Get Sober Help

Where do we fit in?

2007-09-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

I've been through alot myself... And the most comforting thought today is... Im not the only one. It's true.. Sometimes we feel as though we are alone in this big, messed up, screwed up, world of alcoholic blunders.... and then we come to find out the truth.No one is perfect. And especially for us alcohlics... we've ALL been through the the same blunders. The thoughts of "gosh, I must be the worst person on earth" dissapear, as we realize we are just like every other person with this disease. All our lives we felt seperated... now we are with others who are just like us. What a great thing that is. To be seperate and apart from no more. I looked around and saw that these others were not fighting their past. That they had found a way to deal with it and move on. And above that, to find real peace within themselves. It was the sobriety that did it for them, and a program of spirituality. It did it for me to, and it will do it for you. It's wonderfull to know I'm not the only one that F'd up. I fit right in with the rest, and from here on, it's onward and upward! The secret to walking a tight rope is "dont look down". The secret to our walk is "dont look back".

"From a Member of Alanon"

2007-08-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

I would like to comment that having gone through all that I have, there was ALOT that I didn't know. Well at least, I guess, that I never took to heart in as far as what I, me, myself should have. When things in my own personal situation had come to a point of devastion, that is when I investigated the view from the other side. Reading all that could be read from the view of those who drank and their stories. I've come to understand you and your peers so much better. In turn, this has made me question, re-think and change my attitude and view of those fighting this disease. The physical aspects are often most apparent, however, it is the mental, emotional, and spiritual.......the unseen....that is the hardest for those of us who have relationships with alcoholics to understand.This is what your stories have given to me. That glimpse inside to understand better what you feel, think ect. Being honest with ourselves is the hardest thing to face. Conquering our own defects is tough. Whatever side of the fence we come from in facing this disease, together, we learn from one another.

(There is a link to Alanon under the "usefull links" section in the right hand panel)

From "Bringing Back the Dead"

