Skullbaby's Progress

[skullbabyland]

Skullbaby's Progress

Hi Cass, thanks for posting! My thread's gotten a bit lonely of late so your post made my day Glad to hear that training and exercise is doing well for you! What kind of training are you doing, by the way?

[inlav.ru]

Skullbaby's Progress

Сайт знакомст

inlav ru/]Сайт знакомств InLav ru — это отличная возможность встретить свою вторую половинку в жизни! На нашем сайте знакомств Вы сможете обрести новые, интерестные знакомства, а также испытать по истине настоящие, романтические и искрение ощущения! На сайте, Вас ждут не менее 13 миллионов пользователей со всех уголков мира, и все они настроены и хотят inlav ru/]серьезных отношений Если Вы одиноки, у Вас не ладится на личном фронте и Вы хотите найти свою вторую половинку для создания крепкой семьи, взаимопонимания, любви и уважения, то быстрее проходите регистрацию бесплатно! и присоединяйтесь к числу тех, кто уже обрел счастье благодаря сайту знакомст - InLav ru

inlav ru/]серьезные знакомства для серьезных отношений

[spiritwolf333]

Skullbaby's Progress

Exercise

skullbabyland;1671113 wrote: Hi Cass, thanks for posting! My thread's gotten a bit lonely of late so your post made my day Glad to hear that training and exercise is doing well for you! What kind of training are you doing, by the way?

Hi Skull (and Cass) -thanks to you both and a few other members, I decided to restart my racquetball regime about 2 months ago.

Since that first day of re-starting, I have played almost everyday. I have even moved up a division in league play (I even have a national ranking now(LOL). I have lost over twenty pounds (I am now below what I should weigh), I feel better mentally and physically than I EVER have. I thought that I had lost the "high" feeling that I used to get after playing and I blamed baclofen. This is not the case. After about 30 minutes upon completing my games, I feel on top of the world.

Cass has told me several times how the physical equation (and nutrition) side is so important to all us of in leading a better life. I have heard you -Skull (Pav-others) talk about exercise. You can now add me to the list of exercise "heads".

Little to no alcohol, accompanied by exercise and a "decent" diet has opened me up to a new world. Perhaps I might have thought I had known this, but it was the reading of member posts that truly encouraged me to move forward.

Thank You.

[Cassander]

Skullbaby's Progress

Hi skull and spirit

I am a huge believer in the miracle drug of regular exercise. Many of us reach indifference (one way or another) but still don't feel complete. I think I get that...In particular, I don't think we should ask more of baclofen than it can deliver. It kills the craving of alcoholism. Isn't that enough?

For me the road to a true and recovered sense of balance and well-being has been all about regular exercise. Over the last ten or so years, I have been going to the gym 2 or 3 times a week for an hour (atleast) a visit. During much of this period I have used a trainer (to make sure I show up and make sure I really work). I also do additional cardio atleast 2 or 3 times a week and feel even better if I can find time for up to 4 or 5 cardio 'events'. My cardio routine is usually an hour running, but I mix it up during the summer with road biking and 'cardio tennis'. Cardio tennis is my term for me and a high school or college kid hitting and me telling him to make me run. We never keep score. In the winter I have been skiing a lot the past few years (60 days each the past two), but in truth downhill skiing is neither a gym workout or a serious cardio session. But it is tons of fun and gets me off my butt and outdoors in the winter. Throw in a little bit of hiking and a tiny bit of golf (without a cart whenever possible) and that's pretty much it.

I find the gym and cardio sessions dissolve my anxiety within 5 or ten minutes of starting and I am far more calm, balanced, organized and productive when I get back to my desk. The resulting sense of nearly constant well-being is nothing short of miraculous. Perhaps not as miraculous as bac, but right up there. Also, when I feel anxiety descending (sense of dread, colliding thoughts, diminishing patience, etc.) I know I can lick it with as little as a half hour run. Whenever possible I'll stop what I'm doing and go run. I've been doing it for nearly ten years now and quit drinking altogether six years ago. It really works...for me, at least.

Best,

Cass

[Lostinspace]

Skullbaby's Progress

Hi there. I hope this isn't a double post. I'm a new registered member (long time lurker). I can't figure out where to start a new thread because I'm forum room ignorant. Can someone please tell me how? Btw, skullbaby, you are a HUGE inspiration to a dumb drunk like me. I hope to be in your shoes soon.

[Lostinspace]

Skullbaby's Progress

Nevermind. I think I figured it out. My brain is not too functional. Sorry for messing up your thread with stupidity.

[StuckinLA]

Skullbaby's Progress

Main forum page, top left above the threads, button that says "New Thread". :welcome:

[skullbabyland]

Skullbaby's Progress

Copied from the gratitude thread..

Today I am grateful for the concept and tool of creating systems. Willpower, tenacity, consistency, and follow-through are great, but they are proven to be finite resources in humans. We all fall off occasionally and it can be hard to get back on track. This is where the power of systems comes in.

Systems like automatic withdrawals to a retirement account, automatic blocking of the internet during my work projects, automatic reminders on a phone to take medications, and for that matter, automatically taking my meds first thing in the morning so that drinking is not a concern (baclofen/antabuse in my case). All these systems and more, I give the lion's share of credit to any success I've been having in becoming healthy. Lord knows I couldn't do most of these things consistently on my own willpower...

