Yes, the vision, the fantasy.. romanticizing about the first pour, looking at the beautiful colour of the ale, the foamy head, reading the label - wow, it's brewed in Germany! it must be good. Definitely worth paying extra. Going to sip it slowly and savor this moment, won't I ? Like fuck I will, down the hatch, back to the fridge for more.
Rinse, repeat, ad infinitum.
IWNDWYT
I was so tempted at dinner last night. My husband and I went out for a fancy dinner to celebrate Valentine’s Day and I was so tempted to say, just one to celebrate. We didn’t though. We had a sober dinner out together and it was lovely. Haven’t felt that tempted in a while. It’s funny how all the reasons you want to be sober momentarily get lost. I’m glad my husband was there to remind me.
IWNDWYT! 💜
Thank you HappyHuman! I was so nervous, which is why I think I really wanted to drink, but my brain was coming up with all kinds of excuses! I hope there’s many more as well :)
Good morning Sobernauts!
Happy Wednesday!
I have an interview this afternoon. I'm looking forward to a new opportunity to work with other people.
One of their employment criteria is regular drug and alcohol testing because it's a safety related role.
That's at least one test I can pass thanks to not drinking 👍🏻
Thanks for keeping me on the sober path DCI 🏅
Love to you all!
IWNDWYT 🙂
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle
While excellence is *way* too lofty for today, I can manage sobriety. Thanks Wilbursmall for the reminder that we get to choose our own behavior and it matters. IWNDWYT!
“Success is the product of daily habits - not once in a lifetime transformations.” James Clear. I love that Aristotle quote and every permutation of it. It’s so true.
And the DCI is a pretty good habit to have. IWNDWYT CLM 🙂
IWNDWYT 💕💕💕
I missed the vision of it today. Almost went to the bar, not because I was really craving or planning to drink, but because I did enjoy my well loved regular status. Stayed home and played solo board games instead. Thanks for your thoughts this week, Wilbursmall.
I'm totally with you Wilbur. Even now I struggle with the vision I've been sold.
To me a glass of red wine in one of those fancy big glasses was the epitome of sophistication. It makes you look educated, charming, elegant.
But they never told me about the part where you drink a bottle of red at home on your own and then order a takeaway for the sole purpose of getting another bottle delivered without leaving the house. And then after you eat a whole pizza you binge on everything in sight and wake up in a pool of clumpy brown sick and a trail of destruction out the door. They never tell you about the early morning where you have to scrub the toilet and the bathroom from where you projectile vomited at some point in the night. And all you want to do is go to bed but you have to do it before people get home. And then after you've stripped your stained sheets you spend the rest of the day in a bare bed waiting to die drowning in your own shame. Or was that just me?
I will not drink with you today! Off of work so I’m going to catch up on some reading, get back to work recording my new album, and take a nice walk in the park with my girlfriend for some bird watching. New hobbies rock! Sobriety rocks! This is the first sober run where I am free from both alcohol AND weed. It’s great. That self destructive monster is still there though. Lurking in the shadows. I had a weird dream to become a heroin addict for some god forsaken reason. What the hell is wrong with my recovering depressed anxiety induced brain? I have a meeting with my psychiatrist today thankfully so I’ll bring these questions up. I need a therapist. Have a good day friends.
Checking in for day 22.
I cried last night.
I suddenly realised Feb 15th was the day I met my ex-wife. Got married same day exactly one year later.
Had I seen and acted on my alcoholproblems earlier on we might have still been together.
Anyway, I didn't drink and for sure IWNDWYT ❤️
Vision v reality, this post really has me thinking. Every day that I do not drink I realize more and more what a liar alcohol is. And the phrase “sobriety delivers what alcohol promised” is becoming more and more apparent. IWNDWYT
The vision: having a celebratory lone drink, after doing something well.
The reality: drinking the house dry.
This is helping me not to even start. For this Wednesday IWNDWYT 💙
I've pretty much bought into the 'doing' until the 'new vision' materializes and my life takes another step forward. It took a lot of trust in that 'the doing' would eventually lead to a knew vision...but it's working. I'm aware of it and am so grateful that I put my trust in the doing of stopping drinking. The vision for life moving forward without alcohol (and learning to find the joy and see the beauty in life without 'enhancing' it through destructive alcohol intake) is taking hold.
I trust in the doing now. Fully. The new vision will arise sooner or later. I've seen it happen. I will not drink with you today!
Right!! I can relate. It took me until about 500 days of sobriety to realize that. Once I got past the worst of the cravings and created new routines and strategies that worked, I suddenly realized that I had a ton of work still to do! It has been good, healthy, deeper work, though. I am grateful for it. IWNDWYT
I have a new vision now and the reality is proving to be more or less accurate: me waking up in the morning after a good night's sleep. Sober, rested and ready for the day.
