new-but have an interesting observation

[Guest]

I have just recently found this site...been on the boards, some chatting, and recently a couple of e-mails and even one phone converstation (thanks anne!)....I just have to say....I find it wonderfully supportive here, and curious.....It seems that most here are women, bright, basically well functioning people....with very similar issues to my own. I also find it facinating how many of us seem to prefer wine.

Don't know what it all means.....Just find it facinating.

Regardless, i am glad I am here. Just purchased the book.

Best to all

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

Welcome!

Hi and welcome. I really have been helped a lot by this site and enjoy coming to it sometimes to offload my misdeeds, sometimes just for the company and to see what everyone else has been up to.

It does help when you can say what you want "out loud" as it were and usually there is someone who can relate to your comment/question/observation!

It is fascinating that wine has a fascination for us bright "normal" women, but there it is. Maybe because it seems more socially acceptable? Who knows? But as you said, regardless of the reason, you have found this site now and I'm sure you will get all the support and friendship you will need to help you travel on your preferred way!

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

Re: Welcome!

Actually, when I was "really" drinking... my drink of choice was... anything with alcohol in it! :b ...But now that I'm a bit more "reserved(?)"... I prefer wine or light beer(probably because I know it's fairly safe,...that Hubby won't be drinkin it for me, if he runs out!) HA!:rollin :rolleyes Sure don't miss those old days of chokin down stuff I couldnt stand, just for the affect...which usually wasn't a good one any way!:x

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

Hello my new helpful friend (and I really ment that),
I said the same thing in the beginning. There is a commonality between us (not gender even though most of us are women) because it does take I think I certain type of person to find this site, another type to be not anto "AA' but want to be more private and be in a different sort of setting about their problem, and another that is smart and incredibly artulciate, successful, well spoken, and fucntioning well with their problem for the most part. That is all of us. We are smartypants franky. To be able to come on this site for all of us to be able to vent about other things outside of our drinking and then receive million posts that have legitamite advice, websites, whetever, you can't can't find that in AA. In AA all you talk about is your drinking and how you screwed everything up. I couldn't go up there and talk about my daughter's autism and get advice, I'd probably get a big loud AWWWWWWWWWW, and that would be that (at least that's what I think would happen).

The other thing is that we all "sponsor" each other if someone isn't around one particular day because they are busy. A ton of other people can help a friend of that person. Also, I think we all probably outgrew our maragaritas and beer and frankly wine is better and more dignified and didn't seem "alcoholicy" to me (until I started drinking two bottles a night!).

Off to the spa for the first time in three years, jealous smart ladies (oh and the 5 guys on here)?
:rollin

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

Bak,

Yes. Fascinating. And more so after reading the recent threads and incredibly thoughful replies re:autism and being brave. If there is a sociologist in our midst or anyone interested could be interesting study for publication Also I am fascinated with the comparision of the program to AA!!

In fact...Patty...I know you are very, very busy dear but I would just love to hear more about your experience with & insight into AA. I have had several, several friends in it over the years & I am very negative about it. Plus -- the biggie... My daughter had a drug problem in high school. No NA (actually good) around here out in affluent Bumblef---ville, NJ so we took her to AA for 2 years. We all learned a lot. Over the years we also learned why many wealthy (politicians, hollywood) types overcome addictions so easily with other methods -- drugs, bioelectronics, programs that insurance companies will not pay for.

These friends out of AA that I have known have... let's see: totally relapsed to the street; died of obesity (another addiction); died of lung disease due to smoking - another addiction taken up at meetings; divorced his wife due to affair & decided to become a priest -- another addiction in a way (just my thought)....

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

Hi Gang,

There is also the fact that a little bit of wine, up to maybe two glasses, especially red, is good for us. The problem is, for me, it's easy to feel its inocuous enough to keep on going till the bottle is dead. White wine goes down so easy, doesn't it? Red makes me more aware that I am drinking, so I try to have one red and one white. Still, I generally have three-four unless I have made up my mind to abstain, which I do maybe once a week. Oddly, I drink very little at parties. Too busy socializing. But I have been known to have mine when I get home.

