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    My Story

    I figure I have been here long enough to be honest and open about me and I feel safe here doing that, we all have a story. I feel that now i am ready to be honest and achieve what i honestly want, sobriety.

    My childhood was not horrendous, it involved a father that had an affair and left, a daughter (me) that begged him not to go and he did. Parents that fought like "cat and dog" when we went to visit the other parent. All just normal stuff i thought although he has not talked to me for the last twenty years. Her second marriage involved an alcoholic who was abusive to my brother who he tried to strangle, bought out a shotgun on us. Just normal life for a child. She stayed she said due to no help from the government. Her third marriage, well he was the father I never had, the father who told me when i was going wrong, who was honest and loving to me. I loved him dearly and still do although he died of mesothelomia.

    My brother started drinking at 14 and kept getting into trouble with the police. My parents could not understand his problem. His problem was he drank to forget as we all do/did. He has since died, of alcoholism.

    I grew up, I did the social drinking, slept with how many? Oh who knows and remembers, what was i searching for I wondered. Love of course. I fell pregnant at 22 and had my beautiful daughter who got married a week or so ago. I did not really drink a great deal, it was under control. I had my 2nd child 17 months later in a relationship that i knew was going nowhere. I then got with my ex husband who was a drinker and i was a stay at home mum, he did nothing as he worked so thought he should not be a part of helping. I still remember to this day thinking "if i cant beat him I may as well join him" in drinking and so my story begun. We had two children together also. My drinking was not too bad.

    How did it get to this i always wondered. Now i realise i cant please everyone, I cant be the person everyone wants. I cant be in 100 places at once. I am me, I am Linda, I am lovable, my children love me unconditionally as I love them. I think that is a problem with an alcoholic we feel worthless, unloved and unwanted even if we are functioning. I feel like that at the moment with my mother but I wont let her beat me down this time, I am strong, I have made mistakes and i so want to change the AL bit in me.

    Thanks for listening and it feels good to share.
    AF free 1st December 2013 - 1st December 2022 - 9 years of freedom

    #2
    My Story

    Thanks for sharing Linda! Our stories aren't that dissimilar, though I don't have any kids. How are you going on your struggles with AL?
    Well it's all right now. I've learned my lesson well. You see you can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself.

    Comment


      #3
      My Story

      Very true Linda. As a child of divorced parents who also fought a lot which meant me and my sister were caught in the crossfire I can relate to feeling unloveable. Dad left was there financially but never emotionally. There's a deep hurt that alcohol blanked out. You are so lucky to have your children and their love. True as alcoholics we do feel worthless and unloveable but most of us are good people who are just trying to self Medicate the pain away. Once we realise that the way to happiness is to break the hold alcohol has on us then we can finally be free to love ourselves. Cos by loving ourselves and treating ourselves with love and care we are loveable. Thanks for sharing. Keep strong.
      Drink free since 18 August 2013:h

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        #4
        My Story

        Thank you Available. So many of us have unimaginable pain from childhood. But the best revenge is living well and being happy. Drinking is a dead end. It leads us no where and it increases our pain.
        Have a blessed day.
        No matter how far you go or how fast you run, you can't get away from yourself. ....said at an AA meeting. It stuck with me.

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          #5
          My Story

          Linda - it takes courage to honestly tell our stories. Thank you for sharing yours. You've endured much in your life, but from our talks, I also know that you are a wonderful mom, a very loving person, and a good friend. I am so glad you are back. No more self-medicating for either of us, okay? Let's do this together.
          Everything is going to be amazing

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            #6
            My Story

            Hi, Available (Linda):

            Have you read The Liar's Club and Lit by Mary Carr? I have a feeling you might like them.

            Thanks for sharing your story. I'm sorry about your mom and all that you've been through, but you've managed to take care of and raise four children in a way that sounds like you've broken the cycle. Hang tight, stay sober. You can do this for yourself!

            Comment


              #7
              My Story

              " I feel like that at the moment with my mother but I wont let her beat me down this time"

              What does that mean? Is she beating(emotionally) you up now, still?

              We all do seem to have similar childhoods! Lots of disappearing dads. We seem to have become a throw away society and kids/families seem to be very easy to throw away.

              You seem pretty together right now. Congrats on the purging, it really does help.

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                #8
                My Story

                Thanks for sharing your story Linda,i can relate to your childhood so sad,and also how alcohol problem sort of snuck up on you,you sound strong though,stay that way
                I have too much shit to do today and tomorrow to drink:sohappy:

                I'm taking care of the "tomorrow me":thumbsup:
                Drinkin won't help a damn thing! Will only make me sick for DAYS and that ugly, spacey dumb feeling-no thanks!

                Comment


                  #9
                  My Story

                  Linda, thank you for this. We all seem to have issues from childhood onwards that haunt our adult lives.

                  But here's the reality. Most adults have issues from childhood and beyond these days. That perfect family nucleus is long gone. We all have our horror stories. Yet a lot of people manage to live their lives dealing with these things without getting drunk at every opportunity, as I did.

