One Step at a Time - August 2016

[paulywogg]

That's awful AI,living in fear of constant relapse is not focusing on recovery, trust me it's how I've been living for a few years, glad you didn't work with that realtor,that's a lot of nerve of her,meh

[mama bear]

I'm here...I have been useless to y'all lately, but know that I am thinking of you. Just dealing with life and the impending storm that is threating to hit North Florida

[SKendall]

TMH you are going strong, any peer pressure?

Rusty, don't worry, silly. Do you want to chat via pm or telephone? I still have bad reception inside, but I can step outside for telecon.

I have to leave Peggy with some friends and I'm worried because she has a yeast infection on her paws and girly parts. I can control it with putting her into a shallow bath with apple cider vinegar for her paws and swabbing her behind but I don't know if I can ask them. I've been trying to get her to eat some plain yogurt but she doesn't need it and I'll try to force some today.

I'd better go and pack and the shuttle for Seattle leaves at 6:05 a.m. tomorrow. Dallas is still pretty hot.

[SKendall]

Aifl, I was in AA for a long time when I moved to WA because I didn't have a support system, made the coffee, took the minutes, etc. knowing deep in my gut it was just wrong. I also had people out me in social situations despite the anonymity pledge. There was a guy there who went to mtgs 2 x a day, was 15 yrs sober and lived in constant fear of relapse. If after 15 yrs. those thoughts took up so much of his time was beyond me and it wasn't just him it was most of the members.

[aihfl]

I also forgot to add that the last time I did go to a meeting (a friend from one of my meetings called and invited me to a meeting), I was told that I must not be a "real alcoholic" because I am able to stay sober without being a good little AAer. Let's put this in perspective: lost jobs, check; broken relationships, check; financial catastrophe, check; an arrest record, check; regular hospitalizations, check. Yeah, I wasn't a "real alcoholic." Excuse my French, but give me a fucking break. I told this person I don't go to meetings anymore because I've heard the same old stuff so many times over that they're boring and pointless.

[Rusty]

Aihfl... Thank you for sharing your truthful observations about your experience with AA. To that end, I have something to add to your intelligent posts about your AA experiences:

I have NEVER been to an AA meeting. And here is WHY: The ANONYMOUS portion of AA is completely a fallacy. A lie. In a span of 20 years, 10 of those years when I was a purely social drinker, I had 25 SEPARATE EXPERIENCES with people from AA....at parties, community functions, weddings, etc. where the active AA person would just starting talking to me about someone in their "home" group...using FIRST and LAST names. One experience that I found particularly disturbing was when I was only 25 years old...I met a guy at a party who said to me, "OH, you are from ___ _____! Do you know Sarah???? She is in my AA group and she is doing really well!!!!" Sarah was only 22 years old at the time and I thought to myself, "She's an alcoholic???" Her family and my family had NO idea she was going to AA but I was shocked by this older man, a total buffoon, who proselytized fervently about AA and then turned around and gleefully exposed someone in his group. This scene repeated itself 24 more times over the years. You are so right when you say AA does not recognize medication such as Baclofen or Naltrexone, as viable treatment options. My aunt, who now has over 8 years of sobriety, went to a 12-Step in-patient Rehab before she got sober. They never once in rehab mentioned Naltrexone (Revia) or websites like MWO.

I know many people here have found support in AA. I am happy for them, but for the reasons I mentioned above, and for the reasons you gave, aihfl, it will NEVER be an option for me.

Sorry to hear about the narrowminded attitude of your AA realtor "friend.

[Lizann]

Very interesting reading tonight. I have been to a12 step program, not AA. I attended for several months. While I enjoyed the people running the group I never quite got the point of it. The same stories were repeated over and over again. Maybe I'm just dense I don't know. I would go back if I felt the need for their kind support but this here works just fine for me. I did it mainly because my family wanted me to.

Pauly, not sure what you meant by evenings in your post. I mostly post at night.

So some amazing news on my end. . . Brother in law received a job offer today:sohappy:
Details still need to be worked out but we are thrilled beyond words! Normally a champagne moment, I celebrated with a chocolate marzipan bar! Well hope your day was as good as mine. Gotta go help hubby clean out the laundry room, my new washing machine is coming tomorrow. Can my day get any better?

[aihfl]

I just got a nice surprise from the UPS man. Getting excited!

IMG_3193.jpg

Also here is a wonderful story from the Orlando Sentinel about Florida State's star wide receiver Travis Randolph taking the time to eat lunch with an autistic boy who was eating alone at a middle school in Tallahassee. It made the national news:

Mother shares heartfelt Facebook post about son having lunch with FSU's Travis Rudolph - Orlando Sentinel

It's nice to see a FSU player in the news for something positive, instead of that embarrassment who shall remain nameless.

Lizann, I just got a Samsung washer/dryer set. They're HE front loaders. I never thought of laundry as exciting, but it is now! The dryer even has a steam setting for wrinkle prevention. Also, I can't believe how much less detergent I go through.

Hope everyone has a good evening. I was thinking of running a library errand, but I think I'd rather stay in given the constant light rain and drizzle.

[paulywogg]

Liz,I come to post at night and there's usually nobody around, I dunno, Aihfl,I thought those were bags of coffee before I enlarged it haha

[ToMyHealth]

Wow! Looked like I hadn't been on in days. Great to see so many posters. And interesting AA stories. I've checked into it locally and don't come up with anything.

Have news. My son's drink of choice is beer and has many times stopped drinking for a period of time. He is divorced, and after got in a 4 yr relationship where he was quite concerned about gf drinking. That ended. He started dating a woman I have not met. He and grandsons are coming for Christmas. His new gf and some kids are also coming on different days and staying in area. So I emailed asking if teetotalers or if drinkers, what do they like? He said gf is a teetotaler and he joined her. Kids are teenagers. So I shared my month. He claims to feel great and that lack of sleep can be an issue but he seems to catch up the next day. He felt it took 3 weeks for him to feel better. Well, that is where I am. So we will see. Frankly, I am surprised I am not euphoric. Lots of good things, however.

No, no peer pressure. Admit have stayed away from situations where I may find such. Have no desire to go up to club on Friday nights. Labor Day we will play golf in Folds of Honor and there will be a bbq after. But Diet Coke or O'Douls will be our drinks. And that will be 30 days!

[Lizann]

TMH, that is good news. Good for you for getting to 30 days!
Haha Pauly, I thought it was coffee too.

[NoraC]

SK- have a wonderful time.

Liz- Fantastic news

TMH - I think it is fantastic at how well you are doing. :yay:

Waves to all. Heading to bed. Really sore neck and back so will post tomorrow. xx

[YouKayBee]

I probably won't have time to check this thread constantly. I'm suffered with binge eating issues, which are very similar to how I was with alcohol, same behaviours, same results.

I'm currently trying to take each day one day at a time, sometimes one hour, and one step at at time.

[ToMyHealth]

Thanks you guys. Not there quite yet. It's been easy and hard at the same time. Does that make sense?
Youkaybee, sorry for your struggles. Addictions are so hard. We can leave the booze, but we need to eat. Check in when you feel up to it.
Set alarm for 6:30, fell back to sleep and woke up at 8:00. Tee time was 8:30. Could I have made it? Yes, but called and found it was cart path only so canceled. I don't mind the walking (more steps), but hate the wet conditions, I never play well when the ground is soggy. Could be a lot worse. We have just had rain in our part of state, and now it's just cloudy. Hope those of you further north don't get hit too hard.
AG, how is it going?

[Lizann]

Hey guys, I started the September thread. Come on over