daviddocum

I'm going to exercise 60 minutes a day.

I'm going to read fiction instead of watching TV.

I'm going to keep my house neat and tidy.

I'm not going to think about it, I'm just going to DO IT.

I'm not doing 12 steps.

I'm not feeling sorry for myself.

I'm not telling every soul on the planet I'm quitting.

I'm not reading any books about addiction.

I know what my problem is, I know why I drink, it's no big fricken mystery. I know why I want to stop, I know why I need to stop, again not rocket science.

One thing I want to do is start a podcast to document this process. I feel this is the way I want to express the feelings I need to deal with to stay off the bottle. It will also keep me busy and positive.

This is where I need YOUR HELP! Does anyone out there want to do a podcast with me? You don't need any experience, all you need is to be willing to talk. I would like to find one consistent person and then maybe some guest hosts down the road. It can be as anonymous as you want, that part is up to you.

Technical Requirements:
-Ability to string more than two sentences together
-Any stage of recover is fine
-Any method of recover is fine
-Reliable Internet Connection
-Decent sounding mic or headset

If you have any questions please post them here, or send a private message.

Thanks for your support.

BHF

MY Recovery Plan -- help required please
I'm going to exercise 60 minutes a day.
I'm going to read fiction instead of watching TV.
I'm going to keep my house neat and tidy.
I'm not going to think about it, I'm just going to DO IT.
I'm not doing 12 steps.
I'm not feeling sorry for myself.
I'm not telling every soul on the planet I'm quitting.
I'm not reading any books about addiction.
I know what my problem is, I know why I drink, it's no big fricken mystery. I know why I want to stop, I know why I need to stop, again not rocket science.
One thing I want to do is start a podcast to document this process. I feel this is the way I want to express the feelings I need to deal with to stay off the bottle. It will also keep me busy and positive.

I admit, not everyone needs a 12 step program to simply quit drinking. Actually, the 12 steps are designed to keep people from strating back again, but you may not need that either. If I could have simply quit and stay quit, I would have done so. I couldnt, I really wish you luck....
But what's the podcast gonna document? Just you not drinking?

daviddocum

Both my experience of what got me there and what it took to quit and stay sober, as well as any experiences of whoever I can get to do this with me.

Later on it will talk about general sobriety issues.

Dee74

Hi David

I remember trying to full my life up with *stuff* - going to the gym, not watching TV, reading more, eating healthy food - none of that ever worked for long because I wasn't actually dealing or even engaging with my addiction...I was just 'keeping busy' - and if anything keeping busy made me want alcohol more because I believed I deserved to 'wind down'.

I later realised I didn't need to replace my drinking with anything...I just needed a change - from the ground up.

so although I admire your enthusiasm, and have no wish to bring you down - my advice to you and anyone else reading is don't be fooled like I was - be sure you're engaging with your addiction - be sure you're dealing with it - and not just *doing stuff*.

D

daviddocum

Well the Podcast part of my plan is where I'll be "dealing with it". This is where I will explore the details of "why". The other stuff is just stuff to do instead of drinking my face off at night.

Supercrew

I like your plan. It sounds quite similar to what I did, except I researched everything I could find on alcoholism and what I needed to do to understand and fix my problem.

You are right, it's not "rocket science", but it does take a strong mind and a strong will, and for me at least a true reason to change my subconscious mind.

Good luck on your journey!

WritingFromLife

I, too, admire your enthusiasm and direction. Sounds like you will be helping others with the podcast, and that is a huge part of recovery! I must say, the books on addiction have helped me tremendously--I personally believe one needs to know all they can about the things that are important in their life--I would do this same reading if I had parenting problems or diabetes. I can understand you don't want to read all the stories that may be victim centered, but there is so much more than that. It's also easy to overread/research and not take any action. Balance. Anyway, just my opinion. Wanted you to know the books aren't all that bad! Good luck and keep us posted! Excited for you!

daviddocum

Oops, I guess I should have mentioned that I have read the books in the past and have gotten a lot out of them. Not enough to put me over the tipping point though, which is why this time I'm trying something different. Also I used to be a ferocious Literature enthusiast, and when I was I rarely drank. TV was and easy way out for me, but not anymore.

