Alcoholism Support Group
Alcoholism is the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, even when it is negatively affecting your health, work, relationships and life. If you think alcohol is causing you to lose control, it's time to seek help. Our group is a safe place to vent, check in, get back up if you fall, and reach sobriety.
We are all individuals with one common purpose, to stop drinking. Sobriety is SO much more than not drinking. In the course of our lives we have been taught how to behave. For some it was a controlling parent, for some a traumatic experience. Siblings, teachers, peers etc. we pick up behaviors that can enhance our lives or keep us from growing.
When we stepped into the lifestyle of addiction many if not ALL the negative behaviors and attitudes were magnified. We used these to rationalize our place in life. Used these rationalizations to justify our behavior. "They cannot after a time differentiate the true from the false. To them their alcoholic life seems the only normal one". This premise is common in ALL psychiatric issues.
When we get clean/sober those (habitual) behaviors remain. We WILL become more aware of them and will learn to replace them if we can become open to the direction offered. Example: I want to go to the bar but I can't so I will go to a meeting. HABITS are NOT broken. They are replaced and the new practiced until the old habit is covered up. This does NOT mean the old habit is gone. If teased it can come back to life and take over where it left off.
Those learned behaviors can manifest themselves in how we react to another. What is in reality innocent can appear to be something else to some. Simply offering a suggestion can be seen as a demand, an attempt to control. If at all possible we should try to take the time to find out who a person is and try to respond to the person. This is hard utilizing this means of communication thus the need to get face to face in person help.
We have all got a past. I see certain areas of our lives as an onion. An onion grows from a seed. It grows, layer upon layer. When we peel that onion it stings and brings tears. When we put that same onion into the pan and apply heat it becomes sweet and the aroma is wonderful. When we get to the center of the onion we find the seed is gone. It's been replaced... by a heart.
If you take a hammer to the onion you will also smash the heart. Choose your words wisely.
When we stepped into the lifestyle of addiction many if not ALL the negative behaviors and attitudes were magnified. We used these to rationalize our place in life. Used these rationalizations to justify our behavior. "They cannot after a time differentiate the true from the false. To them their alcoholic life seems the only normal one". This premise is common in ALL psychiatric issues.
When we get clean/sober those (habitual) behaviors remain. We WILL become more aware of them and will learn to replace them if we can become open to the direction offered. Example: I want to go to the bar but I can't so I will go to a meeting. HABITS are NOT broken. They are replaced and the new practiced until the old habit is covered up. This does NOT mean the old habit is gone. If teased it can come back to life and take over where it left off.
Those learned behaviors can manifest themselves in how we react to another. What is in reality innocent can appear to be something else to some. Simply offering a suggestion can be seen as a demand, an attempt to control. If at all possible we should try to take the time to find out who a person is and try to respond to the person. This is hard utilizing this means of communication thus the need to get face to face in person help.
We have all got a past. I see certain areas of our lives as an onion. An onion grows from a seed. It grows, layer upon layer. When we peel that onion it stings and brings tears. When we put that same onion into the pan and apply heat it becomes sweet and the aroma is wonderful. When we get to the center of the onion we find the seed is gone. It's been replaced... by a heart.
If you take a hammer to the onion you will also smash the heart. Choose your words wisely.
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I gave my 2 week notice last Friday 13th. Now to join you fine people in a life of leisure and nothing else to do but to look out for myself....is it just me or does that sound pretty boring? My goal was to live to retire and I guess having to take early retirement because of health reasons wasn't exactly the way I had planned things. I just can't stay in that building that is reeking mildew...
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I'm trying to exercise daily. I was doing fairly well until I sprained my ankle 2 weeks ago but now I'm getting back on the horse. Today I walked over a mile with my arm weights that are about 22lbs total. I was out of shape and it was hard on my arms. I also did my 30 situps. I'm also going to drink a lot of water and try to eat healthy. I do tend to have a sweet tooth but I'm cutting...
Seriously, you are spot on and handsome to boot.
I'm back to face to face meetings.....what a difference it makes in communication.
Ree
Billy
Glad you're here Jim. Hope ya stick around.