Hello :)

[toodles]

Hello everyone,

@Appleblossom @tyme @TAB @Shaz51 @Paperdaisy @Owlunar @Silenus @Clawde @StuF @Former-Member @NatureLover @Former-Member and everyone else 🙂

How are you all? I hope you’re as well as you can be.

I wanted to check in with you and see how you’re all doing. I’m ok. My moods are a whirlwind but I’m more confident to deal with my mental illness since I stopped drinking. I found a wonderful community at AA which helps me greatly so I’ve been very quiet here. I wanted to share that life can get better even if the daily struggles continue 🙂

Take good care of yourself x

[TAB]

Very Good @toodles  how long has it been now ? I wish you well on your journey

[toodles]

How are you @TAB

I’ve been sober nearly a year now, but the first 6 months were awful. I got physically very sick, but that’s starting to get better.

[TAB]

Gee thats a long time. Well done @toodles 

[StuF]

Sounds good @toodles  🙂

Well done!

[Appleblossom]

Good to hear from you @toodles 

Really Good you have found in real life social support, sufficient to help you remain sober and get through the worst period.  It does help when people drop in let us know how they are going after a while.  It makes the forums seem worthwhile.  Everyone uses the forums differently, but I personally miss people and wonder how they are coping.

Cheers ... Cincin .... with a Lemon Lime and Bitters!?!

I had to watch my alcohol intake when young and eventually got used to mixing with others drinking... and happy to click glasses with mine full of water!

[tyme]

Hey @toodles ! That's really encouraging to hear that things have been more stable since you stopped drinking. I recognise it is not an easy step! Well done!

We cheer you on, and look forward to hearing how things go for you.

Have you found ways to keep occupied?

[toodles]

Hi @Appleblossom 

I miss my buddies from the forums, some of you I’ve known for many years, so I’m interested too how you all are. I’ve had long periods where group support wasn’t beneficial but I’ve always liked coming back. How have you been?

I’d definitely click with lemon, lime and bitters. It’s getting so much easier now to say ‘no’ as people in the village have ‘given up’ offering me drinks 🙂 but the challenge remains in my head. I’ve realised that all throughout my life drinking was a coping mechanism and I believe it helped and was one of the only tools I had available when I was a child. Only took another 40 years for me to realise I can manage without 🙂 better late than never.

[toodles]

Thank you @tyme  

Not drinking has given me more time, yes it’s incredible how much time my drinking took up, and I look after my living space better and sometimes myself. It comes with its ups and downs but I know that I’ll just go down the same path if I have a drink. 

How are you?

[tyme]

Thanks for sharing your progress @toodles . It takes a lot to say no to drink, especially when it was a go to in the past. 

Things are pretty good for me. I feel like I've got my hand in so many cool and amazing projects that I'm just ready and rearing to go. I wish there was more than 24 hrs in a day - that'd help 🙂

By projects, the forums co-design is one 🙂

Exciting times ahead on the forums!