Haven't touched a drop in...

enoughalready · 14-04-2014 09:02PM

Thanks Marienbad - listening and soaking it all up like a sponge at present, can really identify a lot and even stuff I never even considered myself to be a problem or an issue has surfaced and I can see a lot of bad habits I am doing through other people's stories. It really is a great place to be 'present' in. You can learn so much in that one hour!

enoughalready · 14-04-2014 09:06PM

Thanks KeefF - I am not following the steps either yet as still in the early stages but want to soon, need to get my hands on the big book as well for guidance. I'm quite shy in meetings but after a while, I'm sure that'll slowly recede once I become more integrated.

Diablo Verde · 16-04-2014 07:17AM

5 months today

my life has changed a lot since I made that decision. Confidence levels, are sky high, and I'm doing something that I'd wanted to do, but had been putting off, for years. Just finishing off a month-long course in teaching English and then I'm moving to Spain at the end of the month. Bring it on!

beano345 · 16-04-2014 05:14PM

Diablo Verde wrote: »

5 months today my life has changed a lot since I made that decision. Confidence levels, are sky high, and I'm doing something that I'd wanted to do, but had been putting off, for years. Just finishing off a month-long course in teaching English and then I'm moving to Spain at the end of the month. Bring it on!

Is it a TEFL course?I'm thinking of doing something like that myself congrats on the 5 month mark

Diablo Verde · 16-04-2014 05:20PM

Yeah it's the Cambridge CELTA COURSE. Takes a month and it's VERY intensive, but also very satisfying.

beano345 wrote: »

Is it a TEFL course?I'm thinking of doing something like that myself congrats on the 5 month mark

beano345 · 16-04-2014 05:22PM

Diablo Verde wrote: »

Yeah it's the Cambridge CELTA COURSE. Takes a month and it's VERY intensive, but also very satisfying.

About to start looking into it is that the one you can do on line?

enoughalready · 16-04-2014 09:22PM

I poured a litre of Vodka down the sink this evening in front of family members to show how serious I am about never drinking again. By their facial expressions you'd swear they were worried I was 'on something', but I just felt I needed to rid the house from it (*I did buy it after all - like 5 months ago!). Felt liberating to do. I just told them its the root of all evil in my life and needs to go!

Feeling very frustrated today - like I have hundreds of thoughts and emotions and I can't express myself properly. ****ty day but sure maybe tomorrow will be better

Diablo Verde · 17-04-2014 07:31AM

Take a look at the international house Dublin website. Think they offer fulltime, part-time and online options.

beano345 wrote: »

About to start looking into it is that the one you can do on line?

Sunnyisland · 17-04-2014 09:00AM

enoughalready wrote: »

I poured a litre of Vodka down the sink this evening in front of family members to show how serious I am about never drinking again. By their facial expressions you'd swear they were worried I was 'on something', but I just felt I needed to rid the house from it (*I did buy it after all - like 5 months ago!). Felt liberating to do. I just told them its the root of all evil in my life and needs to go!

Feeling very frustrated today - like I have hundreds of thoughts and emotions and I can't express myself properly. ****ty day but sure maybe tomorrow will be better

Good for you enoughalready, that was a great mental challallge you got over, We all need to remember just be cause we are getting alcohol free does not make the world we live in any prettier,but it does give us a much clearer stronger and more postive mindset in which to deal with it,unlike before when we hid our problems behind a bottle or glass.

It's also fantastic to see the progress people here are making well done to one and all :-)

quinrea01 · 17-04-2014 08:45PM

enoughalready wrote: »

I poured a litre of Vodka down the sink this evening in front of family members to show how serious I am about never drinking again. By their facial expressions you'd swear they were worried I was 'on something', but I just felt I needed to rid the house from it (*I did buy it after all - like 5 months ago!). Felt liberating to do. I just told them its the root of all evil in my life and needs to go!

Feeling very frustrated today - like I have hundreds of thoughts and emotions and I can't express myself properly. ****ty day but sure maybe tomorrow will be better

Well done enoughalready, that was a major leap in the right direction. Now just take it all one day at a time and above all, be kind to yourself. By that I mean allow your mind to rest. You may have some mixed messages and unsettling thoughts racing through your head until you start to feel dizzy. Slow everything down and take time out to just sit quietly on your own for a while and take stock of where you are today and where you hope to be tomorrow. It will all come right in the end as long as you keep focused on your sobriety and don't allow outside influences to derail your onward journey. Best wishes to you.

enoughalready · 17-04-2014 10:22PM

Thanks quinrea01 (",)

IrishSkyBoxer · 23-04-2014 10:47AM

I have had a long battle with alcohol over the past number of years, sort of started cutting back the last few years but still had relapses.