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Skullbaby's Progress

I totally agree, Skull. The only way I can prioritize my priorities is to make the decision well ahead of time and set up the systems to be able to get it done. Then it's not a matter of if, or even when, I'm going to exercise. I'm just scheduled to do it! Same with taking meds and the other things you mentioned. (Though I could probably use that tool about blocking the internet. How do you do that?)

The fewer choices I have to make about the daily stuff, the more room I have to make good decisions about the choices I haven't planned for.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Skullbaby's Progress

Hey. Your thread is also pinged, whatever that means. The address is ?????????? ??? ????????? ?????????

Any idea what that's about?

[skullbabyland]

Skullbaby's Progress

Quick update- Day 229 AF, still at 80mg/day Baclofen and 125mg/day Antabuse.

Been a while since I've updated other than quick quotes and chat. Things are going well, I'm coming up on 8 months sober and I feel like this life is becoming the "new normal".

Recent events- well, my doctor has stopped refilling my baclofen and says I need to find a new doctor in my new city. I had an appointment yesterday with a new doctor here and it went well, she said she'll speak with my old doctor about the baclofen/antabuse meds and how they work. So, that's promising. I also went armed with 5 of the various papers on baclofen efficacy and treatments, the prescribing guide, etc., and she took them to look over. So, whatever happens, BIG THANKS to TerryK for making that stuff available!!! And to theother senior members who've contributed to the Consolidated Baclofen Info thread- too many to list but you know who you are. Thank you all so much, it really helps give us other drunks a real chance at the treatment.

As for this doctor, hopefully she'll conclude that it's safe and worthwhile to prescribe baclofen to me... if not I'll have to find an alternative. Wish me luck, folks...

Otherwise, life is pretty good. I'm drawing a lot, almost every day, and feeling really good about the momentum. People seem to be liking my work when I post it on social media. But the end result is less important than the process of doing the work. As T.S. Eliot said, "There is only the trying. The rest is not our business."

I'm going out of town for work tonight, going to be working onsite at my employer's offices for the rest of the week. They have a pretty big culture of drinking and I'd be lying if I said the thought didn't cross my mind of "maybe I could join them for a 'few'"... But that's obviously not a good move for me, to test out the waters of drinking during a work trip, around co-workers and in an environment where I'm expected to perform at high levels during each workday. Hangovers would NOT be a good idea. Sober Skullbaby, the sort who is effective, energetic, maybe even a little charming, is much more needed than drunk/hungover/embarassed/anxious Skullbaby.

So, that being the case, I'll be taking the antabuse as usual to shut down temptations before they can begin.

I still think I will try to test the waters a bit later this summer- probably around late July or August. Or on second thought, maybe I'll wait til October-ish, as that may fit better with my fitness goals. I suppose the positive thing there is that I'm putting other things in my life much higher in importance than drinking- drinking is a much lower priority now.

Best to all!

[skullbabyland]

Skullbaby's Progress

Ne/Neva Eva;1672827 wrote: Hey. Your thread is also pinged, whatever that means. The address is ?????????? ??? ????????? ?????????

Any idea what that's about?

I don't know what you mean? I clicked on that link and it seems to be a Russian dating or social site of some kind?

[skullbabyland]

Skullbaby's Progress

Ne/Neva Eva;1672826 wrote: I totally agree, Skull. The only way I can prioritize my priorities is to make the decision well ahead of time and set up the systems to be able to get it done. Then it's not a matter of if, or even when, I'm going to exercise. I'm just scheduled to do it! Same with taking meds and the other things you mentioned. (Though I could probably use that tool about blocking the internet. How do you do that?)

The fewer choices I have to make about the daily stuff, the more room I have to make good decisions about the choices I haven't planned for.

Totally agree. As to the internet blocker, just do a search for whatever internet browser you use plus internet blocker, and you'll find a bunch- I use StayFocusd for Google Chrome, but there's a bunch out there, I think there's reviews and stuff of the easiest ones.

[skullbabyland]

Skullbaby's Progress

Cass- WOW. Your exercise regimen sounds fantastic, you sound so super active. I loved hearing about Cardio Tennis, lol!

Spirit- awesome to hear about your racquetball game getting so good, and your weight loss!

You are both so right about how a good workout resets the body and mind, and nervous system, into balance, calmness, and alignment. It really does make all the difference between a lame ass day and a fucking awesome one. I NEVER thought I would be an exercise head but it's so true what they say- "You're only one workout away from a good mood".

Cass and Spirit, thanks for the comments- your words remind me that I really should get a bit of cardio in once a week or so- I favor heavy weightlifting and need to get some sprinting in there too, and/or some biking.

[skullbabyland]

Skullbaby's Progress

Lostinspace;1672308 wrote: Nevermind. I think I figured it out. My brain is not too functional. Sorry for messing up your thread with stupidity.

No apology needed, LiS- welcome to posting on MWO Feel free to post here anytime, I like it when my thread is active. I'm so glad that my thread has been of some value to you. I'll pop over to your thread and say hi, too.