Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

[retteacher]

Hi Everyone:

It's pretty late here on the east coast, but I'm starting this thread anyway. If someone else is posting while I'm typing, I'll just paste it. There's not much new here. The Fall chores are mounting up, but, of course, I'm not drinking to keep my anxiety down. I'll just do the best I can.

Speaking of anxiety: I think that's one of the main reasons I drank. I'm finding new ways of dealing w/it. Sometimes it's just a matter of pushing through a situation & coming out the other side. Last night, for instance, my daughter came for dinner w/the g-sons. It's fun but hectic. I just stayed calm & let others in the household help out a little. That can be a problem for me. I feel like I have to do everything myself.

I'm grateful for my sobriety today. I won't let anything spoil it. I want to thank all of you who contributed to this thread yesterday about drinking & the holidays...especially OMW for all the info. I have some new sites in my favs for when I need them. I found myself reading alot yesterday.

Mary

[on my way]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

Good morning abbers!
Burrrr its cold here, got the kids out the door and hopped back in bed. Possibility of snow today, double burrrr.
I had a great time at the concert yesterday and as you too well, I would not have been doing that last year because it would have interrupted my Sunday afternoon wine time. It?s a lot easier to be a good mom than a great drunk.

Sadly I have found I have a bit more anxiety when sober. I am working on that with diet, meditation, yoga and exercise?something is bound to kick in soon. Being sober with anxiety is still better than being numb and addled

I have another test today, I?m bit nervous but this one should give me some answers.

I am running out of time Hope you all have a great day, n

[charlee]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

Morning Mary and everyone to follow
Off to work, spent the weekend getting a start on some fall cleaning....in the midst of having kitchen and dining area wallpaper stripped and repainted...I will never do wallpaper again!!!....
Will check back later......

[retteacher]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

I think that the more we work through our anxiety, the easier it will be to cope w/it. Addled is a good word for how I felt trying to do things while I was drinking. On top of everything else, I always had the worries:
-does anyone notice?
-am I slurring?
-can I do this?

I can feel anxious & work through it. I don't have to let drinking spoil everything.

Mary

[New Creation]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

My first posting

Hi all. I am brand new to this. Am starting program today and prayerful that I can do this. But for some reason when I read these blogs (is that what they are called?...don't know difference between blogs and threads) , I am skeptical as to these comments being all for real. The times that they are posted and some of the way that they are written makes me think that some professional is writing these and not real people! Is that wierd thinking or what! Would like to join in ya'll's community but want to know that all of you are really out there and for real are struggling just like me.

[on my way]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

New creation.... we're the real deal. We are all alcoholics and we struggle daily. We find a lot of help and support within the abs community. More than I can express, I am thankful for everyone here and hope you can make this program work for you too. Some here have followed it the letter, others like me read the book, take some of the sups and the rest you can read about.

I wish you success; you are always welcome to join us here,

on my way

[caysea]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

Hi New
Welcome .Yes this is a real alcoholic here.The treads are real and the problem we all have is real.Great site to get the information and help you will need. If you are ready to put al behind you their are a lot of helpful tools available and the people here will give you all the support you will need to be successful.

Stay Healthy and Keep Fighting
AF 5-16-08

[retteacher]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

Dear New Creation:

I am definitely real. I've struggled w/alcoholism for a long time. I came to MWO in Apr. '07 & have had much success here in terms of being AF (alcohol free) for long stretches of time. I have had lapses back into drinking, but I know in my heart that I will be a non-drinker some day. That is my goal, as when I drink (even just a sip), I go right back into over-indulging completely. I am a retired teacher, so that may be why you think my posts are written by a professional. I just can't write anything & not punctuate properly...it goes against my grain.

I've been able to identify w/many of the MWO members here...especially on this thread. (This is a thread...I'm not sure what a blog is...I think it's like an on-line diary, but I wouldn't swear to that.) I lived in secret (w/my drinking) & while my loved ones probably suspect I have a drinking problem, it's never come out in the open. MWO is the only place I've been able to be completely honest. When I've had a rough period, I've come here & confessed & nobody has condemned me.

I hope you'll stay & try us out. The thought that this might be written by professionals has never really crossed my mind, but I know how important this site has been to my continuing recovery.

Good luck, Mary

PS: MWO=my way out
PPS: There have been people who have arranged face-to-face meetings, so that means there are members here...right? Also, you can PM (personal message) people for more private questions & comments. There's chat...especially at night...as well.

[on my way]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

BTW Mary, wip has posted a wonderful article in the research thread. It goes on the lines of what we were discussing this morning, n

[retteacher]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

Thanks OMW...I read the article. Also, I need a reminder to go to research once in a while. There's tons of good stuff there. Mary

[New Creation]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

You are all just too wonderful! I will come back daily to get the love and support that I just rec'd from you all. Thank you.

[Cinders]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

Hello my Ab friends,

New Creation, :welcome:

I assure you, I am a real person, a real alcoholic and I only type under this one ID.

I echo everyone else's words. Please read the book if you can, it is a very inexpensive download, about $13.00 US and has a lot of info in it. Lots.