There are quite a few entertaining and helpful podcasts out there, hopefully I can provide one for the recovery community as well.

SSIL75

In my recovery I think I wound up doing a lot of what you're writing but a little distinction that made it different from my other 'keep busy' attempts was that I used some of those things in direct response to stresses. As conscious things to help me deal with real life.

So instead of 'lalala i'm not drinking i'm too busy because I'm reading'... I would more feel tense or feel a craving and consciously deal with that feeling in other ways. "I feel tense. What can I use to help me keep calm? I can go work out and see how I feel afterwards".

So for me living consciously was a really important tool. And actually remains an important tool (9 mos later).

Good luck!

EmeraldRose

Me, too. After hitting 6 week rehab I had a revelation and everything became clear. Everything was understandable and it does make it easier not to go back to drinking.
After a 30 year addiction it was time to change the person who I was. I had to look deep within and try to come to terms with the person I really was. The person I had been all those years and never even had a chance to really know.
Understanding why you drank and knowing why you need to stop is key. BUT you need to change why you drank from within. That means getting in touch with your feelings...your emotions...learning how to deal with life sober. Taking it one day at a time...and hurdling obstacles as they appear not running around them and leaving them to fester like we would while drinking. All the ideas and hobbies and books in the world won't work if you aren't willing to change your heart.

Lionne

Hey David,
I too think understanding why you drink is important, because the causes willl not go away once you quit alcohol. If you know what your problem is and why you drink, that's good, because then, you can also look at what you need to do to tackle these issues. And if that involves getting outside help to deal with the reasons, consider it, because it can help you stay sober.

Anna

I agree with the comments that the 'why' is crucial.

Stopping drinking is the beginning. That's when the hard work begins.

It's fine to keep yourself busy, but for me, it took changing everything, from the inside out.

Carrie36

i think everyone's recovery plan is extremely personal. What works for one may not work for another. I applaud you for your proactive and (slightly unconventional?) approach to sobriety! I wish you success with your plan, and your podcast.

OklaBH

Good luck! Once the poison is out of your system all the hard work will be worth it!

daviddocum

Yes, don't worry I was not unaware of the irony of that statement. However I will not be using my real last name on the podcast so it will be "semi" anonymous.


And if by chance someone recognizes my voice (not sure who that would be since I'm the only person in my family/group of friends that even know what a podcast is) I'm ok with that.

I'm not afraid to tell people I have a problem, I'm just not going to go out of my way to tell friends and family.

I don't' need them to hide or avoid booze around me. I can easily hang out with people who drink and stay dry, that was never the issue. My issue was when I got home alone.

daviddocum

Thank you very much, I believe there is more than one way to solve this problem and I'm looking forward to talking to others about their experiences.

If there was only one solution and it worked, there wouldn't be a sobriety issue.

Until that happens I think we need to explore any/all options.

But please don't compete with my Podcast! LOL

JK Hey if it works for me I hope other people try.

michelle01

I want to wish you luck, it's an interesting idea. Don't be afraid though to change certain things in the plan at some point if you have to. I didn't stick with AA either, but there are other options out there...

I myself tried lots of things to get sober, I exhausted myself in the process. I think that recovery really began when I went to the local health authorities and just told them straight I had no idea what I was doing, so could they help me? The things you are suggesting are good and positive things in themselves. I used the Internet to journal my own recovery, though I'm not comfortable with chat, so I had my blog. Just please as others are saying, be sure you are addressing the real recovery issues too, not just applying bandaid fixes or trying to avoid them with the 'staying busy', because sooner or later they do tend to catch up with you.

daviddocum

Thanks for all your comments, I hope to have the first podcast up next week.

erikm02

Look forward to it. Post the podcast here and hopefully I'm still here to check it out

StayStopped

Hope you find some enlightenment with the podcast.

I first stopped after a stint in rehab. Everyone told me there must be underlying reasons. I spent 15 months sober, seeing psychiatrists, psychologists, councellors and groups.

In the end, I found no hidden reason, I had simple become physically addicted to alcohol, through years of drinking.