AF Daily - Saturday - June 13

[dill]

From the Daily Recovery Readings:

...we have to reeducate our minds. We have to learn to
think differently. We have to take a long view of drinking
instead of a short view. We have to look through the glass
to what lies beyond it. We have to look through the night
before to the morning after. No matter how good liquor looks
from the short view, we must realize that in the long run it
is poison to us. Have I learned to look through the bottle
to the better life that lies ahead?

This is a timely message for me. I have been realizing lately that I need to work harder at retraining my brain. I went to the library yesterday and got Spirituality for Dummies and Ekhart Tolle's Practicing the Power of Now thanks to suggestions made here. Thank you for the suggestions. I am sorry to say, I can't recall right now who specifically to thank without going back through old threads. I hope you will forgive the lapse.

It's a lovely, cool, overcast morning. One can enjoy these things when one is not hungover!! Have a great Saturday, everyone!

[rustop61]

AF Daily - Saturday - June 13

Hi Dill and all to come

Another beautiful and busy morning here. It seems to be all go, go, go at the moment.

Dill, I have not told anyone about MWO. Most people I know would be shocked to realise that I have a drinking problem. Never drink during the day, highly functional, moderate successfully socially and when drinking with hubby. However, and its a big HOWEVER, when I drink alone its as if I have no off switch!! There is a part of me that every so often just wants to escape? Probably as a result of a disfunctional childhood. That's why its easier to keep Al out of the picture entirely than have him lurking, being part of my life.

Hope everyone has a great week-end.

Rustop

[AAthlete]

AF Daily - Saturday - June 13

Morning all and happy Saturday. Dill, thanks for getting us started on what is a rainy weekend here in Chicago!

It took me a long, long time to realize that a successful and quality sobriety had less to do with stopping drinking then it did with retraining my thinking. It was my constant negative thinking, my negative outlook upon life, that I wanted to escape from through my drinking right? Once I could accept my lot in life I didn't feel such a strong need to self-medicate to feel better.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

[retteacher]

AF Daily - Saturday - June 13

Rustop: I could have written your post. I too was highly functional...in fact, overfunctional. For me, drinking in excess alone was destroying my soul. The secrecy was the worst part of it all. I did have a few public disasters including one in Feb. that led to my joining AA. I see now that it was a gift in disguise.

Dill: I loved the reading you quoted. Looking beyond the immediate relief of drinking is not easy after developing the habit of drinking to relieve any & all uncomfortable feelings & situations.

Mary

[Lavande]

AF Daily - Saturday - June 13

Good morning one and all!

Looking at another overcast day here, rain to come later. Can't remember the last time we had a dry day here, weather wise...............

Thank you for posting that quote Dill. It really does explain what has been going on in my own head.
Changing your thinking is incredibily difficult but absolutely necessary to attain success. I know that now and spend a good deal of time each day focused on my thinking. This is not a topic that I can bring up with family or friends. I am so glad to have the MWO community behind me for the support I need to keep moving forward.

Wishing everyone peace and a wonderful weekend

[dill]

AF Daily - Saturday - June 13

Rusty and Mary, I must be at the midpoint between the two of you. Only my husband knows at this point. You both speak for me, as I was definitely "progressing". No, that's not right! Alcohol's hold over me was progressing. I was slowly deteriorating!

[hiddengoal]

AF Daily - Saturday - June 13

Good Morning AF Corner of the World

Dill, what a great reading to remind us that our thinking is playing a big role. And its hard to re-train the brain, if its sloshed all the time

The trouble is BEHIND the alcohol, as much as in it. That means that the work to Freedom is about what took us down that trouble road. I know, for me, it was all my hurts and dysfunctions that drove together to the Wine store. At least I don't believe some virus just attacked me.

Rustop, Mary, ditto. Escape, or Avoidance, however you call it. Who wants to feel the hurts and disappointments anyway. Makes perfect sense to me that if we are unable to process those feelings, that wine, or vodka, might have their way.