That is not a sales pitch, btw. RJ did a lot of research before she tried to reduce her drinking. Her goal was to moderate and she did successfully.

This thread is for abstainers (AFers) because, and RJ mentions this in her book, many people have gotten to the point where moderating is not an option for one reason or another. Actually on MWO, the AFers outnumber the poor successful modders, sometimes they feel put upon by us.

I am one of those who must stay AF. Some days that makes me sad and some days I just accept it.

However, this thread is one of my mainstays. The people here are caring, supporting and uplifting. Those of us who have struggled and fallen many times are not chastised, just encouraged to get back up and go at it again. You will not get the AA mentality of right or wrong, you will simply get lots of encouragement. I do like AA, don't get me wrong, but MWO is my "home" group.

Mary,

I know that supplementation alone, as described in WIP's link, will not keep us from drinking. However, the research is pretty indicative of the chemical damage and imbalance we have thrown our poor beleagured brains into and some of why it is so difficult to stay AF.

I was particularly interested in the genetic mention of Omega 6 and its synthesis. I guess I am curious that if we have that defect, does supplementation help it? i.e. If we take more of a substance that we are having an issue with synthesizing in our brain, will we synthesize more? However, supplementing with Omega 6 is easy and very inexpensive. I did this a couple of months ago when RJ posted a thread about the Omega 3,6,9 supplementation helping with depression and anxiety. I figured, shoot, that is a whole lot better than taking Prozac, I'll give it a try.

I do agree with taking the AllONE because it is so complete and one tablespoon of nasty tasting powder (ick) just kind of takes care of most of the vitamins and minerals (almost all of those suggested in the link btw) and keeps me from having to consume large numbers of pills.

On top of AllOne, I take the Omegas, sublingual B-12 (due to gastric-bypass that is required), Super B vitamins (I have very expensive urine, I am sure!!) and Calcium with vitamin D (another issue caused by gastric-bypass.) After reading this article, about the only thing I would need to add is L-Glutamine.

Oh, and I would also have to become consistent. :H

What makes RJ's MWO so special is this: 1. Nutrional component - prior to this book, very little was done in that arena for alcoholics. 2. Exercise component - The endorphins released from exercise are incredible in helping us with sobriety. 3. The hypnosis CDs. I never bought them and probably won't. I did download an mp3 with some subliminal and a hypnosis therapy. I am giving those a shot. Just for the heck of it but time is such a constraint for me. 4. The MWO forum. 5. The use of medications. I can't take Topa but am trying Baclofen, which is way out of RJ's arena, other than she has posted a link about it from her research on JAMA and other medical sites.

Okay, this is a book. I just wanted to comment on the link WIP posted and I do heartily recommend that anyone who is not looking into supplements do so. Even if it is just a multi-vitamin, B vitamins and Omegas. That is a very cheap regimen.

Everyone else, Have a wonderful AF day and remember to be happy, too. It is important we realize how much better our lives are because of it!!

Love,
Cindi

[supersunny]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

I think it is really great that you know why you drink , or at least one of the reasons, anxiety. That is such a great step because now you can learn other ways to deal with anxiety. Have you thought about taking yoga or reading about progressive relaxation, meditation. - or any "mindfullness based" therapies? These are therapies that center around creating a mind body connection in order to releave stress. Google it, you will find a lot of information - congrats on all your success!

[supersunny]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

Response to new creation

New Creation;453300 wrote: Hi all. I am brand new to this. Am starting program today and prayerful that I can do this. But for some reason when I read these blogs (is that what they are called?...don't know difference between blogs and threads) , I am skeptical as to these comments being all for real. The times that they are posted and some of the way that they are written makes me think that some professional is writing these and not real people! Is that wierd thinking or what! Would like to join in ya'll's community but want to know that all of you are really out there and for real are struggling just like me.

New creation -

I think what you may be finding is that - even though we may have problems with alcohol, we are all still intellegent and professional adults who have become experts on our subject of intrest! - Not by choice , but out of need. We come from all walks of life - but we meet here to fight our addiction together and that is the power of this site. - Like for example - I am in healthcare so when I post things you may hear in my "voice" a more clinical or healthcare oriented opinion, the same goes for others here as well. - does that make sense?

[Princess Fiona]

Mon. - Oct. 27 - Daily Thread

155 days AF!!!!

I joined this site in Feb and managed 75 days sober, out of which 60 were AF, I fell off the wagon and was too embarrassed to log on. MWO is a fantastic site, if it wasn't for all of you here, I possibly would never have stopped to start with. :thanks:I am now 5 months AF today. whoo hoo, and feel wonderful
In the time since I last wrote, my husband left me twice, came home after I was AF for a month, left after 2 months and has left again, I joined AA, here in South Africa, and go to meetings twice a week, am following the program and doing great.
My husband and I are now dating, as I am changing every day, into a better me.
Alcohol made me an ugly, argumentative, aggressive drunk, this I am not anymore:l
There is no right way to recover, all I can say is surround yourself with people who love and support you, stop berating yourself and the past, the past we cannot change, but we sure as hell can change our future.
Whatever you have to do to stay sober... do it!!!