You Gotta Want it!

In response to:   http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/overcoming-addiction/201307/how-the-media-misrepresents-alcoholics-anonymous

 

So, it all boils down to one thing. You have to WANT to quit, and be ready to commit. Otherwise, you will not be successful no matter what route you take. No program can make you stay sober unless you want to be sober above all else.  Unfortunately, most people have to hit rock bottom or have their lives endangered in order to reach that point. If you haven't read "Dry," by Augusten Burroughs, you should, its a great read. You gotta love the guy, he went through hell and lived to write about it, and has a successful career as an author.

 

I'm no psychologist. I went through the AA 12 step with my Mom. She stayed sober, but in reality became dependent on opioids because of  rheumatoid arthritis. I was in Alateen and Alanon for years and I saw AA work for many people. I do agree that it isn't for everyone. The best part is having a sponsor, someone to call when you have a rough spot. This is what actually helps to keep you AND your sponsor sober, the  partnership and camaraderie. Doing it alone can be very difficult. I used to go on sponsor calls with my mom and we helped the Alcoholic as well as the family members. Mostly kids. So, AA can work for people, it isn't the cure all for everyone but then no program is. It leans largely on faith, sponsorship, and sticking together with like minded people.

 

As you know there are several if not many programs out there that work from a different angle like for instance:

 

Women for Sobriety

SMART

 

Bottom line, you gotta want it!

Trying to relieve the pain....emotional self medication does not lead to serenity

They always say live in the moment to be truly happy.... At first this was particularly hard for me because I could not stop dwelling on yesterday and tomorrow. Sitting still and clearing your mind is so difficult. Finding a quiet spot in our lives is getting more difficult every day.  Have you ever tried to sit still and think about nothing, nothing at all?

Looking at a tree and realizing how beautiful it is with its branches blowing in the wind and the sun shining with all it's natural power and light is a complete miracle and we get to see it every day, unless of course you live in Alaska.  How do we get to that place in our minds where we can just stop and be still....and nothing can intrude and cause us pain?

I believe we all have things in our past, mistakes we have made, past hurts and trauma. Whether from a family member or something that we ourselves did to someone else that continues to crush us inside constantly and without any sign of mercy. Can we get a grip and somehow find away to stop thinking about that deed or trauma?  Forgiveness is forever sought.

Alcohol acts an anesthetic. For how long does it kill the pain? Does the pain not return upon awakening from a stupor followed by more pain from a throbbing maniacal headache that only time, sleep, water, and aspirin may cure?  I guess this pain takes our mind off the pain that caused us to drink in the first place. When one pain wears off, the next begins, and the anesthetic is again needed.  My, what an obnoxious circle.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

        

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

 

Science Smience......Your Liver. Why you gotta have it.

Ok so I'm gonna mention this from the aspect that we all know we need our liver, right?

I'm gonna go with the thought that we all want to live full healthy lives and that we really give a crap if one of our major organs gradually dies off due to overwork and poisoning. If this is not something you have thought of then I implore you to do so, and now!

Your liver has about 500 things to do on an daily basis besides trying to filter your poison habit. Because alcohol is an immediate danger it gets to go to the top of the list when it is present in your system. This leaves the other jobs on the back burner until toxins can be dealt with. Here are your liver's functions.

processing nutrients from food;

storing energy;

making bile to help with digestion of dietary fats;

filtering toxic chemicals and bacteria from the body;

helping with blood clotting; and

processing medicines.

Your liver is also the main place in your body where alcohol is broken down.
About 90-98% of alcohol is broken down by your liver. The other 2-10% is sent out in your urine, breathed out by respiration and sweated out. Alcohol is initially absorbed  by way of oral mucosa, stomach, and small intestine, and this is why you get an immediate effect from alcohol, because it absorbs quickly and goes straight to your head, literally!!! Once this happens, I don't know about you but all inhibitions are leaving me and I stop paying attention to how much I am gulping down.

 I like the way Dr. Oz says that your liver is like border police in that everything has to be inspected in order to pass through. Here is the breakdown of alcohol by the liver:


by www.mydr.com Your liver has to break down the alcohol to a less toxic chemical that your body can process and expel.

