The Sober Squad- Alcohol Free Living

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  • lorrainequiche59
    lorrainequiche59 Posts: 900 Member
    So glad to see such encouraging comments...I love this thread and am so thankful for all of the support and encouragement we receive from each other. <3

    Welcome @Aporia1983...you are in a good spot. Happy that you found us!

    Hoping everyone who is attending Superbowl functions this weekend have success sticking to your goals.
  • lorrainequiche59
    lorrainequiche59 Posts: 900 Member
    Hope y'all are doing swell!! I'm getting bored with my comments lol Please help me out. It's been real quiet here the past week. :(
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    lorrainequiche59 wrote: »
    Hope y'all are doing swell!! I'm getting bored with my comments lol Please help me out. It's been real quiet here the past week. :(

    I'm with you 😭 I wish it was action packed over here I miss those days Lorraine! Hope everyone is doing good and sticking to their goals,I recently found out I'm anemic so I've been working on getting my ferritin level up,it's harder than I thought it would be and here I thought by staying off booze I'd have better health but there's no way I'd make my health worse by picking up again,no way Jose 😁
  • eahrenee
    eahrenee Posts: 154 Member
    RubyRed427 wrote: »
    I have not been totally sober these days. I am on a wheel that I can't get off. I go for many days without drinking and then I have this compulsion to drink. My counselor says we need to find an alternative for "day four" for me which is typically the day I feel the greatest pull to drink.

    I don't have a single drop of alcohol in my home and that is most of the time my saving grace. I am getting so much better defeating this addiction but have not quite kicked it yet. My counselor says I have to stop being so hard on myself.


    If you are able to, try going for a hike, maybe with a friend, when you feel the urge to drink.
  • Ke22yB
    Ke22yB Posts: 969 Member
    @RubyRed427 Its been a long time since I have felt the pull to have a drink and I am not as regimented as I was in the beginning, but I found planning early morning exercise or projects helped me forego the drinks in the evening. I started running in my 60s and my 7 AM runs mandated no drinks the night before. We vacation in Florida and I am in the pool swimming laps for an hour every morning when it opens at 7 and then I run. As a 70s plus I am too tired at night to drink :*
    Generally my point if you have something you do every morning a fitness tape a run an early aerobics class it helps you forego the drinks the night before.
    I just turned 72 and a good friend who considers himself a moderate drinker asked me " what would you give up to have an occasional drink?" I wouldn't give up my health my running or swimming my check ups where my Drs come in and say everything is good. I have prioritized my life and alcohol just didn't make the list as things to do. You are considerately younger than I am and my only regret is having waited till I was 60 to regain my life.
    You can do this and your counselor is right if you are doing great 85% of time focus on that and not the 15% of the time you might have a slip
  • lorrainequiche59
    lorrainequiche59 Posts: 900 Member
    @eahrenee Good plan!!

    @RubyRed427 I think that sometimes we can get stuck in the, "I want a drink" phase and that can consume us. I'm not suggesting that is true for everyone though. I was just thinking if that IS the case then if we could just go one step further & ask ourselves, "Why do I want a drink?" and have a plan to counteract that desire. Even writing down the reasons why we want to drink and then an alternative to having the drink. "I'm Bored" was one of mine & some alternatives that worked for me was calling a friend, going to visit a friend or anything else that kicked me out of that moment where I felt like I might cave to the crave. Writing a plan down in advance can be a powerful tool, and having it somewhere that we can consult it when the crave hits can mean the difference for us. One of the most helpful tools for me though was to go to Craig Beck or Annie Grace to remind myself of why I do not want to get on the elevator again. Love that analogy btw. And please never underestimate how honestly sharing our struggles with each other is one of the biggest tools to help each other.

    When we struggle it means we are still fighting!! You WILL win this fight! Sending you hugs <3

    ,
    Ke22yB wrote: »
    You can do this and your counselor is right if you are doing great 85% of time focus on that and not the 15% of the time you might have a slip

  • lorrainequiche59
    lorrainequiche59 Posts: 900 Member
    @Whitpauly I can relate to anemia. I struggled for a couple of years with hemoglobin issues and it does take a while to build your levels up again, but you will. Just think, If you were still drinking, it would just make it more difficult...you are giving your body the best chance at healing with each 24 !! You are doing awesome btw! And I like how you keep it simple. <3
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    It's awful Lorraine, even now it's TOM and I just feel drained, I have a doc appointment on Tuesday I wonder what they're gonna say, I feel tons of resentment toward them cuz I've been dealing with these symptoms for years but when I'd ask for tests they'd only run a basic panel, it took me going to an independent lab for allergy tests and I decided to get my ferritin level tested on my own cuz I just knew something wasn't right, I just shouldn't feel too exhausted to cook dinner some days, anyways ferritin is at an 8 which is very low, anyhoo I always blamed my fatigue on drinking and kept thinking the longer I stay sober the better if feel, nope, I often wonder if the drinking made my iron low, cuz I know it strips everything out especially with the digestion problems it causes me, 6:39 am in Vegas another 24 💖 hope everyone is doing well!
  • lorrainequiche59
    lorrainequiche59 Posts: 900 Member
    Welcome @Bari_Tone Congrats on Day 3 ~ Your sleep will improve as you stay AF ~

