One Step at a Time -February 2015

[mama bear]

YAY Lizz!! So proud of you. Really. Especially with the harpies all around you.
I would love to have some alone time. Just a day all to myself.
Dots - I chuckled at the term "jumbo"...poor puppy having to pee on the sofa..
Pauly , I take Paxil and Klonopin......keep me posted.
I am glad you found someone to talk to. They really help. After my DUI, I had to go to counseling and actually enjoyed it.
I'll text K9 again today.
Coffee............................................ ..

[Rusty]

Good Morning Steppers,

Quick check-in for me today. Must hit the gym before work and then a VERY long commute. :-(

Liz-how well I know the anxiety you feel knowing your siblings are talking about your drinking. I'm right beside you, hon. After my family staged the intervention (created by my know-it-all sister-in-law), I went to a therapist for a few months, and really, it did help. I was not about to go to AA so it was my only choice to get my family off my back. Here's what helped me and helped them: whenever I got together with them, I always made sure I was sober when I arrived at their homes...and gradually, they became more comfortable with me. Like your sisters, my SIL thought the most effective method for addressing my problem was inpatient rehab and AA. Not the case. You have to WANT to quit. I did not want to quit. That's all most doctors and people without addictions know: AA and rehab. I wish they would wake up. Good job on not drinking.

Dottie-sorry, friend, but you cannot complain about the cold to me. LOL. It is 14 below zero here in Wisconsin with a wind chill of 30 below. Ya feel better now. Hahahaha ;-)

Mama-I hope you don't have to get dentures.

Big hellos to Nora, Pauly, Sunni, etc. Gotta run. Have a great AF day.

[paulywogg]

Hey all, I can't sleep, it's really starting to piss me off! Mama, did paxil help with anxiety? Liz,the counselor works at the same clinic I go to for everything else, listen to this Shit! The "doctor" who started me on this rapid taper is leaving anyways, he was just a fill in until they got a real psychiatrist in there,sheesh put me through misery when you're a fill in? Dick! Anyways I'm still gonna taper off, but it has to be a comfortable taper, I have no other meds besides the paxil if I take it,I heard it's a bitch to get off of,one of the hardest,hope K9 is ok,hi to all,let's have a good Thursday back later

[paulywogg]

Oh I forgot Liz I'm gonna see him weekly for a bit I guess, never think you're getting to personal, ask away, I've got nothing to hide

[mama bear]

Herre's my current cocktail Pauly. 25 mg Paxil. .5 (I think) of Klonopin and 50 mg seroquil for sleep.
Try Nyquil for sleep...it really helps. The seroquilis an anti anxiety med and used for insomnia in small doses. The Paxil is an AD, but it is also used for social anxiety.
No dentures needed...I have nice, clean toofuses and am going to have my teeth bleached in March. I told you this year was all about me!!! After toofuses is eyeballs!
Pauly - hopefully you can find a reasonable doctor that will help you.
be safe and warm today while you travel Rusty! You are SO right...you have to want to quit.
I'll text K9 again in a bit.

[NoraC]

Hey all. Couldn't get on here before. Worried about K9 and sierra.
I can't seem to stop crying. I wonder if I'm have a nervous breakdown.???
I heard from kradle and she sounds good.Matt is graduating.

[Lizann]

Rusty, thank you, thank you! I feel so accepted here! To me that's a really big part of the quit. I have to want to also. I do, but the thought of never drinking again makes me sad. I will quit. Big sis June called this morning again to tell me how worried they are about me. Do they think that really helps me?
Mama, I love your humor, toofuses and harpies! Thanks for the laugh. Glad the toofuses are ok.
Pauly thanks for the info. Hopefully the new doctor will be more helpful, not like the Dick!
Hubby was wondering why I was laughing so much this morning when I was reading here, of course I didn't tell him but he is happy and can see how helpful you all are to me. Thank you, thank you
Dottie sorry about the dog pee. Does hubby really not get that it's his fault?
Nora, how are you today?
So I took Lucy to get groomed today. Stupid, right? It's going to be below 0 tonight and the wind is howling! She looks like a dog again. Hubby made me put her snuggie on, which she does love but it covers her lovely coiffe. While she was getting groomed I went to target to look at toaster ovens and came home with a bathing suit. :happy2:
I'll check back later. NO DRINKING today!