2007-08-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

http://misunderstandingjesus.blogspot.com/
As far as careers in alcoholism go I think I’ve been fortunate. I go to meetings and look around and see a lot of hard miles on a lot of tired faces. I think I was around sixteen when I realized I was an alcoholic. Drank until I was 22. Came up with an excuse and quit until I was 36. Got divorced and decided it would be a good idea to resume my research into the effects of alcohol on a depressed, somewhat confused newly divorced male of 40. Still looking at the data but the results weren’t all that shocking. So for five years- half a decade- I drank. I didn’t do drugs. I did drugs when I was a kid and quickly became bored with them. I’m Scotch-Irish and so perhaps genetically predisposed to the pedestrian qualities of beer. I drank a little wine. I never was much for hard liquor. I did however drink some really good beer, for what its worth. Or expensive, anyways- I assume that’s the scale we’re using, since no liquor really did me any amount of good, really. I do know for certain it had nice packaging. Pretty bottles and cans, Stainless steel, porcelain with a fancy cork- all kinds of pretentious shit. Even that didn’t make me happy. There are signs alcoholics get- little yellow and red flags that god- or Allah or Jah or the mother ship if you will- send down to us to give us a little hand, presumably because they know we’re remedial and hobbled by the constraints of a blood alcohol level several times the legal limit. The little warnings come in many forms, but I think one of the easiest ones is when you begin to think that every waitperson is the slowest waitperson in the entire universe. After being sober for a time I realized that there is no waitress or waiter anywhere that can bring the drinks fast enough for a drunk like me- that’s just not humanly possible. In fact, if any one of them had my sense of humor they would have kept bringing them back as fast as I could consume them, just to see how quick they could get me unconscious. They could have had a drunk pool and made some side bets. But luckily for me not everyone has a weird, rye, twisted sense of humor, and instead I went through life wondering if there was a decent waiter or waitress anywhere in the world. Just the same- nowadays they can’t bring me iced teas or root beers quick enough either It’s just my burden to bear, I suppose. I drink fast.An alcoholic has to have tricks to get by- ways to prolong their languishing health. I used to eat two aspirin and two ibuprophen before bed, chased down with a couple pints of cold water. I trained myself to wake up every hour or two and I drink another pint or three during the night. Then I’d get up in the morning and eat another couple aspirin and ibuprophen and eat a nice, greasy breakfast and I’d be as good as….used. I’d be marginal at best. I’d feel better than if I hadn’t gone to all that trouble but about a hundred times worse than if my body wasn’t completely saturated with alcohol like it was. So I’d be wearing dark glasses to hide from the brightness of the sun, my body and head would have this dull ache that was just present in everything I did. I’d limp through the day pretending to be great and by 3:30 I’d be at the store picking up a twelve pack, knowing that the first couple would make me feel pretty all right. Of course after the first couple I never could get that feeling back and I’d spend the balance of the evening’s consciousness chasing after the illusion, the ghost of a feeling. Now I know it’s a myth- a fable- a not so carefully constructed illusion of this fantastic feeling that lasts exactly two drinks and then is always just over the next hill- or at the bottom of the next drink, as it were. The beauty of the set-up is that by the time you’d put in enough time to figure it out you were too drunk to accept it and you just kept steamrolling yourself right through whatever beverages were in front of you. Or me, anyhow. So that’s a chunk of how things have been in the past for me. And like I said- I was fortunate. My drinking career was short and despite what everyone has told me about setting goals too high and about living in the moment- I will never drink again. That’s kind of odd, thinking about that in the abstract. It seems like such a mundane thing- alcohol, standing on it’s own without the alcoholic attached. But that’s the way things are, and so this is the way I am. As stubborn as I was about quitting and going to AA- and as tenacious as I was to keep surviving my days and managing to work despite the crap I was putting myself through- I’m that determined and tenacious and stubborn about not falling into that trap again. My grandfathers on both sides were alcoholics. My mom’s dad died of sclerosis of the liver, my dad’s dad was a violent drunk and came to a violent end- drunk and on a tear he was shot to death by his second wife (in his defense she was a pistol champion and a crack shot.) Somehow it managed to skip my dad yet in an unfair turn of events he died of cancer of the liver and pancreas. Literally on his deathbed I promised him that I was done drinking. I figured it was worrying him and I knew it was worrying me, and at that time I felt really terrible that I could be piling one more worry onto the shoulders of a man that was facing the scariest thing any of us will ever face. Still it took me a year and eight months to put on the brakes. After dad died I stopped for a while, and then I drank more and more regularly than I ever had before. I don’t really know what it was that was driving me to do this but I have always had a feeling that something made me cease caring about my own well-being. I had all of the information and am a pretty intuitive guy- I would start out the day wanting to be this one person that is independent and strong and healthy and then as morning turned to afternoon and afternoon to evening at some point I would just say “fuck it.” And even though I knew it truly wasn’t what I wanted to do and didn’t work in the direction I wanted to be going- despite the knowledge that it was wrong for me and bad for me and that I was doing myself physical harm- and despite the sick feeling I got at the beginning of the first beer- I would do it anyhow. Sometimes I drove past the liquor store twice before finally pulling in- still agonizing and struggling with myself over the decision. The whole time I entertained thoughts of being this guy that I have in my head. I don’t know who he is- maybe me, maybe a conglomerate of people I admire- I don’t know. The whole time I also entertained visions of me going to AA and just facing my stuff and the future and getting back on track, but that was a thought that for some reason really scared me. In retrospect, that’s kind of funny. I’d done a ton of things and been a ton of things between the age of fifteen and 40, and here I was afraid to go to AA. A year and eight months after I told my dad I was done drinking I finally went to AA. It wasn’t any huge traumatic incident that did it like it is for some people. I didn’t wreck a truck or burn down the house or end up in jail like the stories that I’ve heard from other people. Honestly I think I just finally got tired of it. It wore me down. Even me- the guy that thought he could get through anything by sheer will- it wore me down. So here I am. I went to a meeting last night, like I do every other night or so. The meeting is a lot like the liquor store- always there, waiting for me- but the meetings are about a block farther down the road from my house. I while back before things got so serious I’d go a couple days between drunks. Then pretty soon it got to be a day between drunks. Then one day it just became drunk every night. It seems to be going backwards with meetings. It was every night for a while there, but now it’s about every other night. There are a lot of similarities between my life before and my life now. The big difference is it’s a hell of a lot less work to maintain my sobriety than it was to maintain my (active) alcoholism. Waitresses still seem to move at the same speed

