ARMY WEEK,,,,,,,,,26th October 2015

[IamMary]

Looking good Molly:biggrin:

[IamMary]

HI NS.. our time difference is shorter for a few weeks, we are almost in sync!

[IamMary]

Lovely Molly, friend over so went bonkers cleaning and cooking. They're gone now and I dont know what to be doing with myself!

[Tabbers (a.k.a. KTAB)]

Evening folks, Shambles how are you doing?

Starty nice to see the squirrel back, don't look like those undies have been washed in years, just sayin...hahaha

[Tabbers (a.k.a. KTAB)]

Evening Molly, just in the door so won't stop long, need to stuff my face.

[Tabbers (a.k.a. KTAB)]

Veg curry & rice, nice and hot.

[JackieClaire]

Any left,Tabbers............I can't be bothered to cook.

[Tabbers (a.k.a. KTAB)]

There is now but don't imagine there will be soon JC.
I'm off see you ladies in the morning.

[JackieClaire]

Not bad, not bad at all.

[JackieClaire]

apart from the dog going bonkers because of the random fireworks.

[Guitarista]

Trading Alcoholism for Sugar Addiction: The Not-So-Sweet Truth

okay -- was trying to remember why they frowned on sugar in rehab --- I think the above article addresses it really --- but basically it is ANY substitute addiction they would have been looking for --- even healthy things like running or going to AA meetings too often --- all are considered substitutes as opposed to learning to live without a 'thing' --- be it a substance or a habit or a hobby --- learning to live as 'ourself' --

Thanks for this article Molly. Food for thought and makes sense.

NS = 'Sugarbabe' :hahaha:

Have a great weekend all. Hope you are ok there Shambles.

[JackieClaire]

Should ban the fecking things. Not so bad when it was just Bonfire night but seems you can get your hands on them any time. I think tonight's celebration must be the opening of a new jar of coffee.

[Guitarista]

indeed we'd love if you could just say HI Shams --- hope everything went okay today....
How are things Gman ---you seem to be rocking and rolling with the aul sobriety this time? just a question for you -- I often look back and wonder about myself --- do you identify a shift in your mindset before you drank in the past --? It's something I still can't clearly pinpoint with myself -- or don't WANT to maybe ---

Hello pretty lady. Yes, rawkin it here thanks.

Yeah, when my Harley has a problem my thoughts turn to booze! Noooo, just joking.

I have given this much thought over the years and here is what I found happens for me. 2 things mainly. Overwhelmed, and no growth in a way that aligns with the real me.

If I get tooo busy and overwhelmed (work?) spending most of my time regularly doing things that take me away from making music, i lose my internal balance and not on track with my life's mission statement which is 1. make heaps of music and share it spending most of my time doing this (= a happy G man). 2. Community work - spend time with those around me who may be a bit lost/stuck or benefit from some company/tunes/yap. (At least 1 day a week doing this = happy G man).

The other thing I wasn't doing in my sober living was growing. I wasn't growing in the way I wanted to grow. I got caught up too much with a gr8 job I loved, but it took me away from my core, which is making music. For me, I see that keeping a rough balance and handle on this stuff really helps. It's pretty simple when I reflect on it.

Dunno if that's what you are asking?

[Guitarista]

well YES ---- it is what I was asking really -- sort of --- it's complicated tho isn't it? I s'pose basically what you are saying is to keep a happy balance -- literally?
with me it was more allowing 'permissions' in my head -- you know --- 'I deserve just one blow out because......' --- 'no one will know.....' ----- 'I can control it for one night just to clear my tension and anxiety.....' --- that sort of shite --- that I gave credence to those thoughts and similar should have rung so many alarm bells that I'd have had tinnatus.....

I do get a bit of tinnitus as it happens. Too many drum cymbals crashing in my ears over time!

Balance, balance, balance = happiness and peace for me. Bring on life and all the inbalance too of course.

Yes, recently (last couple of years) my mind set and modus operandi has seemed to have been a few weeks/months off, then back into it after allowing myself to be swayed by a trigger, for a couple/few days, then I'd stop again realising this is no way for me to live. Then repeat the cycle, more off the turps than on, but still damaging to me mentally and emotionally. My life was always 'on hold' as I never truly broke the chains of addiction and coping with stressors via boozing. Why did I want to escape, and from what? After an internal review, I think I've answered these questions and would rather choose a kick arse life than a numbed and dumbed down one.

It makes an incredibly HUGE difference to our perspective and mind set the further we are away from our last drink. Even after 1, 2 months, maybe more, we can still be a bit foggy and easily revert to as in my case, my default negative, not worthy of happiness/achieving goals thinking. This makes breaking those chains even more difficult in the early days of sobriety I reckon.

Edit: Re-reading your post - Yep, for me the 'no-one would know' factor is there as really, I don't have many responsibilities and I could piss it up for days then get sober and go to work or take on a task. Still the case here, but the difference now is that I don't want to do that anymore. I have discovered that a day/night or more of boozing to 'take off the edge of city living', or to 'just unwind' is counter-productive to my general well being. Never cared about meself before, but I'm starting to now. Boozing the way I do/we do always defeats the purpose after a couple of hours, and I am less of the man I can be the next day and for a few days after.

[Guitarista]

Yeah, nice to catch up Molly. L8tr g8tr.