So long, and thanks for all the fish*

[tiptronic_ct]

I?ve been doing a lot of soul searching over the past week or so. As a result, I?ve decided that the time has come for me to mostly withdraw from the Meds Forum.

My stripey countenance will still grace the General Forum (mostly the daily Army Thread) and occasionally the Newbie and Help Needed sections.

If it wasn?t for this place (especially the ?baclofen pioneers? such as Zenstyle & Bill. P), I don?t think it is an understatement to say that I would have been dead today. I am extremely grateful (to put it mildly). I also hope that I?ve been of help to others along the way.

At some stage, we all have to decide what is most important to us and where we feel we can add value. As strongly as I feel about MWO, maybe it isn?t my role to try and protect this place against people who would exploit us. If people choose to be exploited or taken in by charlatans, so be it. I just hope people don?t get hurt too badly in the process.
On a more positive note, I think the meds threads offer a good balance in terms of the different approaches toward baclofen (slow / fast / supervision / self-medication etc.) to give people sufficient information to allow them to decide what is best for their particular situation. There are also enough cheerleaders to offer support to those starting out on this journey.

I think improvement is needed in the sense that most folks who opt to take the baclofen route do not make use of the full spectrum of tools available to us alkies. These include resources such as the Tool Box Thread (in Monthly Abstinence), the invaluable contribution psychotherapy can make once we?ve achieved sobriety as well as other techniques / processes to allow us to remain sober and learn to live again. Despite claims to the contrary, I still believe baclofen is only a tool. It is not a panacea for alcoholism.

In future, my baclofen-related efforts will be directed at the creation of greater awareness of this treatment within South Africa. I?m very happy to have gotten an appointment with the head of psychiatric research (which includes addiction) at a prominent local university. That?s a start. I?ll see where the journey takes me.

In conclusion: just a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE thank you to everyone who have helped me to get as far as I have on the road to full recovery. I could not have done it on my own.

________________________________________
* Thread title with apologies to Douglas Adams

[ignominous]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*

Tip, I'm going to miss you but you've got to do what you've got to do.

I've had many insights from your posts and hope that you will provide me with more from your forward jouney

[Topsy-Turvy-Tracy]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*

Tip, I'll miss seeing you here, as I'm sure lots of people will.

tiptronic_ct;994180 wrote: In future, my baclofen-related efforts will be directed at the creation of greater awareness of this treatment within South Africa. I’m very happy to have gotten an appointment with the head of psychiatric research (which includes addiction) at a prominent local university. That’s a start. I’ll see where the journey takes me.

Wow, that is beyond cool! Good luck. Please at least keep us updated on how it goes?

Nice nod to HGG.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojydNb3Lrrs[/video]]YouTube - So Long and Thanks for all the Fish

[PhoenixRising]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*

Best of luck, Tip, and for all the help you've given me. I truly appreciate it.

[hopefulspirit]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*

Tip,
I just popped in to see how things were going and saw this. You were most helpful to me and I remain internally grateful : ) Best wishes to you XO!
HS

[RedThread12]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*

Glad you'll be around on other threads, Tip. You've been an valuable source of level-headed guidance here in "meds." Thank you.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*


:upset:

[Cranky Pants]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*

As strongly as I feel about MWO, maybe it isn’t my role to try and protect this place against people who would exploit us. If people choose to be exploited or taken in by charlatans, so be it. I just hope people don’t get hurt too badly in the process.

I feel bad b/c I sent L0op the suggestion for the poll and now I see that the thread has vanished. Not a poll but more of a question as to why an obvious shill was allowed to basically advertise in the forum. Fuckity fuck fuck. Best wishes Tip.

[Topsy-Turvy-Tracy]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*

The idea of losing level-headed Tip for the great misfortune of gaining dunderhead Dr Phill is not working for me, to say the least. :upset:

Advertising is part of what pays to keep this site in operation. It’s part of what allows the rest of us to post here, and freely share our experience, for free. I have NO objection to advertisers. I do object to some poser, pretending to be a doctor, and trying to advertise HERE for free. So, my plan is to report the turkey trickster every time he tries to get a freebie by selling his wares on this forum without paying for advertising space. I plan to email (NOT PM) helpdesk@capalo.com, every time he comes here and mentions his $30+ booklet, posts a link to his website, or promotes his decidedly questionable endeavor in anyway.

If phony Phill wants to pay to advertise here, and therefore actually support MWO in some fashion and pay back for all the information he harvested from this site (he certainly has never given anyone anything with any post he has ever made here), I have no problem with that. I have a big problem with this forum losing someone who has actually given - out of the goodness of his heart, with no expectation of gaining money or fame – in exchange for someone who uses a front of grace to disguise his own pure greed, and I have little respect for his “followers.”

