My NEW Story Starts Here...

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

BECK!!!!! :yougo::h:yougo::h!!!!! How are you? What are you up to these days? It's awesome to *see* you. Like old home week around here. The long and winding road......eh?

DG

[Beck]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

DG!!1 I am doing well. Haven't had a drink in 3.5 years. Still surprises me sometimes. I went back to work last Fall - gotta pay tuition for all those kids! and I was able to find something that I think I can do for a few years without going nuts. I will send you a PM about that (you will be amused). Life is good in my sober world!

[FlyAway]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Congrats on 5 years! :goodjob:

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Thank you Flyaway!!!!

Beck;1512443 wrote: I am doing well. Haven't had a drink in 3.5 years. Still surprises me sometimes. I went back to work last Fall - gotta pay tuition for all those kids! and I was able to find something that I think I can do for a few years without going nuts. I will send you a PM about that (you will be amused). Life is good in my sober world!

CONGRATS on 3.5 years!! That is awesome. :yougo::yougo: So where is that PM? I could stand a little amusement today!

As part of my internship I've now been assigned my first client where I am providing direct case management. Very humbling, exciting, and feels like a vote of confidence from my supervisor and unit team. I continue to lead groups and learn more and more about how to help influence bringing out the most raw honesty in a group. Last night was one of those groups that nearly brought tears to my eyes. The men talked deeply about family relationships. It was moving and raw. Getting these things out into the light of day is just amazing. I hope some healing took place last night. This is what I love about counseling - sometimes being able to aid in this process.

Off to school....

DG

[Unwasted]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

DG, I have no doubt that you will be a wonderful counselor. Your patience and wisdom resonate in all your posts, and have for years! Great stuff - you should be proud.

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Thanks UW for the vote of confidence!!!

Well - yesterday was the mandatory orientation for the Master of Social Work program. Now I sort of regret signing up for the 4 year track and wish I had signed up for the 3 year track. I e-mailed the department chair to see if it's possible to change at this late date. We'll see. Either way I will be starting classes 8/26! I love being in school and can't wait to get started. I really like the professors I met yesterday and really like the one who is my academic advisor. I wish wish wish I had taken school seriously way back when. Water under the bridge...

I'm chairing an open AA speaker meeting for the month of June on Sunday mornings and also had to line up the speakers. This morning a friend of mine from school spoke. He was awesome - just speaks from the heart about his experiences and his recovery. I'm glad I got to hear his whole story. It's amazing how you can know someone for a long time and hear pieces of it but it's just different when someone shares it all in one sitting! Made me feel good about being a part of the fellowship. As is so often the case with AA, he traveled quite a distance to come and 3 of his home group buddies came with him. We are truly never alone.

I should be planting flowers but it's another cloudy gloomy day. So I've given myself permission to spend it on the sofa with a book and Netflix.

DG

[Unwasted]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

DG, as they say, youth is wasted on the young. I didn't get my degrees until much later. I was so sick of school right after high school that I didn't get my degrees until I was in my 30s. I think when you're older, everything is so much more meaningful! I was such a serious student as an older one. All the kids hated me because I actually studied and blew all the curves (not really, they were very sweet to me but I did really work so I got good grades).

You GO GIRL!

xx,
UN

[greeneyes]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

DG, my deepest heartfelt congrats on your 5 years! Let's see if I remember how to do this...


WOOP WOOP!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!
:yougo::banana::crazymonkey::kudos::band2:

Really fabulous to see some old pals here show up!

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Holy Moly. I can't believe it's been so long since I posted here in the old journal!

UW and Greenie - hope you both are still around or lurking! UW - sounds like I am the same sort of later-in-life student that you were. Greenie - hope to find out what you're up to these days!

Before too long I will be coming up on the 6-year anni. Wow.

In some ways a brighter light is starting to shine on some deeper issues. This part is not fun. I've been sitting with some pain for most of my life and it's starting to feel like it's time to address it. Can I really confront my mother (hopefully with compassion) to bring those old issues out onto the table? Ugh. As I told my DH tonight, the alternative is to continue allowing the old wounds to fester inside of me. That is starting to feel like it's just not an option any longer.

Time for the Big Girl Pants.

Sober life rocks when I'm not peeling my onion, LOL.

Heroin: the most insidious drug in the world. Followed closely by all the pain pills whose roads lead to heroin for the unlucky. Some days I feel very grateful that I got addicted to alcohol.

School is pretty good. I just lined up my first Masters level internship for next fall. It will be at a domestic violence shelter. There is such a strong connection between domestic violence and substance abuse. I think it will be interesting.

Work is good. I'm working two days a week as an Assessor at a treatment facility.

My eating stinks. Food has simply become my drug of choice. That needs to stop. One of the reasons I think I need to address these deeper issues with my mother is that I don't think the self-medication will stop until I take steps to address the pain. Mean time, PUT DOWN THAT COOKIE!!

That's all for now.

DG

[Lavande]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

So great to see you back DG

Sounds like you are all grown up now!!!! :H
I'm glad to hear you are doing so well in school too!

I hope you are able to work out the issues with your Mom soon. That lingering stuff can do some real damage. I know a bit about that myself
Maybe we should get a new thread going to talk about why we continue to eat stuff we don't need or even really want. What do you think?

Good luck with school & stay well!!

[lead366]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Great idea Lavande...a food thread and why we do those silly things.

Im working hard to right it...made a mountain of progress and hope to get there soon as well

[lead366]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hey Doggygirl:

You are a true inspiration. Thanks for posting. Helps so very much.

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi Lav and Lead! I think some sort of food recovery thread would be awesome. Let's figure out what would be helpful to all of us foodies!

I just called my Mom and I'm going to see her today. I know this is going to be emotionally rough for both of us. I'm already shaking. But I can't carry this inside any more. I pray to the universe that somehow, bringing this pain out into the light will eventually be healing for me and for her.

I'm not going to drink over it ever again.

No cookies either. Just for today.

DG

ETA: Did I mention the book I downloaded yesterday - "Running on Empty?" It's about a concept she calls emotional neglect. Very enlightening. DING DING DING DING DING went the bell as I was reading.

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Maybe I will start reporting my food here, for accountability.

B: Egg+ egg white scrambled with veg, light english muffin with light cream cheese

I'm packing a banana for the road.

I hope I have the courage and also the compassion to have this conversation with my mother.

DG

[NoSugar]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi, DG

What eating plan are you following? I thought you were low-carb earlier but I might be remembering wrong. It is great to see you here!