Really4Real

Dee..... niiiiice avatar

FF - Enjoy the season... enjoy life around you... enjoy being able to appreciate things... enjoy being sober and not having to worry about not having to leave early from anywhere so that you can drink. A little gratitude goes a long way

I'm doing good..... all festive today. light dusting of snow on the ground. I'm so into Christmas. Makes me feel good that I'm sober and able to enjoy it.

Love y'all

FreeFall

Thanks for such an upbeat post R4R. Glad you have the Christmas spirit. I seem to get it and lose it and get it back again. Just about finished shopping and wrapping. Usually I'm still doing it Xmas Eve and morning. I figure not drinking is the reason for that so I'm excited about that. Hoping we get a little snow to liven things up.

Our bar is doing a last minute Xmas party. My drinking buddy immediately said "we'll all have to take cabs" (my old reaction exactly "oh goodie, an excuse to drink to excess" lol) I said "no you won't, I'll be the dd". It occurred to me that the previous party there in September I was arguing with my AV well in advance. This one I didn't even hear from the AV.

Really4Real

Funny, FF... I was drinking my seltzer water with natural flavoring in the Jeep today and thought it looked a lot like vodka.... gave me just a twinge of an urge. Ok, enough of that. Happy thoughts... like soberity is the new fad and we're in the 'in' crowd

Got my Christmas shopping done. Buckeyes all done... just have to do a piece of calligraphy for my sister... she'll be surprised. I told her I got her something, but she doesn't know. Time to relax and eat chicken and mashed potatoes!

Later, my Julianite friends!

FreeFall

Christmas party tonight was a bore. Low attendance and no one really into it. Easy to go home early.

Still worried about my friend. Last night after she had praised me for not drinking she mentioned that she had quit for 2 months this summer after she got out of the hospital and "didn't see one positive health benefit". The scary thing is she's in such heavy denial that I think she's convinced herself that she did quit but I know she didn't stop for even a full week. She's still having health episodes and her condition is aggravated by drinking (and probably caused by drinking). Just venting-I know there's nothing I can do but it's scary. I just keep trying to tell her how much better I feel, and how I love never worrying about a dui or having hangovers.

On a brighter note, I hope everyone checks in during the holidays. May you enjoy yourself whatever you're doing, and sail through the celebrations sober. Looking forward to starting a new year with all of you

LadyinBC

July 21, 2012 first day of being sober and still sober today. Hope that doesn't sound conceited I am just so thankful I have made it this far.

Dee74

Merry Christmas to all you guys - and well done!

D

Mel12

Hi Sentso,

I hope all is well with you as the New Year approaches! My update is that I am feeling much better without the alcohol.

You ask about my past experience and take on meditation paths. I tend to keep my stories to myself since sometimes people get offended. But since you have asked twice, I'll take the risk. Here goes.

I was deep into meditation for over ten years and in that time experienced a great deal and participated in many different settings and subcultures. I could say a lot about amazing, quasi-magical experiences and adventures I have had. There is no shortage of those sorts of anecdotes, so what I would say would probably sound familiar. I had a great time.

What is not heard about enough, IMHO, are the negatives. To anyone thinking of going beyond a casual relationship with meditation, I would emphasize CAVEAT EMPTOR. I have seen a LOT of SERIOUS damage from these paths and techniques. The culture surrounding meditation is well oiled in brushing the problems under the rug. Fortunately, a fuller picture is starting to emerge, largely because of the internet.

To anyone getting intense about either meditation or the philosophies associated with it, I offer a warning: it is a mistake to shrug off side effects or to ignore your inner voice when it forms negative judgments about what is going on--even if "everyone" tells you the whole point is to transcend judgments and the body.

Positive testimonials are a dime a dozen. Every path (including drug abuse paths) offer testimonials as proof of how great something is. I believe one would do well to use the internet, to not dismiss alternate viewpoints that are thereby discovered, and to proceed with caution.

I hope everyone is doing well with their sober recovery!

Mel

Really4Real

Wow.... great views and insight into the meditation thing, Mel. I haven't tried any of that, but finally got my basement cleaned up so I have a quiet, safe place to go to learn to relax.

FF - Sorry about your friend. Hope they come around soon.

I'm doing ok. Faint twinges of drinking, but nothing spectacular. I think we're going to make it through Christmas anyway!

Be strong everyone.... oh , and welcome LBC!

FreeFall

Glad you checked in Mel, and good points about exploring the whole picture before diving into something completely new.

Welcome LadyinBC-you have a right to be proud of yourself-we all know just how hard it is, especially in the beginning. Nice to have another July person join the gang

Having a very peaceful Christmas Eve. Mom is in bed, cats are asleep, almost everything is done. Normally at this point in the game I'm exhausted, stressed, and getting cranky. I'm liking this a whole lot better. I even made creative gifts this year! Sober really is the new cool

Hope Santa brings you what you wish for. I KNOW you've been good!!