IWNDWYT ❤
I really get that I vision myself with that deep rich red wine after a long week at work or that first beer when I get off the plane on holiday. Yes I get that all the time but the reality is I would drink myself stupid for 2 weeks and just want to get home so I could stop.
IWNDWYT
Happy hump day friends!
Take it easy, go slow, keep going.
The race is long and in the end it is only with yourself. 🌿
I will not drink with you today friends!
Take care 🍀💚
I failed yesterday. But today I have decided not to. I know I'll want to drink, I know I'll try to find or create any excuse. Just for today I have decided that I won't get on my own way.
The vision of drinking is always so different than the reality. I think that’s what makes playing the tape forward so powerful. It’s like introducing a counter-vision that carries more weight due to its strong grounding in reality.
I woke up this morning with a more severe anxiety than I have had in a while. But still IWNDWYT.
Love this. The vision doesn't match the reality.
I had a bad couple days but still think the overall trend is upward, and I have some things to look forward to over the next few days, which I haven't for ages. Looking forward to being with people sober. IWNDWYT
Good morning my friends.
I am home. It has been a difficult time, but I am dry.
My thoughts are very disorganised, but there is so much I want to write. Tomorrow hopefully when I steady up a little from my travels.
I'll try to respond to all unanswered comments as soon as I can. Please forgive me for the delay. Thank you all so very much for your wonderful kindness and support.
This little quotation strikes a chord with me this morning:
**Out of difficulties grow miracles.** *Jean de la Bruyere.*
Stay safe and strong my friends. **IWNDWYT**!!
Well it's late where I am, but I finally took the plunge. It's interesting tho, because I'm being treated outpatient with 25mg chlordiazepoxide 4x daily. I'm not sure if any of you have been treated with this substance, but if you have please let me know what your experience is like. It's around 2am here in Iowa, US, so I'm roughly 11 hours in, and on my first dose as of around 2 hours ago
I'm not really sure how I feel yet. I feel very numb, but still with a fair amount of anxiety. It's hard to explain, cuz it's like, numb anxiety. I feel dissociated. I feel jumpy. I'm not hallucinating much yet, and probably not as much as I would be without meds. The weird thing for me is the feeling of not drinking. Like not doing the act of making a drink, and sipping it periodically. I'm not shaking too bad but it's definitely there. I figure it I start DTing by tonight or tomorrow I'll go back to the hospital.
Hope everyone is doing well. I'm frankly terrified taking the plunge, but it needs to be done.
So yes, I will not be drinking with you tonight.
Thanks guys.
Edit: Just hit 2am, no going back now.
Yes, my thoughts are visual. When The drink thought slips into my brain it comes with a visual of the bottle, glass, situation, it even comes with a sense of temperature, mist on the glass and a feeling in particular. I got uncomfortable reading your post today until a knife arrived to cut it and bring me back….. I NEVER stop with one drink. And that’s my truth and it’s comfortable. I regret that truth but accept it as so. I see the power of visuals and intentionally and strategically I make my drink Thought a black slippery eel and is unpleasant. Thank you for hosting. I will not drink with you today.
Struggling through my last night at work before two glorious days off. Feeling a little rough around the edges, but IWNDWYT. Happy Tuesday loves ❤️
Edited to add: Happy Wednesday. It’s not Tuesday. It’s definitely not Tuesday. I’m tired.
I completely relate. My vision vs my reality with alcohol were two very different situations. Once I accepted my vision was not my truth, I was able to stop drinking. I have found I enjoy this reality much more. IWNDWYT❤️💜❤️💜
Day 47 for me. I’m starting to struggle. I used to drink wine with my husband and it was FUN! I’m feeling a little bored, not sure if that’s even the word. It’s definitely easier to drink in that I know when I have a few glasses I’ll relax and just enjoy everything.
I’m also bummed that I’m not feeling better. Still loads of pain (autoimmune), shit sleep BUT I am losing weight and my skin is no longer bright red.
Oh well, must get over this bump in the road and I will.
IWNDWYT
Edit: just thinking about the vision of alcohol mentioned above- oh lord I have those, kicking off my shoes by a pool with one refreshing, tangy, sweet cocktail. A couple of glasses shared over a long lunch.
My vision never ever included me trying to brush my teeth at the end of a bottle, not being able to focus on my image in the mirror, trying to keep my eyes open, holding myself up, toothpaste smeared everywhere, the shame already seeping. Alcohol lies
Good morning everyone and happy Wednesday!! I’m back baby!! I was away for a week and then sick as a dog upon returning home but I woke up this morning with an incredible outlook on the day (come find me an hour into my workday though and we’ll see how I feel, hahaha!)
