Hello all, Christine alcoholic. In a sense, I've been sober on and off (more on, thank goodness) for about 12 years. I came in through the "back door"; ACA was my first intro to any concept of alcoholism as a disease. If being a child of an alcoholic wasn't shocking enough, imagine my surprise when I found myself abusing the very substance that had ruined my childhood. So I quit drinking, that's it, no withdrawal, no questions asked, just plum quit--for 8 mostly good or at least goodish years. My oldest children never experienced living with a drunk, their father got sober too. But he white knuckled it and hated me for "making him quit". So after years of unhappiness, I left. Somehow, I thought I was cured...changed from beer to wine and resumed my drinking as if having never missed a day. Things got bad; I would obsess and then obsess about obsessing...mess. Somehow I graduated from school and became a teacher and then moved to a remote island. I wanted to be sober again, but this time it wasn't going to be so easy, this time I had went and got myself addicted. It was hard and I had premeditated drunks aka "slips" and now I've been sober for 6 months, the longest I've made it on this side of the water. I am remarried and have two more children, which brings me back to the Godzilla avatar. You see, my 7 year old has been curious/obsessed with all things God, yeah higher power, since he began talking. This is only amazing because up until recently, we were not a religious family, never attended church or particularly spoke of God--until the little guy started drilling us for all that was spiritual. Finally, he has found a way to amalgamate his desire for all that is religious with popular culture, Godzilla. Even he is unaware of the connection, but it didn't get by mommy! I decided that my brilliant son's muse was good enough for me, because, really, who knows what God looks like? Glad to be here, this site reads like a healthy place to be, Christine (Godzilla's mom)
Hi Christine and welcome to the Miracles in progress AA message board. Glad to have another Acoa personality here. That program (along with Coda) helped me shed a lot of baggage that was causing me to drink. I too relived my lost childhood through my son's. I parented both of us and it was amazing. He passed me in maturity somewhere around 16, but that's ok, I'm still enjoying my childhood.
Aloha Christine...I like it!! Who really knows what God looks like? I've seen many versions and now can consider Godzilla. Give your son a hug for uncle Jer.
Hi Christine welcome.I also am a member of another fellowship for parents of addicted children(23yr old son ,heroin addict) as well as an addict myself..co dependance is a monster(like Godzilla!!)Nice meeting you keep comin back........
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Selfishness-self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
Hi Christine. I enjoyed reading your thread. It is true we come from all different backgrounds. I often feel like and oddball having come from a pretty good family with neither parent being an alcoholic. The only designated drunks in my family were 2 uncles. 1 went the path of AA and the other became a super religious methodist and exercise addict. Whatever, both their lives got better so who am I to judge. AA works for me. I am thankful to have you with us.
Mark
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
Hi Christine, Welcome to the board. Been there also. My father left me when I was 4 to pursue his drinking career. I vowed never to be like him. The diesase does have a genetic componentn (IMO). I did become him and my children also had the mess of living with an active alcoholic. The good thing is I've been blessed with the recovery and can be there for them now. I'm still working on being a parent. The AA program in it's entirety has given me my life back(or a life). I'm grateful for that.