Sentso

Hi guys!

Don't have much time, sorry, with my family in the south. Im alright, haven't been drinking of course! Going to a buddhist monastery in a couple days for a week.
Your message is very very interesting Mel thank you. Ill come back later when I have more time. Im interested in meditation, and I think Ill follow this intuition next year, but Ill keep what you say in mind. Also Im naturally very suspicious in general, and I dont doubt that meditation can be a powerful but also dangerous thing.
I've been reading Food of the gods by McKenna lately, a very interestig book about drugs, plants and human evolution.

FF, R4R, Mel, Dee, and everyone else, I think about you. Hope you're all good. Keep it up!
xx

Really4Real

Happy Belated Christmas!

I'm doing good. Pressed for time though... going to chiropractor then massage on neck and back , then Trans-Siberian Orchestra.... everytime I write that TSO part, I get goosebumps and feel like a little kid. Probably because I know all the words to the songs and I'm just excited

Have a most excellent day everyone. This time of year can be a bummer or it can be the best time of our lives... we are free to choose that now.

Dee74

hi Sentso - enjoy your retreat

enjoy TSO R4R

D

FreeFall

Nice to hear people excited about sober activities! TSO should be wonderful. The retreat should be very cool Sentso, can't wait to hear what you take away from it.

I just realized something. Each year I think to myself that my New Year's resolution should be to quit drinking and I always discard that notion almost immediately lol This year I will have actually done that. I guess the time was finally right.

Is anyone doing anything for New Year's Eve?

Really4Real

TSO was absolutely fabulous!!! I loved it.... hope they have a new once next year... I think they may.

Well, I'll be spending New Year's Eve either at home quietly with hubby or we are going to the church that has the Addiction Recovery in Christ meetings.... get to have communion at midnight... sounds good and a great way to start the new year.

Ok, Psychiatrist put be on Xanax as needed now. Mother got to me today and he realized that the klonopin wasn't doing the job fully. Therapist told me to stop trying to save the world... or a friend who is kind of stalking me at the moment... won't stop calling and stuff. Marriage counseling was the last one tonight and it was good.

So, ready for a new year.... guess I have to wait a few days

iwillwait

I'm here. Not drinking. Not happy. I miss a couple exes. Still alone. I miss the life I had when I was drunk and with the guy I'm missing. Don't get me wrong, Xmas was great. I was really content through the holiday. Now it just feels like I'm killing time waiting for nothing. Waiting for death. I thought I'd start living. I just feel lazy. EVERY DAY I would look forward to drinking. Now I look forward to eating and days off work. I think I really miss being with someone and this trying to find happiness within myself crap feels like it's never going to happen. Like it wasn't meant to happen. I'm not happy without love. Anyone relate?

Dee74

I found, after drinking for 20 years, I'd forgotten how to live...reaching for a bottle really saps your imagination....

If life feels a bit empty, why not think about things you'd like to do IWW...and go do them?

as for love...I found I was a far better partner for having spent some time getting to know myself?

if motivations and apathy are a problem, do you think it's possible you might be depressed?

D

FreeFall

IWW it's normal to feel lonely and kind of sad if you're the type of person who wants to be in a relationship and isn't. Before I met my boyfriend I felt like that all the time. I could function fine on my own, but it's just better (for me) with someone else. I've been with my boyfriend for years, and we have a good relationship but there are still times I miss exes because they were a different type than he is (loved holidays and socializing, he doesn't). It's also possible you're missing who you were when you were with them. Are there any social clubs in your area that you can join to meet new people?

I don't like having eating being something I look forward to either and it has become that. It is hard figuring out what to look forward to now, I've been struggling with that all along. I have things I like to do, and I'm not bored, but I'm not excited about much either. You're not alone in this stuff at all. I'm glad you enjoyed Christmas!

Really4Real

IWW.... stick with us. It's normal to lonely and all that around the holidays also... but we love you and you don't need to drink or whatever.

I almost bought be some near beer yesterday at the store and thought better of it. Does sound good though.

The tattoo thing went awry and I have an infection - went to a express clinic yesterday and they gave me two antibiotics and said I may have to go to the hospital for IV antibiotics... so I hope the pills work

But I'm sober... and we're almost passed New Year's. Let's go this gang... we CAN do this

Dee74

why does near beer sound good R4R?

D

Really4Real

Well, Dee because I'm strange... just figured that it would be better if I had that around than the real stuff. Ok, yeah... where's the urge coming from? Why did I try to abrasion my tattoo? Probably both the same reason. Gotta journal that later.

Anywho... HAPPY SOBER NEW YEAR'S EVE - and may God bless us one and all (with even more sobriety in the new year).