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    THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

    crimsons;1186130 wrote: Well, juicing is messy and juicers are hard to clean! Then again, I managed to find a lot of time to drink...

    I am finding all this daunting. I think the principles of harm reduction figure in here. Any walk taken, veggie eaten, new interest taken on is a step in the right direction, so pat yourself on the back.

    I'm in a great position; a book I wrote is in development as a major -- and I mean major -- tv series. It is all so foreign and sudden and also a big change. It's also strangely isolating, and my old circle of friends evaporated. The support I've found here is honestly what's getting me back to me. Im so glad aa is no longer the only mindset!
    :welcome::goodjob:

    edit: like button would have been easier....will talk to the moderators:H
    Psalms 119:45


    ?Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.?

    St. Francis of Assisi



    I'm not perfect, never will be, but better than I was and not as good as I'm going to be.

    :rays:

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      THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

      Crimsons, I don't know what kind of juicer you have but just in case it's an Omega 1000, I must tell you what someone recently gave me (he has the same kind of juicer). They're papers that line the stainless steel basket so it takes what was a pain in the ass to clean and makes it voila! just pull out the liner and all the pulp comes with it. Do you happen to have that model? Long shot, I know, but I thought it was worth telling you about it just in case. I had no idea these liners existed.

      Re the book/tv series - how absolutely exciting for you. I can't imagine why friends would disappear (jealous of your success maybe?).......When you can make it public, do tell us all about it. We'll be your virtual cheerleaders.

      This site is helping me too - loads of good information and supportive people who "get" the dilemma of quitting alcohol. I love you statement:
      Any walk taken, veggie eaten, new interest taken on is a step in the right direction
      Well said!

      Best to you - keep up the good work and let us know how it's going.

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        THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

        @Unwasted, I think my juicer is a hybrid. It's got the centrifugal basket, but also has a bucket on the back to catch pulp. It's not all that difficult -- but somehow the kitchen ends up looking like a green Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I have this one: Jack LaLanne’s Power Juicer™ Official Site | As Seen on TV from Jack Lalanne -- the smaller "express" model.

        The TV thing is out there, and I doubt that many people who know me would happen to be on this site so here goes. It's an HBO series based on my memoir of years as a classical musician, and this spring it went on to the development stages. The creator, who bought the rights, already has a series I just love on the network, so that's a big plus.

        My book was controversial and used mostly real names; I have transitioned from music to writing and from one coast to the other. That said, therefore a lot of people are mad at me, and also of course LA is famous for people taking advantage of others -- which happened to me in spades when this naive girl moved here. Also LA is just so spread out you rarely see people in person unless they live nearby. So I'm just learning to get to know people well before signing anything and I'm also making new healthy friends in the neighborhood! It's a good exercise in adjusting the "all or nothing thinking" stuff.

        One interesting twist for me is that my mom, now 90 and way too lucid ;-) did the housewife-drunk thing for a good 40 years. So I've been able to talk candidly with her about all of the AL things. She's on the opposite coast, but she's really helped me a lot. When she landed in a 12-step rehab 20 years ago after a bleeding ulcer almost killed her, and she's quite brilliant, she ended up just quitting on her own. Attending AA in a small southern town was not so anonymous. So it's great to talk to her about all of this. I find it slightly hilarious that she's now on 15 different geriatric meds, at least one of which seems to make her pretty happy.

        Still, I'm finding the best approach is not concentrating on Al and instead on more interesting things. But it IS great to check in here regularly. I also really like the fitness threads.

        @Ringing, did I do something wrong? I'm kind of new here, so entirely possible. Just let me know.

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          THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

          @Wasted, I just read your post more carefully. Papers! I'll find and buy them and *make* them fit. The centrifugal thing is definitely the cleaning problem.

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            THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

            Crimsons, I think RC is just saying she wishes the tech people would put a "Like" button on the site so we could click it to signify a great post - which is what she was trying to say about your post - that it was really good. Correct me if I'm wrong RC.

            Well, how absolutely wonderful that your mother can be a sounding board about the alcohol. I'd give anything to have that - my mother is gone, but she would have just said STOP and never understood not being able to!

            I think that's so exciting about your potential series - we will be happy for you if it all comes together. And, of course, eventually you'll tell us the title and we'll watch (and give you our critiques free of charge LOL) I'm a pretty avid tv/film watcher.

            Oh, good on the juicer - if you can rig something up it's a real life saver!

            Take care and keep on doing what you're doing -- all of it sounds super!

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              THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

              Awesome discussion and comments, and congratulations on your professional endeavors, Crimsons!
              "The Pessimist complains about the wind; the Optimist expects it to change; the Realist adjusts the sails."

              —William A. Ward

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                THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

                Ah, all good. Isn't it funny that I'm assuming I did something wrong?! Anyway, I'm flattered my comments were appreciated.

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                  THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

                  Crimsons, easy to not understand - I did because I've seen several posts where people are talking about wanting a "Like" button. It's ok - you are not being paranoid - I just knew from other posts.

                  Hi Nichau!

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                    THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

                    Jason Vale

                    I haven't read this book, but it seems like what people are talking about here is that for some, being told you have an incurable disease over and over again, as well as identifying yourself as an alcoholic pubicly, actually isn't that helpful. I like the idea of focusing on healthy things instead of entrenching yourself in disease-based conversation over and over again.

