Escapism versus sobriety
yasmin
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: london,uk
Posts: 15
Escapism versus sobriety
Has anyone got the answer to Why we Escape and suffer the consequences knowingly, and binge on everything that we can get our hands on, to escape from what???? its all still there in the morning!!!!!!!!!!! Are we crazy????
We put ourselves in pain and even more pain, and we somehow get pleasure from taking the pain to an extreme, but what r we trying to prove and too who???
Fellow addicts/alcoholics your answers and thought are needed very much at this time!!!!!!!!!!!
We put ourselves in pain and even more pain, and we somehow get pleasure from taking the pain to an extreme, but what r we trying to prove and too who???
Fellow addicts/alcoholics your answers and thought are needed very much at this time!!!!!!!!!!!
Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: NJ
Posts: 7
Yasmin
First let me say, congratulations on making some difficult choices, I just read some of your posts, and if I may, I would like to offer support. I am new here, and while I may not totally fit this forum's dynamic, I can sympathize and relate to your feelings.
I think it is a matter of a comfort zone. I display some addictive behaviors, when stressed as well. My drug of choice is nicotine, and while I realize it is not healthy, I think I have tricked myself to justify the need for that immediate relief, or instant comfort.
If you read my brief intro, my children's father is an alcoholic. Through his experiance, I have come to understand, many of the nuances, although I admit, Iam lost as well.
In any case, good luck to you!
L
First let me say, congratulations on making some difficult choices, I just read some of your posts, and if I may, I would like to offer support. I am new here, and while I may not totally fit this forum's dynamic, I can sympathize and relate to your feelings.
I think it is a matter of a comfort zone. I display some addictive behaviors, when stressed as well. My drug of choice is nicotine, and while I realize it is not healthy, I think I have tricked myself to justify the need for that immediate relief, or instant comfort.
If you read my brief intro, my children's father is an alcoholic. Through his experiance, I have come to understand, many of the nuances, although I admit, Iam lost as well.
In any case, good luck to you!
L
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Somwhere over the rainbow
Posts: 1,175
LMAO that is the best summary of the "insanity" of addiction that I have ever read. That is the very heart of addiction, the irrationality of the thought process that leads us to overlook the very real and very serious negative consequences of the addiction in order to continue with it.
For instance, I was actually to the point that I wasn't even getting anything from the alcohol anymore without drinking insane amounts. It started with 2-4 beer and evolved to a 5th of scotch a night. Then up to a fifth of scotch and some extrastrength beer (1 litre) or even a 26oz of scotch at a time.
My body had become so adapted to the crap that I actually had to switch between types of alcohol to really feel anything of a buzz and it was so short lived and unpleasant I couldn't see the reason for continuing, yet I did.
Now I am sober and look back and am amazed I drank anything at all when it was physically VERY unpleasant and the "buzz" was almost non existent.
Levi
For instance, I was actually to the point that I wasn't even getting anything from the alcohol anymore without drinking insane amounts. It started with 2-4 beer and evolved to a 5th of scotch a night. Then up to a fifth of scotch and some extrastrength beer (1 litre) or even a 26oz of scotch at a time.
My body had become so adapted to the crap that I actually had to switch between types of alcohol to really feel anything of a buzz and it was so short lived and unpleasant I couldn't see the reason for continuing, yet I did.
Now I am sober and look back and am amazed I drank anything at all when it was physically VERY unpleasant and the "buzz" was almost non existent.
Levi
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: anomaly
Posts: 2,180
mmm...in #2 of the 12 steps it say...
"Restore to sanity".....okay maybe i wasn't crazy, crazy, i wasn't sane either.
Honestly tho...I got wacked out becuase I was running from the pain,
but mostly becuase I just like getting wacked out all the freanken time.
okay...I love my work...i can stair at it all day...
"Restore to sanity".....okay maybe i wasn't crazy, crazy, i wasn't sane either.
Honestly tho...I got wacked out becuase I was running from the pain,
but mostly becuase I just like getting wacked out all the freanken time.
okay...I love my work...i can stair at it all day...
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,445
Great post Yasmin...y'know today looking at it, I haven't a clue what I thought I was achieving, but back in the day it felt like the most natural thing in the world...maybe I was scared of feeling ? Now I'm learning to love it...the good and the bad...it's called being *alive*.
D
D
Hope3
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Upstate, NY
Posts: 2,155
Yasmin, it's great that you are looking for answers, and
that you know you have a problem. The good news is that it
is a treatable manageable problem....Seek some type of help, this is a great support site, but you probably are going to need some type of program to overcome this.
It's ok, we have all been there, keep reading and learning, hope3
that you know you have a problem. The good news is that it
is a treatable manageable problem....Seek some type of help, this is a great support site, but you probably are going to need some type of program to overcome this.
It's ok, we have all been there, keep reading and learning, hope3
Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 26
I think, for myself, I use escapism as an excuse (of course). Although the problems are still there in the morning, when you make the decision to drink, you feel empowered whereas I feel like I have no power sometimes over the problems in my life. Thus, we turn to the drink to feel that there is at least something we control in our lives.
What we've all had to learn, however, is that everyone has problems beyond their control. Instead of drinking, we must just learn to accept that a)we are not responsible for everything that goes on around us and b) (especially for guys) we can't fix everything that goes wrong around us.
If we can accept those two basic premises, and let go of those things we can't change on our own, then we're left simply with our own alcohol problems - for which we can claim responsibility and hope to change with the help of friends and family et cetera.
Day 14, and I'm feeling great
What we've all had to learn, however, is that everyone has problems beyond their control. Instead of drinking, we must just learn to accept that a)we are not responsible for everything that goes on around us and b) (especially for guys) we can't fix everything that goes wrong around us.
If we can accept those two basic premises, and let go of those things we can't change on our own, then we're left simply with our own alcohol problems - for which we can claim responsibility and hope to change with the help of friends and family et cetera.
Day 14, and I'm feeling great
Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Murrieta, Ca
Posts: 2,683
When we alcoholics are active, we're crazy, we're insane. Not only that, but our entire perception about life is twisted and distorted. There is no other explanation.
The good news is that it gets better. I have been restored to sanity, and I know the word serenity. I found this through AA.
The good news is that it gets better. I have been restored to sanity, and I know the word serenity. I found this through AA.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 294
For a long time I tried to escape my problems by drinking. I know now that I wasn't escaping my problems at all. I was creating so many more problems for myself. I am grateful to be sober today and learning how to face life on life's terms.
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