I faltered...faltered...and finally failed
 

Yep, I have been drinking and I am disgusted with myself. I won't even try to explain why...it is what it is. I have my own private logic as to why.

Sorry...will try again. Just being accountable.

Sorry ArtFriend, I know you've been having a rough go :(. You know "logically drinking" = oxymoron.

What happened Art?

LOL - logically drinking. I didn't even think about it that way.

I got a call from my super holier-than-thou brother. He is Christ incarnate. Sits at the right hand of god and all that. We argued over many many things... including my mother, whom he has banished to hell. She was a heathen, heretic, idolater and all that bull. Why are so called Christians so cruel?

I admitted when I went back out Art.
Good luck
Bob

AF, I'm sorry that this happened.

It might be a good idea to stop contact with your brother for awhile at least. You have talked about how upsetting the relationship with him is, and I think that taking a step back for awhile would be helpful.

Do you have any idea what you can do when you're upset in the future - maybe come up with a plan?

I have 2 brothers. One is an alcoholic an the other is a holy-roller. Both are triggers. Anna I really don't know what to do when stuff like this happens. I suppose I could block them out of my life, but that is all I have in terms of family.

I think a plan is a great idea - a definite strategy for tines when, for whatever reason, you want to drink?

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html

D

It wasn't a complete failure if you came back. Admitting accountability is huge, and takes a lot of courage.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that, but glad you're back on here and owning up to it.

Family can be hard. Sometimes I think I need to ignore the blood relation and really take a look at what they're contributing to my life- good or bad. I don't know why I tend to give them more leniency then I give friends, but tougher may be the way to go with this one.

Pour out what's left and get a good night's sleep.

So how did we end up drinking? stress?

It's great that you are accepting responsibility and getting right back to it. You can do it!

Hi Artfriend, I think failure is a strong word. I would say learning experience. Hopefully you will learn something, put it in your toolbox and move forward.

ArtFriend, this is your LIFE that is on the line. You NEED to work on your recovery and be sober.

Maybe you can take a temporary break from the brothers and get back together with them when you have found a way to deal with the stress/triggers that they cause. It doesn't have to be permanent.
Time will heal things, and make you stronger!

Failures don't keep trying AF. :)

Thank you all so very much! I truly mean that. I thought I was stronger than I am so apparently I have to reassess where/what/how/who I am and sstart anew. I do appreciate your support. God bless

I can relate on many levels, especially since I grew-up Christian.

I define an alcoholic as “anyone whose sustained use of alcohol inhibits the realization for the potential of experiencing their own life.”

I just described the way I use to be due to being caught-up in my shame based family issues which began in childhood.

Once I began to understand how an alcoholic is defined, then I could begin to see why I was so angry and resentful towards others, especially my family. My resentment was anger turned inward on to myself, because my family wasn’t being what I wanted them to be. I wasn’t getting my way and then I’d drink. It’s any wonder why I was such an approval seeker, as is typical of just about every alcoholic I’ve known.

I punished myself for relapsing, essentially because I was an approval seeker and competitively compared my recovery with others recovery. When I stopped comparing, I had increasingly less anger and became more teachable, so I could learn the lessons why I relapsed. I never apologized again for my addiction which for me, as I’ve shared, involved relapse.

Eventually my process of uncovering , discovering and discarding the people, places and things in my life that didn’t work, allowed me to finally experience my own life.

I wonder such things myself. Mine happens to be my mother how you described your brother. Interesting

ArtFriend,
maybe some counselling around boundary-setting would help? that way, you might be able to be more assertive without having to banish your brothers entirely...a lot of community centres and nightschools have short courses in this, too.

as far as your own internal logic for your drinking - i doubt it's too terribly individual. probably much like most AV-stuff, only slightly personalized for just your circumstance. BS none-the-less :)