July Jamboree - week 1

[rebirth]

July Jamboree - week 1

Hi dill
Yes my partner drinks but he can take it or leave it. It use to annoy me that he could do that because once I drink, I drink! I don’t get the “just one glass” attitude. Mine is “just the whole bar plus spares incase I run out”. Jeez that stuff use to dictate my life!

He know about this forum because he sees me on it everyday. To be honest my man is a bit insecure so I am guessing he is thinking that I am having an affair with someone, even though I have told him it’s a support forum.
He has to learn to trust me dill. When I attended AA meetings he use to think I was meeting some guy in a church for a couple of hours. Then on the flip side he use to scream at me to stop drinking. Men!!
I love him to death though and he is very supportive. Yesterday he said that I have changed for the better. He says I am much happier, more silly, joke about more. Said my face use to crack mirrors before. Guess he is right!

Rusty. gonna have a look at your story.

[rebirth]

July Jamboree - week 1

Hey rusty. I am a bit slow today...trying to find your story. Which thread is it? What page? oh I must get on with some work..

[Rusty]

July Jamboree - week 1

Hi Rebirth,

I found it. I posted it in the Journey thru June-Week 3 Thread. The date was June 18, 2010. If you click on my name in the blue font, you can see all my previous posts so you can just go right to that one. BTW, my story is not very interesting. It's about as exciting as dryer lint and please don't operate heavy machinery while reading it!

[Lavande]

July Jamboree - week 1

Good morning Jammers,

Hot, Hot Hot! Going to 100 degrees today - ugh!!

Chill, hope you are OK. The visit from your friend & his rough departure sounded very bad. I agree, why would you want to drink again after witnessing that scenerio? Bless you for being such a dependable friend - he doesn't know how lucky he is.

Dill, you question about meds - none for me. I am so anti-medicine, always have been. I fight & argue every prescription that's handed to me & only take what is absolutely necessary (in my opinion). I believe the meds commonly used here are OK for some people in the beginning! If they are needed by some (for the shortest time possible) then they are needed. But, in the long run I really don't see any use for them. Sooner or later you have to change your thinking about AL & decide that you are better off without it! No one needs AL to live, they just want it! I took the leap & decided I don't want it any more.

Greetings to Rusty, Rustop, rebirth, LBH, cyn, Shelley, (Red)Star, Spud & everyone

Have a great AF Tuesday!
Lav

[rebirth]

July Jamboree - week 1

Hey rusty, every person's story on here is interesting to me! Even yours. But thanks for the warning about heavy machinery. Very considerate of you. ha ha.
Hi Lav. your avatar always cracks me up

[spedteach]

July Jamboree - week 1

Morning everybody,
Relaxing after a wonderful run. Running through historic neighborhoods, houses built in the 1870's. Left before the sun came up so I didn't swelter too much. Every time I"m bothered by the humidity I just think it's water in the air and as a desert rat I have to appreciate this. I'm just resigned to sweat a lot.

Red, I love to read your posts. I always feel so conversational when I see what you have to say. Re: my son. I don't understand how he can be such a slob with so few belongings! I am wishing you good luck in your efforts to stay sober.

Chill, what a nightmare of a story. It is distressing to see people "throw in the the towel". My younger sister did it 14 years ago, dead at 44 of cirrhosis. I think it happens more than we'd like to believe.

Rebirth, I love your posts. I do believe I've had that cracked mirror face myself.

Lav, Dill, I know you 2 are feeling this heat and humidity. I'm waiting for an email from Lilmea to see if we can hook up in Kokomo (love that name) for lunch.

As far as meds go, I do not care what medication I have to take as long as I don't drink. I have been on Antabuse for most of my sober time, with no untoward effects. Have not taken any lately. Guess I could drink today. Know that I won't though.

[Chillgirl]

July Jamboree - week 1

Lav - our temperatures are soaring here too!! its at least 90f today....verheated:

Im completely with you on the subject of meds, if at all possible I avoid taking anything and try to find a holistic route 1st. I agree that they can be an enormous help at the beginning but my fear is a dependancy can then develop for the drugs. My friend at the weekend had been taking baclofen for the last 3 years and while it did reduce his drinking for a spell it didnt last long term and now he drinks and takes the meds just because he cant bare withdrawals of any sort. He is also addicted to valium and pain killers and continually juggles feeling horrendously hungover with doping himself up to feel less pain. I know this is an extreme case but it fills me with horror and is the very worst example of how prescription medicine can be harmful.

Rebirth - I can imagine your other half thinking you are having an online affair! With the amount of times I check in here I would be accused of the same if I had a partner! Im so glad he is supportive and that you have told him about MWO. When Mario was last over here I met Mrs Mario and she has a great attitude to the amount of time he spends on here, she is just so happy its here and not in the bar!

Today I have been regrouping and trying to calm down after the upsetting events of the weekend. What kept coming to mind was all the wonderful things that wouldnt be so if I was still drinking. I wouldnt know all you great people! In the last 6 months I would have continued to damage my physical and mental health, my anxiety would have increased and I would have had increasing suicidal thoughts. Today I am happy and radiant, I feel fit and alive and I love my life so much....

While I was typing this I got a call from my friend, now sober, apoligizing profusely for the devastation of the weekend. He said if the boot was on the other foot he would never speak to me again and cant believe I forgive him, he no longer has any friends other than the fellow addicts he knows. He says he will now go into rehab and get the help he need. Im feeling very emotional now, I cant afford to believe him as he has lied so many times but somewhere deep inside of me I have this little ray of hope that maybe this weekend was his rock bottom and maybe he will really do it.....

