New Alcohol self help

[Deleted User]

Dear Shaz,

Thank you so much for writing. I feel for you as you learn to live a life on new terms. I really would recommend AA - it's been a lifeline for me, but I appreciate that you don't need me 'selling' it to you, the choice is entirely yours.

Maybe we both need to follow Dan's philosophy - thanks Dan!

Isn't this site wonderful. Thank you both so much (I'm in tears again - but this is for gratefulness for your time and thoughts)

Hiphouse

Taffyscot

Remember guys I go to weight watchers and if I have a big chocolate bar it aint good but guess what? today is a new day 9.00 is a new hour. I do not have to have another choc in an hour in a day. Remember if you dont take the first drink one thing is for sure you def, cannot take a second drink and you cannot get drunk. just here to remind you be kind to yourselves and one day at a time. I am not an alcoholic think cos ive seen too much of it in my family but thank god I do not have the disease and it is a disease but one you can control by not taking that first drink. I think AA the fellowship is amazing and they have welcomed me, an alanon member ,with open arms and a warm heart. Please give it a try. No one will understand your plight like someone who has been there and you will realise that you are not alone in all the bad things that you have done when in an alcoholic state. Taffy

Taffyscot

Hip remember she was drunk and you weren't. Maybe it will help you to realise that you do not ever want to be like that ever again --- drunk and not knowing what you are saying, what you are doing. My sister always picks on me when shes drunk and I love her to death and she loves me. You know the next day guess who is upset and guess who doesn't have a clue of all the tactless things she has said. Put it down to that a drunk who is not in control of what she says and does. Do you want to go back to that? 3 cheers for making it to an AA meeting. YOu go girl. Taffy

aah

Hi everyone, thanks to hiphouse for making me feel as tho I can still post even though as you have all probably guessed I have fallen right off the wagon.

Shaz, you are doing so fantastic especially with the tough times of relationship breakup and everything else. BoB you too, I am sure it isn't true but you do seem to be sailing through this, well done well done.

I don't know why I do it. I don't know why I drink but I do - a bottle of wine every night. My home life is fairly boring and my work life extraordinarily stressful but I know I am not unique in that.

I missed my appointment with the counsellor. I know I shouldn't have but I had to go and see one of my staff who is very down, on a short term contract and at risk of losing her job; I am doing my damdest to find funding to keep her, she is really really good, and our personnel officer can do nothing else but wring her hands (useless!). And we have redundancies at work and I am the union rep, so have to put up with management excuses (company is doing well, apart from one area....) So please no excuses for me but on top of the b***** stresful job have loads on my plate. And Xmas! (I used to love it but nowadays BAH!....)

(sorry, will go back into the closet now.... ) One day I will join you all on your journey to freedom.

Well done all, great to come back and see you all doing well.

A. x

Taffyscot

ah so what you have fallen off the wagon, so what you havent killed someone or robbed someone. your day will come too. get back on that horse and ride you can do it you know but not on your own, try a meeting and it just might get to you.

[Deleted User]

Good to hear from you again aah. I've been hoping you're OK. Sorry that life's challenging - it is whether you have a drink or not, so I've found.

Just to let you know that I didn't stop drinking the first time I wanted to - it took several attempts and only really worked when I realised I couldn't do it alone. From AA I realise this is a very common story. Really there's not a lot of difference in our drinking stories, though as Taffy says, it's not like you've damaged another human being. At this point I would add the word 'yet'... not to frighten you, but to let you know that alcoholism is progressive and behaviour can become very out of order unless you can find a way to stop the intake of alcohol and therefore the progression.

God - I've probably frightened you off with all that, I really just want to let you know what it can be like, but also what it can be like when you don't drink. I'm fine now after sharing my stress yesterday. Today is a new day and I'm glad to be alive and not drinking.

Thanks to everyone for sharing over the last 24 hours. It has been the most wonderful support to me. Aah, keep in touch and let us know how you get on. This isn't a race, we've been where you are and we want to help.

