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Post Info TOPIC: Looking for strength...
Little Bird


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Looking for strength...
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Hello all,

I am brand new to the site, and I am glad I found you. I took some time to read some of your posts before actually joining, and found alot of your stories and advice inspiring. Without spilling out my whole life story, my life has been on a rapid downward spiral, with alcohol taking the front seat. It has been a big part of my life for awhile, but never like this. I've gone through some major life changes lately and the coping method I chose was at the bottom of a bottle. Before I even realized it, every aspect of my life that was important had fallen apart before my eyes. Because I am only in my mid twenties, part of me feels naive about my wrecklessness, and even about giving it up. As I stated before, many of your words were filled with wisdom, and I hope that they can be shared with me also. I drink obsessively, sometimes for hours on end, always socially, and functionally blackout on a regulary basis. The last time was friday. It always just starts with one, but somehow it just never ends... Anyways I don't want to write you all a book here, so thank you for listening.

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Dakota


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Seeking help is a very good beginning. Sounds like you are ready for sobriety.

welcome Little Bird!




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Jerry F


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Aloha Fifi!!

If you relate to our stories and find them inspiring and if you are also telling our
story or part of our story youself then the denial line is very thin indeed.  There is
a difference twix denial and being naive and you seem smart enough to know that.
I certainly didn't come into recovery with your amount of illumination.  I was as
dumb as a stick about alcoholism and myself and I had an entire family voting that
I wasn't and then again here I was at 37, years older than yourself.

In the definition of alcoholism it is mentioned that the alcoholic has but three
choices...sobriety, insanity or death.  From my experience in this program and as a
professional in the counseling (drugs and alcohol) trade, I'd go so far as to say you
are in the middle ground.   You know and you know that you know and you cannot
or will not stop.  For me again you have reached the Bill W (Co-founder of AA)
intersection...go left into the bar or right to get help.   He went right and I am one
of millions who is glad he did.

Just a suggestion?  Try as many meetings as you can in AA over the next 90 days
without drinking.  If you find this program not for you try anything else.

Yours in sober support.   (((((hugs))))) smile

 



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StPeteDean


MIP Old Timer

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Dodsworth, please pick up the red phone. lol

Greetings Little Bird,
and welcome to the board. Sounds like you're ready to admit that you're powerless of alcohol and that your life has become unmanageable. And if you're willing to do whatever it takes and are ready to take certain steps, and able to get to AA meetings, you too can have a life, that is happy, joyous, and free from alcohol.
Just be sure that you're done with drinking and not looking for a way to drink less. Drinking less didn't work for any of us.

Dean

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Doll


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Hi LB and welcome to MIP.


Please keep coming back.


(((hug)))

Jen

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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...
  It's about learning to dance in the rain.
Sobrietyspell


MIP Old Timer

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Welcome to MIP, Fifi. I loved your share, your honesty & your willingness to admit your powerlessness. You have strength already & a tentative desire to stop drinking though your confidence in that will grow as you attend meetings & realise that there are many like us who drank in the same seemingly wreckless way & who can't stop at just one so we stay away from that first drink 1Day@aTime. A.A. helps me to stay sober & get on with doing everything else in my life I want to do. Alcohol only held me back & stopped me growing up.

It was also killing me emotionally & spiritually & though I didn't have the physical rockbottom others have had I now know of its progressive nature & I do not want to go there. I stopped at 29 but equally I could have stopped a lot sooner for all the 'fun' I thought it was bringing me but I was in denial & didn't know how. I know I'm lucky now to even have learned how to stop at all. Some never do & they carry on until they lose everything, their mind, relationships, family, jobs, homes, life.. Everything. I'm grateful to be sober today & to have all the love, support & understanding of this fellowship. I hope you enjoy it too. Good luck in your journey & new road should you wish to take it, Danielle x

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pinkchip


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I saw a man pick up a 24 year medallion today.  I thought "how is this possible? He looks the same age as me!"  Well, he does look good for his age but turns out he is 9 years older than me and got sober at 21.  It made me wish I hadn't wasted so much time, but also felt good for him to have gotten the message at that age and hung on to it.

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eastcoastscott


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Hi Fifi,

I'm glad yo found the site, I'm sure you will like it. There are some amazing people here who help me a lot. Your story is exactlly like mine! All I can say is that with some effort, time, patience, you can get better, live alcohol free and enjoy life better. AA meetings, online forums, books etc are all out there for us and we have some learning to do. I love being sober, am not at all ashamed of being an alcoholic and thouroughly enjoy recovery. Thanks to people in the same boat who share their time and experience with me, I'm getting better. Keep coming back!

scott

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Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. ~Buddha
kkotz401


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Hi Littlebird,

I let alcohol take control of my life for about two years when I finally realized I was the one in control. Don't let alcohol take power over you. Do your best to stay positive and try to find other positive ways to spend your time like painting or some other hobby.

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You have to live life to the fullest because you don't know what you got till it's gone.
toni baloney


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Welcome Little Bird,

You may not have heard that saying in AA, that one is too many, and 40 is not enough, (you referring to just that 1st one).

So glad you found this site, it is a great place to keep coming back to. Hope so much to see you back here soon, and if you feel like writing "that book" here, please feel free.

Agree with everyone else, find a AA meeting, you can get a number from a local telephone operator, and get started, the meetings can be found all over. Dont know what area you live in, but my guess is there is one close by.

Agree with Danielle, that One day a Time Book is truly amazing, kept it with me at all times for the first years. Helped me so much in staying focused on what I wanted most and that was to just not to pick up that first drink, for the day I was in, and then the next day, i would just repeat that process, and lead clearly by that little black book.

And that Spiral you were speaking of, remember that well, it just keeps going down, like an elevator that does not have any up buttons.

Once Again, Welcome!!!
Toni

-- Edited by toni baloney on Saturday 11th of April 2009 07:25:08 PM

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Dave Harm


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I know that when I finally accepted being an alcoholic, I knew I could no longer drink socially.  Which in a way really upset me.  Why?  Because I really thought I could handle it - that I was smarter then alcohol.  In time, I understood that it didn't matter how smart I was because I was still an alcoholic.

As far as age goes, I wished I would have reached that acceptance point earlier in my life, not just for myself but for all those that I hurt.

But what I find really cool is that next month, May 7th to be exact, I have the privilege of giving an 18 year old their two year chip.  To me that's just awesome.

It does us old folks some good to see the young ones at meetings.

Best wishes,
Dave

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"A busy mind is a sick mind.  A slow mind, is a healthy mind.  A still mind, is a divine mind." - Native American Centerness

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