Do You REALLY Want To Be Sober?

[satz123]

Re: Do You REALLY Want To Be Sober?

Time wasted drinking, how many countless hours did we just throw away trying to get our buzz on. I know for me, I bet it was a minimum of 4 hours a day, 7 days a week that I either spent drinking or thought about drinking! Once you regain those hours, so much more can be accomplished. Take today for instance;

Spent the day at the farm digging out the contaminated dirt in the solarium, cleaned and pruned the climbing rose, went through all my seeds and planting containers and made a list of what I have to purchase. Then I spent some time watching Gertrude and Gus (our Canada Geese that nest each year on one of our ponds) starting on the nest out on the little island in the pond. I walked over the hill to see if Harry and Harriet (the other pair of Canada Geese that nest by the dugout) were back yet. I didn’t see them, but they could have been out feeding, I’ll check again Monday. Then the farm boss stopped by to see if I could start work next week going through the air drills and carts to make all the necessary repairs to get them field ready, and then we visited for a bit after business was taken care of. And I was home safe and sober by 4:00pm! Most of the above wouldn’t have happened if I was still drinking, especially being home by 4 and sober to boot! Time wasted is time you can never get back…

Thanks Cowboy ! - that sounds just wonderful!
This is the type of post that most folks in the grip of alcohol want to / need to hear. I know I was in awe of people's simple discriptions of AF life - I wanted it so much.

The 'mundane' - and how we take such joy in it when we are not hungover or drunk.
That there is life, and contented life beyond alcohol........ 'priceless'

[abcowboy]

You know [MENTION=9094]satz123[/MENTION], I kind of like my mundane life. Everyone who looks at Bubba and I probably think "geez, what a boring life they live" but I'm okay with that. I don't need to be busy everyday, I don't need to always be doing something. Reading, playing with Hank, working in the yard, watching a bit of TV, those are the kinds of things that make me happy!

Today is Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week. I have so much to be grateful for, but the most important thing of all is that God answered my prayers. I know not everyone is a believer, but I know my faith is restored because “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. Psalm 18:16-17”

Even if you are a non-believer, or just doubtful, I’m a great example of what the power of prayer can do. Maybe it wasn’t God that answered my prayers (I firmly believe it was), but try stopping for a moment to offer a prayer to whatever/whoever you believe in, it just might give you the strength you need to get over that final hurdle….

The_Prayer_Poem.jpg

[Guitarista]

Re: Do You REALLY Want To Be Sober?

Great stuff big fella. Just checking in on one of my fave threads. Always an inspirational and motivational read.

thanks. G

[NoraC]

Re: Do You REALLY Want To Be Sober?

Saw this today and loved the line....."me being present to witness all these little beautiful things"

[Guitarista]

Re: Do You REALLY Want To Be Sober?

Saw this today and loved the line....."me being present to witness all these little beautiful things"

i saw this today too -

"Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.".....Carol Burnett

[ssd858]

Re: Do You REALLY Want To Be Sober?

Time wasted drinking, how many countless hours did we just throw away trying to get our buzz on. I know for me, I bet it was a minimum of 4 hours a day, 7 days a week that I either spent drinking or thought about drinking! Once you regain those hours, so much more can be accomplished. Take today for instance;

Spent the day at the farm digging out the contaminated dirt in the solarium, cleaned and pruned the climbing rose, went through all my seeds and planting containers and made a list of what I have to purchase. Then I spent some time watching Gertrude and Gus (our Canada Geese that nest each year on one of our ponds) starting on the nest out on the little island in the pond. I walked over the hill to see if Harry and Harriet (the other pair of Canada Geese that nest by the dugout) were back yet. I didn’t see them, but they could have been out feeding, I’ll check again Monday. Then the farm boss stopped by to see if I could start work next week going through the air drills and carts to make all the necessary repairs to get them field ready, and then we visited for a bit after business was taken care of. And I was home safe and sober by 4:00pm! Most of the above wouldn’t have happened if I was still drinking, especially being home by 4 and sober to boot! Time wasted is time you can never get back…

Yes! And don't forget the time wasted being hung over and having no energy. There is at least another 4 hours wasted. So, really 8 hours or so daily is lost. Once you have reached your breaking point, alcohol takes most of your waking time and energy being hung over, thinking about your next drink and drinking.