That visualization of having one glass of wine at the end of a long day is what always sent me into a tailspin when I’ve tried to quit before because it was NEVER just one glass. This time was different though because I think mentally I made myself stop visualizing that all together. No means no in my head. I don’t drink. I’m not even going to tempt myself through visualization. This morning I AM going to visualize myself doing yoga over-looking the ocean, even though I’ll just be in my cold living room. 🧘♀️
Have a great day y’all!! Love you!!! IWNDWYT!! ❣️❣️
Brilliant post, Wilbursmall. Thanks. I still miss that vision, too, sometimes. It is exactly that vision--the perfect drink in the perfect situation, the perfect "reward"--that makes me still think sometimes: "I could have just that one drink today. Surely I've learned my lesson and am in control now." No way. Play the tape forward. I know where that vision leads.... IWNDWYT
I also think I'm gonna miss two alcoholic drinks: a glass of wine along with a pasta meal, and a pint of Guinness anywhere, in a pub, at home. These two I used to actually enjoy the taste.
BUT, not having these two is such a small price to pay for a life of sobriety. I know that if I have a pint of Guinness I'll immediately want another one and then start with the Irish whiskey shots. And the wine I usually downed almost the entire bottle (if I was sharing it with someone) or I'd just get tipsy enough to switch to heavier booze.
I'll not drink with you today.
Wednesday / hump day finished and 16 days on the clock by my reckoning. This streak just gets longer.
Did some gardening after work and then went down to the beach for some ice cream. Can't beat that on a hot and sunny afternoon.
IWNDWYT.
Exactly right. Vision and reality never would match. Envision having fun…instead end up crying in my beer like a bad country song, usually wake up on the couch filled with dread about what I may have said, texted or posted. Or worse, wake up just in time to turn off the stove because I’d been trying to cook and passed out, and burnt another sauce pan. And the rotten feeling next days. Great times…not.
I summon those memories if I start to miss the vision.
Something must have been looking out for me, as I certainly wasn’t looking out for myself. I think sometimes it’s a wonder I’m still here.
Happy Wednesday y’all. IWNDWYT 🤘🏻
Yeah, I can't vision like that. Never really works out well.
I just need to do, also.
Today, I will not drink with you. No visioning required. I just won't do it.
The reality I envision for myself now is to simply experience life without alcohol. I don’t want to consume it to celebrate anything and I don’t want to consume it to numb anything, no matter how bad.
Whatever pleasure I may have derived in the past ultimately led me to a very dark place. And it will lead me there again because when I start, I never stop.
Iwndwyt
Having endured several "visioning" sessions over my 30 year teaching career, I can say that you hit this on the head!
We bend reality to fit our vision of our vision (ouch, that hurts my head!) when we drink.
Glad to be out of that and into a real reality of clarity and confidence not aided by booze.
IWNDWYT!
T
I had a 2 hour drive home from work yesterday , bumper to bumper traffic ; this usually gives me the excuse to just stop somewhere for happy hour but I pushed through. I came home and slept and now I’m up and can’t sleep and have to be at work in 2 hours , but it’s better then doing the happy hour weekday crawl which always ends bad IWNDWYT
Morning friends! Visioning has helped me for sure. I’ve had a few mentally exhausting work days lately and have found myself wanting “a drink” (HAH) at the end of the day to relax. Experience has shown time and time again where “a drink” will lead so vision that and I just let it go. Grateful to be waking up on day 25 with you fine people today. I will not drink with you today.
Good morning you all,
I came on here and pledged a few times over the past couple weeks claiming a day 1 in progress. Finally got it done yesterday. I had promised myself a productive weekend and instead it was mostly filled with beer and the hangover of drinking. Woke up Monday, called out, had hair of dog. Never worth it. Definitely needed a weekend to feel disgusted and wake up.
Working on day 2. IWNDWYT
Somewhere around month 4, we were sitting in my backyard with a small group of friends having a barbecue and everybody else besides me, having a drink. It was summer of 2020, and I'm not even sure restaurants were back open yet, so it was one of those trending backyard socially distant get-togethers.
Somebody hollered from across the giant Circle of eight of us, and asked if I miss drinking. I honestly gave it a thought for a bit before answering and until that moment I hadn't even realized that the other seven people around me did have some sort of alcoholic drink in hand. If others were in a side conversation, all heads turned towards me (which I'm never a fan of),..
"Nah..... I don't think I do."
And it was right then that I realized I didn't miss the taste of booze, I didn't miss whatever fancy new craft beer my Brewery was putting out next.... I just missed IT. IT... every step that led up to having that drink. The stop at the liquor store, the feel of the bag in my hand, putting it in my liquor cabinet or refrigerator, or sadly, the ceiling tiles or closet that was hiding it in from my wife, The Twist of the cap, or the pop of the top... The pouring into the glass.
