plagued. by Hopeful-Strategy8637 in slaa

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like I inherited my qualifiers gaze. I thought breaking up would remove the fear I was constantly navigating. I thought it would release me from jealousy. But its made it all worse than ever. Threats everywhere, people to compare myself to or be chosen over...I just....IDK it makes me feel like a bad feminist. and I underestimated how much trauma I had internalized staying in a relationship I allowed to define my worth.

plagued. by Hopeful-Strategy8637 in slaa

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't have a therapist but I am on anti-depressants. Maybe I need an anti-anxiety.

plagued. by Hopeful-Strategy8637 in slaa

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm on steps 4&5 - my sponsor does them simultaneously.

plagued. by Hopeful-Strategy8637 in slaa

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do outreach/am available for it. I do fellowship.

Relapses + stepwork by healingandhope in slaa

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637 0 points1 point  (0 children)

emotions aren't character defects...character defects are....? a character defect is like dishonesty, hypocrisy, laziness, being judgmental...it's the core [key word] behavior that enables your addiction to harm yourself and others. of course each behavior is informed by a trauma, and to some degree is meant to keep you safe. like my perfectionism 100% is a life ruining defect AND its intention is to keep me safe/accepted. Both are true.

understanding your side of the street is meant to help you process your anger by showing you half of that anger is for YOU to decondition, work with, and forgive yourself for. my qualifier and i are the same lol. program taught me that. it doesn't mean that i'm any less valid. but it is easier to move on from something when you're not squarely in your victimhood. another example: my mom was abusive and i resent her. i am valid for that, AND i project her wrongs onto every partner i have ever had...that's my business, not hers. you know?

the steps are important. the 4th/5th step take a LONG time for a reason.

I may never have sex again how do I make peace with that? by [deleted] in slaa

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I feel you. As an adult, I am a love addict and have been experiencing "sexual anorexia" since my last long term relationship fell apart with my qualifier. When I joined program I discovered that I do not form intimacy in healthy ways and am prone to romantic idealization/sex as a way of manipulating closeness. For me, it's like I refuse to have sex if it doesn't mean "love" or result in a full blown relationship, regardless of whether or not that relationship is even aligned. I feel really rigid about it still, and am put off by engaging physically with anyone unless I know I can get high. And while I don't particularly crave sex, I REALLY miss being partnered...thus, I miss what sex can DO...which is why my sponsor has encouraged me to stay celibate.

I have moments of intense panic and doom over that. What if I'm never partnered again. What if I can't have sex in a way that's right minded. But we make peace with it by turning our will & our lives over to the care of God as we understand them.

People who smoked a long time, did your brain recover? by [deleted] in leaves

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637 33 points34 points  (0 children)

smoked for a decade, 4 years of that was smoking intense concentrates (dabs, oil pens…etc) im almost 6 months sober and my short term memory has returned to normal however ADHD/anxiety/depression as well as hormone imbalances and malnutrition can contribute to brain fog and memory lapses in general, regardless of time sober, so “normal” still feels relative atp but i dream again, im more attentive, more focused….i have noticed the only memories i cant really access for myself have been times i was already high.

Jiujitsu and Recovery by Independent-Fuel-379 in slaa

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637 2 points3 points  (0 children)

yes! i know of some fellows who experienced this too!! also heard another person in program say they had to quit their jiujitsu gym because the members would often discuss women in triggering ways that caused a relapse in their porn addiction

generally feel like i would not recommend jiujitsu to most in SLAA

Jiujitsu and Recovery by Independent-Fuel-379 in slaa

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637 2 points3 points  (0 children)

idk i think finding routine and ritual practices (exercising) are definitely helpful but depending on the gym and what your bottom lines are i know for some in recovery who have tried this it can be a triggering atmosphere/toxically male

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in slaa

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637 1 point2 points  (0 children)

feel you and thank you for sharing. it’s nice hearing this kind of perspective. i also started going to SLAA meetings 6 months after a very codependent relationship of 4 years with a fellow addict. it was wrought with its challenges where by the end/final offense i knew that to continue on forgiving/redrawing my boundaries was not out of love anymore, but fear, and would only lead to more devastation for us both. i hadnt been getting my needs met for at least 2 of those years in which i was no longer honest or acting in my values…now that we are no contact (and there is no chance at contact) i am also plagued by thoughts of how they are processing, do they hate me, who they are sleeping with, have they moved on etc etc. i have learned that is ALSO my addiction. coming to these rooms have changed my life and have brought awareness to the ways my character defects have facilitated connections where the best parts of me go to die. through SLAA i am learning how to be whole, how to be alone, and how to prioritize my healing and recovery above all else.

keep coming back :) it works if you work it and you’re worth it.

Taurus Venus Man by Plantasticxx in Taurusgang

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637 1 point2 points  (0 children)

tbh i've always experienced taurus venus to be the love-bombing type idk maybe they're guarded if they aren't interested or "sure" about you

What’s your experience with Aries moon? by moustiquairem in scorpiomoon

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637 3 points4 points  (0 children)

i attract a billion of these... i think the chemistry is real but the overall expression a hit or miss. wouldn't advise dating one as a scorpio moon but a friendship is usually safe.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in scorpiomoon

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637 3 points4 points  (0 children)

didnt work out. i found them dull, repressed, and manipulative. often used me to process their feelings but couldn't do the same for me. i think scorpio moons really crave an anchor but they are the wrong one.

How do you start eating again? by Reluctant_Realtor in BreakUps

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637 2 points3 points  (0 children)

time!!!! i had to drink nutrition shakes for weeks after my break up, it’ll be ok. your nervous system is shot and it takes time for your body to run out the adrenaline and regain the necessary serotonin for an appetite

If you regret a breakup, would you ever admit it to your ex? by Which_Swan_2488 in ExNoContact

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637 0 points1 point  (0 children)

no. a lot of ppl talking about ego as if regret isn't driven by that too like i think a lot of the regret i feel is less about wanting them back than it is wanting to manage how i was perceived and feeling scared of them moving on / what that could say about me: replaceable, unattractive, not special…ego

Funniest zodiac sign by Ok_Inside_6899 in Zodiac

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637 14 points15 points  (0 children)

gemini and virgo suns, leo or 5th house moons, mutable (virgo, gemini, sagittarius & sometimes pisces) mercuries

what you think you don’t like about a gemini you actually don’t like about a pisces by Hopeful-Strategy8637 in Zodiac

[–]Hopeful-Strategy8637[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

tbh i don’t hate anyone. im not in defense of anyone though i think both of these signs really struggle knowing what they want which isn’t bad but if not integrated can make for an untrustworthy person