100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

[3June2013]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

64, Ava, Pav welcome! Good to see you all here! Pav in a couple of posts you are called a "senior" poster too. I was so excited when that happened to me!

K9 I don't know what happened, I've not been online a lot. But I'm really glad that instead of going on a tear you decided you don't like it any more! That's fabulous!

[skullbabyland]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

Hey it's my 'virtual morning coffee' buddy Pav! A yoga badass with 100+ days, so happy for you my friend

K9, I'm glad to hear you're jumping right back up after a stumble... glad you're here!

[Byrdlady]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

We have lots of new members here! It's great to see! Isn't it miracle how the struggle from one day to the next is finally at bay...and it gets better still! I thought that nagging and gnawing would never go away....if it stayed as hard as it was, no one could do this! I'm so proud of all of you for this HUGE accomplishment! B

[Lavande]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

Welcome Pav!
But who are you calling Senior citizens? :H
I know I'm getting as old as dirt but I'm in denial :H

[Pavati]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

Thanks for the welcome!

As for dreams, I have had three drinking dreams and the FEAR I felt in all of them was not "I've ruined everything," but, "how in the world will I tell everyone at MWO." That to me shows the power of community and why staying in touch here is important.

Eh? What's that, sonny? Can't hear you, K9?

[Sunbeam]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

Hey, I'm as old as Lav, though I will never catch up with her posts.

[Lavande]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

I just talk a lot Sunbeam & no one can stop me :H:H

[Byrdlady]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

Pavati;1637334 wrote: Thanks for the welcome!

As for dreams, I have had three drinking dreams and the FEAR I felt in all of them was not "I've ruined everything," but, "how in the world will I tell everyone at MWO." That to me shows the power of community and why staying in touch here is important.

Eh? What's that, sonny? Can't hear you, K9?

I think the Cosmos inserts these dreams just to keep us on the straight and narrow. They are really horrifying, aren't they?! MWO IS strong when used! It is the best tool in the drawer.

I have wrestled over the years with "How do you help someone SEE what this is doing to them?" I have personally talked until I'm blue in the face, but until that person is ready there's just no making them see. I encourage folks to use this site as a "Before and After"....all you have to do is follow someone over time and you can see what happens when AL is continued or reintroduced. It is frustrating to me and I'm an alkie and I'VE BEEN THERE! So I can only imagine what our families think. For us, AL is off limits, it's just one of those things....it's like the peanut allergy people, what do you think would happen to them if they start eating peanuts again? It's suicide!

Ok, enough of that. Sunshine today but COLD...seems we just can't have it all in the same day! Hugs to all! xo, Byrdie

[TJAF]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

K9Lover;1637133 wrote: Thank you all...I will stick around! I am thankful that my indiscretion was ONE day...could have been much, much worse. The good thing is that I realized RIGHT AWAY that I didn't want to do that anymore. All of the allure was gone....and good riddance!!!

Welcome Pav!!! You're now a Senior Citizen so pull up your walker and turn up your hearing aids! :gramps:

Good news K9 You have been a big help and your input here is as important as anywhere else on this site... BTW when's the new avatar coming on line...didn't you get your hair cut the other day.

[sunshine_gg]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

Yikes.

You guys jinxed me, methinks. I was lurking here yesterday and all that talk of drinking dreams launched me right into one. I was VERY relieved to find it was only a dream. Whew.

Niners, not sure what went on with you.. but :l
Glad you're still here.

[Lavande]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

K9 is OK Sunni - we beat the crap out of her - just kidding :H :H

The drinking dreams pop up at the weirdest times - when you're not expecting them!
Yes, they are unsettling but I think they serve a purpose........

[Pavati]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

I find contemplating long term sobriety a paradox of sorts. On the one hand we KNOW that staying connected to a sober community and working at staying sober is key, and on the other hand, part of the good feeling of being sober is not always thinking about alcohol. I guess it will be a balance - would love to hear what some of you long timers say/think about this?

Happy sober Saturday.

[Sunbeam]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

Not thinking about alcohol works great, for awhile. Then suddenly you do think about it and you WANT it. It is better for me to keep alcohol in front of me, and continue repeating the thought that I DON'T want it.

[Byrdlady]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

Interesting question, Pav.
You wont believe this, but I have an opinion :H

I cant tell you the number of times that I have seen folks come in, get sober and then declare they have this and go along their way. I pay attention to these things....why? Because I felt like some sort of freak staying here and continuing to talk about it. Can't I just get on with my life like a normal person? I know better than to drink, Im tired of thinking about it...I just want to move on. i just want to get on with it.

The problem is, we are addicts. As such, we are NOT normal. Add that to the fact that AL is legal, socially accepted and encouraged by ALL! TV, friends, and family are constantly bombarding with reasons to drink again. Daily....hourly, if you watch tv, all of these things are hitting our radar. They are telling us to do what we are trying our best NOT to do.

So when an addict goes out into the real world we are tested daily. Unless our message is reinforced, relapse is probably going to happen. I have seen it play out on here 1000 times. Sure, there is the occasional exception, but those odds are just not something Im willing to chance. Far brighter and stronger folks than I have succumbed to relapse. Checking in here each and every day is a small price to pay for my freedom. AL is out there all over the place, we are going to think about it, it may as well be in terms of how to help others.

I think its like anything else. When you are taking piano lessons, you practice. When you stop taking the lessons, your practicing becomes less and less until it is nonexistent. I dont want to be a statistic. Im going to keep at it.

Besides, I just do what Lav does, and she checks in every day. If its good enough for her, its good enough for me! Thats just my 2 cents! Byrdie

[skullbabyland]

100 Day Club members/Maintenance Thread

Great thoughts, Byrdie-- I appreciate that perspective and I really relate to it. I've recently noticed not-so-subtle drinking thoughts creeping back in... I think you're right, that regular re-inforcement is really important to keep on track. Thanks for the great conversation.