    @WhitPauly I took a natural liquid iron supplement I bought at the Health Food store...the pharmaceutical version has very high iron and our bodies can only absorb a fraction of what is in the pharmacy brand. So the excess iron gets stored in our bodies (not good) and can cause digestive issues such as constipation. The liquid natural brand does not mess with your digestion. Also, iron is absorbed much better with Vitamin C, so eat something high in Vit C when you consume foods with iron...the natural supplement has Vit C in it tool. You likely googled it and know all this, but wanted to share what helped me. I feel for you cause I remember the fatigue...it was very discouraging. You will recover, it may take a bit of time though. It took me a couple of months before I really noticed any difference. Hope this helps you.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,410 Member
    Hi Friends, thanks for your kind words recently. <3 I love coming on here and baring my soul, good or bad, I feel safe to do that. :) I had a good weekend and good Monday. I had acupuncture this evening; whenever I go, I feel so good afterwards. Opening that chi and letting it flow. I think I may have fallen asleep on the table because I was so relaxed during it.
    @Bari_Tone Light sleep is normal. I think it could take a few weeks to get into a normal sleep cycle. Getting that alcohol out of the system takes time.
    @whitpauly Sorry the iron deficiency is such a problem but good news is you finally have a solution.
    @lorrainequiche59 Yes, sometimes I am bored. I like your ideas. Thanks for sharing!
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,410 Member
    eahrenee wrote: »
    RubyRed427 wrote: »
    I have not been totally sober these days. I am on a wheel that I can't get off. I go for many days without drinking and then I have this compulsion to drink. My counselor says we need to find an alternative for "day four" for me which is typically the day I feel the greatest pull to drink.

    I don't have a single drop of alcohol in my home and that is most of the time my saving grace. I am getting so much better defeating this addiction but have not quite kicked it yet. My counselor says I have to stop being so hard on myself.


    If you are able to, try going for a hike, maybe with a friend, when you feel the urge to drink.

    Thanks for the tips! xo


  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,410 Member
    Ke22yB wrote: »
    @RubyRed427 Its been a long time since I have felt the pull to have a drink and I am not as regimented as I was in the beginning, but I found planning early morning exercise or projects helped me forego the drinks in the evening. I started running in my 60s and my 7 AM runs mandated no drinks the night before. We vacation in Florida and I am in the pool swimming laps for an hour every morning when it opens at 7 and then I run. As a 70s plus I am too tired at night to drink :*
    Generally my point if you have something you do every morning a fitness tape a run an early aerobics class it helps you forego the drinks the night before.
    I just turned 72 and a good friend who considers himself a moderate drinker asked me " what would you give up to have an occasional drink?" I wouldn't give up my health my running or swimming my check ups where my Drs come in and say everything is good. I have prioritized my life and alcohol just didn't make the list as things to do. You are considerately younger than I am and my only regret is having waited till I was 60 to regain my life.
    You can do this and your counselor is right if you are doing great 85% of time focus on that and not the 15% of the time you might have a slip

    My counselor says the same thing.. arrange something that I will look forward to the next day and drinking won't fit in with that goal. I email the counselor every day and she always responds. I also have been writing down five things I'm grateful for every day. I like when you said you prioritized your life.
  • salleewins
    salleewins Posts: 2,308 Member
    RubyRed427 wrote: »
    I have not been totally sober these days. I am on a wheel that I can't get off. I go for many days without drinking and then I have this compulsion to drink. My counselor says we need to find an alternative for "day four" for me which is typically the day I feel the greatest pull to drink.

    I don't have a single drop of alcohol in my home and that is most of the time my saving grace. I am getting so much better defeating this addiction but have not quite kicked it yet. My counselor says I have to stop being so hard on myself.


    Hi. Your counselor sounds wise. We have behaviors like being hard on one self that we can't live up to and often that leads to drinking. I have that perfectionist bent. You have been so busy you might be getting tired. You do sound like you are doing a great job at working on sobriety!!
  • salleewins
    salleewins Posts: 2,308 Member
    whitpauly wrote: »
    It's awful Lorraine, even now it's TOM and I just feel drained, I have a doc appointment on Tuesday I wonder what they're gonna say, I feel tons of resentment toward them cuz I've been dealing with these symptoms for years but when I'd ask for tests they'd only run a basic panel, it took me going to an independent lab for allergy tests and I decided to get my ferritin level tested on my own cuz I just knew something wasn't right, I just shouldn't feel too exhausted to cook dinner some days, anyways ferritin is at an 8 which is very low, anyhoo I always blamed my fatigue on drinking and kept thinking the longer I stay sober the better if feel, nope, I often wonder if the drinking made my iron low, cuz I know it strips everything out especially with the digestion problems it causes me, 6:39 am in Vegas another 24 💖 hope everyone is doing well!

