Question
Sunny Side Up
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Sth Australia
Posts: 3,802
Question
When the time came (your bottom) was there anyone who didnt have someone in their family to support them.
I would like to sincerely know, if the addiction has more power over your strength to recover, how then do you escape the devil when everyone says its up to you.
I would like to sincerely know, if the addiction has more power over your strength to recover, how then do you escape the devil when everyone says its up to you.
Life is Grand
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2,039
I was completely alone, no one in my family wanted to talk to me, no friends, no one but me. I went to an inpatient 90 day treatment center and stayed over a year. My first sober Birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year...all alone except for others in the treatment center. After I had a little over a year sober, I contacted my family who cautiously welcomed me back.....that was over 14 years ago and I am still sober. For me, it took losing everything and everyone, it got to the point where I was going to quit drinking or die...I chose life!!!
Cathy
Cathy
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
I was an adult....all my family were 900 miles away.
They never saw me take a drink
and had absolutely nothing to do with my drinking or recovery.
God and AA ...that's what I know worked for me.
They never saw me take a drink
and had absolutely nothing to do with my drinking or recovery.
God and AA ...that's what I know worked for me.
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,512
I was completely alone, completely. My children were barely speaking to me and my husband had pretty much given up on me. I had given up all my friends during the last year of my drinking. No one was interested in offering any kind of support. It was really my decision to live or to die.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,444
I'm with Anna.
I pretty much got to a point where it was get real or die.
As it was my family denies I'm an alcoholic to this day. Family support might have been nice, but it might have been another way to delay the inevitable too - I had noone to rely on but myself.
That makes the lessons learned that much more useful IMO. Alcoholisms very much about being selfish and using 'crutches'.
Nothing like doing it yourself to fix that up LOL.
Of course that's *my* way....
Hope this helps with whatevers on your mind Jo.
D
I pretty much got to a point where it was get real or die.
As it was my family denies I'm an alcoholic to this day. Family support might have been nice, but it might have been another way to delay the inevitable too - I had noone to rely on but myself.
That makes the lessons learned that much more useful IMO. Alcoholisms very much about being selfish and using 'crutches'.
Nothing like doing it yourself to fix that up LOL.
Of course that's *my* way....
Hope this helps with whatevers on your mind Jo.
D
Om, Aum, Ohm...
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Punxsutawney/Pittsburgh
Posts: 4,797
My parents helped some with my kids (kept them while I was in rehab), but other than that, I had no adult family members (or friends) to lean on. I made new friends in AA. Eventually, I mended things with my family and made new friends outside the fellowship as well. The only old drinking buddies I have in my life today are those who also made the decision to get sober.
Peace & Love,
Sugah
Peace & Love,
Sugah
Sober and Loving It!
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: In the land of Sobriety
Posts: 13
I was pretty much at 'get real or die' too, like a couple of the others have said.
I had no one. My DH, well, he has an alcohol problem too so was obviously not there for support in my getting sober at the time.
He is now sober. Our lives went from deplorable and is becoming manageable in just a short period of time.
We both would of died the way we were going.
I think everyone actually does it alone in all honesty. Some have support which is great, but it is the work that comes from within that gets us here.
I had no one. My DH, well, he has an alcohol problem too so was obviously not there for support in my getting sober at the time.
He is now sober. Our lives went from deplorable and is becoming manageable in just a short period of time.
We both would of died the way we were going.
I think everyone actually does it alone in all honesty. Some have support which is great, but it is the work that comes from within that gets us here.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 353
JustJo,
I have the support of my wife, but our families seem to revolve around drinking. While nobody has distanced themselves from me, I still feel like I'm battling alone. No-one else is quitting, however they all seem to have an off switch. I must have been in the wrong line when they handed those out...
heavy
I have the support of my wife, but our families seem to revolve around drinking. While nobody has distanced themselves from me, I still feel like I'm battling alone. No-one else is quitting, however they all seem to have an off switch. I must have been in the wrong line when they handed those out...
heavy
God's Kid
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 1,820
Bottoms
Everyone must've heard the phrase 'I found my bottom but then I kept on digging'. It's pretty funny but true.
I went to a treatment centre when I was 19 because the lady who was my social worker when I lived in 'state care' as a younger teenager, arrange for my daughter to go live with my parents (as I couldn't care for her) and then told me I should go. I agreed to go as I had no other ideas. No job. No money. Friends thought I had some kind of mental illness (people use to call me 'Crazy Liz') and couldn't see anyone out of my situation. But treatment didn't stop me - I started using again when I got out - and my daughter getting hurt while in my care is what eventually sent me to AA.
My final drink (please god) was a year later in a park at 11am. By then I had my daughter back and was attending AA regulary. I took my daughter (who was 3 at the time) to use the toliets at a near by 'childrens agency' with my bottle stashed in her pram and the woman inside the centre commented at how lovely my daughter was. It felt like someone or something gave me an electric shock to my brain. Once we left the centre I threw the bottle in the bin and have been sober ever since. 10 years on July 22nd. I haven't thought about this for awhile but I can still remember the feeling. It was like someone picked up my brain and gave it a good shake. It was really bizzare.
I went to a treatment centre when I was 19 because the lady who was my social worker when I lived in 'state care' as a younger teenager, arrange for my daughter to go live with my parents (as I couldn't care for her) and then told me I should go. I agreed to go as I had no other ideas. No job. No money. Friends thought I had some kind of mental illness (people use to call me 'Crazy Liz') and couldn't see anyone out of my situation. But treatment didn't stop me - I started using again when I got out - and my daughter getting hurt while in my care is what eventually sent me to AA.
My final drink (please god) was a year later in a park at 11am. By then I had my daughter back and was attending AA regulary. I took my daughter (who was 3 at the time) to use the toliets at a near by 'childrens agency' with my bottle stashed in her pram and the woman inside the centre commented at how lovely my daughter was. It felt like someone or something gave me an electric shock to my brain. Once we left the centre I threw the bottle in the bin and have been sober ever since. 10 years on July 22nd. I haven't thought about this for awhile but I can still remember the feeling. It was like someone picked up my brain and gave it a good shake. It was really bizzare.
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