How do you get past the "I'm not normal"
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: East Coast, The States
Posts: 12,162
The whole powerless thing works for many but not for me.
My view is I became power~FULL the day I chose to not drink.
I have chosen not to drink for 462 straight days now and every day I've gained a little bit more power.
When I drank I thought everyone drank. Now that I don't drink I've finally looked around and noticed there are lots of people who don't drink or drink very little.
It is like when I bought a white car, I thought it was strange and that nobody owned a white car. I soon noticed that there were white cars everywhere! What's more, I read that white IS the most popular car color! Lol
If we are still drinking every perception we have is skewed from alcohol. If we drink we can be sure we are not seeing anything as it truly is.
But you have to stop to see this for yourself. You don't get to see it and THEN stop. That's the rub.
My view is I became power~FULL the day I chose to not drink.
I have chosen not to drink for 462 straight days now and every day I've gained a little bit more power.
When I drank I thought everyone drank. Now that I don't drink I've finally looked around and noticed there are lots of people who don't drink or drink very little.
It is like when I bought a white car, I thought it was strange and that nobody owned a white car. I soon noticed that there were white cars everywhere! What's more, I read that white IS the most popular car color! Lol
If we are still drinking every perception we have is skewed from alcohol. If we drink we can be sure we are not seeing anything as it truly is.
But you have to stop to see this for yourself. You don't get to see it and THEN stop. That's the rub.
Grateful
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NC
Posts: 1,763
Well any thoughts of me controlling my drinking were smashed at a fairly early age so there was really no debating that. I knew for me it was all or nothing. The saying "one is too much and 1000 is not enough defined me to a tee. So I know I'm not normal and came to terms with that pretty easily. My excuses to go back out were more along the lines of stress, resentments, self-pity, or just a plain old "I don't care anymore". There's a 1000 different ways for someone with the disease of alcoholism to talk himself into drinking, but thinking they can control it is right up there.
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: "I'm not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost ..."
Posts: 5,273
Anyone who has dealt with something life changing, be it addiction...or something else -divorce, a death, losing a limb, a serious illness, a change in careers, a child with a disability,...whatever it is, but something life changing...those that come through that successfully all have something in common.
They reframe what has happened to them. They turn perceived negatives to positives.
They shift their thinking. They see themselves as strong and capable and able to move forward, not just getting by but actually thriving, despite (or maybe because of) any adversity.
They literally create a new mindset.
There are others that have the same exact things happen to them, but they stay stuck.
The difference between existing and living is up to you.
They reframe what has happened to them. They turn perceived negatives to positives.
They shift their thinking. They see themselves as strong and capable and able to move forward, not just getting by but actually thriving, despite (or maybe because of) any adversity.
They literally create a new mindset.
There are others that have the same exact things happen to them, but they stay stuck.
The difference between existing and living is up to you.
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