Hi All,
I've watched this forum, on and off, for well over a year. Read the MYW book last year, as well. Tried the natural supplements for awhile. . .can't say I noticed a difference, but quite honestly my personal and professional lives were in such upheaval for about two years (not alcohol related - divorced after 32 years in an abusive marriage, and a business relationship with a predatory company that put me out of business) that trying to quit drinking at that time was not a good choice. My counselor actually talked me out of it!
Like many of you, I'm NOT an alcoholic. What I definitely AM is a wino. :nutso: I put away one large or two small bottles on most days. Since I like the good stuff, that gets a bit expensive! Like most of you, I struggle every day with the 'decision' to quit drinking. I wake up feeling empty and tired, with little ambition until around 10 a.m. That gives me 5-7 hours of 'normalcy' until the cravings kick in, and I pop open another bottle.
I drank a lot as a young adult, then quit for 20 years while raising the kids. I used to tell them, "There are NO casual drinkers in our family!" Once they were grown up, I forgot my own advice, and decided to allow myself to 'enjoy' an occasional glass of red wine. So much for that theory!
I really do enjoy wine. . .my new sweetheart (I can hardly believe how fortunate I am to have found this GEM of a man early this year) drinks moderately. He doesn't see my drinking as a problem. . .but then, he thinks I walk on water. :l Most of our friends are drinkers - some moderate, others heavy. You all know the picture: take away drinking, and the structure of our social lives collapses.
On the other hand, one of my greatest passions is spirituality, and I know for a fact that one can only be minimally 'connected' to the Divine while drinking heavily.
So I'm going to order the hypnotherapy CD's today, some natural supps, and take the huge leap of ordering Topa, as well. (This is especially challenging, as I'm a writer and public presenter by trade, and worry about the brain fog/word loss aspect.) Since ingesting large amounts of alcohol isn't helping my memory recall any these days, I figure it's probably going to be an even trade-off!
Oh yes, the good news is that I shared my intention to do this with a dear, dear friend who has gone far over the edge with alcohol (daily blackouts, nasty mood swings, etc.), and she's interested in giving this plan - toward moderation - a try.
Wish us well! It's nice to have a group like this one to help with this effort. Only an alkie understands what another alkie goes thru. . .(but quite honestly, I tired AA a couple of times, and just didn't 'get it,' or like it.)
I've watched this forum, on and off, for well over a year. Read the MYW book last year, as well. Tried the natural supplements for awhile. . .can't say I noticed a difference, but quite honestly my personal and professional lives were in such upheaval for about two years (not alcohol related - divorced after 32 years in an abusive marriage, and a business relationship with a predatory company that put me out of business) that trying to quit drinking at that time was not a good choice. My counselor actually talked me out of it!
Like many of you, I'm NOT an alcoholic. What I definitely AM is a wino. :nutso: I put away one large or two small bottles on most days. Since I like the good stuff, that gets a bit expensive! Like most of you, I struggle every day with the 'decision' to quit drinking. I wake up feeling empty and tired, with little ambition until around 10 a.m. That gives me 5-7 hours of 'normalcy' until the cravings kick in, and I pop open another bottle.
I drank a lot as a young adult, then quit for 20 years while raising the kids. I used to tell them, "There are NO casual drinkers in our family!" Once they were grown up, I forgot my own advice, and decided to allow myself to 'enjoy' an occasional glass of red wine. So much for that theory!
I really do enjoy wine. . .my new sweetheart (I can hardly believe how fortunate I am to have found this GEM of a man early this year) drinks moderately. He doesn't see my drinking as a problem. . .but then, he thinks I walk on water. :l Most of our friends are drinkers - some moderate, others heavy. You all know the picture: take away drinking, and the structure of our social lives collapses.
On the other hand, one of my greatest passions is spirituality, and I know for a fact that one can only be minimally 'connected' to the Divine while drinking heavily.
So I'm going to order the hypnotherapy CD's today, some natural supps, and take the huge leap of ordering Topa, as well. (This is especially challenging, as I'm a writer and public presenter by trade, and worry about the brain fog/word loss aspect.) Since ingesting large amounts of alcohol isn't helping my memory recall any these days, I figure it's probably going to be an even trade-off!
Oh yes, the good news is that I shared my intention to do this with a dear, dear friend who has gone far over the edge with alcohol (daily blackouts, nasty mood swings, etc.), and she's interested in giving this plan - toward moderation - a try.
Wish us well! It's nice to have a group like this one to help with this effort. Only an alkie understands what another alkie goes thru. . .(but quite honestly, I tired AA a couple of times, and just didn't 'get it,' or like it.)
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