Posted by Random Non Sequitur

2007-05-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

Alcoholism is a disease of the body, thinking, emotions and spirit. Progressive damage to these four aspects interact in various ways such that a person is increasingly compelled to drink. Also, once drinking starts they cannot ?always? guarantee when they will stop or how much they will drink. The BodyA genetic predisposition. Fifty percent of alcoholics have an inherited genetic makeup that almost guaranteed they would become alcoholic when they began to drink heavily. For example, the brain chemistry of some children or grandchildren of alcoholics actually encourages heavier drinking.Alcohol Metabolism. Alcohol is metabolized differently by some people. As a result the body and brain requires more alcohol to have the same effect than normal drinkers would need.Cell alteration. All heavy drinkers undergo changes at the cellular level of the brain. Where the brain cells meet extra receptor positions grow to receive the heavy dose of alcohol related chemical messengers. When not drinking these extra receptor positions demand to be filled thus creating a craving for alcohol.Brain damage. Alcohol, in any quantity, is poisonous to brain cells and kills off cells in their millions. The most critically affected parts of the brain are those that deal with short term memory, decision making and rational thinking. Women heavy drinkers develop brain damage with less drinking than men.Liver Damage. The most common liver disease of alcoholics is cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver. This disease results in reduced and corrupted chemicals being sent to the body which can result in damage to other organs. Women suffer liver damage with less alcohol consumption than men.Alcoholic Hepatitis (AH). AH is caused by other liver diseases most notably cirrhosis of the liver. More than 60% of persons who develop both AH and cirrhosis will die within four years. AH can cause changes in sleep patterns, mood, and personality; psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression; shortened attention span; and problems with coordination may occur.Brain Chemicals. The body and especially the brain relies on the liver to filter important body fluids and excrete wastes. As a result of contaminated chemistry from a damaged liver the brain does not function properly. Typically a person will have cloudy and slowed thinking.Heart Damage. Heavy drinking causes damage to the heart muscles. The heart pumps less blood and an abnormal heart beat may develop. Women suffer heart damage with less alcohol consumed than men.Skeletal Muscles. Heavy drinking causes muscles in the arms and legs to shrink. For example, an alcoholic may have legs that are out of proportion, skinnier, than the rest of their body. Sufferers may become embarrassed about their body shape.Cancer. The risk of cancer increases with greater alcohol consumption ? more so in women. Cancer can develop in the upper airways, the liver, breasts and the bowels.Sexual Organs and Sexuality. Heavy alcohol use shrinks the testicles. In men and women the breasts grow larger. Men produce more female hormones and women produce more male hormones. Men become less virile and women become less feminine. As a result a persons sexuality and libido is altered. They may sense change in their sexuality and over compensate by becoming more sexually active. Indiscriminate or intoxicated sexual activity raises the risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases. ThinkingAs detailed before various damaged body organs and altered chemistry affect how the brain thinks. This buildup of thinking changes occurs over an extended time period. These small changes are usually unseen by the sufferer. The person reacts by adjusting their reasoning and behavior to accommodate their new ways of thinking. Alcoholics always adjust their thinking in ways that are harmful to themselves. And further, they cannot see the impact of their new coping style.Typically they begin to adopt a siege mentality. Inner-self feedback, and from other people, indicates they are not quite at one with their ?inner? selves or the person they once were. Their experiences seem to paint a picture to the sufferer that people around them are against them, or are better than them, or are just different from themselves. They become insecure, angry, ashamed, depressed and anxious about their altered attitudes and actions.This siege mentality generates a self-centered perspective to protect their self concept. They become takers and non-givers. ?I want what I want and I want it now?, sort of thing; ?I need a drink, now?; regardless of the needs of others. And, when they do not get it they assert themselves even more, becoming more demanding as the disease progresses. Alcoholics will increasingly try to cope by drinking more alcohol to take away the pain of their perception of being isolated in thinking and behavior. They slowly adopt a denial attitude to their real condition, which they eventually believe is reality for them.The alcoholic drinks more due to a different brain chemistry and metabolism, has craving for more alcohol due to cell alteration and organ damage, and drinks more to cope with the effects of their changed thinking and behavior. They are drinking to feel normal.The EmotionsFrom the above it can easily be seen that their emotions become strained and twisted. They become emotionally dependent on achieving and keeping a state of denial of their true situation. They deny it to themselves and others. If their alcoholism is in threat of being exposed or their alcohol supply is threatened they may protect themselves with anger, bluff, self-pity, manipulation, depression, running away & etc. They ?feel? as if they must continue their current emotional and thinking stance at all costs. Alcohol has become their best friend and they are loyal to it.The SpiritThe spirit of a person is the centre of their personality. If, as seen above, the person is not thinking, feeling or acting as their true self would, not aligned with their spiritual self, they are spiritually ill at ease; or dis-eased.A SolutionThe progression of the disease must be arrested by stopping drinking and restoration of health in all four areas - body, thinking, emotions and spirit.