Tomorrow I will be exactly one year sober. The longest period of sobriety I have ever endured. What an achievement. There was a couple of years in my life when I was drunk more times in the week than sober. In some regards it means everything to me, in others it means nothing. I don't ever want a drink again. Life is too good without it.

I have honestly never felt better in every single facet of my life -mentally, physically, emotionally. I can put my hand on my heart and say that I truly love life and love waking up every single day. Breaking free from the curse of alcohol has been the greatest gift I have ever given myself.

Rather poignantly, tomorrow I will also be starting my final year medicine exams. There was a period initially when I started the course that I might not make it through, predominantly due to too much partying and not enough studying. Thankfully I hit the drink on the head and turned things around. Fingers crossed that I pass, I will be a doctor in a few short weeks. Not a bad way to start the rest of my life, substance free. Your prayers would be appreciated.

Amazingfun · 23-04-2014 12:01PM

The longest period of sobriety I have ever endured.

lol, only hope the next year doesn't seem something to be endured

Well done!

xzanti · 23-04-2014 03:58PM

Wow congratulations IrishSkyBoxer!!!!

Best of luck in those exams

quinrea01 · 23-04-2014 09:29PM

IrishSkyBoxer wrote: »

I have had a long battle with alcohol over the past number of years, sort of started cutting back the last few years but still had relapses.

Tomorrow I will be exactly one year sober. The longest period of sobriety I have ever endured. What an achievement. There was a couple of years in my life when I was drunk more times in the week than sober. In some regards it means everything to me, in others it means nothing. I don't ever want a drink again. Life is too good without it.

I have honestly never felt better in every single facet of my life -mentally, physically, emotionally. I can put my hand on my heart and say that I truly love life and love waking up every single day. Breaking free from the curse of alcohol has been the greatest gift I have ever given myself.

Rather poignantly, tomorrow I will also be starting my final year medicine exams. There was a period initially when I started the course that I might not make it through, predominantly due to too much partying and not enough studying. Thankfully I hit the drink on the head and turned things around. Fingers crossed that I pass, I will be a doctor in a few short weeks. Not a bad way to start the rest of my life, substance free. Your prayers would be appreciated.

Well, ISB, that is one of the most honest and touching posts that I have read on this site in a long time. You do indeed have my prayers and best wishes for the future and I am certain many others also wish you nothing but the best. Congrats on your one year sober. I know what it must mean to you as I struggled for a long time to reach that particular milestone, and when I did, it meant the world to me. I hope all goes well with the medical exams and that you have a happy, peaceful and sober life.

KeefF · 24-04-2014 03:48PM

IrishSkyBoxer wrote: »

I have had a long battle with alcohol over the past number of years, sort of started cutting back the last few years but still had relapses.

Tomorrow I will be exactly one year sober. The longest period of sobriety I have ever endured. What an achievement. There was a couple of years in my life when I was drunk more times in the week than sober. In some regards it means everything to me, in others it means nothing. I don't ever want a drink again. Life is too good without it.

I have honestly never felt better in every single facet of my life -mentally, physically, emotionally. I can put my hand on my heart and say that I truly love life and love waking up every single day. Breaking free from the curse of alcohol has been the greatest gift I have ever given myself.

Rather poignantly, tomorrow I will also be starting my final year medicine exams. There was a period initially when I started the course that I might not make it through, predominantly due to too much partying and not enough studying. Thankfully I hit the drink on the head and turned things around. Fingers crossed that I pass, I will be a doctor in a few short weeks. Not a bad way to start the rest of my life, substance free. Your prayers would be appreciated.

Really well done. You are an inspiration. I have spent the last 3 days sabotaging 3 months of sobriety through ego, vanity and fear. I have to start again but you indeed have my prayers.

souls · 24-04-2014 08:20PM

KeefF wrote: »

Really well done. You are an inspiration. I have spent the last 3 days sabotaging 3 months of sobriety through ego, vanity and fear. I have to start again but you indeed have my prayers.

I hope your ok KeefF..Don't beat yourself up over this..you've shown great strength. Im delighted to hear that you will get back on the saddle straight away,that's a sign of your strength right there!

maybe you can share what led to relapse? fear is something i struggle with daily..

KeefF · 24-04-2014 10:03PM

souls wrote: »

I hope your ok KeefF..Don't beat yourself up over this..you've shown great strength. Im delighted to hear that you will get back on the saddle straight away,that's a sign of your strength right there!

maybe you can share what led to relapse? fear is something i struggle with daily..

