Sav

If it's any help, we just fostered a wonderful cat who looks similar to your cat (or is that a picture of you???) who we adopted out to a home a few months ago.

And his name was...Groucho!!!

Whenever I see your user name/picture, I get one smile and a good memory, for free!

Keep up with the good work, Groucho, brother of Groucho!!!

AcceptingChange

Please allow me to respectfully disagree with you here, Ted.
You are definately NOT back to where you started.
Please don't believe you have to be perfect,
or else you're a failure. If this is the only time you use for the next 100 days, you'll have 200 days clean, and one day not clean.
If you calculate that into minutes, it's 200*24*60= that many minutes of non-use.
A 99.9% success rate!
How can anyone interpret that as failure?

I guess we're not trying to be god-like, with perfect resolve, and no mistakes.
So please don't let one thing action destroy all the
wonderful things you've done for yourself and for so many others.
Use that knowledge, of what you've accomplished, to lay the foundation
for this next part of your life.
Don't let a bogey-man idea like "i used, i'm not perfect" scare you into thinking you're less than
a good person who is sincerely doing the best he can, and doing a wonderful
job at it.

Spiritual Seeker

Today is a new day. Don't beat yourself up. You know what to do Let this just be a relapse and not a lifestyle. Keep us posted because it sounds like you can handle this and will have a happy beginning.

TINLIZZY

Groucho -

Progress NOT perfection. You have said it to me on more than one occasion!

You are NOT back where you started from, you just fell down. Get up, wipe yourself off, and start again, as we all have done. There is no shame in doing so!

TinLizzy

BP44

My first relapse was a "slip" like yours. A weekend bender. Then I jumped back in the program and picked up another white chip. I stayed sober after that slip for 7 years before I went back out a second time.....that lasted 4 years. I know have almost 4 months again, and I almost didn't make it back. It was divine intervention that gave me a moment of clarity. That little voice inside screamed out, "You better find an AA meeting or you will drink again". That AA meeting has become my home group. When I came in for my first meeting there, the chair person asked if any visitors were there for the first time, and I spoke up. He asked, where are you visiting from, and I said, " I'm looking for a home group" and several people said, " Welcome Home". Needless to say. I kept coming back. We gotta do the deal. We are always welcome without reservation or judgement.

barb dwyer

****{Groucho}}}

Nothing ... is ever as it was before.

Of course, alcoholics are the last to learn that.

Time to man up is all ... get back on board.

You've got a firewood business to run, remember???

needtobefree

Hey don't be so down on yourself. I can understand your dissapointment but it's part of the process, if you get back to AA you know you'll be welcome :0)

Dee74

my best wishes to you Ted..we've not spoken much, if at all, but you've been an inspiration - here's betting you'll look back on this as one of those pesky learnin' doodads....

D

GrouchoTheCat

Hi everyone,

I've been to my Dr this morning and I have calls in to local detoxes.

Unfortunately, my disease has progressed to the point where I just can't seem to put down the drink without medical assisstance.

So, I'll be away for a few days, but I am being cared for.

Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement.

It means more to me than you know.

Ted

Astro

Praying for you and wishing you only the best in recovery, Ted. Please let us know how you're doing when you get back.

GlassPrisoner

Ted, at least you're honest about it. That just may be the most important part of the program. Rigorous Honesty.

Welcome back. No judgement here, just get yourself beter.

parentrecovers

hey groucho - you sure are doing all the right things. keep moving forward! blessings, k

Tazman53

Ted it has happened, you are taking actions to get back on the right track quickly.

Remember yesterday is gone, there is not a damn thing you can do about it so why hang your head in shame or worry about it? Yesterday is gone, it can not be changed or relived, forget it!!

Today is today, this is the only day you have control over and the only one to even think about worrying about, but why worry if you are doing the things right now that need to be done to take care of things? There is no reason to feel shame or to worry, you are doing what you need to do, hold your head high and know that you are walking that path again in the right direction.

NOMOMERLOTMAMMA

Ted, you are awesome. Catch ya when you get back..

Karen

snowgoose

Hey, Ted, the good news is soooo good, that you can recognize what happened and take the right steps to get help. I'm convinced that those injections that were meant to help you tolerate your colon procedure, were in fact tantamount to injecting alcohol into you, and that triggered a horrible compulsion. I feel bad that you feel so bad. Somehow I can actually feel your pain and long experience in the program allows me to know that by so doing, I shoulder some of it for you. What impresses me the most is that you do understand that the alcohol is beating you up rather than helping you, and is making you miserably depressed. And that even while you were unable to keep from drinking, you really didn't want to be doing it. Our alcoholism is a cross to bear and who knows why.... but the longer I live, the more I realize everyone has pain and struggles in their lives. But this is a bad one. Friends who understand help make it easier to get through.

GrouchoTheCat

Hi everybody, back from detox today and just got home from an AA meeting with my sponsor.

I know I'll be OK.

What I ment by this statement was that physically and mentally, in that moment I had returned to a state of physical compulsion and mental obsession as if I had never stopped. In the 4 days I drank, I drank about a quart a day, around the clock, puking when I got up, whatever time of day or night and drinking more. Just constantly. I lost all control. The booze controlled me. Totally.

I have not lost the experience hope and promises of sobriety. Far from it.

I am now completely and without reservation absolutely and totally convinced that this is a disease. Once activated there is no control over it, certainly not for me.

Thanks to everyone for the great support.

Ted W. Proud owner of a brand new 24 hour chip.

NOMOMERLOTMAMMA

I'm glad that you are back Ted..

Thank you so much for sharing..

Karen

Rowan

Well done, Ted.

I'm so glad you made it back.

needtobefree

Me too :0) I commend your self honesty - you're doing great.

DKS

Wow Ted, it's great how you recognized what was happening and took immediate action. I don't think I would have had the willlpower to stop so quickly if I ever started again. It's great to see you back, with this learning experience under your belt. Keep up the good work, and take care!