July Jamboree - week 1

[cyntree]

July Jamboree - week 1

Thank you Dill! I love having my own personal techie advisor - I will try the refresh trick and see if it works. In the meantime, while poking around I found the 'new posts' tab, which is a great to see what has been happening MWO-wide. Good deal.

Red/Star - Here's a virtual 'leg up' to get you back in the saddle. I struggled through May and June, but thank heavens have found a truly renewed sense of committment this month. I wish it for you too -

Happy Monday all, with love from the (not as scorchingly hot today, yeahhh!) desert.

[Stargazerlily]

July Jamboree - week 1

Early afternoon and I have alot accomplished already. I bought some more B complex vitamins and have been eating healthy today. I talked to a friend and told her "it's all or nothing for me." She did not like to hear it, but understood. She is able to stop at one or two. She gets sick, really sick, if she has too much, and is able to enjoy one or two drinks on special occasions. It was a relief to tell her, as we are going out to dinner tomorrow. I need her support, not, "just taste my drink," type of talk, that happened before.

I got out the MWO book and I'm reading it today. I forgot how she gets right to the point and clearly describes the agony she lived through. The interesting thing is RJ does not drink now, as I remember her posting that she is abstinent. So, the book is helpful and I am getting through this day. I will take the supplements, vitamins, CDs but not topamax. If I need to I will, but want to recommit and try without meds.

Health and AFness to all.

[Rusty]

July Jamboree - week 1

Hi Star,

I haven't posted in a while but I've been reading our thread nonetheless, I had a similar experience with a friend. Like you, I have a friend who rarely has more than 1 drink at home and he always waits until after 5 p.m. He's one of my best friends and since I've been battling my alcohol issue, I have been avoiding going out to dinner with him because he likes me to have a drink with him. He would always so, "oh come on, you can have just one." Well, yes, I can...I've proven I can have one or 2, depending on who I'm with, where I am, etc., but I told him, "Look, I want to be AF for good and I would really appreciate it if you didn't push me to have a drink with you, otherwise, I don't think we'll be able to go out to dinner anymore. I need your support and your positive reinforcement" I was really surprised when he said, OK, and I had club soda with a lemon, lime and an orange slice. It was really good and I was shocked when he said he would replace his nightly martini with my AF drink! .

I'm glad for both of us that we are getting through to our friends and remaining AF along the way!

I'll check back later....I'm off for a dip in the pool. No AL for me today!

[Rusty]

July Jamboree - week 1

Hi July Gang,

I just wanted to let you know I haven't fallen off the planet. I am on vacation at home right now and just recently identified spending too much time on the computer as one of the triggers for my drinking (99% of the time I'm on the computer for my job), so I have been trying to accomplish other things around my house, etc., and I am finding it very rewarding. All of you are very special to me and I will post before Saturday when I leave for my beach vacation with my family.

Love,

Rusty

[rebirth]

July Jamboree - week 1

ladybirdheart;902947 wrote: And welcome home Sooty, I have deeply missed you and your shining example of yes-you-too-can-survive-a-really-bad-ankle-injury-without-falling-into-a-vat-of-gin. Love, Ladybird.

Ha ha. That made me chuckle. Kind of excuse I would use to feel really sorry for myself and get seriously plastered! For a month! What a beautiful garden LBH ! I love your roses. Could you tell me which type is best for climbing up walls?

Rusttop61,dill, lavande, stargazer ..Again thanks everyone else I have missed for the lovely warm welcomes and little messages. Means alot to me. I love how we are all in this together in our various different stages, in different parts of the world. It feels comforting to know that every single one of you understands and supports my fight against alcohol addiction.
:l

[Chillgirl]

July Jamboree - week 1

Rusty - I too am still alive and kicking and will read and catch up on all posts tomorrow.

My alcoholic friend who was here visiting was so drunk he missed his flight home and I have spent the day trying to sort it out. He wrecked his hotel room and I was unconscious when the taxi arrived to pick him up, I just managed to avoid the police being involved. I had to babysit him for hours to make sure he didnt drink again before getting on the other flight I then booked him, he was suffering bad withdrawals and hyper ventilating, threatening suicide and allsorts. He has drug addictions as well as alcohol and has damaged his body so much his stomach is bleeding. I honestly thought he might not make it home alive. If ever I needed a reminder of why I never want to drink again this was truely it......

