Weekly AA discussion - July 19 to July 25

[dancelot]

Weekly AA discussion - July 19 to July 25

Love the bracelet Rebirth!

Great posts everyone - I just dropped in - I'm actually going to get out of the house during daylight hours. Have a great weekend everyone!

[Cherbear]

Weekly AA discussion - July 19 to July 25

Hi DG and Rebirth, I would love to send pic of a quilt but I am very tech. challenged. I tried to upload a photo from my pictures file in my computer using the attachment feature on the advanced reply box but the upload failed (( Not sure how to do it???
Anyway. I also have noticed that I'm not thinking about alcohol as much yay!! I need to stay vigilent though because I have quit before for this long and remember thinking how great it was that the cravings were going away and then ( the cunning baffling alcohol thing) I took a drink again!!! But I didn't have AA then.

[rebirth]

Weekly AA discussion - July 19 to July 25

Morning all!
Cherbear- I went on photobucket.com and registered. You can then create an album and uplaod your pictures into that album. When using the attachment feature on MYO it will ask for the url address of the pphoto. You will find this next to each picutre that you upload in the album. I usually use copy and paste to make it faster. Hope that helps.

DG - I can see that this road to recovery will be alot of work and possibly for the rest of my life. I was reading up on your sobriety plan in the recent posts in the newbie section. It's something that I should have done yesterday. Alcohol is cunning as cherbear says. Just when you think you are okay, it pokes at you suddenly. Like last night..
My partner's dad called yesterday out of the blue and asked us to join him at an open air concert.Now the idea sounded lovely but I knew it would be picnic baskets full of homemade cocktails, wine, beer etc. I was already feeling tired and hungry so I warned my partner that I was feeling weak and could only do an hour. "No problem" he said. I thought it was a good compromise for the two of us?

I mentally prepared myself for an hour.I socialised with the family, declining the drinks etc...saying I couldnt drink cause I was driving, on detox etc. I was just about managing. But I was very aware of the drinks around me.Thery were glowing( never a good sign when they look like that).. Could really smell them and my alcoholic mind was trying to glamourize the drinking. I was struggling and should have left straight away. Then my partner says he is off to get a drink at the bar and disappears for another hour! That last hour was horrendous! His family were getting typsier, repeating themselves and constantly offering me a drink, not listening to me anymore. I was really struggling and getting angrier my with partner by the minute. I was starving, really tired and had no money. Didnt even have the car keys, no phone etc.

In the end I found him and we had another huge arguement on the way home. He doesnt understand how hard it is for me. Told me I was selfish and spoiling his fun. Well there was no reasoning with him anyway cause he had a few himself. But to be honest, I didnt care for his words as I was in a state of panic.All I cared about at that moment was that I needed to find my HP again and quick!!!

My saving grace was to pick up the phone and call AA. That phone call was an oasis of calm for me and it helped me restore my HP. Thank God. I locked myself in a room , just me and the phone...crying and panicked in the beginning and then laughing my head off at the end.

So now I know. I will have a contingency plan for those unexpected moments.I will definitely eat before going to a function and I will have an exit plan to leave early if it becomes unbearable ( whether my partner comes with me or not, whether he undertands or not, or whether anyone understands ). I dont see it as selfish at all. I see it as trying to make myself a better person in order to have a better realtionship with my partner, with my son and my family.

Have a wondersul AF sunday everyone. Its great to be sober. And thanks everyone for posting and helping me to stay sober. xxx

[cpn1004]

Weekly AA discussion - July 19 to July 25

Greetings AA fans, I'm on the road again. This time vacation or holiday with my wife in Chicago. We took the train from Texas, 23 hours together and no alcohol. In the past I would have constantly thought about how to consume 12 beers. Drinking really is such a hassle.

Hope y'all have a happy and af Sunday.

