|
To all
May 1, 2016 12:04:44 GMT -5
Post by yvan on May 1, 2016 12:04:44 GMT -5
Hi evyone. Just catching up. I just come back from France after enjoying holidays with my family. Tough to go back to the UK, but I'm going again in summer. After a very cold start, at last it's Spring in England and it makes such a difference to life. Not a lot to say otherwise that alcohol belongs to another time, it has become so natural for me to live sober that poisoning my life again in unconceivable. There is so much we can do and give, so much we can learn when our mind is free from drinking. There isn't a day without telling myself I am lucky, maybe because I have some friends who can't stop drinking, live like recluses and with a health that has deteriorated seriously those last months. Sobriety is amazing, everything becomes again possible but to be able to enjoy my life sober and that's what I say to people who ask me how I did it, I say time. I needed time, time to heal, time to make peace with the past, time to learn more about myself, time to learn how to live everyday sober. Time has been my best friend all the way during the bad and good times. I don't post very often, but I don't forget the forum, the forumily, I've learnt so much from all of you. I went to AA, but it was the forum that helped to be sober, stay sober, to find peace and be happy. CONGRATULATIONS Mark for your two years and good to see you stay strong Kim. Sam and Mark, I remember PAWS, a real bitch but knowing about it helped me a lot to go through the tough times. Brett, we are alcoholics, no doubt we can become addicted to anything that contains alcohol. Alcohol will always be there around us ready to destroy us. Thank God you realised the danger before you open the door to a relapse. I just read your post Mark. If I need medication to be able to sleep in order to function, I wouldn't hesitate taking sleeping tablets. Sleep is vital, lack of sleep can lead to illnesses and depression. I have no sleeping problem, but if I have one day, flirting with our enemy is playing with fire and having just one drink to be able to sleep would surely make me relapse. Instead of falling asleep, a drink would wake up the lizard brain in me and this dinosaur would want more. No doubt. Anyway, hope everyone is well and happy with their life. Take care all.
|
|
|
To all
May 1, 2016 15:41:22 GMT -5
Post by slimkim on May 1, 2016 15:41:22 GMT -5
Hey Yvan, Always great to hear from you. I'm glad you had a good holiday with your family in France, that would do wonders for the soul. I like what you said about that it takes time to heal and learn about yourself. I need to remember that.
|
|
|
To all
May 5, 2016 5:53:39 GMT -5
Post by angelina1512 on May 5, 2016 5:53:39 GMT -5
Hey Yvan,
was so good to read your post. Glad you had a great holiday. I'm like you drinking isn't an option and I don't think about it or miss it. But I am also aware that " just one" isn't an option. I like to think that I can live life without needing to drink, without it I am a better person. Going back to that is never an option. I like the person I am now, I didn't like who I had become back then so why would I drink.
Life is good, not perfect but good. Penguin has been away working a lot so I flew to Sydney for 3 days to see him. Bought some painting material that I can't get in Tasmania, we can be very primitive with things like that lol.
my paintings are going well, I am trying new things. I like to try different things, different styles and canvas and paper now. I hope to open up a coffee shop/gallery. Having trouble finding something suitable so far but penguin tells me he WILL find me one.
i am now 9 months and I week smoke free. Like the drinking/ not drinking it does get easier. It's still one day at a time and "just one" isn't an option. On the smoking cessation there are quite a few who gave up drinking years ago, we don't use the word alcoholic but there are many of us on it lol. But I do find that the ones that gave up drinking are more aware of the not one Puff/drink is how we must become to survive.