    Drinking has made my iron on the low side. Drinking strips the b vitamins and I believe we need B12 to help with the iron levels. Also B12 helps with the energy. I have started taking iron every day with the B's. The same thing happens at my Dr's.They neglect & forget many things. I really have even wanting someone new. Maybe you, too as we have to watch the resentments? I have learned that I can't afford a resentment or lingering anger as the average person.
  • salleewins
    salleewins Posts: 2,308 Member
    Hi. Everyone. Working at being self disciplined in many areas. Also making sure I have fun planned in. You all I working hard I see and not giving up. Me, either. I love all the recent new ideas since I checked in last. Keep going. I believe alcoholism is progressive even if you take breaks of it. I have heard a lot of stories on blackouts lately. One lady was arrested and came out of the blackout to find she was in a jail cell in handcuffs, not knowing if she had killed someone driving or what.
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    RubyRed427 wrote: »
    Ke22yB wrote: »
    @RubyRed427 Its been a long time since I have felt the pull to have a drink and I am not as regimented as I was in the beginning, but I found planning early morning exercise or projects helped me forego the drinks in the evening. I started running in my 60s and my 7 AM runs mandated no drinks the night before. We vacation in Florida and I am in the pool swimming laps for an hour every morning when it opens at 7 and then I run. As a 70s plus I am too tired at night to drink :*
    Generally my point if you have something you do every morning a fitness tape a run an early aerobics class it helps you forego the drinks the night before.
    I just turned 72 and a good friend who considers himself a moderate drinker asked me " what would you give up to have an occasional drink?" I wouldn't give up my health my running or swimming my check ups where my Drs come in and say everything is good. I have prioritized my life and alcohol just didn't make the list as things to do. You are considerately younger than I am and my only regret is having waited till I was 60 to regain my life.
    You can do this and your counselor is right if you are doing great 85% of time focus on that and not the 15% of the time you might have a slip

    My counselor says the same thing.. arrange something that I will look forward to the next day and drinking won't fit in with that goal. I email the counselor every day and she always responds. I also have been writing down five things I'm grateful for every day. I like when you said you prioritized your life.

    Yep,I always try to plan something happy even if it's a marathon of my fave show🤷 buying myself a small treat things like that,hubs and I were talking about addiction last night and I told him you hafta be happy just "being" and be happy with your own company,it took me a looooong time to get to that,idle time used to make me so darn edgy I'd drink to avoid it, Loraine I bought some blackstrap mollasses supposed to be good,I also wish Peri would pass so I wouldn't have the heavy bleeds to deal with 😤 I think that would help alot,have a nice day all💗
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    salleewins wrote: »
    whitpauly wrote: »
    It's awful Lorraine, even now it's TOM and I just feel drained, I have a doc appointment on Tuesday I wonder what they're gonna say, I feel tons of resentment toward them cuz I've been dealing with these symptoms for years but when I'd ask for tests they'd only run a basic panel, it took me going to an independent lab for allergy tests and I decided to get my ferritin level tested on my own cuz I just knew something wasn't right, I just shouldn't feel too exhausted to cook dinner some days, anyways ferritin is at an 8 which is very low, anyhoo I always blamed my fatigue on drinking and kept thinking the longer I stay sober the better if feel, nope, I often wonder if the drinking made my iron low, cuz I know it strips everything out especially with the digestion problems it causes me, 6:39 am in Vegas another 24 💖 hope everyone is doing well!

    Drinking has made my iron on the low side. Drinking strips the b vitamins and I believe we need B12 to help with the iron levels. Also B12 helps with the energy. I have started taking iron every day with the B's. The same thing happens at my Dr's.They neglect & forget many things. I really have even wanting someone new. Maybe you, too as we have to watch the resentments? I have learned that I can't afford a resentment or lingering anger as the average person.

    I don't have insurance so I go to the Native American clinic we have available as tribal members and while I'm grateful to at least have that I know their budget is small and I also know that alot of them are P.A's so I'm sure they do the best they can,I should have been more involved in my previous lab panels but tbh I was still drinking here and there last time and I just was wondering about my liver mostly not much else🙄
  • SunnyDays930
    SunnyDays930 Posts: 1,577 Member
    Welcome, @stephanne13. I hope you recover from your injury soon. Please continue to check in with us and let us know how you are doing. My mother broke her ankle in 3 places a few years ago and I remember it was a real ordeal for her. I feel for you!
  • SunnyDays930
    SunnyDays930 Posts: 1,577 Member
    @lloydrt Thank you for your kind comments. I appreciate them.

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