Alcohol Withdrawal

2007-05-10T19:36:00.000-07:00

Withdrawals Can Be Mild, Moderate or Severe
Alcohol withdrawal refers to a group of symptoms that may occur from suddenly stopping the use of alcohol after chronic or prolonged ingestion.Not everyone who stops drinking experiences withdrawal symptoms, but most people who have been drinking for a long period of time, or drinking frequently, or drink heavily when they do drink, will experience some form of withdrawal symptoms if they stop drinking suddenly.There is no way to predict how any individual will respond to quitting. If you plan to stop drinking and you have been drinking for years, or if you drink heavily when you do drink, or even if you drink moderately but frequently, you should consult a medical professional before going "cold turkey."

Withdrawal Symptoms:

Mild to moderate psychological symptoms:
Feeling of jumpiness or nervousness
Feeling of shakiness
Anxiety
Irritability or easily excited
Emotional volatility, rapid emotional changes
Depression
Fatigue
Difficulty with thinking clearly
Bad dreams
Mild to moderate physical symptoms:
Headache - general, pulsating
Sweating, especially the palms of the hands or the face
Nausea
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Insomnia, sleeping difficulty
Paleness
Rapid heart rate (palpitations)
Eyes, pupils different size (enlarged, dilated pupils)
Skin, clammy
Abnormal movements
Tremor of the hands
Involuntary, abnormal movements of the eyelids
Severe symptoms:
A state of confusion and hallucinations (visual) -- known as delirium tremens
Agitation
Fever
Convulsions
"Black outs" -- when the person forgets what happened during the drinking episode

alcoholism.about.com

The Stages of The Disease

2007-05-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Alcoholism Stages
Alcoholism stages can be categorized into three stages of alcoholism -- early stage, middle stage and end stage alcoholism or late stage alcoholism. Alcoholism stages generally take years to develop. Alcoholism is a disease where alcoholic beverage consumption is at a level that interferes with physical or mental health, and negatively impacts social, family or occupational responsibilities.
Consuming no more than one or two drinks per day for healthy men and a drink a day for healthy non-pregnant women are generally considered acceptable alcohol consumption without health risks. However, as the amount or frequency of drinking increases, the earliest of the alcoholism stages can develop as a result.
Early Stages of Alcoholism
In the early alcoholism stages, a person begins to depend on alcohol to affect their mood. They drink for relief from problems, and they begin thinking more and more about alcohol. The person and others around them may not recognize that they are in the earliest of the stages of alcoholism. A gradual increase in tolerance happens, meaning, it takes increasing amounts of alcohol to achieve the desired mood-altering effects. Often, the person can consume large amounts of alcohol without appearing impaired.
In the early alcoholism stages, the body has adapted to increasing amounts of alcohol. In fact, how a person functions will likely be improved with drinking as blood alcohol levels rise. For example, they can think and talk normally or walk a straight line with no problem. However, with continued alcohol consumption over time, the body begins to lose its ability to deal with high alcohol levels. As this occurs, when the alcoholic stops drinking and their blood alcohol level decreases, their thinking, talking or walking functions deteriorate, and they are moving into the next of the stages of alcoholism.
Middle Alcoholism Stages
The need and desire to drink gradually becomes more intense. Drinking larger amounts and more often happens as well as drinking earlier in the day. The alcoholic is losing control over drinking, and the body is losing its ability to process alcohol like it did in the early stages of alcoholism. Their tolerance decreases as they become intoxicated more easily. Withdrawal symptoms begin to become more severe if alcohol is reduced.
The person may now secretly recognize there is a drinking problem, and others may begin to notice as well. Unfortunately, the alcoholic no longer can judge how much alcohol their body can handle. Typically, the drinker denies to themselves and others that alcohol is a problem so they won't have to deal with their inner turmoil. Hangovers, blackouts and stomach problems can now be physical symptoms that occur on a regular basis.
End Stage Alcoholism
As alcoholism progresses, the alcoholic has become obsessed with drinking to the exclusion of nearly everything else. Everyone can tell there's a major problem. During the late alcoholism stages, the mental and physical health of the alcoholic are seriously deteriorating. Many of the body's organs have been damaged which lowers resistance to disease. Relationships at home or socially may have been severely damaged, and there can be mounting financial and legal problems due to the alcoholic's powerlessness over alcohol.
Every alcoholic will suffer from malnutrition. Alcohol in large amounts interferes with the digestion process and the passage of nutrients from the intestines into the bloodstream. Liver function has been damaged, further limiting the conversion of nutrients into a usable form that the body can assimilate. The damaged cells are not receiving the needed nutrients, they cannot repair themselves and the damage continues. Nutritional deficiencies cause a host of related problems to become worse. For example, vitamin B-1 deficiency common in alcoholics can result in loss of mental alertness and appetite, fatigue, confusion and emotional instability.
And if the alcoholic continues drinking, alcohol will cause the death of the alcoholic in one way or another. From suicide, accidents and related injuries to direct damage to the body's organs and systems, death will likely be the final outcome of end stage alcoholism.