Like AA said, once we accept our life, we can start to handle it. This might require some changes, but the acceptance comes first. And I think Sobriety might be necessary for acceptance.

So, here we go, we have made HUGE realizations! We are very lucky to be where we are and have the wisdom to re-train the brain toward positive thinking. Now, its freedom and clarity that will keep that car headed down a happier road.

On to the weekend and all good things that come.

[greeneyes]

AF Daily - Saturday - June 13

Morning abbers!

Marshy said something along the lines of "quitting drinking is more than being in the same situations without a drink in your hand thinking "I wish I had a drink in my hand". " Spot on.

It finally didn't rain yesterday evening so we went to the barking lot. It was busy and there were several "new" doggies. Right as we were leaving and new doggie came in and there was lots of sniffing and frisking around and they all ended up crowded around MY legs while I was sitting on the picnic bench putting on little doggies seat belt leash. You know where this is going right? Frickin' dog fight in my lap! Nobody was hurt. Bit unnerving to see gnashing teeth inches from you. Other than that (Mrs. Lincoln) it was the usual hanging about and laughing. There was a sprinkler and the dog antics with it were absolutely hilarious.

I'm going with a GF to a benefit party (but I think it's a dance) for a doggie rescue place tonight. Haven't decided if little doggie will go or not. They said it was a shag party. Now, shag has different meanings. For those of you that don't know, "the shag" is a southern dance prominent at the beach. I don't really shag. (OK, I'm dying laughing here) I just fake it :H:H:H. Anyway I figure little doggie would be a good excuse to not have to shag.

So, living the good AF life here. Yard chores becon.

[LilBit]

AF Daily - Saturday - June 13

I agree with Hidden that sobriety might be necessary for acceptance for many of us. How can one accept anything if it's glossed over with denial and dimmed with a constant buzz?

Greenie, you really should allow yourself to go and shag to your heart's content! :H:H:H How long has it been since you shagged? (Sorry, it was too much for my sophomoric mind to let pass unscathed.)

[Accountable for Me]

AF Daily - Saturday - June 13

Good morning!

Lots of great stuff being discussed here, today. Alcohol is so overrated, isn't it?

Well, I am heading out of town for the day. Need to get into the car and just drive up island and browse around whatever markets I stop at. It is beautiful out there and I am feel like gettin' outta town! Little AFM is excited. She will probably sleep at some point in the car, and that always makes for a happier Little AFM and for myself!

My doctor has me on 500mgs of Antabuse for 30 days. I read through the 42 pages on the Antabuse thread and am questioning why he has me on such a high dosage for 30 days. Well yesterday was day 5 on the 500mgs and I started to become extremely tired (very unusual for me to be that tired ALL day), started to get a stomach ache and headaches. These were coming on over the last couple of days - so I am thinking 500mgs is overkill. I see him on Tuesday, so I will discuss with him. Today, until then, I will only take one capsule at 250mgs. I had no problems on 250mgs in the past. (This is a new doctor for me so I guess he figured 500mgs would suffice?)

Anyway, off to shower! Weeeeeeee haaaaaaaaa I am so excited to get in the car and just drive!

Ciao, abbers! xoxo

[ready2change]

AF Daily - Saturday - June 13

Dill,

I went to the library yesterday and got Spirituality for Dummies and Ekhart Tolle's Practicing the Power of Now thanks to suggestions made here. Thank you for the suggestions. I am sorry to say, I can't recall right now who specifically to thank without going back through old threads. I hope you will forgive the lapse

No thanks required, but I might have been the one espousing "Spirituality for Dummies" on the AA thread. I love this book...I have come to the realization that without "finding" my spiritual side, I will probably not be successful in my sobriety, or at least maintaining it. I truly believe I must find serenity before I can find absolute sobriety. This is the simple version. I'm sure there is a much more complictated one buried down inside me somewhere, but it's not ready to surface just yet. Hope you enjoy the book, it is a great starting point.

R2C