weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

[Kimberley]

I thought I'd start this week's thread in honour of all you AAers keeping me sober for ONE WHOLE YEAR!!! Love you guys!!!!! Thank you soooo much!

:l:l:l:l:l

K x

[Doggygirl]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

Oops - 2 threads! Kimberly I will copy my other post here onto this one and direct people here.

CONGRATS ON ONE YEAR SOBER!!!! Wow that is so exciting! It seems like the time just flew by - at least for me LOL!

DG

[Doggygirl]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

Here is what I posted on the other thread....

Something I learned in AA is on my mind this morning as I am applying this principle in some other affairs! I love how the lessons learned in AA can apply to so many things in life. I also think this is a good concept for anyone - not just people going to AA.

Just don't take the first drink. That's really all it boils down too. Not always easy, but very simple.

I don't have to worry about never drinking again, ever. I don't have to worry about trying to control my drinking. I don't have to worry about stopping after 2. I don't have to worry about how I will have fun next summer without drinking.

ALL I have to do is just not take the first drink today.

I do better when I have something simple and straight forward to focus on. This I can handle.

I'm so excited about 2012! Since sobering up, new things just keep opening up in front of me. I can't wait to see what the rest of today holds.

DG

[auntiegriselda]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

Good morning all! I read all the posts from last week's thread and appreciate all the input everyone gave me. I still drank too much on NY Eve and again last night. Today I'm really going to start over. Maybe I'll go to a meeting tonight. There is one at 7pm. It's a step meeting tho and my old sponsor will undoubtably be there. When I told her I was going to quit and try to moderate she wished me luck and told me to stay in touch, which I didn't do. But neither did she! I really thought maybe she would have sent me a text or something to see how I was doing.
Anyway, my plan for today is read on this site, and look for the SMART site that someone suggested. It really is a vicious circle to drink, feel depressed, drink some more for the temporary relief, and then feel even more depressed. While not drinking this past year I felt SO much better! I'm going to get back there again. And as DG and others have said, if you don't drink ever you don't have to worry about whether you can just take one drink.
It's freedom from that bondage of alcohol controlling you.
Thanks for all of your thoughts!
Auntie G.

[Doggygirl]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

Hi Auntie. When I first started going to AA, I really didn't understand how I had NO coping mechanisms in place to deal with feelings since I wasn't drinking any more. Whenever I felt uncomfortable (which happens a lot for me as I discover how imperfect and human I am) my first response was to find a way to cope with those feelings by blaming someone. It took me a while to realize that my comfort comes from within, with the help of my HP (which is not a traditional definition for me).

At any rate, rather than try to place blame for any discomfort you might be feeling, I would suggest just going to the meeting. In the groups I belong to, people are always welcomed back with open arms. If sobering up were easy, well...none of us would need AA that's for sure! Most people did not get it all the first try. And most of us have had a period of sobriety followed by attempts to drink moderately. You will not be alone.

DG

[Kaslo]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

Hi all, I read DGs words here, and they have made such good sense, Im going to follow the general gyst which is to not take that first drink. Here is the thing, I drank too much. Sometimes WAY too much. Then I went for about 4 years of off and on quitting. Then I had some scares, big ones, (I also watched another person die of alcohol, and it scared the crap out of me) so I just quit drinking cold turkey last Feb, and was told I couldnt drink and take the arthritis drug I was taking. In the past 2 months, my blood pressure has gone up, due to the drug (Arthrotec, if anyone is interested) and it has gotten very scary this past week. So I stopped taking Arthrotec, and I am in a lot of pain, but I am trying to get active and walk as that seems to help a bit. The thing is ....as soon as I quit the fibro arthur drug, the INSTANT i decided to quit, I started entertaining thoughts of maybe I could drink again, now. Reading this, and realizing is there is a very good chance I would drink immoderately, not exactly blackouts and incipient liver disease, but just too much from time to time, and not feeling well as a result, I just have to take a leaf out of DGs book here, and put a sock in it.

My excuse to not drink is I dont drink. So, although I know some people on here figure I havent paid my dues, I still suffer the same compulsion to do something that makes no fricking sense what so ever. Thanks for the REALITY check DG. I know you didnt intend it for me, but it helped me anyway.

Kaslo, the pained.

