I posted this over on the crack/cocaine site also but wanted to see if you recovering alcoholics had any input:
I've had a really busy last couple of weeks...it started with Father's Day, both my daughters graduated (one from high school & one from middle school), had a couple of weddings (one reception I bowed out of due to fatigue), my BFs birthday is today...and I didn't put my sobriety as my top priority....I ended up only getting to 2 meetings during a 2 week period...and boy, do I feel dry! It's amazing how fast I an snap right back into old behaviors and thinking. I am the sec'y at the 6:45 am meeting at out local Alano club and was able to start today off a little better, but I'm told even slipping away for a bit from my program (of action) will create this hole I am feeling and it will take a lttle bit of time and work on my part to get back...oh, and my Sponsor is out of town. Well, I might be off to another meeting this afternoon, I left work a little early today because of my tiredness...not sure if it is a wee bit of depression creeping in....but I know what to do and where to go...I have God (my Higher Power) to turn all this over too, and the fellowship of the 12 step program I am a member of to get me back in the solution, recovery and gratefulness. Have any of you experienced this? Peace & Serenity, VWGirl
Hi VWGirl.
First of all the fatigue a lot of alcoholics suffer from it. Vitamin B was given to me in rehab an I was told to take it on a daily basis its good for fatigue.. We just dont produce enough of it. You may need to see your doctor and have a vitamin B booster it is totally harmless and you will pick up straight after it. Talk to your doctor about it.
And with my sobriety it was suggested to me anything I put before it I could lose.
I also heard 7 days without a meeting makes one weak (week).So where possible we need to make time to get to them .We need to make time because we will never find it. Eventually you will be able to balance the meetings out but in the beginning its important to get to as many as you can. And one of the best times to go is when the head says youre to busy today you can always go tomorrow. But as we know tomorrow never comes.
And another thing that was suggested to me was the HALTS dont get to Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tied. These are feelings that could lead to the next drink.
Hungry..Try to eat regular dont skip meals because it can promote mood swings.
Angry. Anger is just something we cant afford. I had to learn not to take my anger out on those around me. I would go for walks repeating the serenity prayer or I would go out into the back yard or veranda and scream till the anger left. And then I could talk about it.
Lonely.In AA theres no need to be lonely it was suggested to me to get PHONE numbers of people in the AA meetings not one number lots of numbers and to ring them .I thought I would be bothering people if I rang but the person I rang always made time to talk. And after talking whatever problem I had seemed to disappear or became manageable. I was told if you feel like picking up a drink pick up the phone first and talk to another member.
Tied I know how cranky I can get when I am really overtired So it was suggested to me that where ever possible try and have a cat nap through the day. Etc.
Another thing is THIRSTY. Dont get to thirsty
Drink lots of fluids water, juice, some soft drinks. No ALCOHOL .lol .If you feel like a drink (alcohol) have a Hugh chocolate milkshake you wont feel like a drink after that. Ive had to have a few chocolate milkshakes I know .LOL
God will do for us what we cant do for ourselves. But those things we can do ourselves He wont. Like get to meetings. Take Vitamin B. The HALTS and so on.
The good thing with the phone numbers is that when your sponsor is away and out of contact you can always talk to some one else in recovery. To people who understand and can change the thrust of your thinking.
Again it appears I may have said too much but this way I get to keep what was given to me by giving it away.
VWGirl I hope I have been of some help because that is my intentions. And when I say we I mean I need to do these things.
And yes I have experienced this LOL
Your Wanted, Needed and Loved God Bless LionelC
First of all the fatigue a lot of alcoholics suffer from it. Vitamin B was given to me in rehab an I was told to take it on a daily basis its good for fatigue.. We just dont produce enough of it. You may need to see your doctor and have a vitamin B booster it is totally harmless and you will pick up straight after it. Talk to your doctor about it.
And with my sobriety it was suggested to me anything I put before it I could lose.
I also heard 7 days without a meeting makes one weak (week).So where possible we need to make time to get to them .We need to make time because we will never find it. Eventually you will be able to balance the meetings out but in the beginning its important to get to as many as you can. And one of the best times to go is when the head says youre to busy today you can always go tomorrow. But as we know tomorrow never comes.
And another thing that was suggested to me was the HALTS dont get to Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tied. These are feelings that could lead to the next drink.
Hungry..Try to eat regular dont skip meals because it can promote mood swings.
Angry. Anger is just something we cant afford. I had to learn not to take my anger out on those around me. I would go for walks repeating the serenity prayer or I would go out into the back yard or veranda and scream till the anger left. And then I could talk about it.
Lonely.In AA theres no need to be lonely it was suggested to me to get PHONE numbers of people in the AA meetings not one number lots of numbers and to ring them .I thought I would be bothering people if I rang but the person I rang always made time to talk. And after talking whatever problem I had seemed to disappear or became manageable. I was told if you feel like picking up a drink pick up the phone first and talk to another member.
