Stinkin' Thinkin'

[retteacher]

Stinkin' Thinkin' is an AA term. I'm not sure what their interpretation of it is, but mine is that I have to watch my thoughts. Any romantic fantasies of me in a cocktail dress sipping demurely from a champagne flute are stinkin' thinkin.' That just isn't me at all. I'm more the guzzling from a bottle stashed in my kitchen cabinet. Another of my stinkin' thinkin' is that wonderful shot of vodka erasing any & all my problems & stress. For me, that shot of vodka only causes the problems & stress.

I've been really watching my thinking & sending myself different messages. "Drinking is not an option" is something I say to myself throughout the day. "Drinking does not solve anything" is another good one for me.

I thought I'd share those thoughts w/all of you. Any other strategies or mantras would be greatly appreciated. Love, Mary

[wonderworld]

Stinkin' Thinkin'

Such good stuff Mary!! Thanks for brining it up. My stinkin' thinkin' lately is "oh, I'll just drink a few tonight. It would feel so good to get a little buzzed. It's not THAT big a deal. I won't overdo it. and then just start over tomorrow!".

ha! is all I can say. sneaky, sneaky, sneaky bugger. blah!!!

love wonder xoxox

[BabyGirl]

Stinkin' Thinkin'

This is a good subject -- I have struggled as I have just started and I don't think I was prepared for what I was about to experience... negative THINKING is the hardest part for me to overcome! I can alos rationalize any situation ... so Mary, "drinking is not an option is good" "If I persist I will succeed" is something I have said to myself...

[retteacher]

Stinkin' Thinkin'

BG: I like "If I persist I will succeed." I'm a retired teacher, & I used to tell the kids that effort, especially persistent effort is everything. Thanks for that mantra...I'll try it. I really think that what we say to ourselves is very important. Mary

[Chief]

Stinkin' Thinkin'

Rule#1: Don't drink.

Rule#2: See Rule#1.

[karma7171]

Stinkin' Thinkin'

thinking

This post evoked a lot of emotion from me...because it directly targets what I have been thinking now and for years. On Friday I headed to the bookstore for a book I wanted for work and this book literally jumped off the shelf at me. I even put it back 5x because the last thing I felt I needed to read was one more book on addiction...I have read them all. But something persisted...I bought it...and have yet to put it down. It is called "The Alcoholism and Addciction Cure"....it was put together by the founders of Passages Rehab in CA...and they do not subscribe to the AA mantra. It is the first book that vocalized what I have felt over the years. I have been AF for 9 months 2x and both times went back out. Why? Was life better? Freaking yes! But what I always suspected was that I never really dealt with the "why" I drank...even though I thought I had. I think that Challenge Day and this combined have brought me to the spot that I now understand..."I will do whatever it takes"...they say that in AA and for them it basically means I will just finally believe whatever you say to get me over this...in the long run that doesn't work....not for me or 95% of the people who walk through the doors. I agree 100% with the authors that in its day AA was great and it lead to society not giving up on us entirely. But today having to endure a Lindsy Lohan story from my family and how to cure her..was enough for me to realize they don't understand and never will. No use really in trying. AA was a great forward program that I know Bill W. was big time into the niacin studies when he died...but when he died all forward thinking stopped. I could go on forever....but this book was the first one to address the real issues of stopping and staying stopped. Alcohol is not our problem...which AA will even say...it is the"why" we drink that is...that is different for everyone.

I am in the process of seeing the people they reccomend that all made sense to me when they detailed it. I doubt that I will bring up alcohol because of the mindset in the US...but I will start with what I think are the underlaying problems that cause me to drink and go from there. It starts with a medical doc....goes to Chinese Medicine (which I found fascinating even though I have looked int this before they really outlined how it can work)...but none of it can work alone.

I can not detail the book...but it is one worth looking into if you are serious about long term AF. I was serious before....thought I could do it...esp. at 8 momths AF...now I realize I may been able to do it...but without addressing the real issues...it was going to be a long road...which I ultimately did not make. Now I am setting up beyond my medical doctor is a TCM, and pyscholigist and other team members that I need in order to REALLY heal. Alcohol is not my issue and just getting rid of it doesn't get rid of the real issue...I have learned that the hard way.

If achohol was the the real issue I suspect all of us would have gotten rid of it long ago. I am in and out of the board...but that is only because I know that I have other things to deal with before I can be successful here.

Karma

[retteacher]

Stinkin' Thinkin'

Chief: There's a saying in AA: "Don't drink, even if your ass falls off!" I guess that about sums it up. There are no good reasons to drink. It only makes me preoccupied w/guilt & shame. Mary

[trixietrack]

Stinkin' Thinkin'

stinkin thinkin I like that.
I used to tell myself that I shouldn't eat before going out for drinks, thinking that if my stomach was empty, I would stop at one drink.
boy was that a stupid idea. I ended up drinking 5 or 6 anyway and feeling totally out of control. and ended up malnourished
duh!
Trx