30 days and beyond

[Heavenly]

30 days and beyond

KateH1;734568 wrote: Hi Heavenly et al
Nice to see this thread float to the top again! I took a break from mwo for a while too...but I am around sometimes too. I do miss a lot of the long termers who are no longer around....people like "a work in progress". Those that were always full of to the point information and encouragement. I too, often got labled as "tough", but I know this disease, and those entrenched in it, sometimes do not want to hear the truth about what it takes to get sober and stay sober. For many of us, this has been the battle of and for our lives. I am grateful and happy to be living my life without alcohol!!

Yes, we did get labelled tough and I miss WIP too, when I saw ''work in progress'' on the boards I thought she had changed her mind and come back for a while .... maybe not ..... but welcome to a new 'workinprogress' anyway.

I think direct speaking is best for me and some of us long termers - you too Kate- are direct. It may sound harsh but think of it as ''tough love'' it works for some and not for others, but if you want a boot up the a**e come to us .... and vice versa of course .....

Just because we get to a few months or years down the line it doesn't mean we don't need a good shake sometimes ....

[startingover]

30 days and beyond

I dont think there is anything wrong with being tough in certain situations. Right now I am in the very early stages of starting to work with addicts (mainly alcoholics) and I am watching with interest the different styles of the counsellors and the support workers and how they interact with clients. What I am seeing is that different approaches work for different people and I guess on an internet forum we dont really get to know what works for each individual best and we can only act in the way we think would help us. For me, I tend to find the softly softly approach works, but I have never been against a good kick up the backside when I have needed it :-) Its great to see all the different styles here.

[KateH1]

30 days and beyond

Startingover, I hear what you are saying and I completely agree with you in regards to "different styles". I think it is also about different personalities. I happen to really appreciate the straight forward approach. In my profession, this is how I work and it works well for me. I also seem to choose friends who are the same way. But, straight forward does not mean rude or harsh to me at all. In fact, I think straight up is far kinder than beating around the bush and soft peddling the truth. I think that is why I bonded with people like Heavenly and WIP and others who are all about fact, research and less about the coddling. But, with that being said, I appreciate ALL who are comitted to sobriety, no matter what the style!

[dancelot]

30 days and beyond

This is a great thread! I never saw it before, but I guess that's because it was from before I found MWO.

I'm past 30 days (past 60 in fact) AF, and I do intend to stay that way. I appreciate straightforward, practical, and honest information. All the good intentions in the world are useless if one doesn't do the work. I for one want to be aware of the potential pitfalls that can apparently arise at any time in the journey. As well as I've done, just last week I was looking at the MWO hypnosis CDs (could finally afford to order them), was about to, saw there was another set called "total abstinence", said OK, that's the ones I want, then kind of mentally freaked out, said, maybe not..... what if I want to mod someday...... then I really freaked out with that thought. And I thought I was so committed, that scared me. The good news is, I went back to the site last night, looked at it, went to the ABS CDs, and ordered them with no qualms whatsoever.

Kate, from what I've seen of your posts (I've only seen your recent ones), I do not see you as too tough, but as a realist, and I find your posts helpful. One can be positive and encouraging, and still be practical and realistic. I try to be encouraging to other members, and helpful where I think I can.

Anyway, great thread, hope to see it kept alive.

Much love, all!

[Heavenly]

30 days and beyond

Feeling good today, went and bought my non-alcoholic lager !! Still enjoy the taste but manage to savour it without getting drunk and nasty ...... anyone else drink it, as I have mentioned it several times before and it works for me, but no-one else appears to drink the non-alcoholic wine, beer, lager etc

[LVT25]

30 days and beyond

Hey Heavenly. Once in awhile, i will have an O'Douls with tomato juice and some green olives. That satisfies my taste for beer--esp if I'm at a bar. I certainly don't ever feel the need to drink a 12 pack of them though, like I did the Bud light!

I'm happy to see this thread surface also. It was a great help to me early on. I read it from beginning to end!

