Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

[NoSugar]

Hi, Topaz

I'm sorry I don't have a specific answer for you although I know many counsellors work evenings to accommodate people who cannot take time off. MWO's members were my only therapists and cheerleaders but I must admit, I was on here a lot in the early days, whining, pouring out my guilt and grief, and asking many questions

Maybe we can be part of your program. All the best, NS

[topaz]

Thanks, NoSugar. I'm just realizing I jumped into the middle of a thread. Still learning the MWO forum process.

[NoSugar]

Jumping in is fine! Hope you stick around :smile:.

[Pavati]

Hi, All:

I Topaz. I don't really have advice either. I quit cold Turkey after a bad Turkey Day almost two years ago, and was lucky that it stuck. Well, lucky and I worked hard at it. Take a look around the site - there are many threads with a lot of information.

Jane - Thanks for the waffle. Too bad Red has such a rough and unloved life?! What a wonderful fortune for him to have run into you...

1) I thought about the dreaded holidays today. Thanksgiving has a special and unpleasant memory for me as the last time I drank, so I am looking forward to another sober holiday. I HATE Christmas, but I'll keep my Scrooge to myself as I know people love it. I think I get crazy from the lack of sunlight, and I can't stand the expectations around family, celebration and fun during the time of year we mammals were supposed to be laying low and sleeping a lot.

2) Growing up and becoming less and less reliant on us. Parenting is the best and also so painful sometimes!

3) Best thing: This work thing I'm doing is exciting, fulfilling and challenging. Love it. Worst thing: A good friend's significant other was just diagnosed with cancer. Such a big, fat, bummer. He's relatively young, too.

OK, now I've used up my time. Off to cook dinner.

xo
Pav

[little beagle]

Hey Topaz my hubby is going through counseling right now too. His counselor meets with him Saturdays. I just googled local addiction counselors. There were several to choose from and he's the second one we met with.
Jane loved that waffle. I am spending time on me. That's why I got my sewing machine. I'm going to work up to making clothes that fit me. It's impossible to find them in stores. I started off repairing the expensive sheet set my dolly ripped up trying to bury her bone in my bed. Grrrrrrr!!!!!! As many parades as we have here, costumes are needed for each occasion. So i foresee lots of projects. Dogs all need new sweaters for the winter tooo.
TT, now don't laugh, I just finished watching Fear The Walking Dead. Yep. I am a walking dead fan. The main male character is from New Zealand. Very hot and good looking. I thought of you when he was giving his post season interview.
NS I have seen special strollers they make for jogging with your baby. Looks like lots of exercise.

[little beagle]

X post Pav. I always think of your Thanksgiving blowup at this time of year.

[treetops]

Well LilB I guess that's where all our hot guys have gone - USA! You are sounding a lot better and looking after you is a good strategy.
hi there Topaz. Welcome! I can't give advice on AL detox places in the US as I live in NZ. I did try counselling , various meds and group therapy, as well as AA - latter very briefly. It's not my thing. In the end I quit with some very strong resolve on my part and a short period of maybe 2 months on Antabuse. That was nearly 3 years ago. MWO was really helpful and now I try to check in most days. I had health issues as well which was an incentive to quit.

As for the holidays - well it's a different scene here as it's also when we have summer holidays. Also we don't have Thanksgiving. I am like NS or was it Pav. ( can't scroll back on this iphone) I can't stand Christmas at all. I detest the music, the decorations, the commercialism, the compulsory holiday. Plus I am not religious. And I am a vegetarian so the usual foods don't appeal. But I can cope with a Christmas Tree, and some gifts. This year we are having a short holiday But no extended family. Will visit them after Boxing Day.
question no 2 - my daughter has final school exams next month and they are biggies. But she found out today that she got a pretty good scholarship for university next year. It won't pay all the costs by any means but it is prestigious and it helps. She also has a place in a pretty good dorm ( we call them hostels) and so it's bye bye Mama. It's close by and I hope she will be home for some meals now and again but I am still sad. But she has good support in place.
Other than that work is very stressful and I can't say much about it. It just never seems to let up but when I can I do my writing. Which I both love and hate.
Lovely doggie you have Jane. Unlike my evil selfish cat!!!

[NoSugar]

Hey, Gloamers. I just listened to a show about opiate addiction (American Opioid Addiction Keeps Growing | On Point with Tom Ashbrook), which they call the greatest addiction crisis ever in America. That may be true, but it's got some pretty good competition, as we all know.

The whole tone of the discussion is so much different than conversations about alcohol - all of the blame is aimed at Big Pharma and naïve or unscrupulous doctors. The addicts are viewed as almost unwitting victims, at least until they switch to heroin. The addiction is ascribed to the properties of the drugs, not to defects of the addict.

As I listened, I started substituting 'alcohol' for 'opiate' and 'Big Alcohol' for 'Big Pharma' - what a different way of looking at our situation! And just like many physicians were duped into thinking that managing pain was paramount and that opiates would not be a problem for those who needed them and so were a good thing, most of us were swayed by the seductive advertisements for alcohol and were reassured by its being legal.

Patrick Kennedy just released a memoir today, A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction: Patrick J. Kennedy, Stephen Fried: 9780399173325: Amazon.com: Books, in which he discusses his and his family members' mental health and addiction issues (much to the dismay of some of them!). He's really trying to change the conversation - and the laws. Let's hope. xx NS

[maryjo]

Pardon my ignorance but that's a gloamer?

[jane27]

Hi maryjo,
Loam is the acronym for Ladies On A Mission
The term Loamer evolved out of that as reference to folks that post on the thread regularly
Gloamer came into being because there are a handful of guys (Guitarisra, Rahul) that pop in to post from time to time.
(Gentlemen & Ladies on a Mission).
It's just good old corny fun.

[Mr Vervill]

Patrick Kennedy just released a memoir today, A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction: Patrick J. Kennedy, Stephen Fried: 9780399173325: Amazon.com: Books, in which he discusses his and his family members' mental health and addiction issues (much to the dismay of some of them!). He's really trying to change the conversation - and the laws. Let's hope. xx NS

Here's a link to 60 minutes interview with Patrick Kennedy on 60 minutes, he in the second segment, you forward to the segment by looking for the dots in the time line at the bottom.
60 Minutes Video - The full episode of 60 Minutes from October 4, 2015. - CBS.com
Mr V

[NoSugar]

Thanks for explaining the term, Mr. V. Now you're a GLoamer, too :smile:! I saw PK interviewed briefly on a couple news shows, all in reference to his 60 Minutes appearance. Thanks for the link (and please come back sometime - you're on a mission, too!).

[Guitarista]

Here's a link to 60 minutes interview with Patrick Kennedy on 60 minutes, he in the second segment, you forward to the segment by looking for the dots in the time line at the bottom.
60 Minutes Video - The full episode of 60 Minutes from October 4, 2015. - CBS.com
Mr V

Yo Gloamers!

Thanks for the link Mr V. I'm about to watch it.

Jane, who's in charge? You or Red? haha.

Hope things are panning out ok there Lil B.

Big waves to all!

[little beagle]

And Sam visits us occasionally.
Thanks for that link Mr. V.
Jane I read that, it is a really sad thing. Gives me a lot to think about.

[narilly]

Thanks for the link V. Hey everyone, I am just getting into the work thing so I haven't been posting so much. I will try and ramp it up. (Meaning post more)
Work is going well, I love going to work everyday Un Hung. I do so much better..

I will check in tomorrow. So glad you were all here.