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.
So I have mouthwash in our bathroom. We were going through it like crazy! All this time, I thought it was my son (you know, being a teen and all). Last Saturday I bought another bottle of mouthwash... except this time it was a brand name, and had ZERO ALCOHOL in bold, large print on the label. Not only that, but my son saw a commercial for this very wash, and said, "Oh mom, that's the one you got today!"
Guess what? It hasn't even been cracked open! LOL!
What's even funnier, is that I have ALWAYS bought zero alcohol mouthwash... I just used to buy an off-brand, and it was hard to read that there was no alcohol. What's even funnier is that my AH used to tell me all the time that it wasn't alcohol I was smelling on him, but mouthwash! hahahahahaha! I would just smile and nod at him when he would say this. What a maroon!
I am not sure why this is so funny to me today... perhaps it's because detaching is actually working.
Peace
__________________
"The wolf that thrives, is the one you feed." - Cherokee legend
"Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields... Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness." Mary Oliver
Being in AA, I have always purchased Alcohol-free mouthwash. I recall when my teens were starting to test boundaries, and one grabbed a new bottle to take to their bathroom. They made a derogatory comment about me being psycho just because I bought A-F mouthwash. I said nothing, and pulled the old bottle out - which was also A-F ... just harder to see/find. I said, just a new brand - always has been A-F. "Drop the Mic"...
For me, I also found humor. I believe because these are the things that WE (affected by the disease) experience that others would not believe or even have the ability/capacity to understand. The insanity and crazy-making at times is so stretched that it does strike us funny because nobody but those who live with it would even believe it...
(((Hugs)))
__________________
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
I have to admit, I never even knew that mouthwash had alcohol in it until very far along this road. I would have understood my husband's behavior a lot better if I had known. Thank you for bringing up this topic ... I can laugh at myself with forgiveness now because I was just so naive then.
I have benefited from the Speaker Meetings with AA listening to the stories are very healing for me.
One story that stands out was a man who said that hobo's used to make shoe polish sandwiches in the 30's and that was literally getting the ethanol alcohol out because that is what an A is addicted to physically. I can't imagine soaking bread into something and squeezing out the juice (you had to get the shoe polish melted and then use the bread as a filter for lack of a better term) and that's what they drank to get them through.
This particular RA had a come to Jesus meeting of sorts when he drank so much mouthwash that he blacked out while driving and woke up with a gash on his head. That was what was the turning point and this was after attending meetings and trying to get sober during that time. The point was he did get sober and he was able to move forward. I think what was sad to me though was listening to his wife speak .. these are not easy relationships to rebuild and even with all of the alanon she had she was really struggling to come to terms with the past behavior. They had both been in program for years. The other part was it was obvious he was the "fun" one and she was still very serious .. that was the other thing I felt bad for her about is again .. obviously she had been through a lot.
So yes .. anything with alcohol in it what has alcohol in it is mind blowing .. vanilla extract, mouthwash, night time sleep aides, cold medicine, .. it's very important to read the ingredients or at least be educated for your own purposes. I choose not to have alcoholic products that aren't actual alcohol in my house. My kids have shared they feel more comfortable with drinking not being hidden and knowing what they are exposed to.
Hugs S :)
__________________
Faith minus vulnerability and mystery equals extremism. If you've got all the answers, then don't call what you do "faith". - Brene Brown
"Whatever truth you own doesn't own you" - Gary John Bishop