The First 24 Hours...

2007-05-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

If you only have ONE day sober, some one else that doesnt think they can get through the next twenty four hours... might find a spark of hope in you. Would you deny a fellow drunk that... and let them die? Best way to stay sober ... help someone else stay sober. Are you doing that?

Is there life after booze?

2007-05-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I grilled out. First time in two years. It only makes sense, we drank while we did EVERTHING... so now every thing seems different. Yeh, two years ago I thought life as I knew it was over. If I couldnt drink, well then I couldnt go camping... cause you GOTTA drink when you camp... and a BBQ wasnt a BBQ without gettin smashed. Booze made a good movie better... and so on and so on....The simple fact is this... I drank when I did everything. Without drinking, I can still do those things, I just need a replacement for booze. The only replacement that works for me is a more spiritual way of life. I learned a new attitude towards life, and the things in life. Ive learned to do many of the things I used to do without being drunk, and Ive learned they are still fun. Imagine that. All those things I used to love... guess what . THEY never changed a bit. It was the way I looked at things that changed. It does get better... ALOT better. Once you change your attitudes and thoughts about the world around you. I did loose interest in just a few things completly, those were some of the more childish, time wasting, useless and irresponsible habbits that came with my disease. Like sitting around watching TV for eight hours a day. I now spend my spare time trying to be productive in society. I dont miss acting like a child a bit....

The Alcoholic Mind

2007-04-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

I once got real drunk and passed out with a ciggarette. It burned a big hole right in the middle of my chest. I never even felt it... untill the next day that is. Man that hurt. My wife explained that she had smelled my flesh burning in the next room, and came in and removed the ciggarette.
I remember thinking the next day... "I should probably stop smoking..."

Thats the way the alcoholic mind works.

nine million engaged in delinquent behavior

2007-04-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

Almost 8.6 million youths ages 12 to 17, over one third of this age group, used alcohol in the past year, data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) show. The data, released as part of Alcohol Awareness Month, show more than 650,000 youth (2.6 percent) reported heavy alcohol use, and nine million engaged in at least one delinquent behavior in the past year.

Grandchild #2 !

2007-04-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

Thats right...
My daughter gave birth at 5:30 AM yesterday to a tiny little five pound fifteen ounce baby boy. You know, most of my childrens life I spent drunk. They probably missed the best of me... I wasn't always the best father or husband. Thats the past, and now my family knows me for the man I am and can be. I cant help feeling blessed that my grand children have a sober grandfather, a caring, loving, gentle me.
And my daughters.... they are happy with that. If I live a life full of guilt and remorse over my past self.... arent I ruining my chances of being the best I can be.... for my children's children? Sobriety offers a new way of life... a chance to fix the past, and a chance to live the future the way we should have lived the past. It's called a do-over. I dont know why we get these do-overs, but we do, and what a wonderfull gift. Listen... are you the man/woman... you always wanted to be? Or are your children or grand children missing out on the best of the best of you? I encourage you to read some more here. Follow some of the links in the right panel if you think it will help. Tommorows comming, but it doesnt have to be like today.

