Camping > I mean, SERIOUSLY, NOW.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: near Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 377
Camping > I mean, SERIOUSLY, NOW.
One of my best friends booked a campsite for the August 6 weekend.
He told me this yesterday - it is him, another mutual great friend of ours, and my 2 brothers...I immediately told him that I MYSELF could not possibly go...because I would find myself swimming in a sea of whisky by 9 pm the first night out camping.
At least, I know ONE thing to avoid, this summer.
Peace.
Kelly
He told me this yesterday - it is him, another mutual great friend of ours, and my 2 brothers...I immediately told him that I MYSELF could not possibly go...because I would find myself swimming in a sea of whisky by 9 pm the first night out camping.
At least, I know ONE thing to avoid, this summer.
Peace.
Kelly
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: near Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 377
NO summer
I have vivid memories of beer and wine coolers and whisky....can't even IMAGINE E N J O Y I N G myself without it...I guess I am TRULY far gone.
Camping + Drunk > hardwired, I am...not matter HOW MUCH I can stay sober when NOT camping.
Kelly the Non-Camper.
Camping + Drunk > hardwired, I am...not matter HOW MUCH I can stay sober when NOT camping.
Kelly the Non-Camper.
Maybe go camping if that is something you enjoy doing...with your family sober next summer?
Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 79
Originally Posted by KellyEurope 
I have vivid memories of beer and wine coolers and whisky....can't even IMAGINE E N J O Y I N G myself without it...I guess I am TRULY far gone.
Camping + Drunk > hardwired, I am...not matter HOW MUCH I can stay sober when NOT camping.
Kelly the Non-Camper.
Camping + Drunk > hardwired, I am...not matter HOW MUCH I can stay sober when NOT camping.
Kelly the Non-Camper.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Arizona
Posts: 51
On my road in recovery I've heard "them" say that once you get sober it's good to try to do the opposite of what you used to do.
Such as the same old drive you used to take to work, try a different route. Or the same meal you order at Mickey D's, try new ones. Even the way you do your chores at home, do them in a different order in a different way.
It changes the patterns in our brains because they are so hard-wired to the old way of thinking. If you change your pattern of thinking you will get different results.
So maybe instead of camping...You could do a Hotel in a new city? Or stay at home with a movie and no kids? Try something new and Exciting!
It's hard to change your old pattern of thinking but we can do it.
Good luck!
Such as the same old drive you used to take to work, try a different route. Or the same meal you order at Mickey D's, try new ones. Even the way you do your chores at home, do them in a different order in a different way.
It changes the patterns in our brains because they are so hard-wired to the old way of thinking. If you change your pattern of thinking you will get different results.
So maybe instead of camping...You could do a Hotel in a new city? Or stay at home with a movie and no kids? Try something new and Exciting!
It's hard to change your old pattern of thinking but we can do it.
Good luck!
Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: near Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 377
Changing patterns
One pattern hard to change is finding ways to get from work to home WITHOUT PASSING A LIQUOR STORE....
There are more liquor stores in this friggin' city than bees have honey.
:-<
There are more liquor stores in this friggin' city than bees have honey.
:-<
Practice Sobriety
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: KC missouri
Posts: 885
One part of recovery I found is that I don't like some things, I tolerated them drunk. Going camping, when I work my butt off to put a roof over my head, just doesn't make sense anymore. I will take my air conditioning and xbox 360. You can keep your tent.
Guest
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: The Deep South
Posts: 14,636
Kelly, I totally relate to the drunk camping... wow. Yeah, maybe go with something totally different like the others have suggested... If I went camping right now I'm sure I'd feel something was missing 
Maybe a long weekend in some city you've wanted to visit for a long while? Like at a B&B, dinner at a cool restaurant...
Maybe a long weekend in some city you've wanted to visit for a long while? Like at a B&B, dinner at a cool restaurant...
Life the gift of recovery!
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Home is where the heart is
Posts: 7,061
Kelly, you are making a wise choice.
I thought camping was out of the question for me too when I first got sober. Camping to me meant beer for breakfast, drink all day and hit the hard stuff early in the evening. It was drink from dawn to nearly dawn. I had no clue what one would do camping and not drinking. It made no sense to me at all.
My first camp out sober was an AA camp out. If I remember right it was around 5 months sober. I learned there that there are many things one can do when camping besides drink. I did not camp again until about 5 years sober though as life kept me to busy to try again. It has been a process learning over the past few years since then that there are a lot of things that I truly enjoy while camping now that I did not even realize existed when I was drunk camping. One nice thing is I don't have to worry about falling in the fire.....lol Did that drunk, needless to say it was not fun. Hard to explain away the burns without looking like a drunken idiot. Today I truly enjoy camping and am thankful I have been able to rediscover it sober.
I do hope that as the years pass for you that you consider trying it sober with sober friends, you may find it something you truly love but then again you may hate it. But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, keep it as an option for the future when you feel stronger.
Take care. I think you are doing great.
I thought camping was out of the question for me too when I first got sober. Camping to me meant beer for breakfast, drink all day and hit the hard stuff early in the evening. It was drink from dawn to nearly dawn. I had no clue what one would do camping and not drinking. It made no sense to me at all.
