milford32

Many of us have different things problems that we work on I'm sure. Anyone want to share the unproductive thought patterns that lead us downhill. What are solutions that have worked? I will throw out a couple I'm working on:

Hopelessness: Strategy that has worked has been to stop and rationalize the best, worst, and likely outcomes. Usually if you rationalize for a little while you realize it's really not so bad.

Complacency: This is a new one for me. It hit me hard recently. I'm writing myself a letter to open in 2 weeks to remind myself not to get complacent and underestimate the disease (still have some difficulty using that word.) Any other ideas here?

NOMOMERLOTMAMMA

Selfishness: meaning, thinking of yourself first, thinking there is nobody else in the same shoes as you, thinking that your too good to have this kind of problem (oh, I'm a nice girl, good family etc etc)Self involvement to the 9th degree.

and, on the other hand, lack of self...self esteem. Weird huh?

SaTiT

I just mediate..I've gone through lots of stages or trying different ideas.
This is where I'm at today..it's actaully too simple.
No. I don't levitate..lol
I just sit still and be in the moment and not in my head or thoughts.
It just takes simple practice.
I'm also a musician..so by having the assets or know the value of
practice, pratice, practice.
As a musicain I allow myself to express myself through music..but sometime
the music just comes. I just have to be open to it and learn how to go
with the flow without thinking too much in the process of creation.
Be/focus in the moment and just play the music. It happens to fast
sometimes for me to be thinking about it when I improvise.

as for meditation
it takes time to just let all of the crazy crap that gose in my head spin itself
out. It's actually the same as working the steps but at a much faster pace.
Pretty much the same as recovering from PTSD..Having faced alot of my pains
from my past. Brought up a lot of emotions...I finally processed them.
By facing my greatest fears and pain...it's pretty much all down hill after that.

There's nothing to fear but fear itself.

so i just ask stupid questions such as...where the hell do fears come from..
It's all in my head,,it's in my thinking...well, stop thinging so damn much.lol
If I have fears becuase someone say i should...well that's a hell of a think.

Working step #3...did god tell me those fears or did another human being did ?
I did trun my will and life over to god and not another human being...


I'm now the master of my mind. I tell it what to do, what to process
what to calulate. i can trun it off when I want.

My worries stems from not being in the moment. I driff in thoughts of what if
and what was. Once I come to the NOW..I have no worries. i simply do whats
in front of me or the task at had and become more aware. My thinking is
actaully cleaer , my brain caluate faster if it's not cluter with stuff.
I'm either going do it now or never...life is always in the now
or present moment..

my understanding
JC said...the kingdom of heaven is at hand the time is NOW..repent.
he simply gave us some directions..
It is in our power right in front of us...right here, right now..
repent= stop thinking so damn much.
Be in the moment BE happy...

Why can't you be happy ???? you got some thoughts running through your
head saying that you can't...lol
why do you think U can't you be love ? you have some thoughts about it ??? lol
why do you think you are worthless ?...key word " think "..lol
When we think..we doubt

Rob_S

Milford, I just joined this forum since I am struggling with similar issues. In my experinence though, complacency is the most dangerous part of this disease. yes, it is hard to accept that that is what this is. But the sooner you do, the better chance you will have to overcome this. I would only binge drink every few weeks and convinced myself that I was fine in between. I have been doing this for years, to the point where I have become a lonly, empty, numb shell of a man. I wasn't able to care for my wife and give her what she needed. She left me last year, and because I have become so controlled by this disease, I didn't even feel the pain of her leaving me like I should have. It is now that I am learning what I have done, I have lost the person that I loved (could not even admit that and understood what that meant when she was in my life), I have lost most of my friends. I am all alone now and have let the demons in my head win.

You ask what thoughts lead to this, hard to say. I think that somewhere along the way, we trained our mind that it is not ok to feel, that we need to stop from feeling badly. So we turned to the substance that would allow us to numb our self. Didn't realize that this numbing would also kill all the good feelings too and ruin our lives.

Why do you feel hopeless Milford? What makes you feel this way? Why are you not happy with who you are?

This is tough, long road. Some an battle this, some cannot. I am still trying. You have to learn from people that have gone through this and share your inner thoughts. If you want to private message me and we can talk some more. Hope you get the answers you need Milford, just do not underestimate how much this disease controls you.

Peter

Unproductive thought pattern: "Projecting"

Description: Constantly dwelling on upcoming events and
fearing disaster.

Symptoms: Fear, distraction, unable to enjoy the present.

Solution: Positive reinforcing myself.Most of the things I
worry about never manifests and even if the
worse should happen I am still capable of a
solution as long as I stay sober.

That was fun. Good thread milford.