June Mod Squad

[ToMyHealth]

June Mod Squad

Hi everyone. Back to 'normal' week. Drank Fri, AF Sat, couple on Sun. AF Mon, couple last night. Now starts party weekend with a Summer Get Together tonite and from today-Sunday $1 draft beers for the US Open. We play another golf match on Sat, then on Sunday is Couples Golf with potluck and BYOB after, picnic style complete with 2 large screen tvs to watch the U.S. Open. My plan is to go with the flow, drink AF beer or club soda as well as adult beverages and thoroughly enjoy many friends.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

TMH

[Lasha]

June Mod Squad

Hi NNG,
You're dancing Alfies aint bad either and they're going about the speed of our song "Freesias" cool.
Hi TMH,
I've got a piece of paper attached to the front of our fridge that reads NO MORE BLOWOUTS 14/04/2013 Masters Sunday.
It's working and I'm thinking of what to write for the Open. :H
Have a great weekend.

Happy modding all.
Lash

[nonamegirl]

June Mod Squad

Happy Friday, my friends!

Hey, everyone. Hope all is well with each of you.

I was able to get most of the rest of my garden planted yesterday in between rain showers and headaches... (I think my migraines have quite a bit to do with my depression.) At least seeing the garden ready to sprout is heartening, so when it warms up again we'll be set to go.

I am seeing an acupuncturist today. It is the only item in a list of alternative treatments for depression that I am not currently practicing. Perhaps this will be the key.

I wish I could tell each of you how much I value you being here, and your view of life along this path we travel. TMH, good luck and have fun with the golf! Lasha, can you recommend a cider brand we might be able to get here in the states? I've never tried it... (Oh, gosh, I can just hear the uproar from the abbers now, the modders sharing bevies.) Eve, I hope your birthday week was lovely... did you get my BD song on the other thread? Nancy, drinkingal, thank you again for your words of support earlier. BOY, do I hope to never again be the cause of such drama!

Check in, everyone! I love hearing from you all! :l

[nancy]

June Mod Squad

ups and downs

I'm having some ups and downs. I am using Heart of Addiction as my bible and it's been amazing. I see binge drinking (here and there) as a compulsion and a symptom of mental illness. I really see it for what it is now though and sometimes can master it. There are times where I feel overwhelmed by stress though. And I honestly don't know how to manage it in a healthy way. Any tips? Aside from taking a bath or taking deep breaths? I know about those!

[drinkingal]

June Mod Squad

Hi NNG, I'm so glad you're trying to practice water off a ducks back. I've suffered from depression since I was really young so I know how it feels and I don't know if I inherited it or if I learned it (my mother suffered from severe depression too) but it's been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I don't admit it to many people but some times I do feel myself falling into a deep depression, and I start thinking about suicide, sometimes it seems like it would be sweet relief, and maybe everyone around me would finally understand how low I get sometimes, but I'm pretty good at hiding it. I've never admitted that at these forums before, even most people I know would never even guess it because I've had years of practice at keeping it to myself. So there are times when I drink to deal with it and honestly alcohol is the best medication for it, that's not politically correct to say, that's something some people would look at and think "you need therapy or medication" but I've had all that and alcohol is still the most effective thing for it in my experience. Hey, if it's a choice between sinking into the depths of dispair or dealing with a hangover, the hangover starts looking pretty benign, and the drinking does seem to shut down the depressive thoughts.

nancy, I've had some success at learning to deal with stress but honestly it depends on what is causing the stress as to how I deal with it and how effective that is. do you want to let us know more about the circumstances?

oh and for anyone looking into cider, I think the most widely known brand would be "strongbow" (lasha I'll bet that's what you're drinking buddy, am I wrong?)

[Lasha]

June Mod Squad

Yup Srongbow is OK but my favourite tipple at the moment has got to be Bulmers but there are so many different brands making cider now and they're all pretty good. Always buy glass bottled or draught never plastic bottled or tinned as they have an after taste.

The local Dorset scrumpy with solids is nice but are really strong so to be avoided and you do get drunk from the feet up as they say but WE don't get drunk anymore. Remember too much alcohol is alcohell so only 1 or 2 or maybe 3. I sound like my mother. :upset:

Nancy what can I say, I don't really suffer from stress and still have no grey in my hair but when I exercise I always feel high afterwards with the endorphins flowing if that's any help, sorry.

Happy modding all
Lash

[Lasha]

June Mod Squad

I forgot to say TMH that the Tiger looks ready to pounce, that's my tip.