Very best wishes to everyone.
Hiphouse

shazrobo

aah thanks for for coming back to this thread, i keep falling back off the wagon and getting back on again, it isnt easy. i've had a drink for the last 2 nights, due to problems in my life, relationship breakup etc. going to try my hardest to keep off the drink tonight tho, this is day 1 again, wonder how many times i've said that?
xmas alone is not what it used to be, just putting a smiley face on for the sake of my sons, but once they are in bed its really hard.
hiphouse, you are an inspiration, and i will find an AA meeting near me, if they run during the day.
shaz x

brodev

It's good to see some activity here again. We all make mistakes and that is probably the main reason we use a forum like this. If we were perfect then we wouldn't need a place like this. It is because we are fallible and make mistakes that places like this and others are needed. I know it can be embarrassing to admit (even online to strangers) that we have been less than perfect AGAIN, I know I've been there, but I sought help because I couldn't manage on my own. If you have read this thread you will know that I went, and still go, to AA for my help. I found support and understanding beyond words. I met people who I admired but they had done things worse than me. This made me realise that I was not a bad person, just someone who could get better. I believe that AA is by far the best way for most alcoholics to stay sober.
Hiphouse you made me smile. I sat next to that lady once, though at that time she was a bloke. Like you, I talked about it afterwards and as someone said to me "Aren't you lucky that you never had to sit beside yourself". Made me think again of why I had to stop. Some of the things I have said to innocent people makes me cringe. Somebody else said give them an expletive, silently, and get on with it.

Taffyscot

brodev wrote: »

It's good to see some activity here again. We all make mistakes and that is probably the main reason we use a forum like this. If we were perfect then we wouldn't need a place like this. It is because we are fallible and make mistakes that places like this and others are needed. I know it can be embarrassing to admit (even online to strangers) that we have been less than perfect AGAIN, I know I've been there, but I sought help because I couldn't manage on my own. If you have read this thread you will know that I went, and still go, to AA for my help. I found support and understanding beyond words. I met people who I admired but they had done things worse than me. This made me realise that I was not a bad person, just someone who could get better. I believe that AA is by far the best way for most alcoholics to stay sober.
Hiphouse you made me smile. I sat next to that lady once, though at that time she was a bloke. Like you, I talked about it afterwards and as someone said to me "Aren't you lucky that you never had to sit beside yourself". Made me think again of why I had to stop. Some of the things I have said to innocent people makes me cringe. Somebody else said give them an expletive, silently, and get on with it.

brod I think you hit the nail on the head when you said in AA there are [people that you admire for where they have been and where they are now and how they have kept off the bottle and did things much worse than you did but are now respectable members of society. Thanks for your comments. Taffy

Bogof_Babe

Hi all, I wondered whether this thread would ever surface again. Glad it has, I feel like we are all mates now.

All still going well here, I bought my Christmas drink supplies yesterday - two 2L flavoured lemonades, two Coke Zero (not sure of size, they're in the garage now, about 1.5L I think), three 1L Bitter Lemons, which will add to the few bottles of ginger beer, Schweppes Straightcut etc. that I still have left. My husband had the audacity to say our fairly large (for us) grocery bill was all due to my drinks :rolleyes: . This is the man who has 1/3 bottle of wine every night followed by two cans of Strongbow :rolleyes: .

Might need some company on Christmas Eve, as he is going to a party in the house next door to his late father's place. I am invited but don't know the people and tbh I would rather stay here in the warm and have an early night. But it will be the first time I've been stuck on my own while the rest of the world is partying, so I hope some of you will be around too. If I went to the party I'd be plied with drink no doubt, as I gather they like a pint or two . He's going with his sister, and then on to midnight carols. I know I'd never stay awake until that sort of hour!

I have discovered that bitter lemon is really good for easing sore throats. Thought I'd share that little health tip with you all .

Aah it's good to see you again, and it sounds like you have lots of stuff to deal with at the moment, so hopefully you will get back on track when life quietens down a bit.

Here's to all of us then, compliments of the season, which truly can be enjoyed without the necessity of a foggy brain and a hangover!