We are lucky in that we have had some responsible and very knowledgeable medical professionals, who have offered information and *real* help (such as prescribing baclofen) to people here (thinking of Dr. Levin and Dr. Ameisen). Dr. Phill, who must get his balcofen from online pharmacies (apparently because he has, despite his brilliant medical career, no doctor friends willing to prescribe for him), has never been in their ranks and never, ever should be. But that’s what he’s shooting for – and he wants free advertising to boot.

That address again is helpdesk@capalo.com.

It also rather tickles me because I’m very sure that someone techie at capalo.com can see IP addresses, and so that person would also be able to detect sock puppets. ROTFL! Some days, I SOOOO miss usenet. Hey, Lo0p, Ig, and the resident codies (and socks), was it really worth losing Tip for Phill? Are you happy? Are you proud? You backed the right horse, yes or no?

It was not worth losing Tip over the greed-ridden antics of a charlatan.

Sorry, Tip.

:hijacked:

[Wally22]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*

OMG I can't believe that Phil guy is still around. I thought he was thrown off long ago.

[ignominous]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*

Sorry Tip, in advance for continuing the hijacking of this post but 12 hours+ has past since the last post.

Tracy from your last missive I have yet again, reluctantly, come to the undeniable conclusion that you are the dunderhead.

Despite Phil's misguided ideas on marketing his insights he has undoubtably contributed to many at MWO. This is in contrast to your contributions, which serve to demean the forum. Relegating it to the level of your state of mind with your alternating inane, placating comments and your violent outbursts.

For you to trump Loop and Ig as losers in order to strengthen your argument is nothing short of juvenile.

I would like to point out that all but one of the recently closed threads has Topsy as the last post. In your mind you see this as supportive of you, others may pull a different conclusion.

Only MHO

[Ne/Neva Eva]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*

What is it with you two?
Can't you disguise your obvious disagreement/s like everyone else on the boards? Be nice, for goodness' sake.

[ignominous]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*

I know.

Just been grunting myself to death here with the lack of activity on these boards

[AllyB]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*

neva eva;995792 wrote: What is it with you two?
Can't you disguise your obvious disagreement/s like everyone else on the boards? Be nice, for goodness' sake.

I don't think Ig takes hypocrisy well.

Tracey has run a number of people off this board with her behaviour, which has been utterly, utterly disgusting at times. She is a bully whenever the mood suits her. I've been using internet forums and chat rooms for over 15 years (I'm a geek, I love Babylon 5, I'm not ashamed!) and I've never met a user who has attacked people looking for help and support in the same way that she has.

As for why it's so quiet around here I suspect it's because a lot of discussion has been taken to PM. I know most of mine has and I'm getting PMs from users who aren't posting. I'd be very surprised if there aren't other groupings doing the same.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

So long, and thanks for all the fish*

Yow, Ally. I can understand your sentiments, but I was really being tongue in cheek with Tracy and Ig. I think if one of them posted that the sky was blue, the other would argue that it's really cerulean, all the while meaning the same damn thing from a vastly different perspective.

And bummer about people not posting. I agree that the temperature in here is at a simmer. But what's the long term effect of not posting? I can tell you from my perspective it's a little lonely and that those that come after us don't see the journey.

I feel like I have to be very careful about what I write, lest someone takes it the wrong way or I make someone else feel badly. Or I'm just an ass that didn't say what I meant to or said something I didn't mean to. But I've read a lot on here and the asses made me feel at home.
I'm glad you've found support via pm, and sorry that I haven't offered it. I hope your husband is doing well.

There are several issues at hand on this and other related threads. One of them being access to information. As I mentioned before, Phill and I exchanged emails in August. I bear the guy no ill will, but think he's on a mission that isn't complementary with this forum. When he posted inappropriately on the holy grail (imho) I exclamation-pointed him. I woke up the next morning to find the thread had been closed. Holy shit! Best of intentions/road to hell... But he can't sell his stuff on here, it's not Craigslist.

I don't want to contribute to ill-will, much less limit the access to information. We're all entitled to our opinions, but gentleness goes a long way. I wish that I remembered that from moment to moment.

I'm a newbie to any sort of forum/chat, except that long ago I was on the AA chat. What I remember most clearly from that experience were the assholes and the spammers. At best this is a forum for adults, to exchange possibly conflicting ideas and find some help. Anyone who logs on, is serious and reads for more than a minute is aware of the input from the Big boys/girls. Especially those that continue to post after achieving recovery.

Finally, this is about one man's choice. It bums me out no end, Tip, that you're done here. Why? I didn't understand the poll. Was it about choosing between you and Phill? Removing Phill from the CBT? (Not the therapy! The thread!) Are you just tired and time limited? Is it painful? What? My imagination runs amok.