I could not have done it without the smoking cessation forum though. Thanks to PJ for talking me into joining them.
i miss the old forum, I miss everyone, I miss you Yvan and how you use to make me laugh.but I suppose life does move on, sometimes not for the better but it still moves.
stay well my friend. I'm glad the weather is getting better for you. Do post and tell us how you are, it's good to read positive stories. Life after drinking, how much better it is.
tutu/Angelina
|
|
|
To all
May 7, 2016 22:33:54 GMT -5
Post by quitat54 on May 7, 2016 22:33:54 GMT -5
Good to hear from you Angelina
Glad to hear you are smoke free for 9 months. For me is alcohol free almost 9 months. I remember those days when I quit smoking. It has been over 6 years for me and I could not care less about smoking. Never miss it. Despise the smell and feel sorry for anyone who smokes. When you rid yourself of addiction you look on others with nothing but compassion. Seeing them in the grip of slavery and self destruction reminds one why it is important to never have one. As Yvan stated once an addict there is no such thing as one. As much as I hate smoking I would never have one. Too afraid, and why really?
J
|
|
|
To all
May 8, 2016 4:14:51 GMT -5
Post by angelina1512 on May 8, 2016 4:14:51 GMT -5
Hey J,
good to see that you are doing so well. And it's true once an addict always an addict, so there is no " just one" ever again.
today is Mother's Day so it's a tough one for me. Losing mum 9 months ago I have been crying on and off most of the day. I had to work so anyone who said " I hope you rang your mum" just broke me in two.
but being the survivor I am tomorrow is another day. I could cry a whole bucket but that won't bring her back. I have such wonderful fond memories, so that can't be taken away.
to all the mothers out there, happy Mother's Day, to all the mothers that don't see the kids, all I can say is, life can suck but we must go on. Prove to ourselves and maybe to them that we have changed, that we are not the same person when we were drinking. That we are sorry. But we are still mothers, no one can take that away from us.
sorry J I got carried away on that. I'm glad you are doing well. We are the only ones that can say no to the " just one" no one else can do that for us.
stay strong.
angelina
|
|
|
To all
May 8, 2016 5:20:21 GMT -5
Post by yvan on May 8, 2016 5:20:21 GMT -5
Hi tutu and J. Good to see you both. Mentioning a drink as an option, for me, starting to have thoughts of having a drink would mean there is something in me I would have to analyse deeply because I know where a drink would lead me. First I would poison my mind, then I would lose control and I wouldn't stop drinking until getting drunk. That's how I used to be and I wouldn't be different today. One's is too many, hundred is not enough as they say in AA. The thought of drinking alcohol would be now like swallowing poison to me, that's what alcohol was, a lethal poison, no joy about it, no happiness, no future, only misery and a destroyer of my life. It took me some time to free my mind completely and for my life to be what it is today. If I want to put an end to my journey, one drink. As simple as that. Alcohol would take me back to living half dead and only living for the next drink. To become free from my addiction was hard work, I left the prison and I faced life sober. No regrets because I learnt, I grew, no more questions because I know a drink is not an option and will never be. There comes the time when alcohol is even not a thought anymore and like a bad dream that we still remember when we wake up, it vanishes with time, but as you say J, we must always be vigilant. You are 9 months sober, that's great. I remember the second year becoming easier, but I remember as well the thought of a drink crossing my mind, not very often, but it did. It didn't bother me but I wanted to know why. I didn't find an answer, or maybe this one, a reminiscence from the past, a habit according to circumstances that was hard to kill but those thoughts will go with a bit more time of sobriety, and they went. After nearly 2 and a half years, I still surprise myself sometimes that I was able to go from living alcoholic to living sober. I am proud, not much about myself but for my family and friends. What better other option has an alcoholic when he has decided to take this amazing path of freedom? Certainly not going backwards. Happy Mother's Day tutu. I understand your pain. One day it will be different. Don't doubt. It's a matter of time when this sad time will belong to the past. We are different now, everything changes for the better, but you know like me it takes time. My thoughts go to you. Hugs. Take care both.
|
|
|
To all
May 8, 2016 20:55:37 GMT -5
Post by slimkim on May 8, 2016 20:55:37 GMT -5
Hey Tutu, Sorry to hear you had such a bad mothers day. Mine was horrible as well because I've lost my kids. I spent the whole day hoping the phone would somehow ring. But it didn't happen. I knew you would not be having a great day either. At least as you said, today is a new day and thank the stars mothers day is only once a year.
|
|