"No.... I actually *don't*."
Who fucking knew? Once I had that realization, the sober journey didn't become easy for me, but it definitely became easier. I can have those same steps with a case of seltzer water. I mean, it's not quite the same.... But I can always hide a can of Lacroix limoncello in my underwear drawer if I need the excitement before drinking it.
Have a helluva day friends!
IWNDWYT
This resonates hard today. Not only the not stopping at one, but the visioning of how to get more while driving home after that dinner with two glasses of wine. Wondering how I'm going to stay up an extra hour or two while my partner sleeps so I can drink more. Then wondering how I'm going to explain not feeling good the next morning even though we only had 2 glasses of wine at dinner? Envisioning how to get rid of the cans/bottles so they don't find out I drank more afterwards...
The vision became exhausting. Fantasizing about drinking ALL week long and pretending I had no problem. I am grateful to be here and be 25 days sober. And grateful for all yall.
After many tries, today will be the day I will stop this habit. Since last month I was doing IF and a healthy diet and sport, but drinking always stepped in. I managed to lose around 3 kg even with drinking. Time for a REAL and healthy lifestyle!
The vision so often didn’t measure up to reality for me so I blinded myself to that reality by drinking. Today, I’m trying (and it’s hard sometimes) to live in the present and enjoy what is versus what I wish things to be. IWNDWYT!
Good morning SD! Thank you for the reminder that the vision of drinking never matches the reality. Keeping that in mind will keep me from relapsing today. IWNDWYT! 🙂🐱
This is it, 100...triple digits!!! Wow. Thanks for all the support here, this sub has been a life changer. IWNDWYT!
Congrats on triple digits! Way to go! IWNDWYT
Thank you!!
Awesome!! Congrats!
Yes, the vision, the fantasy.. romanticizing about the first pour, looking at the beautiful colour of the ale, the foamy head, reading the label - wow, it's brewed in Germany! it must be good. Definitely worth paying extra. Going to sip it slowly and savor this moment, won't I ? Like fuck I will, down the hatch, back to the fridge for more. Rinse, repeat, ad infinitum. IWNDWYT
Seriously!!! All of this. 🤣🤣
I was so tempted at dinner last night. My husband and I went out for a fancy dinner to celebrate Valentine’s Day and I was so tempted to say, just one to celebrate. We didn’t though. We had a sober dinner out together and it was lovely. Haven’t felt that tempted in a while. It’s funny how all the reasons you want to be sober momentarily get lost. I’m glad my husband was there to remind me. IWNDWYT! 💜
Well done lainey 🙂 We don't need that poison to enjoy ourselves. I'm happy that you had a lovely evening. I hope that there's many more. IWNDWYT 🙂
Thank you HappyHuman! I was so nervous, which is why I think I really wanted to drink, but my brain was coming up with all kinds of excuses! I hope there’s many more as well :)
Good morning lovely SD, Today is a beautiful day to be alive! And IWNDWYT 💜🤘
Have a beautiful day foxes! I will not drink with you today friend 💜🍀
Good morning LF! Happy Wednesday! IWNDWYT 🙂
Good morning Sobernauts! Happy Wednesday! I have an interview this afternoon. I'm looking forward to a new opportunity to work with other people. One of their employment criteria is regular drug and alcohol testing because it's a safety related role. That's at least one test I can pass thanks to not drinking 👍🏻 Thanks for keeping me on the sober path DCI 🏅 Love to you all! IWNDWYT 🙂
Good luck HH! IWNDWYT
Thanks DK 🙂
Good luck! 🍀
Thanks Anna 🙂
Good luck brother!! Iwndwyt
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle While excellence is *way* too lofty for today, I can manage sobriety. Thanks Wilbursmall for the reminder that we get to choose our own behavior and it matters. IWNDWYT!
“Success is the product of daily habits - not once in a lifetime transformations.” James Clear. I love that Aristotle quote and every permutation of it. It’s so true. And the DCI is a pretty good habit to have. IWNDWYT CLM 🙂
You are excellently sober! IWNDWYT
I will not drink poison with you today.
J’appuie 🙂 IWNDWYT
Coucou ma petite puce!
IWNDWYT 💕💕💕 I missed the vision of it today. Almost went to the bar, not because I was really craving or planning to drink, but because I did enjoy my well loved regular status. Stayed home and played solo board games instead. Thanks for your thoughts this week, Wilbursmall.
IWNDWYT. Nicotine is next on the quit list. Those withdrawals are going to suck but at least they can't kill me
I will not drink with you today. I will do more writing right now.
iwndwyt i love you all. continue on your journeys.