My first camp out sober was an AA camp out. If I remember right it was around 5 months sober. I learned there that there are many things one can do when camping besides drink. I did not camp again until about 5 years sober though as life kept me to busy to try again. It has been a process learning over the past few years since then that there are a lot of things that I truly enjoy while camping now that I did not even realize existed when I was drunk camping. One nice thing is I don't have to worry about falling in the fire.....lol Did that drunk, needless to say it was not fun. Hard to explain away the burns without looking like a drunken idiot. Today I truly enjoy camping and am thankful I have been able to rediscover it sober.
I do hope that as the years pass for you that you consider trying it sober with sober friends, you may find it something you truly love but then again you may hate it. But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, keep it as an option for the future when you feel stronger.
Take care. I think you are doing great.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
Originally Posted by KellyEurope
I have vivid memories of beer and wine coolers and whisky....can't even IMAGINE E N J O Y I N G myself without it...I guess I am TRULY far gone.
Camping + Drunk > hardwired, I am...not matter HOW MUCH I can stay sober when NOT camping.
Kelly the Non-Camper.
Camping + Drunk > hardwired, I am...not matter HOW MUCH I can stay sober when NOT camping.
Kelly the Non-Camper.
No, I couldn't either... But I do now... And I was far gone... Couldn't even begin to see (enjoying) it in my mind... But it's your sobriety my friend, do what you must, or in this case, not do...
I go by the axiom that I can do anything I want, or like to do, except drink.
Powerless over Alcohol
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Trudging the Road to Happy Destiny!
Posts: 4,018
Sounds like you made a wise choice Kelly , I know I could not go camping w/o getting smashed even just on the way there.
Good for you and keep on going foward
Good for you and keep on going foward
Grateful to be free
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Arizona
Posts: 3,680
I had this same issue come up a few weeks ago, My BF and I had decided to camp out. I am clean after a relapse two months ago and he stopped drinking one month ago. We were on our way and he said he really wanted to stop for some beer, that beer and camping simply went hand in hand, for me the bugaboo was hard stuff, but I knew where he was coming from. I had earlier mentioned to my roomate that I could not conceive of camping without alcohol.
My boyfriend was simply bringing up the temptation, he didn't stop, but it was helpful to know that we were both experiencing that feeling. I think the key is to camp with someone who doesn't drink, or is really ok with not drinking in that situation.
Learning to face life, even the good stuff substance free is a challenge that presents itself in new ways every day. But since life in general is better without substances, for me, I trust that the activities and events that are not based on substance use, can be too, the others, I just have to steer clear of.
I like that many 12 step groups plan activities that usually involve substance,( bowling, ball games, camp outs) so that we get to participate in those things without the temptation and substances, and we get a chance to practice doing those things sober.
My boyfriend was simply bringing up the temptation, he didn't stop, but it was helpful to know that we were both experiencing that feeling. I think the key is to camp with someone who doesn't drink, or is really ok with not drinking in that situation.
Learning to face life, even the good stuff substance free is a challenge that presents itself in new ways every day. But since life in general is better without substances, for me, I trust that the activities and events that are not based on substance use, can be too, the others, I just have to steer clear of.
I like that many 12 step groups plan activities that usually involve substance,( bowling, ball games, camp outs) so that we get to participate in those things without the temptation and substances, and we get a chance to practice doing those things sober.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,237
I went camping in my first year of sobriety...it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be....alcohol had controlled my life for so long..I wasn't going to let it control something I love to do!! not anymore!! do whatever makes you comfortable.....that's the main thing!
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NC
Posts: 1,737
Originally Posted by KellyEurope
At least, I know ONE thing to avoid, this summer.
The funny thing is, now that I don't drink my game is so much better I could probably win back some of the money I lost trying to putt with DTs.
It's an adjustment, not a sacrifice.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,677
Neuropsych
Originally Posted by Roosiedoll
On my road in recovery I've heard "them" say that once you get sober it's good to try to do the opposite of what you used to do.
Such as the same old drive you used to take to work, try a different route. Or the same meal you order at Mickey D's, try new ones. Even the way you do your chores at home, do them in a different order in a different way.
It changes the patterns in our brains because they are so hard-wired to the old way of thinking. If you change your pattern of thinking you will get different results.
So maybe instead of camping...You could do a Hotel in a new city? Or stay at home with a movie and no kids? Try something new and Exciting!
It's hard to change your old pattern of thinking but we can do it.
Good luck!
Such as the same old drive you used to take to work, try a different route. Or the same meal you order at Mickey D's, try new ones. Even the way you do your chores at home, do them in a different order in a different way.
It changes the patterns in our brains because they are so hard-wired to the old way of thinking. If you change your pattern of thinking you will get different results.
So maybe instead of camping...You could do a Hotel in a new city? Or stay at home with a movie and no kids? Try something new and Exciting!
It's hard to change your old pattern of thinking but we can do it.
Good luck!
This is called "neuropsychology". I know we are not rats, but studies have shown that setting down new neural pathways by repetitive behavior actually retrains the brain to think in another way. A better way, if that is what you are after.
For my husband, he could no longer play pool with his buddies. The pool/beer connection was too strong. Twenty years later, he still does not want to play pool, because he doesn't think he would enjoy it sober.
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