Tied I know how cranky I can get when I am really overtired So it was suggested to me that where ever possible try and have a cat nap through the day. Etc.
Another thing is THIRSTY. Dont get to thirsty
Drink lots of fluids water, juice, some soft drinks. No ALCOHOL .lol .If you feel like a drink (alcohol) have a Hugh chocolate milkshake you wont feel like a drink after that. Ive had to have a few chocolate milkshakes I know .LOL
God will do for us what we cant do for ourselves. But those things we can do ourselves He wont. Like get to meetings. Take Vitamin B. The HALTS and so on.
The good thing with the phone numbers is that when your sponsor is away and out of contact you can always talk to some one else in recovery. To people who understand and can change the thrust of your thinking.
Again it appears I may have said too much but this way I get to keep what was given to me by giving it away.
VWGirl I hope I have been of some help because that is my intentions. And when I say we I mean I need to do these things.
And yes I have experienced this LOL
Your Wanted, Needed and Loved God Bless LionelC
Hi VW Girl,
Hope your doing okay, I get tired a lot myself since I gave up drinking, but Im usally in bed at a decent hour not like when I was out partying and getting to bed at any where between 3am and midday the next day, Then I got tired but found that to be okay, fatigue can come from many things work, driving ,studing etc.
And you say you are thirsty, I have been drinking a lot of coffee in the last few mths, but find tea seems to quench the thirst a bit better in my case, like sober2day said milkshakes work when I was drinking if I had a milkshake I couldnt drink beer for a while after it.Well VW girl hope you doing good now, I personally dont go to meetings, been to one wasnt my type of thing, but are going to try another one soon, and Im nearly 5 mths dry now, I count the days and one thing I dont want to have to do is start at 1 again! so that really helps me alot, also I have holidays in oct/nov so I am saving to go to a place in CA called Oceanside for a week, then down to Mexico for a week, that helps me NOT drink cause if I do I wont be going.Take care
Ginge
Hope your doing okay, I get tired a lot myself since I gave up drinking, but Im usally in bed at a decent hour not like when I was out partying and getting to bed at any where between 3am and midday the next day, Then I got tired but found that to be okay, fatigue can come from many things work, driving ,studing etc.
And you say you are thirsty, I have been drinking a lot of coffee in the last few mths, but find tea seems to quench the thirst a bit better in my case, like sober2day said milkshakes work when I was drinking if I had a milkshake I couldnt drink beer for a while after it.Well VW girl hope you doing good now, I personally dont go to meetings, been to one wasnt my type of thing, but are going to try another one soon, and Im nearly 5 mths dry now, I count the days and one thing I dont want to have to do is start at 1 again! so that really helps me alot, also I have holidays in oct/nov so I am saving to go to a place in CA called Oceanside for a week, then down to Mexico for a week, that helps me NOT drink cause if I do I wont be going.Take care
Ginge
Sober and Ginge, Thanks for your replies. I appreciate what you had to write in your posts. I've heard most of the recommendations that Sober gave to me at the meetings I attend and from my Sponsor, but just the little time that I skipped meetings ~ well, as they say "self knowledge availed me nothing"... it was valuable insight to me to see that when my spiritual condition is totally out of whack my program is shot to hell. I risk losing my sobriety, or at the very least am dry and MISERABLE (oh, and making everyone else around me miserable too). But, laying down the weapons, and picking up the tools I have learned through working a program of action, has propelled me into conscious contact with God. Being with other addicts and alcoholics at the meetings I attend humbles me so...for me this is it....I don't want to go back out there ~ so I'm gonna stick with what has been working for me for the last 19 months and surrender my will and my life to God on a daily basis and work my recovery program as directed by my Sponsor and all those who have gone before me!
Ginge - I'm about 1 hour from Oceanside...keep in touch in regard to your visit here. It's a great little beach town.
Peace & Serenity,
VWGirl
Ginge - I'm about 1 hour from Oceanside...keep in touch in regard to your visit here. It's a great little beach town.
Peace & Serenity,
VWGirl
Hi VW girl,
Keep up your will power and you will be okay. alot of this is in our heads, bloody alcohol makes life tough!
I didnt relise you where in CA, i new you where in US and its a big place.
All going well I should be there in october, hope it doesnt rain!
Take care VW girl, Im off to work now friday nite! Keeps me busy and away from pub.
Bye Ginge
Keep up your will power and you will be okay. alot of this is in our heads, bloody alcohol makes life tough!
I didnt relise you where in CA, i new you where in US and its a big place.
All going well I should be there in october, hope it doesnt rain!
Take care VW girl, Im off to work now friday nite! Keeps me busy and away from pub.
