The Feb29ers (Feb 29th, March 1st)

Wow! What are you studying?

Hi, do you mind if I join your group, Iā€™m starting sober again this week, I managed dry January, then Feb just feel apart. I need to control my drinking and believe the only way to do it is quit altogether! Iā€™ve already had one relapse this week, but trying to remain positive for the weekend.

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My name is Chayo and I am so grateful for this supportive community. I have been following this thread and am on day 4, myself. I hope you donā€™t mine me sharing my ā€œabout meā€ from my profile so I can feel a part of this group of amazing people that you all are. Hope itā€™s not too long. I have been struggling for several years, at different levels of severity, with untreated depression, anxiety, and self-medicating with alcohol (though medicine it is clearly not!). I have been contemplating a change now for a while now in tandem with some major life changes that have been powerful triggers. In 2016 I was working in medical administration at a peer recovery center and burned out (from not taking care of myself and unhealthy coping), so I quit. My husband was then laid off and we moved across the country for his new job. We ended up moving a home-full and our two dogs three times in two years. All the while I was spiraling down, barely functioning, isolating and hiding a lot of what I was doing and feeling from my husband. Hiding drinking binges, sometimes not effectively mind you, having confrontations about it and binging has been my thing. I have been on the relapse, or ā€œinterruptionā€ :wink: ride majorly for about 6 months, more seriously since the holidays. I canā€™t, I do not WANT to live my life this way anymore. Life has settled, I do see that things are better, Iā€™m doing better, and I am ready for some serious change, along with help and support. My husband is behind me 100% and we have talked a lot about this together. I know that I need to develop healthy ways to cope with stress, get some medical help, and visit this forum for inspiration and encouragement as I go through my plan a day at a time. Step one today is make an appointment as a new patient with a new doctor. Thank you all for everything you share on here and I look forward to checking in and offering support too.

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Hi, Iā€™m right there with you! I can relateā€¦and we are all in this together. We can do this.

@RosaCanDo @JoW_95
Thank you for sharing!
A warm welcome to the groupā€‹:heart::heart::heart:

I like the idea of this group being a solid ship and all of us as bubbly passengers seeking for a better life, full of self worth, self respect and love.

And itā€™s much better than each of us being alone on a rocky boat or even a canoe :sweat_smile:.

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Thank you so much for starting this and keeping it going! Can I just say how good it felt to put that out there for me. Iā€™ve held it in too long.

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I opened this thread out of dispair, just hoping to get some response.

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Well, you sure found it! Along with others of us in the boat with you. Well done.

There are just no words to tell you how grateful I am. :heart::heart::heart:

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I just ordered the Annie grace book, arrives Saturday. Looking forward to going through it with everyone!

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Mine is supposed to arrive on Monday, @SoulSearcher already has it, but said she was willing to wait to start reading it.

Hey! welcome here. good that you join in! My story was kinda the same. did not drink for years (doc is actualy food) started last year again. then dry januai and fell apart afterwards. This communicty is a great way to support each other and share.

Welcome!!! thank you for sharing (part of) your story! This community is great. (of course also this particular thread :wink: )
I do not hink I am save already. having a realy tricky dangerous few days now actually. but reading a lot here helps me so much to keep coming back to the mindset that helps me back to recovery again.

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I can relate. I started out just reading and not posting anything for a long time but posting I think is a huge help because people can offer support. Early days for me, it sounds like you have some big challenges. You also have strength to have gotten through what you have. I believe in you!

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sweet. that means the world some days when it is hard to believe in yourself. we are all just walking each other home right?

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Absolutely. Iā€™m going into this weekend feeling strong but cautious. I honestly have zero cravings so far because Iā€™ve been feeling like crap with withdrawals but that will change, been there before, and itā€™s nottt going to be the same old story again, Iā€™m going to do my best and feel determined.

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This thread may be what you are looking forā€¦

What's everyone's opinion on how society normalizes alcohol abuse?

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I just escaped to the office terrace, which I have myself because itā€™s raining. I am on the verge of having an anxiety attackā€¦againā€¦

Iā€™ve been through so many anxiety attacks, itā€™s the worst feeling. Do you have a strategy for working through them? Breathing exercises, grounding yourself, focusing on your senses, what you can see, touch, hear, smell?

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