June Mod Squad

[Eve11]

June Mod Squad

-143
You rock and so does the Mod squad team that we have here. Good for you! You make me feel inspired. What a great story to start my day.

No AL last night for me so I am quite pleased with my success this week. May stay home and share a bottle with DH tonight. Have a funny movie to watch. Love comedy, laughter IS the best medicine.

Have a great day friends.

:l
Eve11

[-143]

June Mod Squad

I agree.... think we'll watch something funny too. I can see the sun!!!! And it's lookin good!!!

[-143]

June Mod Squad

My phone will probably be off til Friday.... but I'm ok! Hope everyone has a moderate week! Love ya!

[Stewarts]

June Mod Squad

-143, you see it got better...I'm so happy to hear that, and so happy we were able to help you, emotionally and with support.

Guapo, yes there are hypnosis therapist in NYC, they're actually quite expensive. I gave this one a shot, who I guess is a minor celebrity, and her being a smoke show, actually that was a negative at first, I thought I'd feel weird opening up to a young, very attractive woman, that vulnerability for a guy can be...much...as you know.

Anyway, I listened to a hypo recording from someone else, and quickly saw how it could be beneficial....I told her I'd give her a shot over Skype...not only is it much more affordable, it does F'n work! I actually want to start a separate thread about this...

j.

[guapo]

June Mod Squad

What is the Real Cost ?

I tried an online "program" of hypnosis first (listen on phone, computer, etc) , which helped a lot. Then found a local therapist for $100/hr which took it to the next level. 2 sessions with him was all I really needed.

Total cost = 2 weeks of previous wine purchase expenses!!!

[Eve11]

June Mod Squad

Hi to all,
My birthday week so will have a glass tonight and probably 2 tomorrow at my birthday dinner. Had a touch of a "wild" week-end with having 3 each night, but not out of crazy control - 7 total for the week, within my goals for sure.

Have a good week all. Have a friend who got into the hypnotherapy business and her clients are raving about results so I think it's certainly worth a try. Good luck with what you find guys.

Hugs to all - and happy birthday to me (tomorrow!)

:l
Eve11

[nonamegirl]

June Mod Squad

Hi, Everyone,
I wanted to check in to let you know I am still among the living. I have read all the posts, and want to let you know that:
-143, I am so sorry for your problems, and will send thoughts for lots of sun and good happenings coming your way;
Eve, HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hurray! No one deserves a lovely birthday more than you. Tell us what the comedy was you watched. I need a good flick.
Stewarts, I am so impressed and humbled by your input to -143. You are, as I have always said, a wonderful guy, and some girl is going to be so lucky to have you.
Guapo, again, I look forward to getting to know you better. Keep posting!
Emmy, oh, I miss you.
TMH, miss you, too.

I think I need to be home more so I can read more and post more and be more in touch with my friends. I miss all of you!

I am doing well. Moderating well for the most part, af nights often, getting lots of work done at both places. I am happy in my heart and in my mind. All is well, here.

[Stewarts]

June Mod Squad

I've been busy, but will post more later...I think I found the mod medium yet again... more later

[guapo]

June Mod Squad

Moderation versus abstinence

Just for fun, I went and read the April forum, about the argument over drinking moderately, or in other words , SANELY, and abstinence.

Here's my take on it. It was suggested to me, that to get my out-of-control alcohol use under control, I should immediately go to a semi inpatient program, become immediately abstinent, and fix everything with intensive counseling and 90 straight days of meetings etc. etc. etc.

WTF !!I After I came to grips with that I thought to myself, isn't there something else I can do?

Well yes, there is, it's called moderation, and it's called using your head, and deciding whether or not you want to drink reasonably, or if that doesn't seem to work maybe don't drink at all or very slightly.

Anyway, I attended an AA meeting out of town just to see what it was like, and I had this notion maybe I might chat with the group about my ideas of moderation. I was not seeing myself at all in the AA model.

WOW, that may have been one of my worst ideas ever, I'm glad I didn't, especially after getting on this forum and reading and getting a pretty good understanding of how people feel.
It appears that well over 90% of people choose abstinence over moderation, but I think as long as each person can decide for themselves what is best, it's nice to have the option.

I still think, that our society is mired in the notion of drinking as a disease, and that we are powerless, etc.

Unfortunately for me, I'm powerful in other aspects of my life, and I just simply don't know how I would deal with that unless I was the one in control. So that is what I chose to do.

I'll bet Stewart will respond to this, and hi to all my other moderating friends in this thread. No-name girl, I like your posts as well.

[Stewarts]

June Mod Squad

Well Guapo, you read my mind, yes I will respond. I know people in AA and their issues are completely different.

I actually drank the last three days, but modded perfectly, and I will tell you why I drank the last three days...all had to do with hockey. Monday, Rangers game went out with some boys. Normally, I would stay in to avoid any interaction with people and booze. since, the hypnosis thing (it's more than just that), I want to be my social self again. I'll keep it quick, through the whole game, time we were there, 2 beers, actually, it was more like 1 1/2, 3/4 maybe. Tuesday, I had one of my own hockey games - due to dehydration, your mind can trick yourself into drinking more, or that you need more, again, 2 beers, actually less, I didn't finish one of them. Last night, Rangers game, went for a five mile run in Central Park, went to the tap room of my club, again, drank no AL while at the club! This I find the most amazing because all these old school, stuffy, city country clubs are booze havens! I met some friends of mine uptown to watch the rest of the game, again, through two whole periods, only 2 beers.

I felt no need to drink anymore than that. If it wasn't for the fact I was meeting people, I probably would've had nothing. I've been feeling real good. I think one of the reasons I was losing graps of modding was due to other reasons I felt worthless and really didn't care. Not that I was getting drunk to the point of doing crazy stuff, more wallowing in my own self-pity and not doing the other things that I love. No reason to get into why, some of you know.