A few thoughts...

2007-04-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

To begin a journey three things are required. Our feet, to walk with, the ground, to walk on, and courage, to take the first step. Take away our feet, and we may crawl. Take away the land, and we may swim, or fly. But take away our courage... and we go no where.	COMFORT IS A FEELING. HAPPINESS IS A STATE. SERINITY IS A GIFT.
If I could pray for God, what would I say? " I ask nothing of you God... I just wanted you to know... I understand... That my will is yours... That whatever you decide... I humbly accept." I think that would be praying for God.	Let me carry another mans load. For should the heavier load be thine, Gratefull I will be for mine.
YOU CAN'T BREAK A RAINBOW NO MATTER HOW YOU TRY PROMISE OF ETERNITY AS ENDLESS AS THE SKY	You can change your mind if you dont mind change...
All great floods started with a single rain drop	Some people live like they were about to die... some live like they will never die. I prefer to just live . today .

Information for families

2007-04-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Facts for the Friends and Families of Alcoholics
There are many resources on this site which are intended to help those who have a drinking problem, but also just as many for the families and friends of alcoholics. After all, alcoholism is considered a "family disease"

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/info2/a/blfam.htm

An interview with God

2007-04-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

This is something that caught my eye today, and I really enjoyed. Have a look here...

http://www.12stepforums.net/interviewwithgod.html

I hope you enjoy it.

My Story (part four)

2007-04-19T23:29:00.000-07:00

I knew I would have to cut down... I promised my wife I would. I was just barely holding my job, but that was all. I was of no help around the house, no help with the bills, or my now almost two year old daughter. Consuming two cases of beer almost daily was taking a toll on me physically. I was beginning to have serious problems. Some Id rather not talk about in graphic detail here.
I was only in my twenties and my body was acting like eighty five. Our marriage suffered, our sex life suffered ... our child suffered.
At nights I would become increasingly aggressive and meen. During more serious fights, my wife would often pick our little girl out of bed and hold her... Id back off then. Inside, I didnt want to hurt any one, least of all my loved ones.
Mentaly, I was destroying us all. Over and over, I promised to stop drinking. One morning I awoke on the front porch, in my shorts and a tee shirt. How many people had gone by and seen me there, passed out? Another time I passed out on the bed while my wife watched TV. Smelling something burning in, she came in the room to see a ciggerette burning a hole in my chest. I didnt even wake up till the next day. I considered stopping smoking... but kept drinking.
Then there was the big fight. One night in a rage I left the house in our car and sped around the block. I ended up in a ditch with police cars behind me. It was the first time Id ever driven drunk. The next morning I realized for the first time that I was loosing all judgement.
I was scared. Terrified.
I went to work that day and told a co-worker I needed help. I knew her and her husband were members of an alcoholics anonymous group. They took me to a meeting that night, and he came to my house and removed all the beer and alcohol I had.
Through out the house we collected empty beer cans in every room. They were every where... in the kitchen, bathroom, closets. Under the bed. I was about to become alcohol free for the first time in almost ten years. But how long could I stay sober?

I Always need content

2007-04-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

Im always looking for content here at GSH, so if you have questions, an interesting alcohol related site, article or story, please email me from the links in the right panel. Or feel free to leave a coment under any post on any page.

Because I can...

2007-04-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

If I only have one day left, just one,I would rather spend it being helpfull to some one else then being totally helpless.
If only have I one hour,Id rather spend it being usefull, than usless.
If only a moment shall pass, Id rather face it fearlessly than a meek shell of a man.
Id rather ... and I can.

What an amazing transformation, from hopless drunk to one that others might get a spark of hope from. From a selfish, self centered arogant and egotistical mess to a guy that finds happiness in the success of others. When I came to discover that true happiness was not
manufactured within... thats when I found true happiness.

two years sober

2007-03-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

Two years today... well, March 27th, Im a little behind on updates..
What an amazing journey the past two years have been. Tomorrow Ill
begin writing more... Stick around.

