wpainterw

I’m coming into my 27th year of sobriety after forty years of periodic relapse. I’ll be 88 years old this year and will have been married 60 years. My wife has had to put up with a lot and I owe so much to her and to my two kids.
I’ve been posting on this site for nearly five years and have put up a lot of threads. You folks have been a wonderful support and it’s so reassuring to be able to reach out to people all over the world.
My general impression from this Newcomers site is that folks in the first stages of recovery especially value contact with others in the early stages and also persons of similar age. Maybe some old men like me who have long sobriety may seem to inhabit a different galaxy!
So I thought a bit about what I could do and came up with this idea. Why don’t I just say to everyone “Can I Help in Any Way?”. If there’s something I can do to make things better then you can respond to this thread (which I will renew every month). Also you may of course send me a private or other message at any time. I may respond as I have to other threads on the site but this will be my main way of contacting you.
No one has all the answers. I certainly don’t. Although I have benefitted from an agnostic AA group ( although I’m not really an agnostic or atheist), I have not felt comfortable with all aspects of AA, nor, for that matter, with everything in some other programs like Rational Recovery. But there is a lot of good advice in all of them. So I have tended to be an eclectic, believing that the old slogan “If it works for you, then work it!” represents a lot of pragmatic wisdom. Over the years I believe I’ve found what has worked for me. It may not work for you, but as I said I hope that I can say something which might help someone.
So I’ll keep posting this “Can I Help?” thread once a month. Good luck and every good wish to everyone out there!

W.

SoberLeigh

Thanks so much, wpainterw. You are such an inspiration - 27 years sober!!!!!

what a beautiful gift you have offered the Newcomers!!!!!

48heath

Thankyou wpainterw.I have learnt so much from sober oldtimers such as yourself.

Axiom

I know I will enjoy seeing what you have to say. Congratulations on your sobriety and your life.

JadedGirl

Oh thankyou... I find it very inspiring from people who have succeeded in their sobriety :-) 27 years is fantastic. Well done and thankyou xx

omenapt

you have hlepd me! I am 24 days sober and 58 years old, so there is hope for some long term sobriety in my golden years!

Anna

Thanks wpainterw. I know you have a lot to offer.

Della1968

I have always enjoyed your posts! Thank you

RedneckRoo

March 16, 2004

BECAUSE I WAS THE INTELLECTUAL KIND......i WAS UNIQUE....I WAS SPECIAL......

I could not QUIT on March 15th, the ides of March.....everyone knows I would fail with that omen....even I KNEW THAT!!!

So I chose the 16th.....through ALL MY WISDOM and POWER....


GOD forgot to remind my INTELLECTUAL MIND.....March 17th is ST PATTYS day

Just saying....it happens when it happens for a reason

genesuu

Congratulations on sobriety. Does it ever get easier or do you still feel plagued by cravings? I know of course it would get easier... I think a big issue with me is self esteem. I don't feel worth it. Did you ever feel that way and of so what did you do? Thanks.

wpainterw

I no longer feel cravings to drink. And I have much greater self esteem than before, which I hope has not turned into egoism. I sense that I still have many shortcomings. I often felt, as you may sometimes, that I was "not really worth it" and that may have made me more susceptible to drinking, so that made it circular. But with sobriety a lot of that goes away. Nonetheless I know that I am still too dependent on what others think of me, etc. I depend on my dog, etc.

W.

wpainterw

A very dangerous day indeed, whether or not one might be an "intellectual". Actually a term of disparagement in many quarters.

W.