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA discussion - July 19 to July 25

Hello all! Phil, good to see you and I agree that drinking was really a hassle and waste of time in so many situations. Especially in the last several many years, I was constantly trying to figure out how to drink when I shouldn't, drink more than I let on, etc. etc. I'm sure glad today to have that energy for other better things! Have fun in Chicago! What are some things you will be doing? There is a lot to do here.

rebirth, I am so glad you didn't drink! It sounds like you learned a lot from that experience to improve your plans for next time. I'm glad that phone call helped you get your feet back on the ground. The fellowship is truly amazing. Non-addicts really can't understand what it is like for us. That is OK so long as the people close to us (i.e. BF) can ACCEPT that we have to go about things differently than they do when it comes to being in AL situations. I hope he accepts what you need him to in order to peacefully carry on. I really don't like being in big drinking situations like the one you describe and I'm very grateful I don't have to. It's just not the lifestyle I choose any more. It is pretty revealing to be around people once they are tipsy and see what a true obnoxious bore I used to be. (repeating myself, slurring, being loud, trying to be the center of attention, etc.)

Dance, did you ride yesterday?

Cher, when I post pics I do it the way rebith described with Photobucket. Would love to see your quilt! Good that your cravings and urges are subsiding! That is only dangerous if we take sobriety for granted I think. So long as we are humble about the gift of sobriety, then life without urges is a gift in return. I haven't had a real urge in a while now. It's wonderful!

I am glad I was able to get to AA meetings yesterday and today. It's just comforting to spend time with my friends and others JUST LIKE ME. I re-charge my battery and feel more ready for the world!

One of the guys who is a regular in one of my home groups just lost his father. It's been a long process and we have talked often about some similar issues of family as my own Dad is on that long, slow decline. It was wonderful to see my friend "be there" for his Dad and family clear headed and sober as events have unfolded over the last 1+ year. He is handling all this with grace and dignity, and that is simply not possible for active alcoholics like me. He is setting an example that I will remember when my own time comes to deal with a situation like this. They are having a "celebration of life" memorial for him next Sunday. It's pretty far away, but a bunch of us are talking about going. Most of us have never met this guy's Dad, but it doesn't matter. He is a friend and we will be going to support him. That is cool. Something I never did with my drinking buddies.

Strength and hope to everyone for another sober day.

DG

[rebirth]

Weekly AA discussion - July 19 to July 25

Hi DG
AA is certainly a recharging of the batteries. Now that I have accepted that I am an alcoholic I can really embrace the spiritual programm of AA. I have heard so many people dealing with incredibly difficult situations, sober and reacting even better to the problem than "normal" people. I really look forward to what AA has to offer me. I need it! x

[marriedgirl29]

Weekly AA discussion - July 19 to July 25

Hello all

Happy Sunday! I am stuck cleaning all day. Husband's father and law in tomm and I am working all day so must get done today and house is a wreck.

Yesterday, I did take a nap but then I couldnt' get to sleep at all, I stayed up till 4:30 AM watching movies, then slept in till nearly noon. I have been getting up early and my husband asked me was I sure I didn't drink last night while he was out of town since he couldnt' understand why I was sleeping so late, that made me mad although I didn't react too much.

Headed to my lit study this evening, its a women's meeting and one of my favorites. I did do some excercising yesterday. Also met some friends in a bar and just got a coke and a sandwich, had a fun time hanging out, stayed for about 2 hours. It was neat that I had fun without drinking. I wasn't even particularly tempted. I had already gone to a meeting though I and I prayed before I went so I was ready.

Back to the house....bleh. :H

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA discussion - July 19 to July 25

rebirth, I too am finding a spiritual side of myself and I'm liking that part of the journey a lot.

MG, better you than me on that housework! Congrats on another sober day! Sorry to hear about the sleep problems. That should pass eventually.

I know how hurtful it can feel when we ARE staying sober one day at a time but we feel a sense of mistrust from a loved one. What I have been encouraged to think about, so I'll pass it along, is how very long we drank, made and broke promises, lied, etc. Even though it stings, I definitely could understand once I thought about it, why my own husband took a long time to really believe I wouldn't drink. It helps me to try to keep that in perspective.

Have a great rest of the day all!

DG