MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

[lagataloca]

Tropical Storm Isaac is expected to reach hurricane strength by the time it reaches us on Thursday. I have NEVER EVER gone thru a hurricane w/o a bottle of rum to keep me company. No lights and no power make it even more difficult to distract oneself, not to mention the anxiety and tension of the sounds of what is blowing apart outside. I have some klonopin, but it has done absolutely NADA to calm me down and help with the insomnia, so I am not counting on it for any help, at least not at recommended dosage. How much is safe to take, anyway? ?Ay Bendito!

[ThreeDogNight]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

Hi, Laga.
Ay Bendito is right!! Yikes--a hurricane? We had one a year ago, and it was the first in many years, and nothing like what you are facing. But it wiped out roads in some areas, and they were not restored for months! Some places here in New England were devastated.
I have a friend who was taking Klonopin and it was not nice when she took too much or mixed with AL. I thnk it becomes addictive, no? I don't know what to advise, and maybe you know how much you can take before it makes you loopy. I hope there are others who have experience with it. Can you possibly get some St John's Wort or HTP or Rhodiola Rosea? Might get you through.
Good luck with this.
:lTDN

[lagataloca]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

I am making ice, and putting new batteries in all my LED lights... NEED more AAA's! What drives me the battiest (GUANO LOCO) is having to crank shut all the aluminum windows and then the hurricane shutters over the top of them. It is blacker than night 24 hours, so all you can do is listen to the devastation and let your imagination do its worst... We will be without power for at least 5 days even though this shouldn't be more than a CAT 1 storm , so I am doing any and all laundry NOW... and OF COURSE I just bought 10 POUND of boneless skinless chicken breasts for the freezer :-(

[jenniech]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

1. cook the chicken now.....it will last longer and you have food ready for you when the power goes out!!
2. If you can find one, buy one of those flashlights you can put on your head ..... it will be dark, but you won't need an extra hand to hold your light....then, you can read a ton of stuff. Do you have good books and magazines?
3. Make sure all of your electronics are full charged.
4. Dont have ANY alcohol in the house....nada, none
5. Klonapin: I have a prescription for that too. It is very addictive. I keep them as a safety net. I would say a hurricane would qualify as a reason to take them. Do you take it regularly? I think you should call your Dr. and ask if you can double your dosage during the storm

I hope this helps..,,I know how scary storms are and I have lived through plenty of week long blackouts...good luck to you!

[lagataloca]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

I have a gas stove and a BBQ so the chicken can wait. I also have a bunch of LED lights (but half of them have gone bad due to the salt air), what I really hate is the claustrophobia of the hurricane shutters and it being pitch black in the house in the middle of the day while the wind is howling and branches are crashing down all around.

Especially vexing this time is I can't do much prep because of my broken up knee. As far as getting a hold of my doctor? Hahahahaaaaaa! You can't even get a real appointment here. No way would they come to the phone. For example they tell you your "appointment" is at 9 AM, but when you arrive you sign a list and then sit down and wait for at least 1 and a half to 2 hours.... I just got the script last week for 15 nights, and I took them for 4 nights and it did NADA, so I stopped, because what is the point? Anyway I am not worried about addiction, I just want to be able to ride out the storm w/o Don Q as a companion.

[ITGeekChick]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

Lagataloca, that's some scary stuff. I'm not familiar with hurricanes but live in tornado alley, so I can relate to riding the storm out with the help of some adult beverages. We actually have a drinking game in honour of one of our local meteorologists (Google "Gary England drinking game"...it's actually quite humourous), and that's how I would get through evenings of severe weather warnings. It sounds like you are preparing as best you can. Hang in there!

[lagataloca]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

ITGeekChick, EXACTLY! I KNOW how to prep for a hurricane—I have been living in the tropics now for over 20 years, its just I have never gone thru one w/o having a some level of buzz on throughout to keep the nerves at bay and help me SLEEP. I live right across the street from the sea, so it can get pretty gnarly out there. Here is a pic of the view from my home office:

[Byrdlady]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

Lag...I live on the coast of NC and I would consider myself a bit of an expert. We have gone thru 14 of them since 1996. It's all in the preparation. You have some time....so don't panic. Get your freezer down and your batteries up. Get the LED candles so fire isn't a problem. If you have the storm panels, you don't have to let them down till the last minute in the main room you are using. Protect the side you aren't using so you don't have so much to do at the last minute. Surround yourself with food you love...get all the AL out. A hurricane is NOT an excuse to drink...it is a reason NOT to drink! You may not lose power at all, but be prepared. Keeping yourself busy should not be a problem, last year during Irene, I kept internet and was on FaceBook the whole time...so plan...don't panic. Byrdie

[lagataloca]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

Byrdlady, I will lose power. We lose power at least once a month w/o any storm. In fact I live in "brown-out" barrio! Like I said, I have been thru many, many hurricanes, I know how to prep, no problemo, I am just going to really MISS the I don't give a fuck buzz this time...

