 return people have been really lovely to me. What a fantastic feeling!
Granted, I have had a fair few headaches and last night I felt edgy and wanted a glass of wine (I didn’t have one obviously). I’m eating more sugar than you can shake a stick at, seeking out chocolate like a woman possessed. I’m not doing as much exercise as I’d like but there’s always something more to aim for I guess and life isn’t perfect.
Mostly, over the past few days, I have felt so happy. Really, truly happy and content. Not itchy in my own skin, not wondering if I should be doing something different or better. Just plain happy. When you haven’t felt true happiness in a long time, it’s a bloody good feeling I can tell you.
That’s all I have to say today
Claire x
27 thoughts on “Baby steps and early days.”
Claire I felt exactly the same those first weeks, the headaches, the groggy mornings! You’ve actually just made me realise that they have past and did a while ago. Since the I’ve been jumping out of bed to do yoga 🧘♀️ 😆
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I’m not sure I’ll ever be jumping out of bed … but I am soooo much better in the mornings. In fact I think my boys are considering clubbing together to buy me a bottle of wine because I’m suddenly not letting them get away with things. 🤣
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Claire, what you say here is a million miles from boring. It’s getting to the heart of the matter. What you describe, moving to a state of happiness from where you were is what drives most of us I think and to hear that reminds us and reinforces our collective commitment to a new preferred lifestyle. Good stuff and well done. You ARE bloody well doing it! 👍🏻🙂
Jim x
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Thanks Jim
I feel a huge sense of relief that I’ve started to feel content with my life again. I’ve been scrabbling around in a haze trying to work out why I’m ansty and always looking for something else, when really I had it all along, I’d just stuck a bloody big cover of alcohol over it so I couldn’t see it. I know this is not going to be easy but I also know that what I’ve experienced in the past 13 days is what I want.
Claire x
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That’s brilliant Claire, love the clarity that you seem to be experiencing.
Jim x
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Lovely post – capturing the everything’s the same as it was but totally different at the same time feeling – my mood swings still happen but nothing like as much as they did! I’m still eating a lot of chocolate 8 months on; keep going sounds like you’re doing great! Xx
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Thanks for the support. That’s exactly how I feel … so different inside yet other than no alcohol absolutely nothing has changed in my life. It really is a very dangerous thing for some of us!!
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I just figured out how to follow your blog, I tried a few times before and the follow button I couldn’t find…..but I found ya now! 😃 You are doing so great! Love reading your blogs! I find the holidays hard as I always like to drink as I make big dinners. Making a big dinner Saturday and I won’t be having any alcohol. I know I will be strong and not drink, but I know it will be on my mind.
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Of course it will be on you mind.. it’s never off mine 😂. I’m finding AF drinks are helpful at times like that. I discovered Peroni Libera (0.0%) last night and actually really enjoyed a bottle. I’m with you on the dinners thing though … I really love cooking a big Sunday roast and having a glass of red as I do it. Who am I kidding? Glass?? Entire bottle and often 5pm dinner wasn’t served until 8.30pm because I was merrily distracting myself with wine. 🤦♀️
Well done you for being strong. This is not easy but knowing others are going through similar things really helps. Xx
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Likewise on everything! I have found La Croix ( flavored sparkling water ) as a filler when needed so am getting some of that today after work in preparation for Saturday’s cooking! I hope you have a great day! 😃😃😃
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Good luck with your dinner today xx
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Awe, Thank you so much! 🙌🏻😊 Hope you have a wonderful day today and I’ll sip my flavored sparkling water and kindly think of you!
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Thanks 😊
I’ll have a 0% peroni to celebrate with you 👍 xx
Hi Claire, wow, sounds like you are doing great! I remember feeling exhausted every morning for the first couple of weeks, but as you say, a different kind of tired than hungover-tired. Keep going! And yes indeed, blogging is not about impressing other people but about getting in touch with yourself and keeping yourself accountable (or at least that’s what it is for me). So thanks for being here: reading your post helped inspire me to get serious about blogging again, so you definitely helped at least one person out there 🙂 Keep writing and keep hanging on 🙂 xxx Anne
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Hi Anne
Thanks for posting. It’s so good to know that we all get support from one another no matter where we are on the journey! 😁 x
Yes.i too had the vague headaches, body aches,etc. Exhaustion. I drank so much coffee!
Naps are absolutely the right choice.
And the calm. It is so lovely. That endures.
I loved this post. Please keep sharing!
Stillness and peace,
Anne
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Thanks Anne
I have read some of your posts. You are amazing and so strong! Your last post made me stop abs think about some of the things I have been doing pre-sober and the impact they could have had on others. I have been given a second opportunity to embrace my life, my family and my friends and really live with it all, fully present.
So, naps, coffee, sugar … I’ll use them to help me for now.
I love the calm and if it endures then all the better 😊
Xx
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I had found an article a few weeks after i started about all the “unexpected” things that happen when you first get sober. It was a life saver for me. I was so upset when i still felt exhausted after a few weeks, did not lose 20 lbs,( eating lots of junk) and my skin didn’t suddenly look flawless( I’m kind impatient..lol)..I was not anxious pr depressed in the same “way” as with alcohol but that antsy feeling was still there too. Whoever wrote the article went into all that ( tried to find it now but cant) and stated that the nerves we have damaged with alcohol will be repairing themselves for quite awhile and that will have all of those side effects.However it was worded made me finally ok with it all and i was able to sort of accept that this was how it was going to be early on.I can tell you though that even almost a year later, although i haven’t lost much weight( my own fault ) and my skin still isn’t flawless, i am way less exhausted, anxious and depressed.But, i am also going through menopause at the same time, so, there’s THAT…haha.when i look back at my private recovery blog and see where i was at back then, it’s such a huge relief.I’ll never go back…sayin it like a mantra:)
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Hi Claire,
Just discovered your blog. Bravo to you. Keep blogging, keep sharing. We are all stumbling along together. I still don’t look too far beyond one day at a time. Often one hour at a time, and I’m six years sober. I still love chocolate!
Some of the most profound changes occurred oh so gradually, and it was only in hindsight I was able to say ‘holy shit – look at the way I now manage…’
And don’t forget – keep being kind to yourself. If you screw up, yell, get angry or anxious, remember that it’s perfectly okay. We’re just human, not gods. Ya just climb back onto that horse and go again.
Thinking of ya. 👍🏻
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Hey
Thanks so much for the post. The support on here has been amazing and so helpful. I do think I’m going to find Christmas really tough but I am determined that this is absolutely the right thing for me to do. Wow, six years … that’s fantastic. I’m chuffed I reached my 14th day today!! 2 weeks and already so much has started to change for me.. not on the surface but inside. I will try and be kind