[abcowboy]

Great to see you back and stopping by for a visit [MENTION=7261]Guitarista[/MENTION]! You get bucked off, you get back on, you don’t let the beast know it got the best of you! You keep getting back on, sooner or later the beast knows who’s boss!

[MENTION=22385]ssd858[/MENTION], I never even thought of the wasted time with hangovers or not being up to par, but you’re right, lots of time down the drain there as well! Makes a person wonder how we got anything done!

Speaking of hangovers, I can remember back to my early drinking days when hangovers would put me out of commission for the whole next day! As the years went by and my drinking increased, my hangovers got less and less severe. Right at the end, I don’t think I suffered from a hangover at all, a bit of a headache, a dry mouth, and a bit shaky was all it amounted to. I’m not sure if that was because I always had some alcohol in my blood, or if my body was trying to tell me something!

Now, a good topic for discussion, what does sobriety cover, just alcohol? Are drugs lumped under that category as well? Or is that where the term “clean and sober” comes from? I think I’d like [MENTION=8463]mario[/MENTION] to help me with this one. The reason I ask is that cannabis will be legal in Canada on or before July 1st. Since it will be legalized, if you smoke a joint are you no longer “clean and sober”? Not that I have any intention of smoking up, I left that behind me when I got out of my teens. But lets say by some chance I bought a joint and smoked it, am I no longer sober? My Dr. actually asked me if I wanted a prescription to marijuana to help me quit drinking, but I said no thanks. Medical marijuana is legal in Canada right now and has been for some time. Of course my addictive brain smiled when the legalization was announced, and that’s exactly why I won’t use it, trying to replace one buzz with another…

[mario]

Re: Do You REALLY Want To Be Sober?

Interesting one ABCowboy ,
And with lots & lots of professionals saying Cannabis is not harmful it wont be long before its Western Worldwide acceptance, Now I don't know whether the common tales that it is harmless are all totally true or not, That seems to be the general consensus that it is harmless ? & I don't want to get into that part of it as its how own conceptions we have to deall with.

But for me any drug that is mind altering is not good for myself, I go to CA meetings & the majority of folks there started of on cannabiz & its claimed it is a gateway drug ??

So for me I be against taking any drug that alters the mind as I myself be afraid that I would become addicted to that substance, Which is why I never done meds on my recovery road, Suppose I wouldent trust myself.

So just personally speaking here for me being clean & sober means being clean & sober from all mind altering substances.

[Guitarista]

Re: Do You REALLY Want To Be Sober?

I also reckon that if we alter our minds we could likely be messing with our rational decision making capabilities, and inhibitions. If i were to ingest cannabis and get stoned/mind altered, i can guarantee in my floating carefree headspace i'd soon enough easily say yes to a drink if offered repeatedly. I basically wouldn't be thinking clearly. The main danger i see for me as an alky, is a likely loss of inhibitions and clarity of thought which could result in a return to boozing.

Aside from that, i love the stuff in principle but stopped smoking it years ago, mainly because i would become immobilised stuck to a couch lol. er, not unlike drinking. imp:

Edit: P.S. I should clarify i def don't disagree with cannabis being used for pain relief. But I think that's a different question.

[dill]

Re: Do You REALLY Want To Be Sober?

Now on the evening news we are faced with reporting about the opiod epidemic. Yesterday's statistic was "92 Americans a day are dying from opiod overdose". And for years doctors were convinced and convinced their patients that opiod drugs to treat pain were safe and effective. I know opiates are different from Marijuana, but my point is that "professionals" have steered us down the wrong path before and it will happen again. And is with medical marijuana, IMHO.


[MENTION=21602]abcowboy[/MENTION], your question is a timely one. My dear friend who has just gotten out of rehab has been given advice by doctors to use marijuana instead. I am sure this is deadly advice to give an alcoholic or any kind of addict. I agree with [MENTION=7261]Guitarista[/MENTION] and [MENTION=8463]mario[/MENTION] about the fact that anything that clouds our thinking will impede our ability to remain sober. Clean and sober go hand in hand.

[caysea]

Re: Do You REALLY Want To Be Sober?

