New Alcohol self help

feelinggood_2

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Congratulations on achieving your first "birthday". I'm on 28 days and it's going very well. My habit is well and truly broken. Need to wean myself off fizzy pop now :rolleyes: .

I'm afraid I don't quite understand your second paragraph - could you clarify? (but only if you want to).

To me, sobreity is about more than not drinking. If I use anything to change how I feel or to numb emotions, I'm not sober. I've not been sober this part year as I've still being using things to fill that hole. Its been 5 months since I abused food, 1 month since I self-harmed and a couple of days since I overdosed. Only when I'm not doing any of those things am I sober. Drinking isn't my problem - my head is the problem and I've got to fix that, otherwise I won't stay drink free or ever get happy.

Bogof_Babe

Oh I see. Thank you for that very honest reply, and I wish you all the luck and strength in the world to continue with your good progress. You sound like a very brave person (sorry, not sure if you are M or F). I will be rooting for you.

brodev

FEELIE well done. I know what you mean about sobriety and it's definitions. If you look it up in a dictionary you can get lots of meanings. According to the dictionary it is even possible to be sober and have alcohol. There is 1 definition that applies to me and that is "freedom from alcohol". As far as I am concerned you tell me that you have been free from alcohol for 1 year. That means to me that you have been SOBER for 1 year.
CONGRATULATIONS. I'll say that again CONGRATULATIONS.
For me , it was only by staying sober that I was able to recognise and work on my other character defects. Again for me this took time. As I turned one corner another appeared. One of the things that was suggested to me was that I remembered, that in this journey it is not the "getting there" but the "journey" itself that was important. When I questioned this I was told that when I "arrived" I would be dead. I was alive in the journey and it was down to me to make that journey as happy and joyful as possible. I wish you God speed on your journey and I hope that you can make it happier by being a bit easier on yourself and by recognising you achievements.
Again CONGRATULATIONS

suki1964

A lovely post brodev. Thats put into words my life since I put down the bottle

Thankyou

shazrobo

congratulations to feeling good on reaching your first birthday.
to bogofbabe, hiphouse, brodev, suki, thankyou all for your support and encouragement, you are all doing so well
onto day 9 of being sober now.
big hugs to all
shaz x

annapantscats

brodev wrote: »

FEELIE well done. I know what you mean about sobriety and it's definitions. If you look it up in a dictionary you can get lots of meanings. According to the dictionary it is even possible to be sober and have alcohol. There is 1 definition that applies to me and that is "freedom from alcohol". As far as I am concerned you tell me that you have been free from alcohol for 1 year. That means to me that you have been SOBER for 1 year.

:T Well said Brodev!!

Lets have none of this 'I felt rubbish today, ate a Mars bar to cheer myself up and am therefore not sober' nonesense. None of us are perfect, and never will be, so if we are striving for a life totally devoid of anything that changes how we feel we are doomed to failure.
I isolate. I smoke. I drink stupid amounts of coffee. I occassionaly self harm when things get very tough. I buy things I dont need, simply to cheer myself up. Etc etc etc........But I havent had a drink for over 6 years. So I have been sober for over 6 years. Simple as that.
Feelinggood.....go easy on yourself hun. You have done an amazing thing. Pat yourself on the back sweetheart, dont beat yourself up!!! :kisses3:

[Deleted User]

Good to hear from everyone.

Feelinggood - congratulations on your first year sober. One day at a time may you continue your life journey without alcohol.

I understand what you say, but agree with Brodev and Suki - you have been a year sober, obviously a milestone or you wouldn't have mentioned it, so don't complicate it - just pat yourself on the back for the path you have taken and continue to take.

All lessons learned over the last year will support you in dealing with your other issues, just take it easy please. You cannot expect perfection, but you can expect progress - and you've shown us and yourself too (if you can see it) that you have progressed significantly in all areas of your life.

I'm taking one day at a time - a bit stuck, but it's nice to be here and I hope that everyone managed to put their heads on a pillow last night, glad that they had not taken a drink that day. Here's working to the same aim tonight.

Best wishes one and all,
Hiphouse

Glen0000

Hi, I have been drinking every evening (a bottle of wine or 3 or 4 double whiskys) for around 18 months. On Sunday i decided to try and quit drinking during the week as I am worried about my health. The problem is I have been so tierd, despite going to bed at the normal time. Today I over slept till 9am (very rare for me) and was late for work! Is this a normal side effect of cutting down on booze? I feel shattered.

suki1964

Glen0000 wrote: »

Hi, I have been drinking every evening (a bottle of wine or 3 or 4 double whiskys) for around 18 months. On Sunday i decided to try and quit drinking during the week as I am worried about my health. The problem is I have been so tierd, despite going to bed at the normal time. Today I over slept till 9am (very rare for me) and was late for work! Is this a normal side effect of cutting down on booze? I feel shattered.

Yes, very normal. The alcohol you have been consuming has been stopping you getting proper rest, you dont really go through all the sleep stages so now you are detoxing your body will take time to adjust.

Best thing to do for now is to go to bed that little bit earlier and set the alarms to make sure you do get up on time. Try not to adjust your sleep pattern too much and hopefully you will settle back down in a few weeks.

Well done for stopping

shazrobo

well done glen for taking the brave decision to stop drinking.

does anybody else have an oh that seems to be against them stopping drinking?
i ask because my bf keeps saying i will ruin his xmas by not allowing alcohol to come into my house. its my home, he does not live with me, so he has two choices, either stay at his own house and drink, or stay here the odd night and not drink.
what does everyone else think?
shaz x