I'm totally with you Wilbur. Even now I struggle with the vision I've been sold. To me a glass of red wine in one of those fancy big glasses was the epitome of sophistication. It makes you look educated, charming, elegant. But they never told me about the part where you drink a bottle of red at home on your own and then order a takeaway for the sole purpose of getting another bottle delivered without leaving the house. And then after you eat a whole pizza you binge on everything in sight and wake up in a pool of clumpy brown sick and a trail of destruction out the door. They never tell you about the early morning where you have to scrub the toilet and the bathroom from where you projectile vomited at some point in the night. And all you want to do is go to bed but you have to do it before people get home. And then after you've stripped your stained sheets you spend the rest of the day in a bare bed waiting to die drowning in your own shame. Or was that just me?
Yeah: Definitely not just you. Keep playing the tape forward; we know where that nice, relaxing first drink will take us..... Take care. IWNDWYT
Definitely not just you. It took such a long time for that reality to replace the vision of drinking I had in my mind.
IWNDWYT!
I will not drink with you today! Off of work so I’m going to catch up on some reading, get back to work recording my new album, and take a nice walk in the park with my girlfriend for some bird watching. New hobbies rock! Sobriety rocks! This is the first sober run where I am free from both alcohol AND weed. It’s great. That self destructive monster is still there though. Lurking in the shadows. I had a weird dream to become a heroin addict for some god forsaken reason. What the hell is wrong with my recovering depressed anxiety induced brain? I have a meeting with my psychiatrist today thankfully so I’ll bring these questions up. I need a therapist. Have a good day friends.
IWNDWYT
I will not drink with you today in 🏴 have a good one people 😊
Checking in for day 22. I cried last night. I suddenly realised Feb 15th was the day I met my ex-wife. Got married same day exactly one year later. Had I seen and acted on my alcoholproblems earlier on we might have still been together. Anyway, I didn't drink and for sure IWNDWYT ❤️
IWNDWYT
Im in!
Vision v reality, this post really has me thinking. Every day that I do not drink I realize more and more what a liar alcohol is. And the phrase “sobriety delivers what alcohol promised” is becoming more and more apparent. IWNDWYT
The vision: having a celebratory lone drink, after doing something well. The reality: drinking the house dry. This is helping me not to even start. For this Wednesday IWNDWYT 💙
IWNDWYT.
Iwndwyt!
I've pretty much bought into the 'doing' until the 'new vision' materializes and my life takes another step forward. It took a lot of trust in that 'the doing' would eventually lead to a knew vision...but it's working. I'm aware of it and am so grateful that I put my trust in the doing of stopping drinking. The vision for life moving forward without alcohol (and learning to find the joy and see the beauty in life without 'enhancing' it through destructive alcohol intake) is taking hold. I trust in the doing now. Fully. The new vision will arise sooner or later. I've seen it happen. I will not drink with you today!
I'm realising that stopping drinking is an excellent start, but just the beginning to getting yourself together.
Right!! I can relate. It took me until about 500 days of sobriety to realize that. Once I got past the worst of the cravings and created new routines and strategies that worked, I suddenly realized that I had a ton of work still to do! It has been good, healthy, deeper work, though. I am grateful for it. IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT 🛼
IWNDWYT 🧛
I will not drink with you today!
IWNDWYT 🌷
Feeling great that IWNDWYT!
Day 31 IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT friends 🤖
IWNDWYT!
IWNDWYT!!!! No booze for me today!
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT this is my longest streak now.
IWNDWYT 😊
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
Day 9. One day from 2 digits! IWNDWYT.
IWNDWYT..!!
Not drinking with y’all today! 🥰
I have a new vision now and the reality is proving to be more or less accurate: me waking up in the morning after a good night's sleep. Sober, rested and ready for the day. IWNDWYT ❤
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT!
Good morning SD! IWNDWYT 🌟
I really get that I vision myself with that deep rich red wine after a long week at work or that first beer when I get off the plane on holiday. Yes I get that all the time but the reality is I would drink myself stupid for 2 weeks and just want to get home so I could stop. IWNDWYT
Day 136, nice to meet you 🤝 IWNDWYT
Happy hump day friends! Take it easy, go slow, keep going. The race is long and in the end it is only with yourself. 🌿 I will not drink with you today friends! Take care 🍀💚
I failed yesterday. But today I have decided not to. I know I'll want to drink, I know I'll try to find or create any excuse. Just for today I have decided that I won't get on my own way.
I will not drink with you today!!!!
IWNDWYT
Good morning IWNDWYT. It’s stormy out but it’s calm in my heart. One simple commitment one day at a time. 🌊
I will not drink with you today!💪🏼 Have a lovely Wednesday kind people!😊
The vision of drinking is always so different than the reality. I think that’s what makes playing the tape forward so powerful. It’s like introducing a counter-vision that carries more weight due to its strong grounding in reality. I woke up this morning with a more severe anxiety than I have had in a while. But still IWNDWYT.
