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Long Time Abbers? Your thoughts?

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    #16
    Long Time Abbers? Your thoughts?

    I'm not a super long-timer by any stretch (coming up on 5 months), but........here is what I'm thankful to have escaped!

    The Cycle of Escapism

    Everyone feels the desire to escape. No matter how good you have it, there are times when, instead of dealing with problems, you’d rather pretend they don’t exist. We turn to bad habits because they allow us to forget. They give us a pleasurable sensation that pushes problems out of mind. The downfall of this solution is that it’s only temporary. The feeling wears off and the problems remain, often made worse by our indulgence. Once again faced with our problems, the natural reaction is to escape again.This is the cycle of escapism. We feel pain each time we face reality, so we use a bad habit to escape, which only increases our pain, making us more desperate to escape. Each time around it takes more sensation to escape, increasing our dependency on a bad habit. When you get caught in the whirlpool of escapism, it can feel impossible to get out.


    Developing Positive Beliefs

    The only way to permanently break the cycle of escapism is to develop a positive perception of reality. If you associate reality with pain, you will constantly desire to escape. It’s essential to find happiness in reality that outweighs the suffering caused by its problems. Find the things in life give you true joy rather than temporary pleasure. These are the actions that will build up your belief in a positive reality.Changing your attitude towards reality is easier said than done. When you’re accustomed to the cycle of pain and escape, reality feels hopeless. The truth is that reality is neither bad or good, but an equal mix of the two. Your attitude is a reflection of the parts that you choose to focus on. By fixing your attention on sources of hope and joy, you can create positive beliefs and reduce the desire to escape.

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      #17
      Long Time Abbers? Your thoughts?

      Wow - I love all of these but the part of the Cycle of Escapism that Unwasted posted hits awful close to home.
      That popping sound you hear is me attempting to remove my head from my arse. It's been there for years so this may take a while.
      Admitting I need healing. And I am not big enough to do this alone.
      AF - August 20, 2012

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        #18
        Long Time Abbers? Your thoughts?

        Hi PF, I'm no long-time abber by any stretch of the imagination, but your question had me thinking. I loved reading the responses. I saw a bit of myself in many of them.

        While walking the dog last night, it hit me...what keeps me AF is the feeling of gratitude that I now have. I am grateful for so many little things in life that used to be annoyances when I felt miserable and hungover. I am grateful that I can really be there for my kids, whether it is something important, or just everyday stuff. I am grateful that I have a clear head to talk with my husband day or night. I am grateful that I feel good enough to plan some fun time for me and the kids this week. I am grateful that I have energy to help my parents as they need me more due to their increasing health problems. I could go on and on, as there are so many things I am grateful for now that used to be only problems and headaches when I was drinking.

        Of course, gratitude what not what got me here. What got me here was that I could no longer go on with the guilt, shame, remorse, deception, misery (emotional and physical) that was brought on by my drinking. After having a long stint of AF last fall, I had a few drinking episodes in January. One night I spoke to my brother on the phone while I was drunk. He asked if I was drinking and I lied. My brother is a very important person to me and I lied to him. I wrote him an apology the next day and he let me off easy. But I did not let myself off easy and have not drank since then.

        I still cannot honestly say that I know I will never drink again. I am not there yet. But for now, today, the gratitude keeps me going.

        Now...off to get going with the day. Have to pack for an overnight trip...me and the kids and some fun!
        BelleGirl

        Alcohol does me no favors.

        Pouring poison down your throat is just plain STUPID!

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          #19
          Long Time Abbers? Your thoughts?

          lolab;1290259 wrote: wait! It's a different pic than I saw a few minutes ago! You're confusing me!:H
          Hell, I'm confusing myself! LOL
          I can't find a picture I like, maybe I'll just put one up of my dog! hehe
          :heart:I love my daughter more than alcohol:heart:

          Believe in yourself. You are stronger than you think.

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