Bye Ginge
Hey Ginge, Sorry to say that if it was my will power that I depended on to keep me sober I would be drunk today. What I must do is turn my will and life over to the care of God and surrender and admit that I am powerless over alcohol. As I mentioned I tried to get sober for over 20 yrs. - tried everything, nothing worked except the 12 step program of recovery, but that's what's working for me and I know others that can go it alone...but I was only miserable when I did it that way...and now I am so happy and life is good! Oh, btw, if you come to the South Bay (a series of coastal beach towns) where I live during your visit to the US in October...get ahold of me and maybe we could meet for coffee ~ or a meeting ; - ) Peace & Serenity, VWGirl
Hi VWGirl,
That would be great to meet you over there, This will be a challange for me being away on holiday and abstaining from alcohol, but am positive I can do that.
Better go off to work running late today,Take care
Ginge
That would be great to meet you over there, This will be a challange for me being away on holiday and abstaining from alcohol, but am positive I can do that.
Better go off to work running late today,Take care
Ginge
Ginge, Okay, that sounds good, will have to keep in touch...here is my personal email address: vwgeri@aol.com Peace & Serenity, VWGirl
Good Morning,
On this day, July 12, this email comes to minister to you. Happy Tuesday! How are you doing this morning? Its a wonderful day to be a child of God. Have you ever had a tragedy occur in your family? Someone you loved with all your heart is no longer here with you. The people who said they would never betray you have walked out on you at your lowest point in life. The places you often visited to find relief no longer permit you to enter. Has life ever hit you below the belt? Just when you had both feet planted firmly on the ground, an unforeseen circumstance arose out of nowhere. You thought everything was properly planned but the storms of life came and tore everything down. Have you ever had your lifelong dreams threatened by a bad doctor's report, or a job that decided to downsize, or a spouse who decided (s)he no longer wanted to be married.
This morning, I have been commissioned to come and minister to you. My friend, Hold Your Head Up! While it is hard to recover after tragedy has struck, it is possible to recover. You must understand, your ability to get back up and carry on will not come through your flesh. It will not come through the amount of degrees you own. It will not come through your PDA, Blackberry or Palm Pilot. Your ability to hold your head up will come by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. The Bible declares in Psalms 121:1 - I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. The help you stand in need of will only come when you lift your eyes unto the hills and realize God has not forgotten you. Life might have hit you with a severe blow, but God can and will heal the wound.
My brother, my sister, what are you dealing with this morning? What tragedy are you faced with today? Do you feel as if you will not be able to make it? Beloved, Hold Your Head Up! There will be days when you cry and nights when you feel alone, but God has given us the Comforter (the Holy Spirit.) It is during the hurtful days of our life that the Holy Spirit is able to show us His glory. The Bible declares in Psalms 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Child of God, understand, your pain and my pain may be different. But your God and my God are the same. We serve a God who specializes in things, which seem impossible. God loves you. Hold Your Head Up! Remember, earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal! My Prayer for You Today: Father, help my friend through this tragic time in his/her life. Manifest Your presence. Let the Holy Spirit take control. In the name of Jesus ... Amen!
Scripture Reading for Today: Psalms 126:5
May God Bless you at Your point of need!
On this day, July 12, this email comes to minister to you. Happy Tuesday! How are you doing this morning? Its a wonderful day to be a child of God. Have you ever had a tragedy occur in your family? Someone you loved with all your heart is no longer here with you. The people who said they would never betray you have walked out on you at your lowest point in life. The places you often visited to find relief no longer permit you to enter. Has life ever hit you below the belt? Just when you had both feet planted firmly on the ground, an unforeseen circumstance arose out of nowhere. You thought everything was properly planned but the storms of life came and tore everything down. Have you ever had your lifelong dreams threatened by a bad doctor's report, or a job that decided to downsize, or a spouse who decided (s)he no longer wanted to be married.
This morning, I have been commissioned to come and minister to you. My friend, Hold Your Head Up! While it is hard to recover after tragedy has struck, it is possible to recover. You must understand, your ability to get back up and carry on will not come through your flesh. It will not come through the amount of degrees you own. It will not come through your PDA, Blackberry or Palm Pilot. Your ability to hold your head up will come by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. The Bible declares in Psalms 121:1 - I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. The help you stand in need of will only come when you lift your eyes unto the hills and realize God has not forgotten you. Life might have hit you with a severe blow, but God can and will heal the wound.
My brother, my sister, what are you dealing with this morning? What tragedy are you faced with today? Do you feel as if you will not be able to make it? Beloved, Hold Your Head Up! There will be days when you cry and nights when you feel alone, but God has given us the Comforter (the Holy Spirit.) It is during the hurtful days of our life that the Holy Spirit is able to show us His glory. The Bible declares in Psalms 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Child of God, understand, your pain and my pain may be different. But your God and my God are the same. We serve a God who specializes in things, which seem impossible. God loves you. Hold Your Head Up! Remember, earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal! My Prayer for You Today: Father, help my friend through this tragic time in his/her life. Manifest Your presence. Let the Holy Spirit take control. In the name of Jesus ... Amen!
Scripture Reading for Today: Psalms 126:5
May God Bless you at Your point of need!