                    A lot of stigma comes with the label. And it doesn't seem to me to be scientific. I know that this is exactly what helps some people, this identification, but for others, it's unhealthy.

                    To each his or her own.

                    I read Alan Carr's book years ago and found some great insights in it, but overall I think he missed the mark, the book wasn't deep enough. His book was too simplistic.

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                      THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

                      Nancy, the reason the book worked for me is because of exactly what you've described here. He has a different take on alcoholism. It's hard to paraphrase his ideas, but they are different from the AA model which as you say, doesn't work for a lot of people. What I feel fortunate about relating to the book is that instead of white-knuckling it and feeling deprived, I feel happy and free. I don't feel miserable, like I'm missing out or "recovering." After all I can choose to drink if I want. I just don't choose to anymore.

                      I feel a sense of freedom for being fortunate enough to walk away from a drug that was driving me nuts. (I'm making that sound simple - it did take me a year of modding/quitting/modding/quitting). And, at the right time, I just happened upon his book.

                      He tells you to live and enjoy your life and get out of the trap that you only think is doing something good for you. That there is nothing good about alcohol, and once I got perspective on it all, I genuinely came to believe that.

                      Anyway, I know we all have to find our own way. I'm just glad there are people out there who have the talent to tell their story and help others along the way!

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                        THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

                        attitude

                        Attitude is everything Unwasted. I felt similar when I read the Alan Carr book and also recently when I read How to change your drinking. The latter book describes the effect on neurotransmitters of booze. It all seems pretty straight-forward, not this "cunning, baffing disease," described in 12-step programs, but actually a real initial remedy for anxiety, but which goes very wrong used too much. As you said in one of your threads, it's a drug. Alan made the point in his book that people used to feel bad for a friend who "had" to quit smoking. Someday, maybe thinking will change about alcohol. Good for you for getting a better attitude.

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                          THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

                          more on neurotransmitters, alcohol is a drug

                          This is how the effects of alcohol are described in Kenneth Anderson's How to change your drinking:

                          "Morphine and caffeine are both large molecules. Neurotransmitters are also large molecules. Morphine and caffeine have the effects they do because of their similarity in shape to neurotransmitters which occur naturally in the brain. Alcohol on the other hand is quite a small molecule. Alcohol does not mimic a neurotransmitter."

                          Next section is about the effect on glutamate, GABA, Dopamine and endorphins.
                          inhibits glutamate receptor function, causing muscular relaxation, slurred speech, memory disruption
                          enhances GABA, feeling of calm
                          raises dopamine, leading to excitement
                          raises endorphins, kills pain

                          "Drugs like morphine or have often been referrred to as chemical scalpels, because of their very precise effects on just one neurotransmitter system. Alcohol on the other hand is much more like a chemical hand grenade in that it affects just about all parts of the brain and all neurotransmitter systems. Alcohol affects all these systems at the same time."

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                            THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

                            Nancy, thanks for this information and book title. I'm much more swayed by an understanding of the science versus the "baffling, cunning disease" approach to understanding alcohol and its effects. I don't want to feel helpless and miserable - I want to feel grateful that I finally "get it" and have decided to free myself from a drug. Vale thinks eventually alcohol will be seen in the same light as tobacco. I think it could happen. Just think of the millions of people struggling with it!

                            Thanks for your input!

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                              THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

                              alan/jason

                              Sounds like Jason's book is quite similar to Alan Carr's book. I recommend Alan's book even though it's simplistic in terms of no understanding of the physiological aspects at work here. The way you look at things obviously has a huge impact. If you view yourself as becoming free by not drinking, that's obviously different and more positive than being told that you have an incurable disease and you better keep going to meetings or else this disease will become active again. Our society should be more friendly to non-drinking. I think that people will come around to the fact that many of us just don't tolerate alcohol that well. It's a drug and a bad coping mechanism. Maybe Alan overstates it a bit, he sees it as a honey pot that sucks every one in, people are just at varying stages of dependency. But clearly, it's a drug that is very enticing, for the neurotransmitter reason. It's very easy to see how people would self-medicate mental health problems with booze.

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                                THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

                                Hi all, lots of interesting stuff guys... good reading material. I, too, feel that Jason Vale has handed me back my control over alcohol. I simply have no desire to drink. We hosted a gang of drinkers here last night and made a beef bourgignion which is synonomous with copious amounts of red wine consumption in the French community. Enjoyed my meal as much as everyone else and had a blast but it didn't even occur to me to drink wine. Coincidentally, I have become a huge herbal tea drinker. Hibiscus tea is great for blood pressure and tastes great. Mint tea is delicious and Dandelion tea is great for detoxing the liver. I had a combination of all three going on the burner last night. I am peeing like a racehorse. By the way three times in the last two days I have had people comment on my skin and glowing hair and eyes. I got my mojo back !! Yah.

                                Any other tattoo ideas or am I the only one going forward with this symbolic gesture??
                                Tipplerette

                                I do this for my children, my grandchildren, my health, my peace of mind, and mostly for the opportunity to learn to live with my true, unfiltered, clear-headed, vulnerable self.

                                "If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."
                                ? Lao-Tzu

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