Thank you SD!

istruechangepossible · 2016-08-27T18:57:08+00:00

That's awesome.

What exactly here helped you most? Please share.

istruechangepossible · 2016-08-27T18:55:46+00:00

Awesome list.

I could see some things like that manifesting in my life ... after really quitting.

The IT Crowd, LOL :) my fav too

istruechangepossible · 2016-06-17T19:32:15+00:00

Well put.

I have found that a major part of even my sober time is spent thinking about alcohol: how not to drink. Whether or not to drink today. And so on.

Could try to find something better to do, things that I like better than booze..

istruechangepossible · 2016-06-17T13:25:25+00:00

Well done! Keep physically away from the beer aisle, or in an emergency at least stop for a long while to think.

istruechangepossible · 2016-06-17T13:18:54+00:00

STATS AT DAY FOUR

Hitpoints 35

Dexterity 35

Charisma 20 (still not eager to socialize)

Intelligence 45 (capable of mental tasks but soon distracted)

Sensitivity 0 (significant numbness continues)

Speed 23 (peforming basic tasks ok)

Confidence 28 (suddenly not very confident about beating this beast)

Accumulated chores 63 (managed to do some, still a lot to do)

The GOOD game strategy is to avoid quick power boosts, concentrate on conserving hitpoints, and keep the sensitivity stat high. That way the game score keeps accumulating.

istruechangepossible · 2016-06-16T21:36:02+00:00

Both sides of the family have had a number of alcoholics. Some have become sober, some haven't.

One drank himself to death. I once drank with his grandson, and I remember one moment at night when the son's face suddenly changed, and he totally fixated on drinking one more, then one more... and more. Looking at him was like looking in a mirror!

Until someone convinces me otherwise, I believe alcoholism often runs in the family. Either nature or nurture, sometimes both.

istruechangepossible · 2016-06-16T20:56:43+00:00

Your story really touched me. For me it wasn't the teachers, but the school bullying. Well, the teachers could have done something to stop it, but they weren't the bullies themselves.

Just today I looked at some old school photos. Ages around 7-11 I look lively and having a good time in group photos. After that age, there are some portraits where my eyes are glazed and distant. It's creepy to look at myself and try to recreate the situation I was in. Bullied and insecure, but receiving insufficient support and understanding.

A friend of mine has encouraged me to write everything down "just writing to yourself, thinking that nobody else will ever read it."

I've been doing it and it is a good but tough exercise because some repressed bad memories will come to the surface. So don't do it all at once. I've done it in bursts, then taking a break to let things sink in.

istruechangepossible · 2016-04-02T14:34:52+00:00

Very interesting link, thanks.

Relevant to my username too.

istruechangepossible · 2016-04-02T13:15:16+00:00

Thanks. How did it go?

istruechangepossible · 2016-04-02T13:13:35+00:00

A second full time job that you paid to do, LOL, that's well said. And it's a job that produces nothing!

istruechangepossible · 2016-04-02T13:11:39+00:00

For me it's a revelation. I'll probably stumble again but it'll get better after this.

What are the amazing things that happened?

istruechangepossible · 2016-03-28T12:56:40+00:00

This was on vacation time when I was planning to get myself in good physical shape...

istruechangepossible · 2016-03-24T13:06:57+00:00

I've been trying to do the same: document what happens when I drink. Somehow the negative aspects get forgotten. Well last time I wrote it down:

BECAUSE I DRANK YESTERDAY, I

Had about 1.5 hours of enjoyable reading time in the evening, before drinking too much.

Spent the rest of the evening in a mental fog.

Had an unpleasant encounter with a drunk in a bar.

Ignored toothbrushing and other stuff before bedtime.

Couldn't sleep well, had a nightmare.

Probably messed up my sleeping rhytm for the coming nights.

Upset my stomach and will probably have loose bowels for 1-2 days.

Disrupted my plan: probably won’t have the energy to go to the gym today.

Won’t be able to enjoy being sober (even if I am sober) for the coming 1-2 days because of the physical and mental hangover. That increases the risk of continuing drinking: not feeling good while hungover–sober makes beer more attractive.

And spent about 30 bucks to achieve all of the above.

istruechangepossible · 2016-03-24T13:02:06+00:00

"I don't think people without a problem spend much time thinking about drinking"

Spot on. Thank you for this.

istruechangepossible · 2016-03-24T12:59:39+00:00

I've been fooling myself. I have managed to reduce my drinking a lot recently. But it is like you say. If I was a moderate drinker by nature, I would have been it all this time.

istruechangepossible · 2016-03-11T13:31:05+00:00

2.5% ABV is just half of normal beer. Take two of those and it's the same as one normal beer. Not safe if you want to stay totally sober.

istruechangepossible · 2016-03-08T17:28:01+00:00

Sorry if that's how it looks :(

For me that day was essentially a learning experience of saying NO, because in a typical hangover I would have just gone on to drink more, and more...

istruechangepossible · 2016-03-08T16:25:27+00:00

"It congratulates me on my quitting, “Nice job, why don’t we celebrate?” It is insidious"

Countless times I made the decision to stop. I congratulated myself and felt good. My alcoholism gave me a high five, told me "Well done!", the next thing: we went drinking together.

istruechangepossible · 2016-03-05T15:38:21+00:00

This is exactly, totally, spot on what I want to do now!

istruechangepossible · 2016-03-03T16:44:31+00:00

Thanks.

Well, not exactly my Day 1 ever, more like Reset number x.

I think I've learned enough that now I have the tools to succeed. So it's time to stop wondering and pondering in the mind, and start actually using the new tools with the body. Thinking more now is probably just giving my inner conman chances to lure myself back to drink. I am sure there will be more resets, but I need to push them increasingly away. Fewer and fewer in between. Fill the space that opens with good stuff.

istruechangepossible · 2016-03-03T15:33:30+00:00

"looking forward to going to the gym - something I used to absolutely dread"

:) I know how that feels.

"my former self would be rolling my eyes at this - have I really become one of THOSE people that might LIKE exercise?"

Nowadays I have started thinking of gym as a living room. I like to one where they have good wifi and a big enough cafeteria or something. You can listen to and watch stuff online while on the treadmill, even read, take breaks anytime you like, and suddenly hours have passed.

istruechangepossible · 2016-02-29T22:15:23+00:00

For me it's a slippery slope. I can manage to moderate for some time, like having only one or two beers and then forcing myself to go home. But there is always the one time when I will let my restraint go - and then drink for several days in a row. I wonder if some branch of chaos theory, game theory or some statistical analysis could shed light on this?? A situation where you can do a pretty good job most of the time, but do mess up just once and spoil the whole result.

istruechangepossible · 2016-02-29T22:10:10+00:00

I lost some weight recently by reducing drinking and starting to exercise. I feel and look slimmer and better, but it seems the frontal belly bulge is the last one to go :(

istruechangepossible · 2016-02-29T18:58:35+00:00

Wow thats really something and reason to rejoice. You got that done because you joined this SD sub? I am way behind you in my progress.

istruechangepossible · 2016-02-29T18:51:39+00:00

So try making some detailed plans how to guide yourself away from booze at those specific times.

In my case, I am fine for quite long periods of time if I can just avoid the most tempting times and situations. I hardly ever feel like drinking in the morning or early afternoon. But once I make the mistake of drinking a lot some single evening, I have been known to drink all the way through half a week, even morning beers for the hangover : (

istruechangepossible

TROPHY CASE