The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
my names barry. yesterday i had a bloody good day sorting out my chronic debts. it all went well and things are in progress with an action plan. i feel like the monkey has been lifted from my shoulders. it was scary but the best thing i did to address the monkey in the room.
my problem was that my default setting for years has been if i have something to celebrate then its time to get out a bottle of wine, put my feet up, kick back and just savour the celebration, whatever it may be. obviously as an alcoholic i cannot do this anymore, but it was bloody difficult not drinking. in the end i treat myself to a feta omelette to fill myself up. it did the job but it was a close call.
i need to change my way of thinking to avoid another near miss. are there any tips out there?
Hello Barry,
I was just having a similar conversation with my friend who is just beginning his recovery. I said something about learning not to turn to drinking for his problems. He said that drinking goes with everything, not just problems but celebrations. You drink when your sad and you drink when your happy. I come here because of my relationship with an alcoholic but I am also in recovery from drugs/alcohol. There are different groups in the Miracles In Progress 12 Step Recovery Forums. You can even work the 12 steps. I find that helpful when I am having difficulties. I have found other forums on the Internet too, I use reddit. It is not as structured but someone usually responds to your post quickly if you are having an urge to use. You never know what you might get because it is not as filtered but any help is good at times to distract me from what I might be having a hard time with at the moment.
Congratulations Barry on the sober journey which I have been on with the help of the program and fellowship since 2/8/79. Yes I did life with alcohol and now I do it with a power greater than myself and the discipline of the steps, traditions and concepts. I do what has worked for and with others...If I do what they have done I get what they have gotten also. Sponsorship is powerful for me as I get to be in progress with another person who has what it is I need without shame. Stick around the board and check out the AA page also. Keep coming back. ((((hugs))))
Welcome to Miracles in Progress Barry - glad you found MIP and glad that you shared. Like Jerry above me, I too am in recovery on the AA side (this is the Al-Anon page)....I've been sober less time than my brother Jerry, but one day at a time, I've found a different and better way to celebrate the miracles and successes of my life/existence.
I too am a big believer in sponsorship and fellowship. When I was early in my journey, I was often uncomfortable to pick up the phone. However, the first group I went to (my first home group) was very direct and mindful that the goal is to call BEFORE I drink!!! When the cravings hit, I used the phone and reached out to others and it works!
Keep on, one day at a time!
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Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
thankyou for the replies. sorry to be tardy with my reply but i dont have immediate access to the internet, its as and when i can get to it. they helped me, made me think to phone my friends in the fellowship when it starts to get close to the wind with alcohol. trying to alter my ingrained thought process. i know that a celebration is a trigger point for alcohol, must replace the alcohol with something and feel good about it. that it is just as good. funny though, just typing about alcohol has got me thinking about it, and i have a meeting tonight at 7pm. bloody hell, this might have not been my brightest idea. 2 hours to last. 1 minute at a time.
superbowl on sunday. usually it goes lots of beer, hotdogs and pretzels at half time, followed by more beer. my next big test. being aware of the danger is half the battle, another trigger point.
staying sober seems like just one long day of pressure, pressure, effin pressure...
Barry - I was reminded in early recovery that it is just another day and stay present today - worry about Sunday when it arrives. There are many meetings on the weekend - that's where I hung for many of my 'firsts'.
First Things First!!
__________________
Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
Well done. For me I've found being happy, being sad, bored or keeping active alcoholic company have all been precursors to drinking. Years ago, i was given a ride home by a female aa member from a totally unrelated appointment. Court ordered seperation counselling, i was 20 years old. Anyway this woman was the ckunsellors receptionist and she was a gentle almost arty type, very sweet. We get back to my place and she says "you know, alcoholism is progressive. That means it never gets better, it only gets worse. " She shared that along with the sense of awe that truly realising it brings. For me that day it cracked open a tiny sliver in my mind and 16 years later that little crack has grown to be a beautiful lamp of self understanding. addiction is such a cunning, baffling and powerful thing. Knowledge is sometimes power, getting to really know about it and yourself at the same time I've found very valuable.