Having said that, the people I know in AA who have hit rock bottom are hard booze people. With wine you go to sleep after a few. I do anyway. Now I'm not trying to be a wine snoot but I do think it's better as long as we control it.

Ivy/Ned

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

I know some very good people who have gotten sober through AA. Not all AA groups are the same--some are really hard core and some are very progressive, fair and welcoming and forgiving. Unfortunately, the ones that stink, really stink, and tend to give the organization a bad name. I personally don't go for a couple of reasons:

1. I am terrified of running into a client at a meeting when I am still at a vulnerable place about my own drinking.

2. With a teenage daughter, I am not comfortable being out several nights a week, and daytime meetings conflict too much with my work schedule.

3. There are usually a few people at each meeting who will overwhelm you with their friendliness, and I have felt obligated to get sober right away to please them, which sent me running in the opposite direction (yes, my problem!).

Nevertheless, I think that AA can be very valuable for some, and I think it can be a supportive addition to this program for SOME of the people on MWO.

Just my two cents.

Love to all,
Kathy

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

Hi,
I didn't read all the mails in this thread but my drink of choice is beer, always has been. I drink wine from time to time but it gives me a headache and I live in a fabulous wine producing region so it's not poor quality. It could be that I like beer because I can drink it quickly (oh that sounds awful). I also drink coffee quickly, water quickly and any other liquid quickly and all of them voluminously. I find that is an interesting observation too and I was thinking of starting a new thread about just how we all tend to consume any type of liquid. And I wonder if it is some kind of 'oral fixation' of a kind.
Anyway, I'm rambling, but I do think there is merit to this thought of mine. Also, someone once told me that my Neptune is in Scorpio or something like that and she told me, without knowing me, that I likely need fluids and probably need alcohol because of this planetary setting. Hmmmmm...
CB

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

Gosh, just found this site today and have been reading all day - into the night and ready for opening my second bottle as usual - but one thing about your posting struck me - I work with vulnerable people (hey, though aren't we all!) but hopefully you know what I mean - One of my fears about getting help is that I will be treat the same and judged by professionals that I work alongside but the biggest being running into a client that I work with - this is why I hope this site can help me.

Oh bless you,all thank you, thank you.

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

What do you do, Mollruss?

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

Hi mollruss, I have just recently discovered MWO too and relate so much to so many of the posts I have read so far.
I am a health professional in the business of helping people look after themselves and learn to relax ! Ha ha I feel such a fraud.
but I wonder howmany of those other professionals whose judgement you fear are hitting the old bottle too?? Plenty I'll bet, wouldn't it be great if we all could be open about our weaknesses as well as our strengths.
and I wonder why we fear the judgment of our clients?? it may be liberating to them and us if they saw us as fallen humans too. (of course I am not aware of your client group)

Sophia

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

wow
I started this thread back in May when I first came to this site, and it has gotten bumped back up to the top. Since I first posted, things have gotten so much better!! I will add that I am not just a woman, but also in the health care profession. I am a psychologist, of all things...so I can relate to the feeling of irony, and fear of being honest, or seen by clients....

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

I'd say that it would certainly be liberating to some clients, but possibly not so for others--could possibly be very disruptive to their treatment, in fact. It depends so much on the individual. That is part of the reason why I haven't wanted to risk it. Also, not that I am that selfless, either. If it disrupts their treatment, it could also disrupt my income, since I'm self-employed! I'm fairly open, but since this is an area that I am still quite vulnerable about, it's not something I'm comfortable revealing.

Hugs,
Kathy:d

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

I heartily agree. I think this site is extremeley interesting and a huge benefit to me.

[Guest]

new-but have an interesting observation

good topic

I am a nurse, don't share my problem w/ patients, but if I see or they tell me they are having a problem, I suggest help in form of MWO (now), used to sayAA, still will as I want to give many options............too vulnerable to share my problem w/ others here though (at work), so that is what I love:h about this site!!!

Mary Anne:happy