[cyntree]

July Jamboree - week 1

Good morning, Jammers. Posting quickly now, will have a long day today so may not get back until late tonight. Chill - OMG on the whole situation with your friend. You clearly have won the gold medal for Olympian Friendship -- I'm glad to know that he appreciates the depth of your care for him last weekend.

LBH - thanks for posting the pic of Moses. Looks a little like he's trying to train the Koi to jump out of the pond? Living through the summer vicariously with your roses....

Take care all -

[rebirth]

July Jamboree - week 1

Chill.
That must have been difficult to witness. How stressful. I really dont know how I would react if one of my friends did that to me and on a constant basis.I really hope your friend wants to help himself.
A similar situation happened to me recently but my friend is in denial. She thinks she does not have a drink problem. We have naturally drifted apart and only meet up every now and then.
Only the other day she invited me to her birthday barbeque and was horrified to know that I had quit drinking. That night she got very drunk and made a total idiot of herself.
But what do you do chill? I have mentioned AA meetings to her in the hope that she would go to one with me. But I can't force her. I see her future and it does not look good..it's very frustrating for me but my sobriety is number one. I refuse any invites from her where drink is involved
I guess we move on?

[rebirth]

July Jamboree - week 1

Argghh and I ate CAKE today. Did not want to. Oh well there's tomorrow

[cyntree]

July Jamboree - week 1

OK - don't have time to post this, but feel i must, as it has been ringing around in my head since this morning.

I believe that there are a lots of different reasons and ways to be addicted alcohol, and a lot of ways to become free from the addiction. Whatever works brilliantly for one person may not work for another. I think the main thing is, keep on with the quest until you find the combination of efforts that produces the desired result - Healthy, hopefully happy, sobriety.

Though I go the natural route for nearly everything in my life, and am not a stranger to giving things up to feel better, or working with alternative medicine to heal (no wheat, no dairy, no preservatives, go to the acupuncturist, osteopath, etc), I have found that my sobriety work at this point requires something more. If I want to be on a healthy, happy sober path, 30 -40 mg of Baclofen gives me the space to breathe, reflect, build and stay positive. Without it....not so good. It is NOT a magic bullet; you must continually make the decision to stay AF, and MUST NOT drink while taking it (very dangerous). I don't know how long I'll use it, but I echo Sped - the important thing is not to drink.

I just didn't want others to feel that they are failing if they seek other kinds of assistance - I have been hammering out my sobriety over a period of years, and am proud to have tried many approaches, taking for myself things from each that are valuable. The thing is to keep at it - don't give up, don't give up, don't give up.

Thanks for listening -

[ladybirdheart]

July Jamboree - week 1

Thank you for sharing your experience, Cyn, it is true that we each have to find what helps us and we are all so different in our biological and social histories and natures. It looks as though we are all working on our physical health and emotional well being; it would be sad to be sober and stuck in miserable situations or with unhealthy habits in other areas. As long as we are sober, we at least have a chance of sprucing up the rest. I have a darn cold which has cemented my sinuses and is now spilling into my chest, and my short term goal is to not do what I did at the time of my last cold (January) which was cave after two months sobriety to a hot whiskey toddy. I was raised on toddies for illness, I think I had my first as a baby, and even though my last one was only an ounce or two of booze, I want to get through this time without it. My most recent drinks came the night I hurt my leg a month ago and it is true that I can be a real pussy when I am ill or in pain. Onward to new skills. Love, Ladybird.

[dill]

July Jamboree - week 1

Good evening friends! I am feeling grateful right now that there is no wine in the house. I shall be cogent right on through the evening. Thank you for your answers regarding meds. Food for thought for me.

For now, a nice bath and then a bowl of ice cream with fresh strawberries on top!

Bon reve rose! (for newcomers: That is a phrase introduced to the thread some months back by LBH. "Sweet pink dreams", Remind us LBH where it comes from.

[Stargazerlily]

July Jamboree - week 1

Hey everyone,
Just checking in this evening. Going out to dinner and I will be AF. Dill, thanks for sharing your story and Rusty, too. Lav, like you, I do not want to take the topamax, but the weight loss thing would be a bonus. So, I really am trying to not use meds. However, if I continue to fail, I will reconsider.

Work was mostly good, and I am so happy to be off for the day. Only a few more days till vacation and I am so looking forward to a trip. The hard part will be going back to work. You know, it's strange, I want to work, if I didn't I do not know how I would fill my time. So, I don't know why I complain. I guess I would prefer to work part time and be off by 1 or 2:00.

Chill, I love the affirmations, keep them coming. I am focusing on saying that I am joyous, happy and free, I am completely healthy, I love feeling good. I do not want to put the word alcohol into my brain, but to focus on other stuff. I am going to try a mocktail at dinner, like seltzer water with lime, lemon and orange or something. I am back on track as I am planning, planning, planning, the keep to success for me.

Rebirth, I don't think I've welcomed you but want you to know I appreciate your posts. You are a great addiciton on this thread. Keep the posts coming.

Today, I commit to being AF.

[marriedgirl29]

July Jamboree - week 1

Checking in at the last minute on Tuesday!

Hello July Jammers-

I am having a pretty good but exhausting day. I feel so much better being sober and am glad for everyone who is doing what they need to do to continue to stay sober today. I have 2 weeks sober today! Yay! At my AA meeting where I picked up my white chip today they gave me an imaginary two week chip, it was funny!