Sara's Journey

Glad u made it through another day, i use to be organized and meticulous about things in my life i hope to get better at it again straighting out my schedule and sleep patterns. As long as my routine involves sobriety im ok with being a bit mis construed and dis organized a little. Recovery is a key part for me to regaining my regular sleep habits.:grinning::+1: maybe try some sleepy tea or chamomile tea 30 min before bed

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That’s a good point. Love it.
I will have to try the tea idea. I’ve just cut out TV an hour before bed as well. Less blue light. Hopefully it all helps. I need to stop overthinking sleep. Easy to say, harder to do. I’ll get there. I’ve overcome a lot more than figuring out sleep. :v::stuck_out_tongue:

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White noise can help i hear or a fan running with weighted blankey, i have trouble getting to sleep sometimes i meditate, or sometimes use melatonin, seems like theres always a trick for me to get my mind to shut down and just relax. Other times i just have to get so exhausted before i need sleep, but we do figure it out and it should be a happy place where we can get a gud nites sleep, be well rest. Reading books helps me too

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I’ve been using a good track of crickets for my white noise. I wanted to find a thunderstorm track, but couldn’t find one I liked. So thankfully I found the crickets. I’ve been reading “How To Sleep” by Dr.Rafael Pelayo, “prescribed” by my sleep doctor. That also has been helping me get sleepy, not just tired.
Thank you so much for all the good ideas.

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It’s the morning/afternoon of day 3. I’m irritable as all get out. I’m trying so hard to have patience and to be calm, yet I just feel tense, irritable, and rude.
Any suggestions on how to soothe this?
I’ve been asking God to take it from me, trying to get my mind off of any and all of what’s bothering me by just saying “Thank you God” over and over. I can’t calm my mind this morning.
I’ve even been to an AA zoom meeting already this morning which was great. Yet now I sit here feeling like an asshole.

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You’re on day three SaraBeth. Which is great BTW. I love you are so involved with your own process. All I can say is hang in there. Keep going and you will never have to go through this again. Might be a good idea to just go with the flow. Experience what’s happening, feel what your feeling, memorize it, sense it, be present to what is going on with you. It will pass. I remember my first days and weeks and how it felt. Now I don’t miss it at all. I’m actually very glad I don’t have to go out and drink my day or night or both away. No joke. You’re doing great lady. Thanks for being here.

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Thanks so much for the kind encouraging words. I truly appreciate it. I really want it.

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I try and just figure out why i start feeling like that sometimes, maybe its fear or im just being un appreciative. There are people going through worse situations than i am right now so i just remember how fortunate i am to be where im at. Usally it passes pretty quickly and im not too much of an a**. I use to always be angry until i started to untangle the real reason or emotion that made me feel that way.

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I struggle with my anger sometimes. It’s definitely my go to feeling. I recognize anger is just a surface emotion and there’s always an underlying reason. I just don’t always know what it is. Even when I do know what it is, I still feel the anger first and act out with it, leaving me having to apologize.
I need to learn how to feel the anger but express the actual feeling behind the anger. I don’t know how to do that and don’t know where to start. I’d love to learn.

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Hey Sara congrats on day three!!

The emotions can be overwhelming for awhile. I know that I find myself being short and impatient or restless crying from tv shows and the interrupted sleep. Make sure not to be too hard on yourself and like @johnathanlee213 was saying being grateful. For me the best thing is to accept how I feel and to talk with someone. If that’s at my groups or meetings or therapy and here.

Hang in there keep praying and keep reaching out :grin:

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@jonathanlee213 thank you both so much for the wisdom.

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The rest of day three was ok. I was able to calm myself. I slept like crap last night, which isn’t anything new and even if it was, it wouldn’t be surprising. I’m in decent spirits this morning on day four. I’m in more pain than usual this morning, but this too shall pass.
I made a list last night of things I needed to get done today so I can keep busy.
I am not craving alcohol, I still have thoughts of alcohol, but that was my routine. Of course I’m going to think about it. Here’s to another day of trying to stay positive and not be an emotional rollercoaster. (We’ll see if the second part happens) :grimacing:
I hope everyone is having a good day so far.

