Back Reay to LIVE!!!

[Stari]

Hi. I just wanted to intro myself and thank you all for being here. It?ll be 2 years next month since I quit my 12 pack a day beer addiction. I tried the My Way Out program with you all and think it?s a wonderful tool for ppl trying to get sober. I only made it a month or two. But came away with some great tools for when I was finally REALLY ready to quit drinking, like focusing on nutrition and exercise.

The first year sober, I immersed myself in trying a home business. I ended up addicted to soda in debt, grins, but it was a HUGE life saver because it gave me something else to put my energies and thoughts into besides drinking.

The next year I quit the home biz and became addicted to online gaming. I found myself isolated, sedentary and out of shape. I wasn?t drinking, but I wasn?t living either. I felt so stuck. Like the only thing that changed was the fact I wasn?t drinking beer anymore. I stayed in my pajamas 24/7. It was kind of discouraging. My doc gave me antidepressants, but ironically, I wasn?t motivated enough to refill the script after the first month. It?s only been recently that I?m rediscovering how to LIVE again.

I?m intentionally switching my addictive behavior to walking, exercise and a healthy diet (NO processed foods). The walking forces me to get dressed everyday, the exercise and diet changes are improving my mood and energy level and I?m not gaming nearly as much. This is where I?m at right now. Any other suggestions for LIVING are welcome? I don?t wanna be just an abstainer one more minute. I?m ready to LIVE! :thanks:

[startingover]

Back Reay to LIVE!!!

Wow Stari, you are an inspiration! Well done!. Yes, as addicts it is very easy to swap one addiction for another...I am 45 and I am only JUST dealing with mine that have plagued me for years and years. You are doing so well, I need to improve my diet and up my exercise levels too. I think both of those are key to our well being. Thank you for posting

[Heavenly]

Back Reay to LIVE!!!

Thanks for coming back and posting your story, I hope you are going to join us on the 30 day and beyond thread ... You are an inspiration to others to not give up giving up addictions .....

[Stari]

Back Reay to LIVE!!!

Thanks for the welcome backs This forum is just amazing... You all are just amazing. I was just kinda reading thru and someone mentioned the first 3 years being the hardest? Something about 2nd yr being the "warrior" and the 3rd year being the "Sage"? Can anyone expound on this for me?

[startingover]

Back Reay to LIVE!!!

Stari, I havent got there yet, so I dont know...all i do know is that I am VERY glad I am sober now...

[KateH1]

Back Reay to LIVE!!!

Welcome back Stari and congratulations on two years without alcohol! Thank you for sharing your story with us...wow! I completely agree that there is a lot more to d this than just not drinking......Living is so important....Really Living....Great for you on your new addiction to health and fitness!! Yes...we would love to have you on the 30+ Thread!!

[Determinator]

Back Reay to LIVE!!!

Stari, what a magnificent journey you have been through. thanks so much for sharing here. it's true and sad that many people don't 'really live' their lives even in sobriety. I think the world is full of these semi-conscious folks and it's understandable as it's an easy trap to fall into.
i think we all need a 'bootcamp' once in a while. whether something big or small it needs to be a shakeup of our routine. something to jostle us into a different perspective. Camping is a good one, and I think that possibly the most therapeutic thing about camping is having to live without the damn "XXXX" that you forgot to bring! hahahaha. whatever XXXX may be. just learning to deal with things and be creative.
other fun little bootcamps are seminars, taking vocational college courses, facing fears, trying different exercises or sports, learning about different cultures, .....so many fun avenues.

[tylyr]

Back Reay to LIVE!!!

Hi everyone.
I've been on and off here for 2 years, and still in awe of you all who've cracked it. What has happened to Mike up north - he was such an inspiration when i started out? and Xtan - are they still OK> does anyone know. Looking for support

[Sunbeam]

Back Reay to LIVE!!!

Stari,
I do a lot of reading now. When I was drinking I mostly read magazines and paged through catalogs - couldn't focus long enough for the books. I also love to garden. Not just digging in the dirt, but spending time reading gardening books and magazines, presenting on various gardening topics at my local library. I don't know your interests, but this is the real me.

[bestlifeldms]

Back Reay to LIVE!!!

Congratulations Stari,

It sounds as though you have put yourself through some tough tests and have discovered the stregnth of your convictions! Good for you. Stay with us, and thanks for your inspiring story.

[hippie37]

Back Reay to LIVE!!!

Stari Please don't tell me you were playing World of Warcraft!!!lol

I can relate to so much of your story because I too have felt that I couldn't even get past the 4 month mark because I was not doing enough to feed my mind. I was still escaping through social networking sites, forums and, like you, gaming (mainly consoles). I still find myself reaching for a controller when I wake up at times but I know once I start playing I'll be there for hours and get nothing done and be totally unmotivated the rest of the day.

Biggest change in my life is attending N/A meetings and hooking up with fellow addicts during the day. Over the past 10 days I think I've only turned my console on once because I've got me arse out the door quick smart and ACTUALLY talked to people. I have to admit though these past 20 months trying to get sober I've never accepted the fact I could never drink again anyway. So like a typical addict I've looked for other outside influences to fill the gap.

Thanks for the post Stari

Love and Happiness
hippie
xx

[sunnydaz]

Back Reay to LIVE!!!

Stari...I can so relate what you mean about finding your life after quitting. I did the same thing....I couldn't seem to move on to a different life...the only thing different is that I wasn't drinking. It was really hard to pull away from that same old routine. And eventually I just went completely back to where I was before(drinking) My goal this time...to shed the fear and live a little more each day.
Good Luck on your new life

Sunnydaz

[Stari]

Back Reay to LIVE!!!

Hi again long term abbers. It's been 5 months since I posted here. Thanks for all your nice welcomes and replies. I still read here quite a bit but seldom post. But I need to talk to you all again. I'm still NOT drinking. It's been over 2 years now since my last drink. But, I fell off my excersize and eating healthy regime. I went back to isolating, gaming online all the time, not getting dressed, fighting depression, etc. Sigh... I just dunno why I can't MAKE myself get addicted to being healthy. Seems like I get addicted to everything else. grrrrrrs. It feels so defeating.

Anyway, I finally went to another doc who perscribed a different antidepresant, hormones, vitamins and believe it or not, Naltrexone. He said the Naltrexone would make it so that I didn't even want to game anymore. I spent the first week sick in the bed from the meds since I went from taking no meds to taking five. I'm just starting my third week on the new meds now. I haven't noticed much difference in my depression. I know that'll take some time. But I have noticed that the Naltroxone seems to be working. I'm hardly gaming at all.

I have so many questions and I don't know a better group to ask than you all. Do any of you have similar stuff going on w/you? I don't know if my addictions are part of this desease of alcoholism or if alcoholism is a part of a mental illness of having an addictive personality. And then the depression... OUCH. I have FORCED myself to get dressed 3 days this past week. I guess that's progress. I'm just so discouraged. I mean, I STOPPED DRINKING over 2 years ago already! What the hell is WRONG with me?