[Lizann]

Nora we cross posted. I sent you a PM. Please let me know if I can help you. You have been through so much lately, why do you think you wouldn't be crying. Crying can be very healing. We are here for you.

[mama bear]

Crying is very soothing, but you may need to talk about your AD Nora....mine has to be tweaked every now and then...LOVE YOU!!!
plus it's so hard to watch our men dry....
Lizz - I laughed out loud at looking for a toaster oven and coming out with a bathing suit.
Make sure Lucy is tucked in!!
I have texted K9, but no response. She does that sometimes. I'll keep texting.
Lizz - I am a big ham and love to make people laugh.
NO DRINKING FOR ME TONIGHT either!!

[paulywogg]

Hugs Nora,don't be sad I agree that sometimes we need a good cry,you've gone through a lot lately Sunni, the counselor mentioned nal but I'm NOT drinking to make it work, it'll send this k-pin taper into overdrive so I won't be taking it, Liz,you have a great family if you ask me,they only want you to be healthy, in your FB pics your hubs always looks happy and smiling, but I can understand why having them up your ass is annoying, Mama, he prescribed 20mg of the paxil,keep harrasing K9,she'll answer eventually, what you doing today Dots?think I'm gonna go give a nap a try,sometimes I wake up feeling worse though, back later

[Rusty]

Nora, what is wrong??? Why are you so sad? Tears can be healing for sure. Let me know how I can help you. I really care.

Liz...I forgot to add something that I wanted to tell you this morning. After my family confronted me, I called an addiction counseling office and spoke to one of their counselors, and she told me the reason somebody would want to go to an in patient rehab is because they don't have a strong family support system at home. An example would be where the alcoholic/addict is in a relationship where their partner or spouse also abuses alcohol or drugs. It's important to get the addicted person out of that toxic environment if they want to successfully recover from their addiction. My addiction counselor told me that anti-craving drugs line Campral or Naltrexone, along with therapy, can be just as effective as rehab. I think I would tell your family that you found an online AL support group and that you will Try anti-craving meds, too. It is really hard to find an inpatient rehab that is NOT 12-step based....unless you don't have a problem with AA. If you decide to get some therapy/counseling, I would suggest your husband go with you. I would be ticked if he went behind my back and went tattling to my sister that I had been drinking. I know the "never drink again" rule seems so overwhelming. It did for me, too. My biggest problem was tha I LOVE the taste of a good Chardonnay..and I couldn't get past what I would possibly drink for dinner if not my favorite wine. Regarding the hiding of your stash, I never did that so I really can't offer anything other than you will be a more confident and powerful person if you are sober. My frien who has been sober for over 12 years used to say mean things to me when I would get drunk, and because I was drunk, I didn't have the guts to fight her back. Now that I'm sober, she tells me my words can cut her head off when I am mad. She's right,
And she doesn't dare mess with me anymore.hahaha. She underestimated me.
LOL. When your sisters tell you they are worried about you, just tell them you know you have a problem and you are looking into different methods to resolve your problem. I also wrote apologetic letters to everyone I knew that I embarrassed or hurt when my drinking got so bad. The letters went a long way with people because then they knew that I was not in denial. Also tell your sisters that the constant talk about your drinking jus makes you anxious and exacerbates the situation. If they won't let up, then distance yourself from them a bit. They distanced Themselves from you when you were drinking and you can tell them that their constant nagging about your drinking is a horrible AL trigger for you and you are to avoid triggers at all costs. :-)

[Rusty]

Pauly-so sorry you are having such a tough time with your doctor. That sucks!

[treetops]

Pauly - I think its great that you have found a counsellor you feel comfortable with - and also who knows the score. I shave always said I think you need the face to face support. Sorry about the hassles you are having with the other drs and the meds but I am sure it will come right. Starting new meds can be such a nightmare but with time sometimes (not always) side effects die-down.

[mama bear]

Hi Treetops
Doctor Rusty...as always...WELL SAID!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

[Dottie Belle]

evening all
Iam in the hospital,
Atrial fibrulation. Been here all day and they r keeping me until tomottow morning...BOOHISS
No clue what caused this. I am so mad we had an event to go to tonight and everything....but the irregular heart has stopped and I feel better.
It got all the way up to 7 today.....bbbbbbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
I will be around tonight. Hospital has wifi......