Day 16 almost 17, big question on BRAIN POWER.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 1,202
Day 16 almost 17, big question on BRAIN POWER.
Anyone... who were major bingers, get to the point where their life was so tough, that they couldn't even read big paragraphs off papers anymore without it being a strain, and memory loss? I've been OCDing ALL day about it that I can't do this, can't do that, fears, etc ... just curious if anyone else had that experience during detox and then it cleared up eventually, some phrases I can't understand and words I don't even remember. Just curious all.
where the light is
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2,763
When my mind is racing and/or I am physically exhausted I just cannot concentrate on reading or any task that requires much focus. Had to read sentences over & over sometimes. This was a huge problem for me in the first few weeks but it is much better now.
Follow Directions!
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Fredericksburg, Va.
Posts: 9,730
In early sobriety the ability to focus on enything was hard for me, what made it easier was making things simple.
The way I kept things simple was by listening to and following the advice of other alcoholics with a lot more sobriety then me who had stayed sober.
They taught me that staying sober by my own will power was a lost cause, they could not stay sober on their own will power, what they did to make it easier was to turn it over to a Power Greater then themselfs.
I listened to them because I knew that I could not do it on my own, my way, with nothing more then just my will power!
It was quite appearant at that point in time to me that these people had more power then I had, they were sober and had been sober a lot longer then me!!!! Not only were they sober, they were HAPPY!!!!
The smartest thing I ever did in my life was to listen to people who knew how to stay sober!
The way they stayed sober was not by thier brain or will power, they gained the power to stay sober from a Power Greater then them selfs that they understood.
The way I kept things simple was by listening to and following the advice of other alcoholics with a lot more sobriety then me who had stayed sober.
They taught me that staying sober by my own will power was a lost cause, they could not stay sober on their own will power, what they did to make it easier was to turn it over to a Power Greater then themselfs.
I listened to them because I knew that I could not do it on my own, my way, with nothing more then just my will power!
It was quite appearant at that point in time to me that these people had more power then I had, they were sober and had been sober a lot longer then me!!!! Not only were they sober, they were HAPPY!!!!
The smartest thing I ever did in my life was to listen to people who knew how to stay sober!
The way they stayed sober was not by thier brain or will power, they gained the power to stay sober from a Power Greater then them selfs that they understood.
Gold Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: It's raining again!
Posts: 2,494
Paulos, I think you just have the case of the nerves. You play vidio games all day and that takes concentration,so I think your mind is just fine. Give yourself a break and stop trying so hard to do things that will come natural in time. You may have too much time on your hands and get into strange thinking. It's important to now try to form a support group of some kind to help you get out of yourself. Congrats on your clean time,but remember your not alone in this and can have more support if you wish.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 1,202
Yeah...... thanks a lot all again, jeez but you know I OCD like mad, I overdo it.... I'm still scared though about not understanding things required to simply live. It was like drinking was my escape from my fears/etc when I started getting addicted to it, and when I FIRST started drinking it was just a new experience to me... I got short term memory problems too, jeez...
Follow Directions!
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Fredericksburg, Va.
Posts: 9,730
Paulos I wish you all the luck in the world, but like I and MANY others have tried over and over again to tell you, sitting at home alone doing nothing but playing video games and thinking about not drinking is the main reason you are OCDing!!!
Think about it, if you were doing things, anything with someone else it would help you to get your mind off of not drinking.
Think about it, if you were doing things, anything with someone else it would help you to get your mind off of not drinking.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 170
Paulos,
Many years before I got sober I was in and out of AA. I was a very big binge drinker I would try and stay sober for as long as I could but eventually would give into the thought that I would be ok this time.
I was going to community college and decided to give AA a try. I saw a guy that looked pretty happy so I asked him to be my sponsor. It didn’t really go to good I wasn’t into it. I was going to one meeting a week and not doing much else.
After class I would go home play this board game called RISK. I called my sponsor one night and we talked a little. He asked me what I did during the day. I told him that I went to class and went home and played RISK. My sponsor seemed very happy and said oh that’s great you had some friends over and had some fun. I said no I played the game alone. My sponsor said doesn’t the name of the game spell it out for you?
I was at home alone playing a game called RISK. Two days later I relapsed and spent the next two years in hell. When I first got sober I was all over the place but as I worked the steps I was able to focus on something other than my own sick thoughts.
I love video games, I love beating them and sometimes I play them to excess. Alcoholism is not a game and although I played it to excess there is just no beating it.
Many years before I got sober I was in and out of AA. I was a very big binge drinker I would try and stay sober for as long as I could but eventually would give into the thought that I would be ok this time.
I was going to community college and decided to give AA a try. I saw a guy that looked pretty happy so I asked him to be my sponsor. It didn’t really go to good I wasn’t into it. I was going to one meeting a week and not doing much else.
After class I would go home play this board game called RISK. I called my sponsor one night and we talked a little. He asked me what I did during the day. I told him that I went to class and went home and played RISK. My sponsor seemed very happy and said oh that’s great you had some friends over and had some fun. I said no I played the game alone. My sponsor said doesn’t the name of the game spell it out for you?
I was at home alone playing a game called RISK. Two days later I relapsed and spent the next two years in hell. When I first got sober I was all over the place but as I worked the steps I was able to focus on something other than my own sick thoughts.
I love video games, I love beating them and sometimes I play them to excess. Alcoholism is not a game and although I played it to excess there is just no beating it.
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