Sober "pill" Holiday, What About Booze??!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I am out of here for a few days, as I head over the dang snowy mountains to a family gathering! 23 days today, and I finally feel like my old old self. Kind of stiff, but it's just from being so lazy the last month. It will be interesting to have a clean and sober holiday. I used to drink beer before the pills ever entered my life, then quit cause I'd rather have the pill buzz (ick, huh?) I wont go back to the beer, as I am affraid it will just replace the pills absence. Some of the family is into drinking, It used to be so normal and now it is just awkward. What do ya think, is it just a constant trade? I don't plan on it, just wanted to hear another opinion. It was certainly the lesser of evils, but can an addict or ex-addict drink, even if there was no previous problem??
For me, any drug (alcohol is a drug) is a gateway drug for me to go back to abusing pills. I will trade one addiction for another if given the chance.


I just read your story about going cold turkey and that you now have 23 days clean...that is so awesome. Your first Christmas clean in a long time...good for you. Be very proud. Enjoy and be careful on those snowy roads...

CG
Morning Brenda!

I just logged on for a sec...feeling yucky again! Anyway, glad to have caught you...Have a great holiday. Be safe and happy! You have done an amazing thing for yourself and 2007 will be your best year yet because of it. There are going to be many opportunities for you to help others with this very same problem...and that is an awesome feeling!

You know, thinking about alcohol, should you, shouldn't you???...brings to mind the idea of a "plan" of action...for staying clean. I think you are formulating one, by asking yourself these kinds of questions. Best to have an answer before you get in the situation.

My take on it was this: (I hope I am not repeating myself here...lol)...when I got clean, obviously I was very raw from losing my Dad, and just the getting clean process opened me WAY up emotionally...all that examination of my life, and how I got to where I was...anyway, I decided then that alcohol was a dangerous thing for me. Not because I feel I would be addicted to it (although we never know, do we???, I mean I never set out to "get addicted" to pain meds either)...but alcohol doesn't really enhance anything about my personality. (I mean, I sure felt "cute" sometimes, but doubtful there was any truth to that).

Anyway, I was too vulnerable early on to open myself up to a substance that can take one so far away from ourselves. So, I avoid it on that basis. I just do not want to risk having to go through the whole detox thing ever again.

Brenda...have a great Holiday!

Peace.

Sarah



Thanks Sarah, and CG... as usual, good advise, lol! Hope you feel better soon Sarah! What is up with all this yucky stuff going around?! I did get the best Christmas present ever, by cleaning up, and you are so right about maybe being helpful to someone else. I sure hope so, cause like me, they can't see that their world has become foggy. It is hard to watch someone else in my old boat. I better get moving, great morning to everyone!