For awhile there, I thought I was going to have to cancel my club membership, never go out, and got with abstinence, which I might one day, who knows. The hypo-therapist pointed out to me, well subtly, she made me think, "Is this what you really want? no AL.... no good glass of wine at dinner? no beer after a hockey game?" She was right. Guapo, as you know hypnosis only works if you commit to what your goal is. The hypno-therapist is merely a guide that helps, they are not miracle workers.

Smokers were a good example she gave me. She'll ask them, "Why do you want to quit smoking?" A common answer, "health reasons, for my family, kids," etc. she will then ask, do you really want to never smoke ever again, if she gets, "well, never again? not one, well, I mean I know I shouldn't, but I like it." She tells them she can't help them, and she can't. They don't want to quit.

To use guapo's wording, my out-of-control abuse, which I initially was going to say was to strong of words, but maybe not, I never wanted to do anything after those nights...work or otherwise, all I had to do with me, letting some evil, adulterous, lover from my past make me feel bad about myself and that I wasn't worth anything. When you feel you're not worth anything, it's very easy to say, "why the fu#$ not have another one? No one is going to want to go out with me, be with ,me etc." you then start discounting all the things that make you special, for me it would be something like this, "you ran six marathons!"...answer, "so, I didn't break my best time last time...I can't qualify for Boston (my best marathon time is 3:47:33, my last race was 3:50, these are not shabby times)..."you still play ice hockey..."....so, I'm older and slower (the fact the competition is in their early twenties doesn't come to mind). I can go on and on, but won't...

j.

[ToMyHealth]

June Mod Squad

Hey, happy belated birthday, Eve!
NNG, you sound so happy. Good for you.
Guapo, there is always abstaining if you feel the mod route isn't for you. Having said that, sounds like you've given it a lot of thought and working your plan.
Stewart's - c'mon those are extremely respectable marathon times. Even if it took you 5 hrs, you are out there, not one of the million spectators. Be proud. I loved NY marathon. Did it in '88 and '90. Liked those questions the therapist asked you about never drinking again. Those will be the same I will be pondering coming next month. Thanks for sharing all that.
Hi Emily and -143.
Need to run. Have a nice rest of day!
TMH

[nonamegirl]

June Mod Squad

Happy Monday, everyone!
It was a good weekend, here in Montana. Good, but chilly. I enjoyed the cold during our Saturday training walk - eight miles this time - and the cooler weather is really a blessing as it is keeping back what could have been a terrible flood year. After 15 years of drought, we had more than 200% of our usual snow pack in the mountains, and no one wanted it to melt all at once.

Saturday was af for me, but last night I had some wine. I am going to come right out and say this, knowing full well that many folks will laugh at me. It was for medicinal purposes. Another blinking migraine, and yes, wine helps the pain. Everything in moderation. The first glass was for the pain, the second glass was for me.

Any of you marathoners interested in doing something really crazy? I am looking at the Center of the Nation series. Five marathons (or halfs, for me), in five consecutive days, in five states. Walkers welcome (well, yeah, or I wouldn't be there, would I?) and there is no need for speed. Be kind of fun if we had a little group. You can do one or three or all five. It is in September. Google it, and let's chat.

[Emmy Lou]

June Mod Squad

Hello friends, yes I'm still around, just time poor as usual. I've had a very welcome week off, through most of which modding was very successful. I say most because I had one spectacularly unsuccessful night. We'd been invited to a very remote country house, supposedly to help set up a recording studio. The boyfriend was helping, I was just socialising. Our hosts cooked a beautiful roast and I brought two very good bottles of red to share, mainly because there would be some great French pates sent from Marseille. One if our hosts was a French musician who's Father sends such goodies for fear that he will starve! To cut a long story short I overindulged and wasted most of the next day on a very nasty hangover...argh!
I've been exceptionally good since of course. And I'm back at work this week.
I did do something very clever today though. I arranged two weeks off in September, between this and my next job..hurray! And I'm having heating installed this week! Well, it's only been 8 years without it!
I hope everyone is well, and I will try to keep up more this week,
Goodnight all
Take care,
X
Em

[Stewarts]

June Mod Squad

My modding has been outstanding lately. I think i'm still going up and down with my weight, a little, but everyone thinks I look good and slim...even when I know some of the people that saw me awhile ago, my weight was lower. I think the hypnosis is working....I think I'm starting to feel better about myself, even when I am feeling low. I was on a date Saturday where I might have indulged a little bit over the limit I set myself for the wine, but nothing terrible. I was in bed early and woke up fine. I was sad earlier during the day, Sunday, but it had nothing to do with AL, panic attacks, etc., I was just being oddly reminded of something that was making me blue, that's all.

Father's day at my cousin's was great, I got to play hockey with his 8 year old. I started feeling better also. I only had two beers, actually a beer and half, the first spilled pretty bad.

I had no urge for the third even.

Anyone believe in psychics? My sister is into this stuff and she finds, supposedly the real ones, who knows. Anyway, the one she goes to, that coincidentally lives near me is always talking to her about my grandmother speaking to her...mother's mother... apparently my grandmother talks about me and my mom to her a lot, but what tell us what she says....I'm not sure if I believe in this stuff, but it's oddly frustrating... LOL

j.

[guapo]

June Mod Squad

Hello all. Everything good here, has a 2 glasses of wine with dinner twice in a week, otherwise no imbibing. Sounds like good news for everybody all around.

NNG, no marathon thanks but just did adult swim at local pool. I will probably climb another Colorado 14er whenever I can get out there. Finding LOTS of projects finally getting completed at the home.