Class of August 2013 - Part 9
Administrator
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,438
Class of August 2013 - Part 9
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: U.S.
Posts: 327
Jdooner I'm inspired by your posts and excited for your upcoming travels and television appearances. I watch the Today Show every morning, brother! Say "Hi" to Matt Lauer and the gang and best wishes on your world tour.
Not much new to report here. Reached the 5-month sobriety mark last night and I'm thinking we're all on course to celebrate the same if not already. Congratulations. It's nice to be here at a point in which it's all the more closer to the mid-year point.
The holidays were wonderful and yet I'm somewhat relieved to have them in the past and moving forward into 2014. On a side note, this is the first holiday season in many years in which I didn't gain weight! This surprised the hell out of me when I got on the scale January 1. I sure had my share of sweets and heavy meals this year, but now I'm convinced that my weight gains in past Christmases/Thanksgiving/New Years were due to mass amounts of beer and wine drinking.
Not much new to report here. Reached the 5-month sobriety mark last night and I'm thinking we're all on course to celebrate the same if not already. Congratulations. It's nice to be here at a point in which it's all the more closer to the mid-year point.
The holidays were wonderful and yet I'm somewhat relieved to have them in the past and moving forward into 2014. On a side note, this is the first holiday season in many years in which I didn't gain weight! This surprised the hell out of me when I got on the scale January 1. I sure had my share of sweets and heavy meals this year, but now I'm convinced that my weight gains in past Christmases/Thanksgiving/New Years were due to mass amounts of beer and wine drinking.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 4,860
Bunny rabbit! Awww, FG!
Hope this note finds all are doing well. Congrats, George!
Things are fairly decent on this end. I'm a tired girl tonight so not a real long post. Just want to let everyone know you're in my thoughts.
May we all have a peaceful, healthy and sober weekend.
Thawing,
V.
Hope this note finds all are doing well. Congrats, George!
Things are fairly decent on this end. I'm a tired girl tonight so not a real long post. Just want to let everyone know you're in my thoughts.
May we all have a peaceful, healthy and sober weekend.
Thawing,
V.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Oregon
Posts: 4,252
Congratulations on 5 months, George. That is quite a milestone! And I'm glad you had wonderful holidays and came out without your pants being too tight! Keep up,the good work , George. You deserve every good thing. Love, Elseware
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Oregon
Posts: 4,252
I saw a psychiatrist on Thursday. It was fine. And interesting experience. He just listened to me go on about everything and didn't say much ( which made me nervous ) except that he felt I was doing ok under the circumstances. He was encouraging. It was kind of a letdown, but it was good to pour it all out to someone. I guess I expected some grand pronouncement or something to make it all easier. There are no quick fixes. I'm going to keep seeing him.
Thursday night I went to a concert and actually had fun. I see I do have some endorphins coming back which felt nice. We even danced!
Then yesterday I had SO much work to do and I felt very depressed and irritable and tired. Maybe I stayed out too late? It felt like there was a huge mountain in front of me and I had to climb over it to get anything done. I sat down for a minute and thought about whether or not there was anything else I would rather be doing and there really wasn't. I don't know what this is about or why I have this but it is not new. Just worse sometimes. I did discuss it with the doctor. I do know I used to take pills to overcome that sense of inertia and give me a kick start. Do any of you have trouble with this? This place is going to fall into ruin if I don't overcome this. I worry about that. Everywhere I look: Work. I actually did hire someone to come in to help with some heavy stuff....but I still have oversee everything they do. And get things ready for them....I'm a sniveler today. Sorry
Thursday night I went to a concert and actually had fun. I see I do have some endorphins coming back which felt nice. We even danced!
Then yesterday I had SO much work to do and I felt very depressed and irritable and tired. Maybe I stayed out too late? It felt like there was a huge mountain in front of me and I had to climb over it to get anything done. I sat down for a minute and thought about whether or not there was anything else I would rather be doing and there really wasn't. I don't know what this is about or why I have this but it is not new. Just worse sometimes. I did discuss it with the doctor. I do know I used to take pills to overcome that sense of inertia and give me a kick start. Do any of you have trouble with this? This place is going to fall into ruin if I don't overcome this. I worry about that. Everywhere I look: Work. I actually did hire someone to come in to help with some heavy stuff....but I still have oversee everything they do. And get things ready for them....I'm a sniveler today. Sorry
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 4,860
Hi, all --
Hope this is a restful weekend for classmates!
Elseware, I had wondered how things went with the psychiatrist. Physicians are a lot like the fabled "recovery fairy," aren't they? They don't have a magic wand.
That said, I've been thinking about seeing a counselor. There's nothing particularly amiss here -- at least nothing that isn't the norm, I think, for recovery. But I wondered whether it might help just to pour it all out, too. I have been finding it a little hard to concentrate at work. Perhaps that is just the brain getting rejiggered. (Of course, it's better than "in the day.")
I totally get what you mean about inertia. I need to vacuum and dust and do laundry. And work out. And all I really want to do is go to a movie and just soak in something else. I may take in "August: Osage County." Plan A for today was to drive over to Wisconsin and see how my parents are doing. But my mother said the roads are slippery in our neck of the woods, repeating what I've seen on a couple FB postings. Bad roads = scared Venecia.
So, to paraphrase the old saying, "if you feel like sniveling, come sit next to me!"
Hope this is a restful weekend for classmates!
Elseware, I had wondered how things went with the psychiatrist. Physicians are a lot like the fabled "recovery fairy," aren't they? They don't have a magic wand.