Ironically todays affirmation is "MY HEALTH IS RADIANT, VIBRANT AND DYNAMIC RIGHT NOW"

[Rusty]

July Jamboree - week 1

Hi Chill,

Great to hear from you as always! I have missed you. Gosh, I am so sorry you were stuck taking care of your friend....I know he was really grateful even if he couldn't express himself. I can empathize with you because before my alcohol problem got severe, I fell head over heels for one of my co-workers who turned out to be an active alcoholic and drug addict. He used to be SOOOO good-looking and when I saw him at our annual conference last year, he had the shakes, and the sparkle was no longer in his eyes. Weed and AL have turned him into the most negative, grumpy person that I no longer find him at all attractive. Yup, I know what you mean about the reminder as to why you don't want to drink again. He is my reminder, too. You know, Chill, he admitted to me that his liver is shot, that he's an alcoholic, but do you think he'll stop drinking? NO! If he lasts one more year, I'll be surprised. I was SO heartbroken when he broke up with me and now I absolutely know it was the best thing that could have happened to me.

Rebirth, hi there! I answered your post in the Newbies Nest or Just Starting Out Forum (can't remember which one)

To all my friends....Star, Lav, Dill, Rustop, Sped, Spuddle, Mr. G., I hope you're all well!
Sooty...welcome back! Can't wait to hear about your holiday.

Off to the grocery store!

Rusty

[ladybirdheart]

July Jamboree - week 1

Just time to focus on a couple of posts now. Redstar I am so glad that you are not giving up on working through this. As you know I have had trouble myself sustaining abstinence beyond a month a two; I have always felt rather flat in my commitment perhaps as I have felt neither the happy excitement nor the level of despair that others seem to feel in sobriety and drinking. I have left windows open where I knew I would give myself permission to drink, and I have taken myself up on it several times in the past year. I know I am afraid of making a forever commitment and failing, but I don?t know if that is all there is to it. Discovering who I am as a sober person is a start as I know who I was when I drank every night and had the anxiety to prove it. I appreciated what you said Cyn about how we use alcohol in an effort to tolerate things that are probably against our natures because we feel we should be able to manage them. When we peel away the alcohol and those circumstances that are inherently hard for us, who will we be? I certainly have felt calmer and more physically healthy and that may have to do until something else begins to grow in all the empty places. We all know the alternative is dreary at best or we wouldn?t be here. The stories of your friends who are losing their sweet lives are heartbreaking.

Dill, here is Moses and for those of you who were not here last fall I found Moses (who knew he was lost?) under a huge tangle of ivy and other vines that covered a corner of my garden. I placed him in a piece of river wood for his photo-op but normally he lives on my potting table. The fish pond after I pulled a big bag of broken plants and leaves away is still very sweet. Hi Shell (what culture shock), Lav, Sooty, Rusty, Rustop, Rebirth (I think all roses grow in the UK), Chill (thanks for the Photobucket tips, I hope you have not created a monster:H), et. al. Love, Ladybird.

[rebirth]

July Jamboree - week 1

Hi rusty
sorry if I didnt say hi. I cant remember when we "met" either. It gets a bit confusing where and when I have posted to a thread.Or who replied to me and when. I need to work out a system for myself.
x

[rebirth]

July Jamboree - week 1

Ha! Just found you rusty in the newbies nest.
Jeez. you could spent the whole day chatting on this site and not get anything done. My partner thinks I am having an affair with someone on the net. Well thats just tough on his part.
I need you guys.

[Rusty]

July Jamboree - week 1

Hi Rebirth,

We have not formally met, and my join date is November, 2006, but I actually didn't even lurk on MWO for over a year after that because there were some very drunken posters at that time and I was totally turned off so we probably missed each other along the way.