I know everyone has heard of a fatty liver.  THIS IS IMPORTANT SO PAY ATTENTION@!!!!

According to www.webmd.com:  This is a direct quote:

More than 15 million people in the U.S. abuse or overuse alcohol. Almost all of them -- 90%-100% -- develop fatty livers. 
Fatty liver can occur after drinking moderate or large amounts of alcohol. It can even occur after a short period of heavy drinking (acute alcoholic liver disease).

 So, if you think your helping yourself by just cutting back, or perhaps just binging occasionally, think again. It's all bad. Poison is poison.  By this way if you are young, you don't get a free pass, you can still damage yourself. It goes this way----fatty liver, then comes cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is death of the liver, where scar tissue forms. Those cells that are turned into scar tissue are done, there is no cure.  Let this soak in.... People that destroy their good liver don't get to the top of the transplant list easily, if ever.

Once you decide to stop drinking.....here's what you do next.

The first step in correcting an alcohol problem is acknowledging you have a problem. The second is really deep down wanting and willingness to correct that problem. I was recently asked how I actually have remained sober without much pain or stress. I won't lie to you, taking the first step and that first week was not a breeze but....I had help and it got easier by the day.

 I am going to tell you my secret... I came across a method by an Author named Craig Beck. The name of his book is Alcohol Lied To Me. This book can be purchased in audio, digital, or paperback form. I preferred the audio form because I just never have time to sit down and read. So, I listen while driving or cleaning or just what ever I am doing. As of today I have listened to his book at least 10 times. I kid you not. At the end of his book there is a hypnosis session that I listened to every night for 3 weeks, and still do occasionally. Even though many times I fall asleep while listening I know the message is getting through to my subconscious. There is that word again, "subconscious.!"

There is a companion audio book you can get also called, "Stop Drinking Hypnosis" which is just short hypnosis sessions back to back and is nice to have. I have used all the techniques in the book and even though I did not take the supplements I am beginning to do so because as Mr. Beck says it is important to follow every step in the plan.

  Here are the Supplements:
This is taken directly from Craig Becks book Alcohol Lied To Me:

1000MG Omega 3 fish oil supplement and take three of these a day either all at once or spread over the day.

Broad spectrum ‘once a day’ multivitamin, B Vitamin Complex

 50MG 5-HTP supplement with a sweet liquid at bedtime unless you are diabetic.

 Vitamin C

Other things that I do would include Yoga, and meditation. I will talk more about this in another post!

The Road to Making a Sober Decision

Subconscious change has definitely been the answer for me. The first week was the worst but gradually and definitely it got better and better. It started for me with trying to discover what  underlying problems might be causing my craving for alcohol and then gradually looking for a cure or therapy other than AA, or another popular group therapy situation. I was very familiar with AA because my own mother was a recovering alcoholic for 38 years.  I received her 38 year certificate and coin right after her funeral.

The road to making the decision to stay completely sober can be a tough one.  One has to make up their mind that staying sober is more pleasant, and brings more benefit to life than drinking. Realizing that drinking alcohol has incredible power over us that we cannot control is another obstacle, this is why we find ourselves struggling, sometimes even arguing with ourselves over whether we should drink, that we can handle our alcohol, whether we can have just one drink and then stop, and other BS episodes of rationalization and excuses we try and create in our very feeble conscious egotistic minds.  This is why subconscious change is so important. Because willpower(this is our conscious mind trying to tell our subconscious what to do) doesn't work!

I may have mentioned in another post how I have come home grabbed a full wine bottle, opened it, poured it into a glass and slugged down a huge swallow without even consciously thinking about whether it was the best route for me to deal with the days problems. Before I knew it I was on my second glass.....At this point my subconscious had taken over because this behavior is stubbornly and forever engrained there and because my conscious need for relief, fast numbing relief, was greater than my conscious strength to fight the superhuman strength of my subconscious. Ahhhhh that felt good to get out!

Great Video by Craig Ferguson:

Please enjoy this video by Craig Ferguson. It will make you laugh and if you have ever had a problem with alcohol you will be able to relate!  He talks about his 15 year sobriety.