[nancy]

June Mod Squad

stress

In terms of what kind of stress, my biggest issue at the moment is how to unwind after work.

[drinkingal]

June Mod Squad

Hi nancy, a therapist taught me a breathing exercise years ago (I never used it much until a few months ago) but the way he explained it is this resets your breathing and calms your body. I do feel a lot calmer after I do it. It's basically just taking slow deep breaths from your diaphragm in and out for 10 minutes. It takes a bit of practice to do it properly and not let your mind wander but by the end of the 10 mins I do notice how much slower and calmer I feel. I've been doing this a lot of the last few months and it's really helped me so it might be worth a try? Is it stress or could it be sometimes you just want a reward at the end of the day?

[nonamegirl]

June Mod Squad

Goodness. I usually don't sign on on a Sunday, but I am glad I did. Such a lot of news. Let me get the light stuff out of the way first. Thanks for the advice on cider. I am going to look for a Bulmer's at our place that stocks most everything.

And Lasha, I hear you about stress relief. Exercise is a great friend... IF one can get out the door. Sometimes the depression or the stress makes that first step seem like more than one can take. My go-to attempt at those times is to just tell myself that all I have to do is go outside. Don't have to go far, just to the end of the yard. Then usually I can go down the street a bit, and then into the park... and sometimes I just keep going. And I am able to come back with a lighter heart. But Nancy, I hear you about unwinding at the end of the day. A stressful job is hard to leave at work. It is almost impossible sometimes when you are already tired to exercise, but it really really does work... just movement, not sweating. Dance a bit if you can.

Drinkingal, yep. I also have suicidal thoughts which come from my depression. Which is so STUPID because I have such a lovely life. These suicidal thoughts are usually no more than looking at the water in the river and thinking "Ah... I could just so easily slip right in there..." just benign and minor. And no, I won't act on these thoughts. And YES, as I have said before, alcohol does help the depression. If alcohol wasn't a pain reliever, people wouldn't have been using it for the last ten thousand years. I even have my doctor's permission to treat my depression with a couple glasses of red wine if I can moderate. So far, so good.

But, I have to report that the initial results of my acupuncture experience are FANTASTIC. Since Friday I have had no feelings of blue let alone black. I have another treatment tomorrow... If this is the magic bullet, I will be so very very grateful.

Happy Sunday, everyone.

[LibraryGirl]

June Mod Squad

Hi Everyone. Just thought I'd check in and see how everyone is doing. Seems a bit slow in here, but I guess that's par for the course. Wondering if Dave ever posts anymore? I wouldn't say I'm extremely busy or that's why I don't post often anymore, but I am not consumed by thoughts of AL much anymore either. I am still modding, and just getting through life as most everyone else. Happy Sunday to all!

[drinkingal]

June Mod Squad

Hi LG, it's good to hear from you and glad that you're doing so well! I've been in and out of the forum for a while so I'm not 100% on this but haven't seen dave post in ages, probably not since earlier in the year? I hope he's doing ok and is just busy, it would be great if he would pop in and let us know how he's doing. I do remember him saying a while ago that being at the forum made him think of drinking more and it was easier for him to mod if he stayed away so that could be why we don't see him here now.

[LibraryGirl]

June Mod Squad

Hey dg. I spent way too long reading last night, and tired as hell this morning. I found a book here in the reading forum called, "The Good House". Have you read it? Please do, it's so good...and so scary because it could be any one of us. Got to run and get my a$$ ready for work, and will check in later! Miss you all!

[ToMyHealth]

June Mod Squad

:l Hi DG and LB! Good to see you along with everyone else. Sorry to hear so many are struggling with depression. I've been there myself. That tunnel can get very dark and narrow. No shame in correcting that chemical inbalance.

LB - thanks for book recommendation. Hopefully I can buy on my Kindle, will be great for travel later this week.

Lasha - Tiger took a dive instead. Personally played both Sat & Sun, heard a lot of talk about the pros tough course. Even our potluck after revolved around 2 tvs. It was outdoors and quite hot so didn't last too long. Went into bar (AC) but didn't stay, came home & watched instead. Poor Phil, wish he would have won being it was his b.d.

Happy to report I had a very moderate drinking weekend. It's kind of taken a backseat. Does that make sense? Very much wanted to feel good today to do some housecleaning, get a good workout in, and start preparing for travels.

:wave: Make it a good day.

TMH

[LibraryGirl]

June Mod Squad

I think you will enjoy the book, TMH. I am loving it, even though I know it's going to get darker and harder to read soon. I will probably read everything she's written when I finish this.