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Hi @SaraBeth3394
Welcome to the community.
Here’s my copy n paste list I send everyone in their 1st few days. Take from it anything that helps:

Welcome Well done for choosing sobriety.
Here’s a list of tips I’ve put together with the help of other friends on this path. Take from it anything that helps. Above all, stay here…we will help you. You’re in our boat now…the same boat we’re all in. Hope this helps:

1 Read Alcohol Explained by William Porter (you can get audio version from audible)
2 Go to as many aa meetings as you can. Listen, share if you feel OK to, engage, get phone numbers
3 Get busy. Housework, exercise, new hobby, gardening, baking, YouTube rapping, movies…anything. Don’t leave yourself any free time.
4 Be honest with yourself. Why are you stopping, how do you feel…
5 Read Alcohol Explained 2
6 stick to your decision to quit and never doubt or question it. You got it right.
7 If you do ever wobble or get tempted, ask yourself one simple question… What will it add? Will it make a good situation better? Will it make a bad situation better. My years of frequent horrid experiences have shown for me, the answer is it adds nothing and makes nothing better.
8 Stay here, keep reaching out, use your peers’ support and experience
9 help others as soon as you feel you can, even in the very early days. I’m only 13 days and honestly it’s helping me to help you. I can reread my advice to you and then reapply it to my own situation
10 Pray. Doesn’t matter if your not religious or don’t know who or what you’re praying to - I don’t, I could be praying to myself. But I’ve found over the past fortnight that getting on my knees, asking (out loud) for strength, asking for a sober day and then giving thanks for that strength and sobriety has felt extremely empowering.
EDIT: 11-14 thank you to Facebook friends:

11 Look for the fun in the journey!
12 Every day pay attention to what is improving. Even the little things, like being able to remember someone’s name after being introduced.
13. Make self care a priority; find the things that you can do to make yourself feel pampered and that will destress you in a healthy way.
14. Learn to identify and change your negative self talk.

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Thank you so much.

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Day 4 almost complete. It’s been a good day. I got a couple of things done that I need to get done. Went to a zoom AA meeting. Talked to an old therapist who helped me write an email to my school. (Bless that woman) played with the dog and then took a nap in the living room chair. I asked a bunch of old coworkers if they’d be references for a job I’m apply for and they all agreed. :two_hearts:
Writing in my journal I was counting all my blessings. The fact that I have enough people in my life that would take those 5 minutes for me. For ME! Who would’ve thought I connected and had an impact on people’s lives.
I thank all of you for reading what I have to say and always have encouraging and loving words to give to back. Thank you :heart:
Thank you God for this life you have given me. The ups and downs. Thank you God for everything! :heartbeat:

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Keep going your doing great

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Thank you. I’m really trying. My depression can be such a road bump. I’m finally getting proper help. So it can only go up from here. Even when I’m struggling, I “fake it until I make it” just saying positive things. Trying to convince my brain of something new.

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End of day 5. Today went well. Went to my late morning meeting, contacted one of the ladies and set up a time to meet. I video called another one of ladies that I’ve been talking to and we had a really nice deep, heartfelt conversation. Today has been full of tears, but they were breakthrough tears.
When I met with a “seasoned vet” we became sponsor and sponsee. We beging labor tomorrow. I’m ready to get back on that horse.

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Congratulations Sara on day five and finding this app. Breakthroughs are a beautiful thing, cherish them. You’re among new friends here and a lot of good people that will be willing to help guide you along the way in your journey of sobriety. Finding a sponsor and be willing to take suggestions is one of the most important things for an alcoholic to do.
One of the most important things for me as an alcoholic to achieve any kind of sobriety in the beginning was just too surrender. Stay engaged @SaraBeth3394 on this forum and keep reaching out. It has helped me tremendously with my sobriety. Congratulations again and welcome. :two_hearts:

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Great progress @SaraBeth3394. I found myself getting hooked on getting sober! Literally replacing alcohol addiction with sobriety addiction. Ticks my need to be addicted box and is, of course, much healthier and better for me. I do aa, forums, prayer, peer support, audio books, podcasts, hypnosis… My advice is chuck everything at it!
Great job, great thread. Keep going and always keep in the front of your mind why you’re doing this an how crap alcohol made you feel.
Be proud, you’re awesome :muscle::muscle::muscle::muscle::muscle:

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