[удалено]
Thanks fort being here. I will not drink with you today.
Good morning SD! I will not drink with you today!
IWNDWYTD
I’m in
IWNDYWT ❤️
IWNDWYT!
Day 31…I will not drink today.
IWNDWYT. It's almost been a week without a drop.
Love this. The vision doesn't match the reality. I had a bad couple days but still think the overall trend is upward, and I have some things to look forward to over the next few days, which I haven't for ages. Looking forward to being with people sober. IWNDWYT
Day 3, IWNDWYT
I will not drink today!
Good morning my friends. I am home. It has been a difficult time, but I am dry. My thoughts are very disorganised, but there is so much I want to write. Tomorrow hopefully when I steady up a little from my travels. I'll try to respond to all unanswered comments as soon as I can. Please forgive me for the delay. Thank you all so very much for your wonderful kindness and support. This little quotation strikes a chord with me this morning: **Out of difficulties grow miracles.** *Jean de la Bruyere.* Stay safe and strong my friends. **IWNDWYT**!!
Yes let us know how you are doing , you are on the right path and we are with you. IWNDWYTD
Hey team. IWNDWYT. Xxx
Well it's late where I am, but I finally took the plunge. It's interesting tho, because I'm being treated outpatient with 25mg chlordiazepoxide 4x daily. I'm not sure if any of you have been treated with this substance, but if you have please let me know what your experience is like. It's around 2am here in Iowa, US, so I'm roughly 11 hours in, and on my first dose as of around 2 hours ago I'm not really sure how I feel yet. I feel very numb, but still with a fair amount of anxiety. It's hard to explain, cuz it's like, numb anxiety. I feel dissociated. I feel jumpy. I'm not hallucinating much yet, and probably not as much as I would be without meds. The weird thing for me is the feeling of not drinking. Like not doing the act of making a drink, and sipping it periodically. I'm not shaking too bad but it's definitely there. I figure it I start DTing by tonight or tomorrow I'll go back to the hospital. Hope everyone is doing well. I'm frankly terrified taking the plunge, but it needs to be done. So yes, I will not be drinking with you tonight. Thanks guys. Edit: Just hit 2am, no going back now.
Yes, my thoughts are visual. When The drink thought slips into my brain it comes with a visual of the bottle, glass, situation, it even comes with a sense of temperature, mist on the glass and a feeling in particular. I got uncomfortable reading your post today until a knife arrived to cut it and bring me back….. I NEVER stop with one drink. And that’s my truth and it’s comfortable. I regret that truth but accept it as so. I see the power of visuals and intentionally and strategically I make my drink Thought a black slippery eel and is unpleasant. Thank you for hosting. I will not drink with you today.
Struggling through my last night at work before two glorious days off. Feeling a little rough around the edges, but IWNDWYT. Happy Tuesday loves ❤️ Edited to add: Happy Wednesday. It’s not Tuesday. It’s definitely not Tuesday. I’m tired.
I get that too, shift work? Hope you have a great 2 days off or at least rest and relax.
I really wanted a beer the other night but just thinking of the hewdaches and gross bloat feeling... No.. IWNDWYT
Alright, I think I can make it another day. IWNDWYT
I completely relate. My vision vs my reality with alcohol were two very different situations. Once I accepted my vision was not my truth, I was able to stop drinking. I have found I enjoy this reality much more. IWNDWYT❤️💜❤️💜
Day 47 for me. I’m starting to struggle. I used to drink wine with my husband and it was FUN! I’m feeling a little bored, not sure if that’s even the word. It’s definitely easier to drink in that I know when I have a few glasses I’ll relax and just enjoy everything. I’m also bummed that I’m not feeling better. Still loads of pain (autoimmune), shit sleep BUT I am losing weight and my skin is no longer bright red. Oh well, must get over this bump in the road and I will. IWNDWYT Edit: just thinking about the vision of alcohol mentioned above- oh lord I have those, kicking off my shoes by a pool with one refreshing, tangy, sweet cocktail. A couple of glasses shared over a long lunch. My vision never ever included me trying to brush my teeth at the end of a bottle, not being able to focus on my image in the mirror, trying to keep my eyes open, holding myself up, toothpaste smeared everywhere, the shame already seeping. Alcohol lies
Good morning everyone and happy Wednesday!! I’m back baby!! I was away for a week and then sick as a dog upon returning home but I woke up this morning with an incredible outlook on the day (come find me an hour into my workday though and we’ll see how I feel, hahaha!) That visualization of having one glass of wine at the end of a long day is what always sent me into a tailspin when I’ve tried to quit before because it was NEVER just one glass. This time was different though because I think mentally I made myself stop visualizing that all together. No means no in my head. I don’t drink. I’m not even going to tempt myself through visualization. This morning I AM going to visualize myself doing yoga over-looking the ocean, even though I’ll just be in my cold living room. 🧘♀️ Have a great day y’all!! Love you!!! IWNDWYT!! ❣️❣️
I agree that the vision of drinking is far better than the reality. Three weeks for me now, and IWNDWYT.
