by logansrun 21 Replies latest jw friends
It sounds like it was a buffer, a tool that helped you transition from dubland to realityland, a phase shift. Since you are mostly out of the woods now, it's a smart thing to do to see if you are controling it, or it is controling you.
Myself, i seem to not have an addictive bent, except maybe some foods. I do use a bit more booze than i used to, though. And weed, of course. But, i also abstain quite often for days.
S
Sorry, Brad, I guess I got a little carried away... Didn't mean to. I personally don't think you're an alkie, either. But wanted to point out a couple of things to watch for that just might trip up your goal. I passed on my email as a suggestion in case you have any questions you want to ask without posting in the thread. I don't notice my PM's very often. (or is that PMS?)
Also note: Even though many in their 20's drink heavily, mostly because they can, those in their late 20s begin to get a little more reasonable about it and start backing off and become more moderate or light drinkers. Those that cannot back off and become a moderate or light drinker, or change to binge drinking, probably have medical problems that need to be addressed.
Hugs and luck
Brenda
PS oh, yeah, you don't have to add brandy or whisky to your eggnog.
Good for you! Keep up... whatever...
DY
Good for you, Brad. It's good to go dry once in a while. I did it for almost three years.....just to check myself. I've been thinking of doing it again lately.........it's definitely a good thing, and, I've often thought that ingesting large doses of alcohol is really almost like ingesting a poison..........but, in moderation, it is healthy for you.........I'll be following your thread and sending you lots of positive energy! Terri
Something I've noticed when I don't drink for a few days: The energy I have in the evening! Instead of reaching for a drink at 6:30 I find myself taking walks with my dog, working out (getting buffed) and reading with much greater clarity. I also noticed I sleep better.
Keep sending that energy sunnygal. While you're at it, send some money too. hehe..
B.
Kudos, Bradley! I've thought about doing the same thing, the only problem is that my addiction is the 'net.
Good for you, Bradley. If you feel like booze is holding you back, then it is and it's a wise choice to give it a break. I know exactly what you mean not only with the daily drinking, but also with how good it feels to sober up for a while. I wish I had the balls to give it a rest, as my body and mind sorely need a break, but it's just not gonna happen right now. I chalk it up to S.A.D.., or maybe I'm just a gutless stoner.
Great thing, Bradley. I, too, do a break from time to time, up to six weeks.
Todays social life is so full of alcohol - expecially in the end of a year - that everyone should have an eye on it.
Brad: I always suspected I was medicating myself, and about the time I began to have serious lingering doubts about the troof I also decided to quit drinking for 30 days, just as you have. I had done the 30-day thing a few years earlier and did not suffer any obvious withdrawal symptoms but I felt so much better physically and mentally that I went several months without a drink, before taking a cruise. That's when I succumbed to the lure of those damn banana things with rum, and by the time the cruise was over I was looking forward to a couple of glasses of wine after work every night.
This time I told myself that if I got thru 30 days with no problem, I would conclude my drinking was merely social and under control. I expected to sail through the month the same way I had earlier. However, after about two weeks I started thinking about drinking and by week three I was designing a menu of drinks to be consumed the minute 30 days were up! I took that to mean I might have a "problem" so I forced myself to go another 30 days without a drink, and then another 30. Some months later I started attending free public lectures at an area rehab place and was struck not only by how well I fit the profile of a problem drinker/alchoholic but how big a role "spirituality" plays in all this. It got me thinking and I realized that as a dub, I really wasn't a "spiritual" person. We paid lip service to it, but all it really meant was how much service time we got, how many meetings we went to. True spirituality was a whole other thing. I haven't had a drink since. My mind works a lot better. I am much more apt to apply critical thinking to any and all claims about spirituality and lifestyle. It's has led me out the darkness and away from the negativity that is the WTS. I think alcohol "abuse" in all its forms is rampant among dubs. They need it to maintain denial.
Well done! Take one day at a time and you'll find you can slowly get out of the habit. Don't beat yourself up if you fail sometimes. In life sometimes you take two steps forward and one back. You're still going forwards though!
Best wishes, Gill
