..but I have met some really great people in the couple weeks I have been going to AA and participating on this forum. That's certainly something positive. As is being sober and feeling confident that with all this new found support I will remain that way.
Have a great day. :)
-- Edited by Sid on Friday 2nd of April 2010 09:30:16 PM
I agree StPeteDean. I do enjoy being sober. So after further reflection, I stand corrected. Realizing I am an alcoholic isn't all that sucky after all. It lead me to seek help to remain sober.
I do agree my perception sucks. But by posting and receiving comments here I feel it is getting a little better day by day.
IMHO my being an alcoholic is what it is - a fact. It doesn't define me, nor does it restrict me. It's what I do with this fact is what sucks or doesn't suck.
So now, I'm an alcoholic, but today I'm OK with it because I'm in recovery. When I was active, it sucked like a great big sucky thing.
It might have been nice to access this way of living before pushing away my family through my unnacceptable behaviour, but that didn't happen.
I'm grateful that I have the oppertunity to learn a new way of life and to turn my life around.
__________________
It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got. BB
Dude, non alcoholics are tedious boring people, we rock
Cmon, think, just about every single interesting person in history was one of us, from Winston Churchill to Alexander The Great to just about every single interesting person alive now, and I'm not talking about that group of G***er tra**s that all get DUI's and go to rehab and have naughty videos on the intraweb. They are uninteresting trailer trash, I'm talking about INTERESTING intelligent people.
Winston Churchill when confronted walking around the White House naked by Roosevelt
"As you see sir, I have nothing to hide"
and when confronted about drinking:
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly.
and when questioned by THE KING about his drinking habits:
When I was younger I made it a rule never to take strong drink before lunch. It is now my rule never to do so before breakfast.
I'm sure by now from reading my posts you learned I got sober pretty young, my friends are fantastic interesting HONEST people that travel the world on motorcycles, lived on the streets with Mohawks then went and got masters and PHD's, they have all had interesting lives (to put it mildly) when drinking and WAY more interesting lives sober. I have met and count among my friends film makers, actors, comedians musicians, and Pro athletes and there is a good chance you have heard of some of them, or the movies/teams/bands they were in/on
Alcoholics are fun people, are in many cases above average in intelligence and earning capability, the very thing that made us interesting was our downfall though. Curiosity and sheer cheek.
I can barely tolerate non-alcoholics and definitely can't have any sort of in depth relationship with a normie, platonic or otherwise, we just speak a different language.
Finding out I was an alcoholic and finding recovery was the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Go find, buy and read "A New Pair of Glasses" then get back to me.
-- Edited by AGO on Friday 2nd of April 2010 05:58:11 PM
__________________
Build a man a fire and he will be warm for a night, light a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life
Let me preface this by saying I will never lie to you, my sobriety depends on my honesty.
That being said you may someday come to the realization as I have that not only does being an alcoholic NOT suck but in fact developing alcoholism is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my whole life.
It has given me a set of tools for living a life that I never dreamed was possible.
It has given me enduring friendships with fellow Alcoholics all over the world.
It has made a great relationship with my wife possible.
Most importantly it has brought me close and personal to a Loving God that I never knew before the program.
Larry, --------------------- When I turned myself over to God, I took my life out of the hands of an idiot
Let me preface this by saying I will never lie to you, my sobriety depends on my honesty.
That being said you may someday come to the realization as I have that not only does being an alcoholic NOT suck but in fact developing alcoholism is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my whole life.
It has given me a set of tools for living a life that I never dreamed was possible.
It has given me enduring friendships with fellow Alcoholics all over the world.
It has made a great relationship with my wife possible.
Most importantly it has brought me close and personal to a Loving God that I never knew before the program.
Larry, --------------------- When I turned myself over to God, I took my life out of the hands of an idiot
exactly
I go to Europe, go to a meeting, instant friends, London, same, anywhere I travel, go to a meeting, raise my hand, chat after the meeting, offers of a place to stay, make new great friends, go to dinner...
It's.... I can't even explain it to the uninitiated .... seriously
__________________
Build a man a fire and he will be warm for a night, light a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life
Appreciate the comments Bill. I had second thoughts and was going to try and delete this post, but the responses have been helpful. I'm new to recovery and know it is going to be a process. Everyday I am on here or at a meeting my perception get a little better.
I read on another post someone comment that being an alcoholic doesn't define them. Even to the point were they don't identify themselves as an alcoholic at AA meetings.
In the end I guess the important thing is that I am working towards a better sober life. And I too am grateful for that.
Hitting Bottom was the best thing that ever happened to me. I found out who my true friends are. I am becoming the man my wife married. I am becoming the father my kids want and need. Hell, I even became a better radio ad salesman & writer by being motivated not by Greed, Hubris or Wrath...but with truth, integrity and service.
Want an honest salesman? Look for the triangle-inside-the-circle bumper sticker on his car.
There has already been positive changes in my life that came about from the realization I was an alcoholic. I was definitely in need of a new set of tools for living life. I see I now have them and am starting to learning how to use them.
I would have to say that many of the people I have been closest to throughout my life I would have to consider alcoholics. Maybe that is part of the reason for my being late in recognizing my drinking problem. Comparatively my drinking seemed normal. Actually my two closests friends I would have to say without a doubt are alcoholics. They are also the two best people I have ever met in my life. Neither one of them drink anymore though.
I have been amazed by AA. I didn't really know anything about it before attending my first meeting. I just knew I didn't want to drink anymore and wanted to meet some new people who didn't drink. But the sense of fellowship and the willingness of people to reach out to others is truly something. Just as it is truly something how you all have been so willling to reach of to me and share your wisdom and experiences.
I agree with AGO. We rock. lol. If I think about the most interesting people I know in my life I would say most of them could be considered alcoholics.
I'm going to try and track down "A new pair of glasses" and I'll get back to you AGO.
My original post had more to do with the fact I was feeling down on myself for not having done something sooner. Finally admitting to my self I was an alcoholic had all these memories from the past start popping in my head and making me wonder why I hadn't done something sooner. I realize I'm not alone in that experience and understand that being involved with AA and working the steps will help deal with that isssue.
On the flip side I feel fortunate to have come to the realization now and taken steps to do something about it.
I do not feel shame for being an alcoholic. I do often however feel shame after drinking too much. I look forward to a future that is free of that shame.
