Grace2

All good stuff Bruce. I like getting up early and having a peaceful half hour to myself whilst the rest of the house is sleeping. Can't say it's a beautiful day here this morning, it grey, wet and miserable. But hey, so what, I'm sober.

XXX

HFA

Start of day 6. Cravings were bad last nite. Found my self at the store late last nite, had to buy lunch stuff for the kid. Was tough not to get beer. Feeling low too. Can't remember if it was this depressing last time. I am sure it will pass for me , and for everyone else on the emotional roller coaster.

ebshot

Hang in there HFA, you'll make it through. Good job not buying the beer last night.

BruceJ

Isn't it amazing how the desperation/fear/anxiety/panic attacks/etc that got us here disappear from our memory so fast?

But the illussion that some beer would make things better comes right back.

The obsession part of this disease wastes no time in overpowering the allergy part.

Grace2

Hey HFA you did well, you didn't cave in. You know it was Mr Alcish*te trying it on with his evil persuasions. But you beat him. The emotional roller coaster is part of the healing process, out bodies have a lot of adjusting to do, we all seem to be on that ride and I'm sure it will even out. Just have to take it day by day, hour by hour sometimes.

You're right Bruce, that's why we have to be on our guard 24/7. xx

Big hugs

Gxx

WantToHeal

Beginning of Day 3 here...hope all of you are doing well! Maybe not perfect - we can't expect it to be - but good and reasonably stable.

We are strong. We can tolerate some discomfort in our lives and come out the other side, without alcohol, no worse for the wear and maybe with a few lifelong lessons. There's nothing wrong with us that alcohol can't absolutely make worse.

As for me, have a reasonably easy day at work coming up. This is good. Takes some of the pressure off and allows me to build some momentum in getting better.

Stay strong, classmates! Whether you're nearing 30 days or today is Day 1, you give me help and hope.

walkingwithgod

Good Morning. I have an appointment with my therapist today, and I want to explain everything to her. But, I am scared she will call me out on not bringing this up before and that I lied about how much I actually drink. Has anyone been through this?

WantToHeal

I don't think you have anything to worry about, WWG. I have been in and out of therapy (mostly in) for about 8 years. Simply express regret for withholding information, if you feel you need to (or not), and then be brutally honest.

Therapy is supposed to be a loving, supportive, safe environment. If you feel like it isn't for you, then there are other therapists out there. But I have yet to meet one that hadn't heard a much worse story than mine at some point in their career.

Therapy is like a transaction. You give up some control and complete honesty, and you therefore maximize the help your therapist is able to give you.

Grace2

Enjoy your day Wanttoheal. Some good points there.

Gx

Dee74

I think WantToHeals advice is great WWG

D

WantToHeal

Thanks, Dee! A lot of times I feel like I'm the last person who should be giving advice, but it actually helps me think through things in my own life.

Dee74

All we have is our experience WTH - I think yours is good advice
Have a good day everyone!

D

walkingwithgod

I just have such a hard time admitting my faults to my therapist as I don't want her to judge me because of my drinking.

WantToHeal

WWG, your experience is more common than you know. A therapist is there not to judge, but to help. Or else they won't be in business very long. Think of how many people would be put off by a judgmental therapist. Me included!

I'll use another analogy. If you're looking at a map, you can't get directions without a clear sense of where you've been and where you want to go. Your success is your therapist's success. She wants badly to give you those directions, but needs a bit more information first.

olympia

Agree you're giving some good advice WantToHeal. I don't think you have to be all the way there, or even close, to give good advice- if nothing else, as you said, it helps you to be giving it!

walkingwithgod- I understand your reluctance with your therapist, but I think there's much to be gained by being forthright with her, and a lot less to be lost than you fear. As WantToHeal said, there's a good chance she won't be surprised at all.

I'm up early again, and doing pretty well. Still not sleeping great (bladder issues, restless dreams), but I'm feeling pretty sane. Another beautiful day here. Some realities are really starting to take root in my head like never before, and this is good.

Grace2

Hi WWG, good to hear from you. I think it's highly unlikely that your therapist will judge you because you ommitted to tell her a few things. I think she will be delighted with your honesty because it will mean she can do her job properly and give you the correct help. Also I think that you being completely honest with her will start the healing process for you, I bet you will feel much better in yourself for being honest. It will feel like a weight lifted. Go for it, you can so do this.

Big hugs

GXX

Grace2

Olympia, good day to you. Sounds like your getting things in prospective. Great stuff.

Gx

SlimSlim

WWG


The Top Five Reasons NOT to Lie to Your Therapist

Introduction:
Let's face it, it's easier to lie to your therapist (and yourself) than to think you'll be judged by a third party. But, there are many reasons NOT to lie to your therapist - a few of which are detailed below.

1. You're Paying Your Therapist
What exactly is the point of lying to your therapist when you're shelling out perfectly good dollars for that 50 minute session? Being totally honest in your therapy session will get you the most bang for your buck and just might get you fewer therapy sessions.

2. You Won't Get Far In Therapy If You're Not Honest
If you're lying to your therapist, you haven't accepted the truths about yourself, and you won't reap the benefits of a good therapy session. Looking at yourself and your issues honestly will speed up your mental health recovery.

3. It's Hard to Keep Lies Straight
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.'

Get going on telling a lie and the details might be very difficult to remember when your therapist questions you - as you know he or she will. Best to lay it out there, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

4. You Might Start to Believe Your Own Tall Tales
Be a compulsive liar and tell enough lies and you might have a hard time distinguishing between the truth and the lies yourself. Living in a fantasy world might just be the reason you're in that therapy session anyway.

5. Your Therapist Can't Help You If You Lie
If your therapist believes the lies you tell him or her, there's a pretty good chance they'll give you the wrong suggestions or ways to correct the issues that are bothering you. If you're a compulsive liar, you might spend a lot more money in mental therapy sessions than you need to if you'd been straight with your therapist.

nonblondechef

As my confidence grew in myself and my therapist, I would inadvertantly share things in the course of conversation that just rolled off my tongue. I never lied to him - there was no point in that. I also have found he is pretty intuitive so why fight city hall, ya know?
Sobriety = shame minus guilt plus truth.

Happy Wednesday to all you awesome Augustians!! Way to go - keep it up!

BruceJ

I doubt that a therapist that has any experience with alcoholics has ever ran into an honest one. We lie....that's what we do. If we didn't lie to ourselves and others, we could hardly continue in our addiction.

I guess what I'm saying is they understand and regard it as progress when we finally get honest. And I guess it is.