That said, I've been thinking about seeing a counselor. There's nothing particularly amiss here -- at least nothing that isn't the norm, I think, for recovery. But I wondered whether it might help just to pour it all out, too. I have been finding it a little hard to concentrate at work. Perhaps that is just the brain getting rejiggered. (Of course, it's better than "in the day.")
I totally get what you mean about inertia. I need to vacuum and dust and do laundry. And work out. And all I really want to do is go to a movie and just soak in something else. I may take in "August: Osage County." Plan A for today was to drive over to Wisconsin and see how my parents are doing. But my mother said the roads are slippery in our neck of the woods, repeating what I've seen on a couple FB postings. Bad roads = scared Venecia.
So, to paraphrase the old saying, "if you feel like sniveling, come sit next to me!"
Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Southern U.S.
Posts: 1,030
Elseware and Venecia, count me in the I don't know how or I am resisting getting started in what I need to do today. I feel overwhelmed. I need to get a lot done around the house that I've put off (the usual laundry, dishes, vacuuming, etc.) and I also need to work on my syllabi and I feel like I'm going in circles. My thinking goes something like, well, I won't be able to focus on my syllabi until my space is clean...but I won't be able to focus on cleaning until my syllabi are done, and so I freeze and do nothing.
I did make it to my office yesterday and got some things done, but I also got a little stressed about the semester starting up again (the whole change thing that should sort itself out once school gets underway).
I'm going to take some inspiration from you guys in that we're in it together and just start the laundry, clean the kitchen, and hope the momentum leads to other things. I have all day tomorrow to get things done too (but sometimes that kind of thinking is my downfall...'I'll do it tomorrow'). I'd like to borrow some of JD's energy right about now! At least we're not hungover, so there is a bright side in all of this.
I did make it to my office yesterday and got some things done, but I also got a little stressed about the semester starting up again (the whole change thing that should sort itself out once school gets underway).
I'm going to take some inspiration from you guys in that we're in it together and just start the laundry, clean the kitchen, and hope the momentum leads to other things. I have all day tomorrow to get things done too (but sometimes that kind of thinking is my downfall...'I'll do it tomorrow'). I'd like to borrow some of JD's energy right about now! At least we're not hungover, so there is a bright side in all of this.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Oregon
Posts: 4,252
Venecia, I saw "August: Osage County" performed on the stage in Ashland, Oregon. It was wonderful. Rather intense but very well written and a great production. I can't wait to see it on screen. Let me know if it's good! It kind of reminded me of growing up with my mother....
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 728
Here an extra day at camp due to icy conditions...a bit bored! Feel kind of bad that this camp is my husband and my dream getaway and I feel like jumping out of my skin! Use to handle these feelings with Char! Oh well , thank goodness I have my knitting and rug hooking plus a good book" something borr wed" by Emily griffin .
Two more hours till PATS....
Two more hours till PATS....
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Oregon
Posts: 4,252
Oceanlady. Right at this moment it is snowing sideways so I'm housebound, too. I've been like a crazed fool today! Not knowing what to do with myself. I baked bread and knitted and washed clothes....I've been feeling so weird since seeing the psychiatrist. I was hoping for more from him. Like maybe some advice. I am having a harder time of it, watching my husband with his bottle of gin and his bottle of pills. "Medicinal". For his sore neck. That stuff is not going to leave this place anytime soon. And I guess, I'm learning to deal. But I think it's a little harder on me right now than it needs to be. I am sort of mad with my husband. But this is about me. Not him. But I'm still going around with a knot in my stomach.
One good thing I did for myself is to go for a three mile run and it felt great. My knees were fine. It was easier than I expected. I felt great afterwards. Today I was a little sore, but good sore.
One good thing I did for myself is to go for a three mile run and it felt great. My knees were fine. It was easier than I expected. I felt great afterwards. Today I was a little sore, but good sore.
Last edited by Elseware; 01-11-2014 at 05:16 PM. Reason: Error
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Sonoran Desert & Southeast Asia
Posts: 6,561
Just drove over the pass to my place in the mountains. It is storming fiercely on the west side of the Cascades, with heavy rain and 50-60 mph wind gusts. Over here? Delightful, soft snow, with big fat flakes. Cozied up to the fire and reading.
I have also been fighting my laziness and procrastination for several months now. Quitting the beer and wine did absolutely nothing to improve the situation. In fact, all my obsessions and other behaviors continue unabated, if not worse. I believe that some step work or spiritual development might help to gain a sense of purpose and re-energize me, but quitting the booze sure didn't.
Else, I have found I prefer psychologists to psychiatrists as they seem more interested in a non-drug approach, ie. cognitive behavioral therapy. Find someone you like and plan on several to many meetings if you expect to gain any benefit and for them to begin to see your patterns of behavior and thinking. And to help you correct it. Just the way it is. On the other hand, you do need to click with them and personally I prefer those who understand addiction, and also who are engaged from session to session.
I have also been fighting my laziness and procrastination for several months now. Quitting the beer and wine did absolutely nothing to improve the situation. In fact, all my obsessions and other behaviors continue unabated, if not worse. I believe that some step work or spiritual development might help to gain a sense of purpose and re-energize me, but quitting the booze sure didn't.
Else, I have found I prefer psychologists to psychiatrists as they seem more interested in a non-drug approach, ie. cognitive behavioral therapy. Find someone you like and plan on several to many meetings if you expect to gain any benefit and for them to begin to see your patterns of behavior and thinking. And to help you correct it. Just the way it is. On the other hand, you do need to click with them and personally I prefer those who understand addiction, and also who are engaged from session to session.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