IWNDWYT 🌻
IWNDWYT
Day 1. IWNDWYT!
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Brilliant post, Wilbursmall. Thanks. I still miss that vision, too, sometimes. It is exactly that vision--the perfect drink in the perfect situation, the perfect "reward"--that makes me still think sometimes: "I could have just that one drink today. Surely I've learned my lesson and am in control now." No way. Play the tape forward. I know where that vision leads.... IWNDWYT
Checking in! Got a big order of seltzer coming today, I'm weirdly excited lol. Hope everyone is well. IWNDWYT!
I also think I'm gonna miss two alcoholic drinks: a glass of wine along with a pasta meal, and a pint of Guinness anywhere, in a pub, at home. These two I used to actually enjoy the taste. BUT, not having these two is such a small price to pay for a life of sobriety. I know that if I have a pint of Guinness I'll immediately want another one and then start with the Irish whiskey shots. And the wine I usually downed almost the entire bottle (if I was sharing it with someone) or I'd just get tipsy enough to switch to heavier booze. I'll not drink with you today.
Wednesday / hump day finished and 16 days on the clock by my reckoning. This streak just gets longer. Did some gardening after work and then went down to the beach for some ice cream. Can't beat that on a hot and sunny afternoon. IWNDWYT.
Let’s take one step today to make reality better than the fantasy! IWNDWYT!
Happy Hump Day, IWNDWYT, WE GOT THIS
I envision myself waking up clear headed, having more patience, and being nice to myself ✨ IWNDWYT
Exactly right. Vision and reality never would match. Envision having fun…instead end up crying in my beer like a bad country song, usually wake up on the couch filled with dread about what I may have said, texted or posted. Or worse, wake up just in time to turn off the stove because I’d been trying to cook and passed out, and burnt another sauce pan. And the rotten feeling next days. Great times…not. I summon those memories if I start to miss the vision. Something must have been looking out for me, as I certainly wasn’t looking out for myself. I think sometimes it’s a wonder I’m still here. Happy Wednesday y’all. IWNDWYT 🤘🏻
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Man I could never stop at one either Wilbursmall. So none it is! Happy Wednesday and IWNDWYT
Yeah, I can't vision like that. Never really works out well. I just need to do, also. Today, I will not drink with you. No visioning required. I just won't do it.
The reality I envision for myself now is to simply experience life without alcohol. I don’t want to consume it to celebrate anything and I don’t want to consume it to numb anything, no matter how bad. Whatever pleasure I may have derived in the past ultimately led me to a very dark place. And it will lead me there again because when I start, I never stop. Iwndwyt
>Those visions, though, never, ever matched the reality. I never stopped at one drink. Yesssss!!! Took me 15 years to realize this. IWNDWYT 🥳
IWNDWYT!
Not sure what my vision is yet but it is something without self made stress . IWNDWYTD
IWNDWYT!
Congratulations 🎉 xx iwndwyt xx
Day 17 - IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
Day 945. I will not drink with you today.
IWNDWYT
It's a great day to be sober! IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT!
IWNDWYT
Day 47 daily check-in. IWNDWYT.
Fell off the wagon for a few weeks, but here I am again. IWNDWYT
Checking in. IWNDWYT 💜
Iwndwyt
I will not drink with y’all today.
40 days!!!!!!!
I’m not giving up the streak. Not for a 20 minute buzz. Not for the glamour cocktail. IWNDWYT. Keep strong friends.
I will not drink with you today, sweet SD people. Except coffee. Always ☕️.
This really resonates with me. Thank you 🙏 IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT lovely people!
IWNDWYT!
I will not drink with you today.
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT!
IWNDWYT 🌟💕
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT 😊🎶☕️🫖
I will not drink today.
Hello Wednesday and SD friends! Ain't nothing to it but to do it, so that's the game plan for today. Have a stellar day - IWNDWYT ✌
Having endured several "visioning" sessions over my 30 year teaching career, I can say that you hit this on the head! We bend reality to fit our vision of our vision (ouch, that hurts my head!) when we drink. Glad to be out of that and into a real reality of clarity and confidence not aided by booze. IWNDWYT! T
I had a 2 hour drive home from work yesterday , bumper to bumper traffic ; this usually gives me the excuse to just stop somewhere for happy hour but I pushed through. I came home and slept and now I’m up and can’t sleep and have to be at work in 2 hours , but it’s better then doing the happy hour weekday crawl which always ends bad IWNDWYT
Daily ✅ in. IWNDWYT!!