PS any advice on non pharma fibromyalgia control (Condroitin, MSA and Glucosamine, I know, the Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego of chronic pain syndromes...) would be most welcome. Booze is no help for it.

[Doggygirl]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

Kas, there are lots of pearls of wisdom in AA - at least they are pearls to my pea brain. I'm sorry you are having to deal with PAIN. That is no fun at all. And those thoughts just fit right in, don't they. You are so wise to have stopped when you did. If we keep going, it just gets worse. Have you already taken inflammatory stuff such as gluten out of your diet? I've heard that can make a big difference. Mr. Doggy had no choice but to remove gluten as he became intolerant. But besides the benefit of no longer getting sick from it, he has been amazed at other little things that are feeling so much better. Joint pain that he just "accepted" as part of aging has diminished greatly. And his hemmeroids (sp) disappeared. Go figure! Probably worth a try if you havent' already tried it.

DG

[retteacher]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

It's great to see everyone here.

Until I made the decision that my drinking was of the alcoholic type & I wasn't managing my life, I couldn't get permanently sober. Before I admitted that, I would stop periodically but would go back to drinking which was so very demoralizing.

Our AA groups welcome everyone back who decide to go out again & drink. There's no attitude when people come back to the rooms. We're just glad to see our fellowship grow. At the beginning of the year, there has been a influx of people. Folks I haven't seen for quite a while are back. It's pretty wonderful to see.

My sponsor's feeling is that when a person is serious about AA, she will put time & energy into that person. When a person goes out of the program, she waits it out until she comes back in. Don't take personally that you're sponsor hasn't called or texted. It just may be her philosphy to let a person make their own decision about she's in the program or out.

M

[ThreeDogNight]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

Posting as I watch Intervention. Always so heartbreaking, but some do make it.
I agree with rett and DG--AA has become so important in my life. Welcomed me back with hugs after I came back from rehab. Today we had lots of new people, and we all tried to introduce ourselves and make the newbies feel welcome. I know that I can go anywhere and walk into an AA meeting and feel right at home!
And as DG said, you just don't take that first drink. This is what I remember every day.

Good night, all!

TDN

[retteacher]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

I didn't get to a meeting last night, as I had to watch the gkids. I remember back a few year...before I got sober...watching the kids at night (if I could even do it) was such a huge effort. At the end of a day of drinking, it isn't easy or advisable to be in charge of children. One of the gifts of the program is enjoying my gkids once again.

Mary

[Doggygirl]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

Hi everyone!

Mary, your post really reminded me of the horrible evenings of my drinking life. I was either consumed with "pretending" I wasn't drunk, or I was limited by not being able to drive, or I was angry because of a responsibility that prevented me from drinking as much as I wanted to, etc. Not a good way to live. Life is so much simpler and better without AL in the picture.

Auntie G, what did you decide?

DG

[bear73]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

hey all - back from busy first day at work - in onesie on sofa with cats - kids tea of spam fritters, baked beans and potato waffles. part of cut down shopping month/eat freezer food - fresh cooked stuff rest of week.
evening all

[Doggygirl]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

Hi Bear! I wish my house was well stocked like it sounds yours is!

Wow - I'm glad the subject came up yesterday of looking to place blame to someone during uncomfortable moments. I'm glad it was discussed because I had an uncomfortable situation arise today with DH. He didn't do anything. It was just a frustrating situation. Nobody to blame. However, my mind definitely wanted to go to that place of blaming him for my discomfort. CRAZY! I've also been fighting to get sugar out of my life, and funny enough - just like back in the AL days - this uncomfortable / wanting to blame but knowing it's wrong moment drove urges to eat sugar too.

I'm glad I am becoming more aware of what is going on with my thoughts and reactions. I can hit the pause button and really consider a situation before just flying out with a reaction. This is a dramatic improvement over the way I used to be, and I have AA to thank for it. Progress is being made.

DG

[retteacher]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

I loved your last post DG. When I'm uncomfortable, frustrated, angry, etc., something is going on w/ME. I've learned about the 3 A's: awareness, acceptance, action. There's always something I can do about my behavior &/or thinking. M

[okydoky]

weekly AA Thread - Jan. 2 - Jan 8

Congrats on ONE YEAR Kim!!!!
DG and Mary...so good to see you are still here...ODAT:}