[Doggygirl]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

Hi there. I can sure relate to the bottle and hurricanes. I lived in Florida for several years and staying drunk was how I "survived" the tropical storms and hurricane warnings/watches and actuals. When I think back to that, I see how insane that was. What if I had needed to take some sort of responsible action in order to save myself, my property, or help someone else? I was useless drunk when I should have been conscious.

A thought came to mind as I was reading about your preparations and also the fears. (very understandable fears for sure!!) Do you have an iPOD or MP3 player? Do you have some soothing music or meditations to listen to? (and also do you have any of that on CD and a battery operated CD player for when the power goes out and your device charge is gone?) Being where I am today as a sober person, I think listening to soothing things would be a huge help to me if I ever have to go through that fear (and boredom and darkness) again.

Good luck and please stay safe! (and sober!)

DG

[matti1024]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

My sister's boyfriend, Charlie, decided to go outside when Hurricane Charlie (!) blew across Florida. The dummy spent the storm hiding in back of a trash dumpster!

As far as Klonopin, I've been taking 2 mg. for anxiety for years as prescribed, and know a guy with panic attacks who takes much more, which is not recommended for hurricanes! :H The problem with Klonopin is taking it with alcohol, which is also not recommended. You can go through withdrawal when you stop taking benzos abruptly. Also not recommended!

Good luck!

Matti1024

[lagataloca]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

[Prairie Fairy]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

Hey everybody -

If you have been on a benzo for a LONG time - the side effect profile is *different* - than short term use. Google it - go look up long term benzo use side effects - and you will see that the longer you use - the more likely you are to have sleep disturbances that lead to very real issues around behaviors such as disinhibition...

Disinhibition...add AL....uh....uh oh...Ladies and Gentleman - want to bet how many of the horror stories on this board come from a mix of long term benzo use mixed with AL? Bet there is a good percentage in here...and people just don't know it...

Benzo's are a much bigger deal than people think, long term usage is a much bigger deal than people think, and getting off of them is no easy trick. It's so important to wean - because the brain becomes literally dependent on it to function and too fast a wean can lead to seizures - cold turkey from a high enough dose can lead to death. It's no joke. You can seize out.

If you are on Benzos - and are drinking - it's critical you take control of one or the other. For your own health. Taking both can kill you. Benzo's are a long slow wean...don't do it without a plan from your doctor. And read, read, read everything you can about Benzo's and side effect profiles.

Just be safe. Don't be like all the Hollywood stars found in their hotel rooms with a mix of Benzo's and AL in their system.

OK - that's the end of the "Prairie" Public Safety Broadcasting Network....You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming

[Turnagain]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

Laga - That is a powerful storm but it sure sounds as if you have prepared as much as humanly possible. Now - you can do the same thing to prepare yourself against the storm of addiction that is bearing back down on you.

I found making a radical change in my thinking in the early days of my sobriety was nothing short of miraculous in terms of dealing with powerful triggers. It is simple. When thoughts of...."How can I ever possibly deal with ____________ without drinking?" popped into the thought stream I refused to answer or even dwell on those thoughts and instead replaced that thinking with new, positive and constructive thoughts....such as "This will be the first time I've been able to ________________without being drunk...." and I would take it further....."So what if it's going to be tough - I can do this - I have to do this - I will do this and I will be so much stronger for it." And if it was a particularly tough situation, I would spend time actually visualizing the details of my specific actions seeing a positive, active and AF outcome. I would summon the emotions -again, in detail- of how I was going to feel after accomplishing my goal.

Now, as I do more reading, I have come to understand that positive thinking isn't just a pop-psych trick....it creates and then reinforces new neural pathways in the brain circuitry. And my life is sure proof of that. In just a little more than a year of living AF - I am so damn re-wired that I throw off sparks and glow. Seriously though....I can't - and WON'T - imagine even wanting to ever drink again.

Stay safe and know you can ride BOTH storms out. Be sure to post back here as soon as you can so we know you're okay!

[Byrdlady]

MAJOR major trigger barreling at me DEAD AHEAD...

Thinking of you...I know lots of work going on now in prep for Isaac...have plenty of goodies on hand too...having a full tummy takes away a lot of cravings! Thoughts and prayers will be with you. B