                  My marriage and subsequent divorce, well it was hard, and I deserved a drink, didn't I? My brother died, my father died, my sister died and then my mother died. Surely I deserved a drink?

                  Yet millions of people were going through that level of loss and more the same time and didn't become alcoholics. I guess what I am trying to say is, that I am an alcoholic. Whether it's genetic, environmental, written in the stars, whatever.

                  I am an alcoholic. And I am doing something about it as best I can.
                  Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it! ~ Goethe

                  Comment


                    #10
                    My Story

                    Available, Linda,

                    Thank you for your story. You are a strong woman and like you said, lovable. Your children love you. We are so blessed to have children! Well, my 16 year old loves me most of the time...hehe! But you're an inspiration, as i've been reading so many of your posts. Once your mother leaves, you will be able to get back more good feelings. But you're so right. Even as a functioning alcoholic, I felt worthless, had low self-esteem, just pure crap. I'm grateful that I'm feeling so much better about myself and life in general. Keep going girl!
                    Sometimes what you're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      My Story

                      Hi guys and thanks for reading.

                      Siren my struggles are getting less and less as time goes on. Atm I am not AF as the tension in the house is unbelievable. The guilt I feel is horrible as my mother is now projecting herself as a victim and of course I am the baddy. I am fragile, she has hurt my children and me and I don't know if I can forgive her for that.

                      Sue I have a big plan of caring for myself when things settle down. I don't want AL in my life, I want to wake up every morning and thank god I am AF. That will happen. I am going to go to counselling also and have started my anti depressants, it is time to get my life back and make it mine.

                      LB you are a treasure and I value our friendship. I will get there, I know I will. I plan on having my revenge big time.

                      Moss I will be there with you for sure and thank you for your kind words. My children are my world and always will come first although in saying that maybe it is time for me to come first for awhile.

                      Pav thank you for your kind words. No I have not read those books but I will certainly look them up. I broke the cycle when I had children but she has not, its her way or the highway as they say but that's okay. I know I am not perfect but I am a good woman and mother, she cant take that away from me.

                      Itstym, my mother is very very good at emotionally destroying me. She crucifies us with her words and then portrays herself as a victim, she is old, she says these things and doesn't mean them. she is going home and if she goes this time she will not be back (she will), we only use her for her money (we don't), the list goes on still. She is waiting for me to apologise for her actions, I cannot do that.

                      Pauly I am getting stronger each time and with me wanting to get help I will get there. I love to be hypnotised and it is amazing what comes to the fore when that happens, I need to go to my psychologist again.

                      BH yes your words ring so true, we all only need an excuse to drink, any really, just one, well not even one sometimes. Oh I know I am an alcoholic, I don't want to be anymore. I think my problem is that my parents are still alive, my father I have not spoken to for 20 years, he is old now but I did nothing wrong, why wont he talk to me, I am a good person. My mother well by now we all know about her. I have a long way to go with these issues and I know I cant drown them out with AL. The good thing is I now want to fix myself.

                      Jvo, yes once she leaves life will move on, my 22 yr old daughter will come back to visit which she is avoiding atm, my boys who live with me will be more settled and life will move on. My mother is my mother and I wish we could work through our crap but she cant let herself do it. I love her with all my heart but I cant let her let me live my life with guilt.

                      Thank you all for your replies, I am going to keep posting of my struggles so that I am accountable. A positive today was my son was asked to be best man at his best friends wedding who he has known since he was 5 years of age. Woo hoo. Life has so many positives. He is 20 now.

                      Wow this was long, ha ha.
                      AF free 1st December 2013 - 1st December 2022 - 9 years of freedom

                      Comment


                        #12
                        My Story

                        Available, the situation with your parents is awful. Have you tried to contact your Dad and ask him why he has shut you out for so long? He is missing out on so much of you and your family, that's such a shame.

                        That's so nice that your boy was asked to be best man! You are right, life does have many positives. I am glad you are going to keep posting here.
                        Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it! ~ Goethe

                        Comment


                          #13
                          My Story

                          How are you available? Did mom leave? Is life getting back to normal after the wedding? I know when my sister and her family come to my house (and will over x-mas) it's crazy! But that's when both sis and I were drinking. We both won't be drinking this year, and that should be more than half the battle!
                          Sometimes what you're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            My Story

                            Hi Jvo no she has not left yet but tomorrow. I feel sad, so many emotions at the moment, guilt, anger, love. She means well but she is just mean most of the time. Lots of issues but lots of love also. Xmas will be quiet here and I wont be drinking for sure. I just did 2 days af but tonight was a going away night for mum so tomorrow back on track and back to day 1. i am over the day 1's thats for sure but am glad everyday is not a hangover day like it used to be.
                            AF free 1st December 2013 - 1st December 2022 - 9 years of freedom

                            Comment


                              #15
                              My Story

                              Hi Available,
                              Just sending positive thoughts and hugs your way. :l
                              Hang in there!
                              K9
                              :heart:I love my daughter more than alcohol:heart:

                              Believe in yourself. You are stronger than you think.

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