HAHAHAHA....yes, yes, yes, it was about a month ago that I literally spent my ENTIRE Saturday on MWO. I got nothing done...no work, no exercise, nada, but I had a good time conversing with my cyber-friends. I need this site. Trying to explain to my family what I did that day was a bit of a challenge. :H No one in my family uses internet chat rooms and communication except me!

Well if you're having an affair with someone at MWO, it's an anonymous one and you're having the affair with a bunch of men and women who are recovering.(heh, heh).

Well, off to the gym....have a great night!

Rusty

[rebirth]

July Jamboree - week 1

Rusty;903771 wrote: Hi Rebirth,


Well if you're having an affair with someone at MWO, it's an anonymous one and you're having the affair with a bunch of men and women who are recovering.(heh, heh).

Rusty

Ha Ha . I shall tell that one to my partner. Not sure how he will react. How long have you stopped drinking?
Have a lovely day everyone. Its 9am in the UK. The sun is out and I could climb a mountain today, roar like a lion. I feel that good!

NO MORE CAKE for me this week. I did three sit ups this morning so its a start. ha!

[dill]

July Jamboree - week 1

Good morning Rebirth, MWO is definitely addictive! Does your partner know about this forum? And, does he drink? My hb does not and that is a great help to me. If I don't buy al, there is none in the house. If it is in the house, I am compelled to drink it!
Red, I prefer AF and feel much better physically and emotionally when AF, and yet, like LBH, I have not been able to make a final decision that I will never ever drink. Lately I've been struggling and yesterday, I caved in and drank. I didn't get drunk, thankfully, but now I've opened that door and will have a harder time for the next few days to be AF. I am determined though, because I truly like AF better. It's so irritating that I continue after all this time to give in. But, I will recommit to long term AF with you!
LBH, Thanks for the photo of Moses! He is amazing. He looks like he is parting the waters! Don't let him get too close to your little pond, he may cause a ruckus!
I am curious if anyone takes any medications such as topa, naltrexone or baclofen. I tried antabuse but didn't stick with it. I still have it and may try it again.
Lav, Chill, MG, Sooty, Spuddle, Rustop, Cyn, and all who read and post, peace and strength to you!

[rustop61]

July Jamboree - week 1

Good morning everyone

Chill - you are one strong, brave lady. Love today's affirmation "My health is radiant, vibrant and dynamic right now". Thanks for posting it. Waking up AF, taking my supplements, doing my exercise, that's exactly how I feel right now.

Star, Dill, LBH - You three describe me to a tee. I read somewhere else on the site about leaving the door slightly ajar for Al and that you need to close it completely. Since joining MWO I have had long periods AF but have not achieved complete sobriety. There is a part of me still fighting that and I have to work on it. Last week-end while I was out and hubby was drinking, I kept reminding myself to be grateful and to enjoy the moment. I have to get in gratitude mode not deprevation mode. That's my challenge for the next while and there is so much to be grateful for when AF, I just have to keep reminding myself and also what it feels like to be hungover and ruining my health.

Rebirth - you sound so positive, keep posting and reading whatever gets you through this.

Lav, Rusty, Sooty, Cyn and anyone else I missed big hello.

Rustop

[Rusty]

July Jamboree - week 1

Hello July Gang,

Rebirth, I posted My Story in the June Journey thread about a month ago. Hopefully, your husband will see the positive change now that you've renewed your relationship with MWO. With the exception of 2 occasions where I had 1 or 2 glasses (truthfully) of wine with my mother, I have been AF for 31 days.

Like Dill, Rustop, and LBH, I have left that door to AL open as well, and like them, I struggle with it.

Dill, you asked if anyone here takes medications. Yes, I do. I take Naltrexone and BAC. Both help greatly with cravings and my 31 days AF is the longest I've gone in 3 3/4 years and I owe it to these meds so I can hopefully extend those AF days. I got my meds from River Pharmacy and Debbie, the Cust.Service Rep. there, has been AF for 5 years and she said she owes it to BAC. I take 30 mg. per day.

A big hello to Chill, Rustop, Star, Lav, Mr.G, Sped, and Spuddle. Have a great AF day!

The sun is shining and it's going to be a wonderful day!

Love,

Rusty