Hi folks! Another secular minded person here...
 

Just wanted to say hello. Love reading everyone's posts on this section of the site. I had 4 months a year and a half ago, stupidly thought I could drink (or more rightly wanted to give myself permission to just go ahead and start drinking again...), and here I am a year and a half later back where I started. I only have a few days sober, but I am a weekend binger, so not drinking during the week is honestly not so much of a problem for me - the first weekend will be the toughest.

Hi humblestudent,

I have been hanging around SR since last December but only recently "discovered" the Secular Connections forum. AVRT is a great technique, and lordy (ha!) do I wish I'd known about it years ago.

I've been cruising the threads on this forum, too. It's wonderful to find like-minded people to shore up all the stuff I already know is right for my life.

Congratulations on your sober time! I've been free of alcohol for over 20 years, but just recently was addicted to opiates after having double total knee replacements. That was a 2+ year hell ride I don't care to repeat, and I used the same technique to stop the opiates that I did with alcohol. I went cold turkey, and I simply DO NOT USE. Period.

Good luck on this. It CAN be done, and life can still be fun without the alcohol or drugs.

FT

Hi Humble, I was mostly a weekend drinker as well for 20+ yrs then my weekends started getting longer.... Make plans for your first weekend that obviously don't involve alcohol get plenty of exercise and have a plan on what to do if the desire/need to drink occurs. You can do this.

http://www.mazeguy.net/happy/wave.gif Welcome to the Secular Connections Forum humblestudent.

Thanks all for welcome and great suggestions! And yes, it is so wonderful to find like minded people. I sometimes feel like a freak, in that I'm the person going, "Uh, you do realize that makes zero sense, right?" People don't really know what to do with that. It makes them uncomfortable. So I usually just keep my mouth shut, and smile and nod along. It's draining to me. It sucks the life right out of me.

Welcome!

Hey there, and welcome! I had a very similar pattern, here. I am nearing 80 days, but the past week has been hard, as I have found it difficult to discuss the approach I am taking, which is a mixture of things, and then getting into all these silly debates.

So I will be posting more in this section, about what I am doing, and ignore all the static.

Well, hope to see you around, and best wishes for making it though the first, hard weekend!

Welcome to the dark side...we have cookies. :)

Seriously glad you're joining us though! I completely agree with your second post on this thread...and that's what brought me here too.

HuskyPup,
I've been reading your posts for a while now, and I think your approach, (and your "approach to your approach") has been very thought provoking and insightful. I thank you for blazing some new trails, and sharing what works, what occurs to you, etc. It's very good stuff, from a very sharp mind. AND - it's working! 80 days is wonderful. It's so nice to "meet" you finally as I am delurking.
Thanks!
Humble

Did someone say cookies? Wait, did the actual cookie monster say, "Cookies!". LOL!
:lmao