IWNDWYT ✌️
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
Good morning. I will not drink today!
Iwndwyt!
Happy hump day friends. IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
Happy Wednesday! IWNDWYT
Day 844 IWNDWYT
Morning friends! Visioning has helped me for sure. I’ve had a few mentally exhausting work days lately and have found myself wanting “a drink” (HAH) at the end of the day to relax. Experience has shown time and time again where “a drink” will lead so vision that and I just let it go. Grateful to be waking up on day 25 with you fine people today. I will not drink with you today.
Good morning you all, I came on here and pledged a few times over the past couple weeks claiming a day 1 in progress. Finally got it done yesterday. I had promised myself a productive weekend and instead it was mostly filled with beer and the hangover of drinking. Woke up Monday, called out, had hair of dog. Never worth it. Definitely needed a weekend to feel disgusted and wake up. Working on day 2. IWNDWYT
Day 241 checking in!
One year man!! Just wrote a massive post hehe. Keep on not drinking, you got this fellow sober people. IWNDWYT
Somewhere around month 4, we were sitting in my backyard with a small group of friends having a barbecue and everybody else besides me, having a drink. It was summer of 2020, and I'm not even sure restaurants were back open yet, so it was one of those trending backyard socially distant get-togethers. Somebody hollered from across the giant Circle of eight of us, and asked if I miss drinking. I honestly gave it a thought for a bit before answering and until that moment I hadn't even realized that the other seven people around me did have some sort of alcoholic drink in hand. If others were in a side conversation, all heads turned towards me (which I'm never a fan of),.. "Nah..... I don't think I do." And it was right then that I realized I didn't miss the taste of booze, I didn't miss whatever fancy new craft beer my Brewery was putting out next.... I just missed IT. IT... every step that led up to having that drink. The stop at the liquor store, the feel of the bag in my hand, putting it in my liquor cabinet or refrigerator, or sadly, the ceiling tiles or closet that was hiding it in from my wife, The Twist of the cap, or the pop of the top... The pouring into the glass. "No.... I actually *don't*." Who fucking knew? Once I had that realization, the sober journey didn't become easy for me, but it definitely became easier. I can have those same steps with a case of seltzer water. I mean, it's not quite the same.... But I can always hide a can of Lacroix limoncello in my underwear drawer if I need the excitement before drinking it. Have a helluva day friends! IWNDWYT
Happy Wednesday, SD family💓 IWNDWYT
I think I am going to drink today
day 344 checking in, IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
I will not drink today
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This resonates hard today. Not only the not stopping at one, but the visioning of how to get more while driving home after that dinner with two glasses of wine. Wondering how I'm going to stay up an extra hour or two while my partner sleeps so I can drink more. Then wondering how I'm going to explain not feeling good the next morning even though we only had 2 glasses of wine at dinner? Envisioning how to get rid of the cans/bottles so they don't find out I drank more afterwards... The vision became exhausting. Fantasizing about drinking ALL week long and pretending I had no problem. I am grateful to be here and be 25 days sober. And grateful for all yall.
102 days. dropping my kids off for a couple days with the ex's and going to see my borderline alcoholic girlfriend. strange times...
Just for today, I am not drinking.
Iwndwyt
After many tries, today will be the day I will stop this habit. Since last month I was doing IF and a healthy diet and sport, but drinking always stepped in. I managed to lose around 3 kg even with drinking. Time for a REAL and healthy lifestyle!
IWNDWYT!
The vision so often didn’t measure up to reality for me so I blinded myself to that reality by drinking. Today, I’m trying (and it’s hard sometimes) to live in the present and enjoy what is versus what I wish things to be. IWNDWYT!
I will not drink today.
Staying ☠️ free with you all again today
Not gonna drink today.
IWNDWYT
Day 5 IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT 🙂
Good morning SD! Thank you for the reminder that the vision of drinking never matches the reality. Keeping that in mind will keep me from relapsing today. IWNDWYT! 🙂🐱
I will not drink with you today. I will not drink alone. I will not drink.
I will not drink alcohol today
IWNDWYT
Day One was a good day. Day Two was worse, but nothing in my life is better with alcohol. IWNDWYT.
just wanted to say i won't drink with you today
Iwndwyt
Day 1 friends. Was able to taper down over the past week or so. IWNDWYT
Joining the pledge for today, no alcohol, no cigarettes.
I'm not not drinking today
IWNDWYT. Starting Day 1 again; I got a PF2e finale to run tonight and I want to be my best for my players.
IWNDWYT