Yes. That’s not easy on either of you I am sure. Sorry the hear.
Food is a tricky one, don’t you think? After all, we need to eat to live. We don’t need to drink booze or smoke pot or pop pills.
I’m glad to read you are getting help & it’s working @Bestfriendsgirl
I don’t know much about OA, but you still have to eat. Do you just avoid certain foods? I would think sugar is one. I can’t just eat one piece of chocolate. I find it is better not to even start, because I don’t crave it.
STATEMENT ON ABSTINENCE AND RECOVERY: “Abstinence in Overeaters Anonymous is the action of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight. Spiritual, emotional, and physical recovery is the result of living the Overeaters Anonymous Twelve Step program.” -from the suggested meeting format of Overeaters Anonymous. It’s a simple program, but not an easy one.
You are so correct. Food is tricky.
But if you’re an alcoholic of the seemingly hopeless variety (seemingly being the operative word) you most definately do “need to drink” to live.
Not in a physical sense of nutrients necessary for life. But as we know the brain is a complex system. And there is brain science out there that in the population of true alcoholics that the middle brain is actually affected. The area of the brain that is responsible for the base level needs for life requiring no input — water food and reproduction — is compromised in this group. It seems the need for the “effects produced by alcohol” are routed and embedded alongside these vital needs for life itself. It requires a complete psychic change. The 12 steps attempt to do this.
That’s why alcohol is a “cunning and baffling foe”. And so many people who are of strong character and manage their affairs in other areas can’t kick it on their own. No one gets up in the morning and purposely says. “Oh what a beautiful day. How can I best ruin my life and the lives of those I love the most today.”
Just a public service reminder. Not recovery related.
With spring break upon us. Let’s give our kids the “talk”. It’s dangerous out there with binge drinking and sexual assaults related to excess drinking. Especially at the noted “hot spots” for students. like Panama City myrtle beach, ft lauderdale etc.
Be careful out there.
The original founder of Square (the mobile payment system you see in smart phones) and genius computer developer at Google. Multimillionaire in his 30s. Dead of an overdose. Struggled with addiction.
It’s not just the guys you see walking the streets or in jail. It’s big big problem folks. It’s like a world war 2 US Army type death rate every five years.
We should be pounding the table for letting the smugglers get away with this, these terrorists have been much more successful than Al Qaeda.
As I said earlier 3500 soldiers died in Iraq. Terrible. And caused outrage and protests. Rightly so. Can’t we do it for this problem too?
Fentanyl is made in China and added to heroin form the Mid East. Our adversories are winning a war we don’t know we are in.
Tristen O’Tierney. Age 35. Honors grad in CS from Rochester Institute of Technology. And advanced degree at SJSU.
It could be anyone’s kid.
My mom had back surgery several years ago. The orthopedic surgeon, recognized around here as one of the best in the field, was very reluctant to prescribe painkillers for my mom for after the surgery. And he wanted her off the painkillers as quickly as possible. A year or so later, we found out why he was so opposed to use of narcotics. His high-school-age daughter died from an accidental overdose; it turns out she had an opioid addiction.
Wow. That’s a powerful story. I am sure he had dreams for her and provided opportunities.
That’s a big problem too. Over prescribing.
My two nieces are addicts. One just od’d on heroin laced with fentanyl. Her parents, my husbands sister have been the worse parents I’ve seen. As my mother in law says they get the tough but not the love. She’s a doctor he’s got a masters and are the most narcissistic people I’ve ever met.
We are secretly now paying for a methadone treatment for our niece because her parents won’t.
I hope and pray it works. Besides the methadone she gets therapy as well. It’s beyond a crying shame. Two girls with everything going for them who had all the potential in the world. We now wonder if they will survive.
Thank you for this thread.
My niece is alcoholic. She’s in AA but not currently working the program. She recently left a rehab. One of the smartest people I know but absolutely blind when it comes to the alcohol. She is messing up her life in numerous ways. All we can do is watch, pray, and encourage her to call her sponsor.
@calla1 the first step is many times the most difficult. Surrender.
I’ve been in AlAnon for over 10 years. I can say it has changed my life in so many ways. It gave me a safe place to share my fears and it provided me with others who shared their experience, strength and hope with others to help us change. I have improved relationships with my family and siblings. I have learned to say what I want as I cant expect others to read my mind. I can understand now why my Mom was the way she was. My Mom came from an alcoholic home and it so effected how she parented her children. I have accepted that she did the best that she could with the tools that she had. My siblings still harbor resentments though out Mom is long gone. I’ve let it go.
The alcoholic who brought me to Al Anon has over 10 years of sobriety.
@mom60 That’s fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
Also please jump in to help with posters. Most do not know where to turn or what’s driving this insanity.
I found a lot of helpful material on the SMART Recovery site https://www.smartrecovery.org/ especially the Toolbox in their Resources section.
I spent good year in The SMART program. Meetings every Monday. The online potals and remote online meetings and blogs.
It is a great program for the hard drinker or early stage problem drinker. Really useful at that point.
The alcoholic of the seemingly hopeless variety who’s lost the ability of choice and control, it wasn’t quite enough.
Playing the tape through to the end only works if you do it before taking the next drink.
If you have the obsession it is tough.
And it had to work every time for years to come. Unfortunately it only takes one time for it not to be sufficient and your back down the road.
But I loved the people at SMART and it worked for a lot of them super successfully.
Most real alcoholics can’t remember the pain from a week or a month ago, with sufficient force to keep them away from the first drink.
That’s what makes it seem so darn insane. Especially to those who love us.
@privatebanker, thank you for this thread. It is eye-opening and has given me a lot to think about, and a greater appreciation for what a friend is achieving. The more knowledge, the better. Wishing you continued good health.
You’re welcome.
It was announced today that drug alcohol and suicide deaths broke the all time record for USA in 2017.
It’s a crisis. But still swept under the table. But oh well. Progress not perfection.
Why do you say it’s swept under the rug? I read something about the high suicide rate just last week.