[dancelot]

30 days and beyond

Hi, Heavenly -

I used to drink those non AL beers the last time I was AF for any length of time (for 10 months, and ending 8 years ago). I remember them being good with foods that go good with beer, like Mexican food or pizza. I'll keep that in mind next summer, when beer is so good when it's so hot here. Yuck, I'm salivating..... ugh! Maybe I should stick to iced tea. Oh well. Know thy triggers!

[startingover]

30 days and beyond

I must admit, I am too afraid to try non alcoholic drinks. I would be worried that it will set up a craving situation.

[dancelot]

30 days and beyond

startingover;735336 wrote: I must admit, I am too afraid to try non alcoholic drinks. I would be worried that it will set up a craving situation.

After I wrote that, I thought the same thing. Something that tastes to much like something you want to avoid probably isn't a good idea. Tea for me!

[Heavenly]

30 days and beyond

Great replies, I used to think that too and stuck to tea the first few days .... but I found the non-alcoholic stuff satisfed my taste buds without making me crave the ''real deal'' - in other words it fooled my brain (and that's very easily done !!) ..... thanks everyone .... anyone else??

[startingover]

30 days and beyond

Last night I watched a programme (Horizon UK) about how much we drink and what it does to our brain. They were experimenting to see exactly the reactions alcohol had on the senses. Alcohol is an amazing drug because its affects are so far reaching. It mimics a narcotic, stimulant, serotonin boost and a tranquiliser no wonder we like it so much. I found myself wanting that buzz. I havent felt like that for ages. Luckily it didnt last too long. But even after over a year of happy sobriety, it surprised me how my feelings could change in an instant.

[MissDoodleBug]

30 days and beyond

I like the dealcoholized wine, especially the Ariel brand, because it is not sweet. It is made by J.Lohr wineries and they sell it online to all states, just Google "Ariel wine." The Ariel champagne is fantastic, it has even won awards against real champagne. I also like O'Doul's after a day in the garden or by the pool.

I was really worried at first to try the dealcoholized wine and beer, but about 8 months into AF, I gave it a try and was happy to find they don't trigger cravings for me. It's a nice treat for me to be able to have a "merlot" in a nice wine glass, if that makes any sense? : )

Love, Doodlebug

AF since December 15, 2008
SF since July, 2007

[startingover]

30 days and beyond

You are tempting me to give them a try Miss D!
Maybe I will

[dancelot]

30 days and beyond

MissDoodleBug, You're tempting me, too! I'll maybe wait a few more months - though right now I do substitute grapes with cheese and crackers, and it's pretty pleasant, doesn't make me crave wine, but the flavor fills in that missing link. I did love the taste of wine with certain foods, it's just I kept on going (though I find I do that with tea or whatever flavored water I keep nearby now, so to some degree it was habitual or ritual or whatever).

The good thing is, it's unlikely I'll want to try the non AL beer until it gets a lot hotter again - by then it will hopefully be less of an issue.

Thanks again for restarting this thread - you guys that have been at this longer have a unique perspective, and I find that very helpful (as well as hopeful). :h

[Heavenly]

30 days and beyond

MissDoodleBug;735648 wrote: I like the dealcoholized wine, especially the Ariel brand, because it is not sweet. It is made by J.Lohr wineries and they sell it online to all states, just Google "Ariel wine." The Ariel champagne is fantastic, it has even won awards against real champagne. I also like O'Doul's after a day in the garden or by the pool.

I was really worried at first to try the dealcoholized wine and beer, but about 8 months into AF, I gave it a try and was happy to find they don't trigger cravings for me. It's a nice treat for me to be able to have a "merlot" in a nice wine glass, if that makes any sense? : )

Love, Doodlebug

AF since December 15, 2008
SF since July, 2007

Thats great thanks... I am going to buy the champagne one because I have foregone our family tradition of drinking champagne on New Years Eve ..... brilliant ...... :thanks: