Thank you so much for your support. I made it through, hot bath helped. You know what? I can’t believe how my addicted brain is trying to trick me! You know the voice in your head, what it is telling me is just unbelievable…
3 days ago:
‘Well you feel so good being sober so it was a good decision, I agree you should stay sober for the rest of your life, today get drunk just one last time to say goodbye to your drunk life and from tomorrow off you go live happily sober after.’
3 hours ago after I posted here and nobody responded straight away:
‘There you go, nobody wants to listen to your winging, who do you think you are anyway trying to be sober?’
Honestly!!! I feel like I am possessed sometimes lol
The battle that goes on in the mind can be so exhausting! Glad you pulled through a tough time
I’ll say it a bit louder for the people in the back: if you need an immediate response, please mention that in your message(s) and people will prioritize accordingly. We all have irl to deal with but don’t want urgent needs for help to fall between the cracks
The light is always on, someone is usually around. Never hesitate to start a fresh thread saying, ‘help me I feel weak I need you’…someone will be there.
That daily checkin thread I told you about on my second post is a great thread for possibly quicker responses. And you can read what others might be struggling with too. And many people with your similar story. Maybe check it out. You don’t have to post if you don’t want to.
That addict brain will start screaming more and more before it settles down. Great job reaching out and putting it out here.
That mind is so crazy indeed! Don’t listen to them lies! you are doing fantastic on staying sober and not listening to the lies. You are important and you matter and you will have a happier healthier life in sobriety
If you ever do feel super shaky in your journey and need support please just come and type “help” on teh Checking in daily to maintain focus #71
A huge congrats on your 1 week!
I have those internal conversations with my drinking self too. Sometimes it feels like I am 2 people - sober self and drinking self. Sometimes it takes sober self raising her voice and very firmly saying out loud, “NO - you do NOT have permission” to make drinking self go away. My neighbor must think I am nuts. When it gets really hard, I get on here and read while I wait for the next online AA meeting to come on. That always works. I don’t care who thinks what, as long as sober self keeps winning these arguments.
You are doing such a great job of staying sober. I used to have a member of staff who cried quite a bit when she wasn’t getting what she wanted. It would make her colleagues come to me and tell me that she was upset and crying. I am not proud of it but one day another manager came to tell me that “poor Hannah*” was crying. I snapped and said that it was fine she could cry if she wanted, as long as she carried on working while she did it. Thats how I feel about this, we can cry if we want to as long as we carry on being sober while we do it!
(*not her real name)
Thank you guys xxx I will remember to text ‘help’ next time I need it, you are amazing. 8 days sober xxx
Folks have suggested writing out the motivations, both positive and negative, for staying sober, and posting them in the bathroom, on your computer, in the car etc. That way, when your sneaky brain starts slipping in some contrary logic, you can refer back to your truth. And shut that voice down in the blink of an eye!
Thank you @Sticky yes, absolutely. It is hard work to start with, I can’t wait to establish new habits and ways I react to things. Right now everything seems to be a trigger, my today’s visit to hairdressers (which was to be a treat for being 1 week sober)made me feel so good that I wanted to buy wine on my way back home! Why? Probably because thats what my old me would have done, and did many times. Any emotions good or bad seem to be associated with alcohol.
Journal here is a massive help, answering questions and being honest with yourself, but also seeing how much damage has been done is so eye opening.
Stay strong my friend xxx
Yes, you feel ok and then boom!!! About 3 years ago I stayed sober for 111 days which was the longest in 10 years, and then I convinced myself that celebrating Easter with some wine can be safe one off. Well, I lived I learned!
How many days of this amazing journey for you?
Yes, me too, and I believe it will be different this time as I never really talked to anyone about it before, not on everyday basis, and not to people who experienced it and truly understand. 10 days is so VERY GOOD, please keep me updated everyday, we can do it xxx
Same here again, every relapse felt worse, to the point that I am actually scared to relapse again now. I mean it is not easy to be sober, at least not yet, but so much worse is to wake up hangover paralysed by debilitating anxiety…
Stressful day for me tomorrow, my cat’s dental surgery… I mean I know she will be in good hands… but I also know that my old self would reward herself (for being so very caring and responsible and stressed cat owner lol) with a bottle of wine in the evening, after everything is sorted and the cat is sleeping peacefully on the sofa
Yeah x and you know what? lets be honest, if I wasn’t sober over the last week I don’t think I would be able to focus enough to deal with the insurance company to pay for her surgery, which I did and they agreed to cover it
Hi I’m ok! How about you?
What a day!!! My little girl back home after the surgery, recovering now, she did well, but gave the vets really hard time, now she is looking at me like it was all my fault
Needless to say that craving for alcohol today was massive, the devil brain was like screaming at me, it even suggested to cancel this App (since ‘Im not really that bad’ and as ‘life is too short’ etc) madness!!! And I owe you Sticky, I opened the App and you asked how I am today, and that was exactly what I needed, I wanted to be able to tell you that I am ok and still strong. Thank you for that. Almost midnight here so I made it again
Great to hear shes ok, our furbabies are so precious to us arent they
And you made it through sober, you are doing amazingly well