-December is actually making a difference. I know it's a weird "hobby," but it's a nice escape and also a form of self care. Also, I've learned that smoking, sugar, and alcohol are about the worst things you can subject your skin to. Motivation.
Happy for you that you have Glowing skin and a routine that's giving you real results 😊💕
Similarly, I have stepped up my make up game as a form of self care / love and expression. 'Beauty Therapy' I believe lol
I have got myself BB cream by garnier for a bit of coverage plus I did a savage clear out which was long over due and finally dumped out eyeshadow palette I had since age 18, I am 34 in March 😂 so yeah, self care is goooood! I need to step up my skin care, though and find a good routine to follow.7 -
Suffering from yet another hangover, my brother is considering attempting a 30 days break.
I recommended he give Annie grace 30 day break a try.
I hope he sees the light sooner than I did. Even if he carries on boozing, I'm glad we are having these conversations 😊5 -
I second the skincare routine. I have also been paying more attention to my face and it really yields results. I bought this stuff called Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay on Amazon. This big 1 lb jar for 12 bucks. You mix equal parts clay powder and apple cider vinegar then slap it all over your face and let it get hard then rinse it off. It is seriously like a professional facial. It has 12,000 reviews so I guess I am not the only one that loves it! It stinks to high heaven due to the vinegar but it is a GREAT product! I use it a couple times a week. Highly recommend.4
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5 month sober anniversary today! It is not easy and I crave wine sometimes, but the journey is making me stronger and wiser. I just cannot have a hangover again; it's still raw in my memory. Wasted time and wasted weekends.
Positive aspects of sobriety : feeling good all the time; having to deal with my feelings in a more positive way, finding other interests and hobbies I never ever thought about, being able to drive any time I need to, saving money by not buying alcohol, hanging out with friends and still having fun sober.....
Keep a list of why you want and need to stay sober. Read it when you feel like caving in; watch inspiring youtube videos of people who are sober; and have a mantra "No matter what- I will not drink."
I may not be sober tomorrow, but for today I will be.
Last evening, I met my cousin for appetizers. He drank 2.5 glasses of wine; I watched every sip of that glass. I wanted to reach over and chug it. But I had non-alcoholic beer instead. I tried to tell him how there is more to life than hours sitting in a bar with people who are not really your friends and so on. He told me how he has it under control most of the time; sadly, I hear differently from his wife. But maybe one day, he will try to quit.
He even said "I am more and more like my father....."
**His dad was a raging alcoholic who went bar to bar to bar...
I felt kinda sad for him when he said that. But he added he's not as bad as his dad. (His dad was violent and quite an awful human being). My cousin on the other hand is a lovely soul- talented artist and wonderful man.
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Congrats! Stay the course!RubyRed427 wrote: »5 month sober anniversary today! It is not easy and I crave wine sometimes, but the journey is making me stronger and wiser.
Love this, and couldn’t agree more.RubyRed427 wrote: »...being able to drive any time I need to...
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Congratulations to all of your milestones. I haven't been too active on here. The 20th of Jan I suffered a family crisis and without giving it one single thought threw my coat on and headed to the package store after almost 2 yrs sobriety. So I wont be celebrating 2 yrs on March 5th like I had planned. I drank again the day after that and that was it.
The cravings are back. Its hard to rebound but Im doing it.
Happens to the best of is. Im disappointed. Family crisis has heeled. And thats my story.
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@aroze0928, I feel your pain (which seems to be healing--so that's good!). I am amazed at how much one "little" relapse can set us back and set cravings in motion after so long--for me 6 months, for you 2 years! I don't think I really believed it. In fact, I had fantasies of having a "yearly" martini and then getting right back to the sobriety. Of course, I haven't made it to a year yet, but I now know that when I do, a "one-time" martini is absolutely a horrible idea.
It's actually been kind of good for me to have lost that 6-month celebration. I had January 6 circled on my calendar, decorated in my planner, etc. Fitting that that day, Epiphany, was the day of my own epiphany that I'd better never be over-confident about sobriety.
Anyway, I'm happy you're rebounding. Me, too. I agree that it's hard, but we're doing it.
@RubyRed427, Congratulations!!! I agree with the idea of the list. I keep a list of benefits and also my "What I Hated About Drinking" list. And the ability to drive at a moment's notice can be a huge bonus. When we had to take our precious cat to the vet at 9 p.m. on a Sunday, I was able to hop in the car and drive 20 miles without having to worry about it. My husband had had a few bourbons, so I don't know what we would have done if I'd been drinking, too.
Have a great weekend, everyone!6 -
Congratulations RubyRed!!! Waves to the gang and hope everyone has a wonderful AF weekend, gonna check Amazon for the face stuff mentioned earlier😁7
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Congratulations to all of your milestones. I haven't been too active on here. The 20th of Jan I suffered a family crisis and without giving it one single thought threw my coat on and headed to the package store after almost 2 yrs sobriety. So I wont be celebrating 2 yrs on March 5th like I had planned. I drank again the day after that and that was it.
