Stinking Thinking
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 2,013
Stinking Thinking
The old classic 'stinking thinking'. It's a classic little AA coined phrase.
It's crucial to be able to recognise when you're slipping into this kind of thinking/mindset. If you were never even in recovery then you wouldn't even know that your thinking was deviating from the desired path.
Recovery has given me real self-awareness and clarity of thought, apart from when I'm going through a touch of the old stinking thinking. Then it's a case of working my recovery to get back into the clear, positive, gratitude thinking.
I tend to find that when my mind wonders outside of the present day then my thinking is liable to deviate. But it's really quite cool all of this recovery and sobriety.
I always find a sense of comfort in knowing that I ain't alone in my alcoholism, though for certain things it can sometimes feel that way. It's all working out though one day at a time.
The most important thing is to always take care of the basics well when it's going real effortlessly and your mind is in perfect harmony so that the 'tools' are there for when the balance is slightly off.
Keeping sober one day at a time is essential. I will never be able to have a sesh and do lines and pills and drink booze listening to music and just kicking back laughing and getting wrecked and wasted? Just for today then that's OK because I'm an alcoholic and addict.
peace
It's crucial to be able to recognise when you're slipping into this kind of thinking/mindset. If you were never even in recovery then you wouldn't even know that your thinking was deviating from the desired path.
Recovery has given me real self-awareness and clarity of thought, apart from when I'm going through a touch of the old stinking thinking. Then it's a case of working my recovery to get back into the clear, positive, gratitude thinking.
I tend to find that when my mind wonders outside of the present day then my thinking is liable to deviate. But it's really quite cool all of this recovery and sobriety.
I always find a sense of comfort in knowing that I ain't alone in my alcoholism, though for certain things it can sometimes feel that way. It's all working out though one day at a time.
The most important thing is to always take care of the basics well when it's going real effortlessly and your mind is in perfect harmony so that the 'tools' are there for when the balance is slightly off.
Keeping sober one day at a time is essential. I will never be able to have a sesh and do lines and pills and drink booze listening to music and just kicking back laughing and getting wrecked and wasted? Just for today then that's OK because I'm an alcoholic and addict.
peace
SR Fan
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 7,910
Thanks for the post, NEO. The most dangerous kind of thinking for me has been when I'm tempted to glamourize drinking, remembering only the good times and imagining that I'm missing out on something by being in sobriety.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Trying to drink without consequences was exhausting and ultimately didn't work. Alcohol affected every area of my life. I'm fortunate that I wasn't hospitalized, that I didn't run over someone in my car, that I stopped before my house was taken away from me.
When I start to think my problems are bigger than someone else's, or that I can drink again without consequences, I come here and read people's first posts. It reminds me that this is not about being able to have a drink at a party. It's about people's lives being destroyed everyday. Stinking thinking only happens for me when I forget that.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Trying to drink without consequences was exhausting and ultimately didn't work. Alcohol affected every area of my life. I'm fortunate that I wasn't hospitalized, that I didn't run over someone in my car, that I stopped before my house was taken away from me.
When I start to think my problems are bigger than someone else's, or that I can drink again without consequences, I come here and read people's first posts. It reminds me that this is not about being able to have a drink at a party. It's about people's lives being destroyed everyday. Stinking thinking only happens for me when I forget that.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 174
Absolutely awesome post and exactly what I needed to read today.
I can totally relate to the glamorization, when in reality my sober mind can recognize that the times were never as fun as they were made out to be. I don't ever ever ever remember waking up and thinking that the days of hangover were worth the 'party'.
I can totally relate to the glamorization, when in reality my sober mind can recognize that the times were never as fun as they were made out to be. I don't ever ever ever remember waking up and thinking that the days of hangover were worth the 'party'.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: The Present
Posts: 425
Thanks for the post NEO
One of the pitfalls of alcohol is that it reduces consciousness of who we really are and what we are really doing. Sobriety has enabled me to be more conscious of the thoughts that come and go and to make conscious choices. Yes, I have stinking thinking... and I recognize it and observe it. It's just thought. Not so long ago, I would have grabbed the thought and run with it to the nearest pub. Walking on the mountain the other day, the thought entered my mind "hell, a cold beer or two would be brilliant after this" I looked at that thought for about 15 minutes, then the thought got tired and floated off into the stratosphere, where it popped like a tired balloon. I went home and had an ice cream and coke. Mmmm
One of the pitfalls of alcohol is that it reduces consciousness of who we really are and what we are really doing. Sobriety has enabled me to be more conscious of the thoughts that come and go and to make conscious choices. Yes, I have stinking thinking... and I recognize it and observe it. It's just thought. Not so long ago, I would have grabbed the thought and run with it to the nearest pub. Walking on the mountain the other day, the thought entered my mind "hell, a cold beer or two would be brilliant after this" I looked at that thought for about 15 minutes, then the thought got tired and floated off into the stratosphere, where it popped like a tired balloon. I went home and had an ice cream and coke. Mmmm
Awakening...
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: in the present
Posts: 1,125
Yes, my gray matter still tries to wage war with me. I've had a sort of rough time between my 5th and 7th months. I just observe my thoughts, let them come and let them go. I am much more at peace once again.
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