If I'm honest it was building up for a few days. I wasn't doing any meditating and had not been sharing at AA meetings even though I had been to 4 meetings in the days up to last Sunday. I just seem to have a problem at meetings - by that I mean sharing. There are people their that can talk for Ireland and even though I've been going for months I can't. I really need to try and get myself a sponsor to walk me through the steps in an honest way. But my old defects of ego and vanity are what drive me out. I've been doing loads in the gym and eating really well. I think I was looking for some validation???? I was at a family dinner on Sunday and they all went their separate ways and I was heading home alone. This gave me the opportunity to feel sorry for myself and resentful. Fast forward 3 days and I had done XXXXX - all the same things I have been doing for years. So I'll start again and hopefully this time something different will change.

fro9etb8j5qsl2 · 29-04-2014 11:44PM

KeefF wrote: »

If I'm honest it was building up for a few days. I wasn't doing any meditating and had not been sharing at AA meetings even though I had been to 4 meetings in the days up to last Sunday. I just seem to have a problem at meetings - by that I mean sharing. There are people their that can talk for Ireland and even though I've been going for months I can't. I really need to try and get myself a sponsor to walk me through the steps in an honest way. But my old defects of ego and vanity are what drive me out. I've been doing loads in the gym and eating really well. I think I was looking for some validation???? I was at a family dinner on Sunday and they all went their separate ways and I was heading home alone. This gave me the opportunity to feel sorry for myself and resentful. Fast forward 3 days and I had done XXXXX - all the same things I have been doing for years. So I'll start again and hopefully this time something different will change.

If you're finding it hard to share at meetings, maybe you might consider having some one to one counselling with someone trained in addiction studies? I've never been to aa (it's just not my kind of thing) but I did go to a lovely therapist to help me with my drink problem and I found it excellent. Along with talking things through, identifying triggers and acknowledging emotions etc, she also taught me about mindfulness and self awareness.
Thankfully, I have been alcohol free for over a year and I owe it all to her.

Corvo · 30-04-2014 12:21PM

Onto my third week!

souls · 30-04-2014 07:54PM

70 Days BOOM!

enoughalready · 01-05-2014 03:36PM

Day 150

5 Month milestone

...hard work...but defo worth it!

05-05-2014 07:25PM

I'm doing some searches for inspiration from the experiences of people who successfully gave up alcohol and Fergal Keane's (BBC journalist) story is particularly poignant, and widely covered online. Actually The Guardian's entire interview with him on 3 March 2005 is well worth reading (I can't link here).

In it Keane says 'A combination of fear that he would be found out and lose his job and worries about the effect on his family - his son Daniel was born in 1996 - forced him to seek help and he quit drinking in June 1999. "I only told the Beeb when the crunch point came," he recalls. "I came back from a trip to Spain and I rang my direct boss and said words to the effect of, 'I'm in real, real trouble, I need some time off.' It was a year before I was comfortable with being sober, not feeling edgy around booze. But I haven't touched a drop since. I wouldn't be here if I had, let me tell you."'

That bold sentence is the sort of perspective and solace I'm looking for: this "edgy" feeling will go away. I'm off drink since New Year's Day this year and just survived the mother of all parties last weekend without drinking anything other than Coke Zero. I still have that "edgy" feeling, as Keane puts it. I just can't relax being sober around drink. Does anybody know the science behind that?

05-05-2014 07:27PM

Would anybody have other recommendations for inspirational personal stories similar to Fergal Keane's of how people have overcome their addiction to alcohol?

souls · 05-05-2014 08:10PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Would anybody have other recommendations for inspirational personal stories similar to Fergal Keane's of how people have overcome their addiction to alcohol?

Well done Anamcheasta! 5 months! you're doing the inspirational stuff yourself! don't forget that!

Corvo · 06-05-2014 12:16PM

This is my fourth week and I think I'm starting to lose my mind. Becoming extremely irritable and extremely sick.

haveabanana · 06-05-2014 01:31PM

Corvo wrote: »

This is my fourth week and I think I'm starting to lose my mind. Becoming extremely irritable and extremely sick.

It will get better, I felt awful for large parts of the first month.

marienbad · 06-05-2014 01:37PM

Corvo wrote: »

This is my fourth week and I think I'm starting to lose my mind. Becoming extremely irritable and extremely sick.

Just hang in there , do what ever it takes to divert your mind , physical activity can be a great help. It will get better

Corvo · 06-05-2014 04:10PM

marienbad wrote: »

Just hang in there , do what ever it takes to divert your mind , physical activity can be a great help. It will get better

Trying my best but I'm so ill and what I used spend on drink I have now blown on doctors and prescriptions.

Honestly, this is the lowest I have been in a long time.

marienbad · 06-05-2014 05:27PM

Corvo wrote: »

Trying my best but I'm so ill and what I used spend on drink I have now blown on doctors and prescriptions.

Honestly, this is the lowest I have been in a long time.

Is the illness related to withdrawal from alcohol ? If it is then you simply must press on . It will get better

Haven't touched a drop in...

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