I need some encouragement

[mama bear]

I need some encouragement

too FECKIN FUNNY:H:H:H
we should take this show on the road
what shall we name our International Troop???

[FlyAway]

I need some encouragement

K9Lover;1327138 wrote: They start out as a piece of corn in your bowel.

Poor Oney. **sniff, sniff**

[daisy45]

I need some encouragement

Rusty;1293383 wrote: Hi Mama Bear,

It's been a while since we've "spoken." I so can understand the deprivation thinking. Early on, I felt the same way because most members of my family drink. Especially at family functions, I felt like I was being punished because I couldn't drink. It's not fair that I can't drink!!! I used to say to myself. My therapist cleared that up for me. She told me, "it's not what you have in your hand, it's the company you're with that makes it fun (or not fun). She was right. Antabuse takes away the decision to drink or not to drink, but it does not answer the question of why we drink.

I thought you might remember this excellent post from JohnnyH, 7/6/2010, on gratitude vs. deprivation thinking:

15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a drink
1. Cultivate continued acceptance of the fact that your choice is between unhappy, drunken drinking and
doing without just one small drink.
2. Cultivate enthusiastic gratitude that you have had the good fortune of finding out what was wrong with
you before it was too late.
3. EXPECT as being natural and inevitable, that for a period of time (and it may be a long one), you will
recuringly experience.
(a) The conscious, nagging craving for a drink.
(b) The sudden, all but compelling impluse just to take a drink.
(c) The craving, not for a drinks as such, but for the soothing glow and warmth a drink or two once gave
you.
4. Remember that the times you don't want a drink are the times in which to build up the strength not to
take one when you do want it.
5. Develop and rehearse a daily plan of thinking and acting by which you will live the day without taking a
drink, regardless of what may upset you or how hard the old urge for a drink may hit you.
6. Don't for a split second allow yourself to think: 'Isn't it a pity or a mean injustice that I can't take a drink
like so-called normal people'.
7. Don't allow yourself to either think about or talk about any real or imgagined pleasure you once did get
from drinking
8. Don't permit yourself to think a drink or two would make some bad situation better, or at least easier to
live with. Substitute the thought : 'One drink will make it worse - One drink will mean a drunk.'
9. Minimise your situation. Others have greater problems, how joyful such people would be if their problem
could be solved by just not taking one little drink today. Think gratefully how lucky you are to have so
simple and small a problem.
10. Cultivate and woo enjoyment of sobriety.
a) how good it is to be free of shame and guilt
b) how good it is to be free of the consequences of a drunk just ended or of a coming drunk you've been
never able to prevent before.
c) how good it is to be free of what people have been thinking and whispering about you, and of their
mingled pity and contempt
d) How good it is to be free of fear.
11. Catalogue and RE-Catalogue the positive enjoyments of sobriety, such as:
a) The simple ability to sleep and eat properly; and wake up glad you're alive; glad you were sober
yesterday; and glad you have the privilige of staying sober today
b) the ability to face whatever life may dish out, with peace of mind, self-respect, and full possession of all
your faculties.
12. Cultivate a helpful association of ideas:
a) Associate a drink as being the single cause of all the misery, shame and fear you have ever known.
b) Associate a drink as bein the only thing that can destroy you newfound happiness, and take from you
your self-respect and peace of mind.
13. Cultivate Grattitude:
a) Grattitude that so much can be yours for so small a price;
b) Grattitude that you can trade just one drink for all the happiness sobriety gives you.
c) Grattitude that MWO (AA) exists, and you found out about it in time.
d) Grattitude that you are an alcoholic, you are not a bad or wicked person, but you have been in the grip
of a complusion.
e) Grattitude that since others have done it, you can in time bring it to pass that you will not want or miss
the drink that you're doing without.
14. Seek out ways to help other alcoholics - and remember the first way to help others is to stay sober
yourself.
15. And don't forget, when the heart is heavy and resistance is low, and the mind is troubled and confused,
there is much comfort in a true and understanding friend standing by. You have that friend in MWO (AA).
__________________AF since 15th March 2010

Pm if you would like. I would love to hear from you.:l BTW, I love your chic new look with those amazing glasses. You look fantastic!
I have to say that reading the title of this thread is just how I am feeling tonight - just a bit pissed off. May be hormonal, don't know. Got a few things going on that I pretend aren't happening but sometimes I just can't and it gets to me....

Anyway, because of that, I came across this reply to MB - an excellent post; gonna save it. Thank you.

[mama bear]

I need some encouragement

I hope you are ok Daisy

[daisy45]

I need some encouragement

Thanks Mama bear; just feeling a bit down. Won't be drinking but I want to; going to head downtown and get my daughter and niece a snack. That should help me change direction. Sorry for butting in on your thread.

[mama bear]

I need some encouragement

this is not MY thread...it's here for everyone...feel better sweetie

[K9Lover]

I need some encouragement

You ARE welcome anywhere Daisy, and I hope you are doing okay too. Get a snack for yourself too, while you're at it!

[daisy45]

I need some encouragement

Thanks K9 and MBear; back home again. Just carried my sleeping niece to bed. Do feel a bit better now. It's shocking how you can be on top of your game one minute and the next it's 'pity party' time. I didn't even see it coming......all I could think about was release and relief and the only thing I could think of was wine. Haven't had it so bad for a long while.
I am hormonal and there are a few things going on that get to me - you know the way things can feel 10 times worse round that time? Just by asking how I am doing helped me a lot tonight, so thank you both......my normal response would be MWO absenteeism and bottle number 2!!!! Gona get myself a big choc-ice out of the freezer now!!!! That should do the trick!

[mama bear]

I need some encouragement

Dasiy I am so happy.
We get pretty idiotic here, but underneath all the insanity, we ALL know the reason we are here.
Your original post about gratitude was good for me...I have had a crappy day and was thinking about a drink.
I did not and have not done it, in part thanks to you.
Thank you

[daisy45]

I need some encouragement

aw, shucks, thanks. There we go then, 2 happy hangover-free heads in the morning to boot!!!! Haha

[K9Lover]

I need some encouragement

Make that 4 hangover free heads (I have 2...lol).

Daisy, thank you for reigning us in here. We were getting silly.

Now we can start over again. hehehe

[mama bear]

I need some encouragement

I can tell you about my cat's surgery today...it involved both ends of his poor bod...

oh...and there shall be no reigning in..we are rehearsing for our upcoming tour................

no hangover sounds mighty fine

[daisy45]

I need some encouragement

K9, I only went back to the start of the thread and found that great post there, so I hadn't even read what was going on here before I posted......talk about raining on your parade!!!!
I'll let you get back to normal (whatever your normal may be!!!!).

[mama bear]

I need some encouragement

I am not sure K9 has a normal....that's why we love her

[K9Lover]

I need some encouragement

Hold on...let me look up this mysterious word "normal". Whatever it is, I'm sure my picture WON'T be next to it.