The cravings are back. Its hard to rebound but Im doing it.
Happens to the best of is. Im disappointed. Family crisis has heeled. And thats my story.
So many of my dumb drinking sessions have been spur of the moment exactly as you described! Hope the family crises is OK now and glad you stopped drinking,sometimes it's soooooo hard to stop once we've started7 -
Those of you who are into skin care as a hobby, I really like Caroline Hirons’ blog. She’s got little “cheat sheets “ on all kinds of topics. She has a bestselling book called “Skin Care” which I bought but I think pretty much everything in it can be found on her blog for free. It’s fun and informative and inspiring.6
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Thank you for the encouraging comments. I appreciate every one of you here.5
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Congratulations to all of your milestones. I haven't been too active on here. The 20th of Jan I suffered a family crisis and without giving it one single thought threw my coat on and headed to the package store after almost 2 yrs sobriety. So I wont be celebrating 2 yrs on March 5th like I had planned. I drank again the day after that and that was it.
The cravings are back. Its hard to rebound but Im doing it.
Happens to the best of is. Im disappointed. Family crisis has heeled. And thats my story.
Aroze, you are not alone, ever. We totally understand. At my AA meetings, there are very similar stories. People relapse after 6 months, 4 years and even 11 years. Addiction is so powerful but you are stronger. Forgive yourself and look forward. Don't lament over the 2 year anniversary you would have had. Just keep saying today I will be sober.
I'm proud of you that you got back on the sober journey and will keep trying. The tragedy comes when people just give up because of a slip and think all is lost. As we know in our hearts, we are worth fighting for. We will never stop trying to stay sober.
I remember one actor said "Sobriety is my job. Acting is my hobby."6 -
Those of you who are into skin care as a hobby, I really like Caroline Hirons’ blog. She’s got little “cheat sheets “ on all kinds of topics. She has a bestselling book called “Skin Care” which I bought but I think pretty much everything in it can be found on her blog for free. It’s fun and informative and inspiring.
Love all of your skincare notes. We have an advantage already because our skin is not being dehydrated after drinking.
My cousin (who does drink) has nice skin. He said he washes his face with rice water. He takes rice and mixes it with water and puts it in his refrigerator; he rinses his face with the rice water and it tightens your skin.
Not sure if it works but...3 -
Congratulations to all of your milestones. I haven't been too active on here. The 20th of Jan I suffered a family crisis and without giving it one single thought threw my coat on and headed to the package store after almost 2 yrs sobriety. So I wont be celebrating 2 yrs on March 5th like I had planned. I drank again the day after that and that was it.
The cravings are back. Its hard to rebound but Im doing it.
Happens to the best of is. Im disappointed. Family crisis has heeled. And thats my story.
So many of my dumb drinking sessions have been spur of the moment exactly as you described! Hope the family crises is OK now and glad you stopped drinking,sometimes it's soooooo hard to stop once we've started
For sure! We have all dived head first into a bottle when life gets unbearable. The trick is to get back out of that bottle and keep trying.
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@RubyRed427, Ms. Hirons lists smoking, sun, and sugar as the three big culprits as far as skin ageing, but she puts alcohol right up there with them, and would certainly put excessive alcohol even higher on the list. I remember hearing Jennifer Lopez give the reason she doesn't drink--that it's disastrous for your skin. She's a pretty good advertisement for sobriety as far as the skin goes.6
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WOW. I just read something on the Sober School blog that stopped me in my tracks. A person was lamenting drinking during her kid's childhoods and setting a poor example etc. She had gotten sober but still felt badly. Kate said, "The best apology for the past is in changed behavior". I LOVE and I need to remember this. How many times I had said or done something while drunk that I regretted terribly the next day? Way too many. But when we change our behavior (by living sober in this case) we show others that we are sincere in our desire to be better people (and spouse, friend, parent etc.)7
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109 days AF and still loving it 😍
Had a few 'uncomfortable' moments when I have thought about "never drinking again....." oh my god, that thought can really whip up my emotional response, and a feeling of "what do you mean, you won't drink on HOLIDAY ? So what, your really never gona drink again ??" Then I'm hit with a little wave of nostalgia.
But I know its a fantasy land that doesn't exist in reality. Most of my drinking days were spent in a deep state of denial, after all. So it makes sense that I might look back on it as if it was serene, joyful and happy time. Reality was I was the slave to wine with an insatiable appetite chasing something that didn't exist. Or if it DID ever exist, it only lasted for moments followed by nightmarish days recovering and detoxing. Looking at alcohol as a drug has really helped as well. I'm more glad and grateful these days that I'm off it, rather than pine after it. I do not want that substance to ever rule me again.
(But the thought of my first holiday abroad 100% sober does feel a bit challenging. We are booked for dominican republic January 2022 so by then I should only feel more confident).7 -
I had a craving today and popped one of the granddaughters' lollipops in my mouth and ate it slowly. By the time I was done, the craving had passed. I will definitely keep these on hand. Just a few calories as well.5
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