Hi All
The aspect of using marijuana instead of al is in my opinion just changing your drug of choice. We drink for many reasons but the object is to alter our reality and not deal with what ever problem or problems, it is we are struggling with. When we become sober we learn different ways to deal with life. We face the good and the bad and handle it clean (drug free) and sober (not drinking). Using al, a drug or pot, a drug you are altering your mind and not engaging in life. It can be your escape from the world which is not our goal. If I look back at the problems al caused in my life pot would have been just as destructive. In family relationships especially. Not being there for those you love either physically or mentally is not being responsible.
What has changed if at your witching hour instead of drinking you are getting high? Along with getting sober has come an engagement in life and not wanting to wast time as I did in the past.
It would have been very easy for me to switch to pot but I would not have considered myself in recovery. Just as there is no moderation in my drinking there could not be any casual smoking. I wouldn't be being honest with myself which is what enabled me to get sober.

[abcowboy]

Thanks for the input everyone! I think what y’all have said is what I was thinking.

So for me I be against taking any drug that alters the mind as I myself be afraid that I would become addicted to that substance, Which is why I never done meds on my recovery road, Suppose I wouldent trust myself.

I’m like you Mario, I think I would just be replacing one addiction with another, but that’s not to say that the next person can’t get away with some recreational use of pot.

I should clarify i def don't disagree with cannabis being used for pain relief. But I think that's a different question.

It seems to be widely accepted for medical use G-man. If push came to shove, I think I would use marijuana over any chemical pain reliever.

My dear friend who has just gotten out of rehab has been given advice by doctors to use marijuana instead.

It is the same up here in the rehabs dill, people are given the opportunity for a prescription to medical marijuana. And my doctor was quick to offer the same option to me. I’m not sure if it’s the right thing to do, but I imagine it works for some people.

When we become sober we learn different ways to deal with life. We face the good and the bad and handle it clean (drug free) and sober (not drinking). Using al, a drug or pot, a drug you are altering your mind and not engaging in life. It can be your escape from the world which is not our goal.

You hit the nail on the head for me caysea! The fact that my brain perked up when I read about the legalization told me that I’m not far enough in my recovery to try anything but staying clean and sober. I would probably just turn to cannabis as a new method to escape. And as was said, it might lower my inhibitions enough to accept a drink when in a drug induced state of mind.

It probably will take a while, if ever, that a cannabis store opens up in our small town, but I’m thinking that I’ll treat it just the same as the numerous liquor stores we have; no need for me to set foot in them…

[Sunbeam]

Re: Do You REALLY Want To Be Sober?

I have to speak in favor of marijuana or other medications instead of alcohol. People don't die from using excess marijuana, though they do die from excess alcohol. I'm not a marijuana user, I feel life is better and safer without any mind-altering substances. Altering your mind does cause fatal accidents, and generally less engagement in real life. I believe that some lives can be improved by using marijuana or other meds instead of alcohol. But it's not for me.

[abcowboy]

It’s Good Friday today, and to a lot of people that just means a day off from work. The same as Easter Sunday and Christmas day. But if they weren’t important to us somehow, why would they be statutory holidays? I’m not sure if they are a stat holiday everywhere, but they are in a good many countries.

I remember way back when I was an altar boy at our church, the priest always stressed that Christmas was the most important day of the year, the day our Saviour was born. That way of thinking has changed, at least in my part of the world. Good Friday is now recognized as the most important day of the liturgical year, the day Jesus died so that our sins would be forgiven. In my small rural town, the only thing open today are the convenience stores, everything else is closed. That’s not so on Easter Sunday or Christmas day, lots of stores are open those days. So why is Good Friday so important, I’ll leave that answer up to each individual….

And I now stand corrected, I just had Bubba Google how many states in the U.S.A. celebrate Good Friday as a holiday, and there are only 12, so my apologies to those states (and countries) who don’t.

Back when I was drinking, those three holidays really just meant a day off for me, I had lost my faith in there being any sort of Supreme Being, God as it were. How things have changed since my fateful day. I observe the Lenten season, I gave up chocolate for Lent. Bubba and I didn’t eat meat on the Fridays during Lent, we had simple meals with fish. Today we will fast, hot cross buns will be the food we eat today, no snacks or sweets. I will sacrifice what I can to honour the sacrifice that was made so that my sins would be forgiven……

[abcowboy]