I quit drinking using the techniques espoused by Rational Recovery, which basically says that we are of two brains, an animal brain that keeps us alive by making sure we breathe, eat, and stay warm and safe, and our higher level thinking human brain. The animal brain is basically operating out of sight, processing stimuli a third of a second faster than our human brain does. (In RR thinking, alcoholism is caused by a chemical or neural rewiring in our brains that make our animal brains think we need alcohol to survive, just like food. Hence, it is constantly sending sometimes subtle, sometimes overt messages to our human brain to drink.) What really fascinates me is that gray area where information is handed off and deliberated between our two brains. Perhaps, this is what causes our various mental states.

Gilmer, maybe your edginess is being caused by too much information being relayed from your animal brain to your higher brain. Or maybe it is sending conflicting information to it, and your higher level brain is scrambling around trying to figure out what information is important, and what can be safely disregarded. Hence, you feel that your mind is constantly racing, and it is unsettling.

Courage, perhaps you have inadvertently discovered this realm, where you are simply watching information being shared between your brains in a non judgmental way. More likely, you are operating in a hereto unrecognizable part of your human brain, a zen state usually obtainable only by psychedelics or Ram Dass level meditation. Your thinking implies a third eye view of brain functioning, as though you are watching yourself from above. It doesn't seem to be freaking you out, so I say run with it for a bit. But what do I know? I work in a grocery store.

Del, that sux big time and I'm very sorry. Hang in there and don't chuck it all away in frustration. It won't do you any good jumping off the ladder you are trying to climb. You could really hurt yourself.

Carlos, bring a little warm weather up with you please. It's been nothing but rainy and cool for days in Pennsylvania. Talk about June gloom.

Have a good day all!

Same to you, sg

Stargazer, grocery stores are very good places. Nurturing. Exciting for children.

My husband says why take drugs or drink when our brains can do so many fun & freaky things without them? I'm surfing on hypnagogery; a few weeks ago I had a rock rolling around in my ear canal so wildly spinning I couldn't walk.

Gilmer, going on stargazer's idea, maybe you can cultivate an inner mediator to talk to the two sides of your mental debate. I'll bet your "middle voice" would be a wise, kind, spiritual jokester.

Carlos, keep in touch during your trip. Even when you're ready to go, moves are hard. -- Ask Glee! speaking of...

Good day wishes to all, double for those struggling with bad news or thoughts.

On a bit of a boring internal conference call so I thought I'd send a quick note.

A good recovery friend sent me a note today that she is celebrating a milestone. It was nice because she went through a very difficult relapse and I worked with her through some rather difficult patches. Her thank you...well, simply put, made my day.

Thanks, SG. I find that incredibly useful and encouraging!

And Cour, I like the idea of deliberately assigning myself an inner arbiter! I like the model you suggest. You know whose persona comes to mind for me? Ronald Reagan's!

I realize that many did not like his policies, but very few people hated HIM. He was kindly, jovial, good-natured, and magnanimous.

I wish I could be that kind of inner arbiter!

Warning: Don't do lists. I'm afraid of my list. I need an anti-list.

I beg you, don't be seduced by anything I've ever written about the elegance, the problem-solving benefits, and the soothing qualities of good list-making. So does a fine whiskey elegantly, soothingly seem to solve all problems. While your self-sufficiency and freedom dwindle away.

Can you limit it to broader categories?

But maybe with the high level of detail of your lists, limiting the categories is like trying to moderate alcohol intake!

What happens if you simply plan to do less?

Start with a list of non-lists.

I've just scheduled in detail to the end of this month, created a template for July, added overall summer goals (because work on spring goals has been deemed in need of major revisions), and massaged through August to accommodate the additions.

Also, on Sunday I'm flying to Pittsburgh to sit in conference rooms for 3 days and mouth the party line.

I know perfectly well at least one reason why I drank.

Time to try to hear brain-hum.

We should choose a name for our next thread, if there is to be one, in about 10 posts.

forward- no re-whineding?

Were we still thinking of incorporating POWER into the title?

Powhining up?

There's already a Whiner's Thread -- and I can't go there because of all the cat pictures!

I'll go with anything. I've a fondness for acronyms that don't stand for anything.

The Power Of Sobriety Thread (POST!)

OOPS- WRONG THREAD...
hOW 'BOUT tHE FIST OF KUNG-POW?

There ya go.

Sure. Post. Something else I could punch.

Yeah this him not showing up doesn't just make him a jerk. He grabbed his paddle and jumped in his douche canoe. This means the custody issue will lag on for possibly another year.

My lists have lists that's like what you're going through Right?
Maybe get them neutered or spayed. Or get yourself some index cards.
Give yourself a post to put them on. Limited amounts and lengths only.
Just some ideas. I'm
Just coasting.

My head hurts.
I cried screamed and threw and punched crap around in my van yesterday after I landed and started my hour and a half drive home.

Whatever. He just screwed me and my son over just for the sake of power trip and control games.

Who is the one with the problem again??

Blah blah.

((Delz))

D

Time for a new thread guys

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...i-s-t-3-a.html

I wanted to get away from 'fist' so P.O.S.T. it is - sounds good.

Next time someone other than Courage can pick, lol

D