The miracle

2005-10-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

The miracle of sobriety, and it is a miracle if your anything like me... that is, you were beaten down by acohol to a state of helpless, useless, worthless, self pity and demoralization, is a miracle that never stops. Every day now, I see new things happening in my life. These past eight months have been for me, the best times of my entire forty four years. I now have a job. A real job, that requires I get up mornings, pack a lunch, and go off to a place where Im needed to perform a duty and be productive. What a wonderfull thing. Me, self reliant, self centered, have my own way, do it myself me. Ive done more in my life than most folks ever will. Ive had a real estate liscense. An auctioneers liscence. A lawn service. A remodeling and home improvement buisness. Ive managed restaurants, took a two year cullinary arts class, even ran my own little sandwich shop. Most people say, "wow! your a real talented guy. What an entrepernrial spirit!" Blah... I spent my entire life trying to be the best of the best of whatever I decided my destiny ought to be. I wanted to run the show. Whatever I was doing, I boasted about how great I was at it. Id be rich some day, surly.. God would see to it. I say again, blah...
My destiny is not what I decide. I have an assigned role here on earth. My role is to be the best man I can be. The best father, the best grandfather. The best citizen. This I cannot accomplish through sheer will power, or under my own power. When I decided to give up my stubborn ways, to quit playing God, and simply do the right things on a daily basis, it was like the parting of the waves. Not only did a perfect job fall in my lap, but I somehow was given the ability to actually get up in the morning when the alarm went off, work a full day, come home tired, and LIKE it. My bills are getting paid. I was able to buy my daughter some new clothes. I can go a whole week without being totally broke. But thats not all... no no, these miracles just keep comming. Nine months ago I was spending my days hiding under a blanket on the couch. I kept the lights off, the doors locked, the phone unplugged. I wouldnt go out unless I had to, I developed an extreme night time phobia... I even showered with my eyes open. I was a wreck. This week I chaired a meeting in front of twenty people and talked about alcoholism. I wasnt even nervous. Next week I'm speaking for a group, and Im currently working closely with two guys just finding sobriety. How did this happen? Well, not over night, that's for sure. But in a period of only nine months, after being an alcoholic for years and years... thats ... well, a miracle.
Obviosly alcohol has to be removed from your life. But more importantly, one must find help. A program, a treatment center, an AA group... some kind of organiztion that knows how to deal with the problem of alcoholism. Think about it like this. If your an alcoholic, your life's a wreck, you cant function properly, you dont know what to do next... how can you POSSIBLY come up with a cure that might even START to help? You CANT. Get help. Do it now. Today. Grab the phone book and look for some phone numbers. Theyre in there. If you cant do it, ask a friend to make the call for you. Or click one of the many links on my site and find a program. There are some issues that must be dealt with that will finally help, once and for all... If your ready for a miracle. I pray that you are.

My Story (part three)

2005-10-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

Some people drink for courage. Shy and lonely, afraid of people and of society, they find that drinking allows them to "be somebody". They can laugh, talk in crowds, dance, and flirt. Drinking makes them superman. The cool guy or gal. Or so they think. My alcohol addiction was different. I didnt want to be popular. I didnt want to go out. My alcohol was simply a tranquilizer for all my fears. At a very young age I was plagued with a terrible fear of darkness. I was never good at sports, I got picked on at school, and began to fear people. As an adult I developed some distinct phobias. Although no longer afraid of the dark so to speak, I was petrified of the night. Of sleeping. Of dreams. I feard for my life daily, but from what I dont know. I showered with my eyes open. I knew there was no basis for these fears, but they wouldnt go away. I unplugged my phone, slept till 2 pm. I was a nervouse wreck. I can say from experiance now, the fear of lonliness can not be overcome by isolating ones self. It just doesnt work out. When I sat down in the evening and began to drink, all my fears and phobias were made dull. In a drunken stupor, I couldnt be afraid. I sat for hours straing at the TV, not thinking, not moving, unless it was to get more to drink from the kitchen. Eventualy, passing out, I was able to sleep soundly, without wondering what was in the night.Or even if Id locked the front door. Alcohol became my awnser to all problems. Financial, social, buisness, and family problems. When I was drunk, they didnt worry me. So I stayed drunk.
When the beer consumption began to have serious consequences, the tables turned. The drinking problems overshadowed the fear problems. I lost jobs, my wife hated me, my friends didnt want me around.

How it is.

2005-10-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

What joy I find in the winds comforting touch, in the suns gentle breath. What wonder I find, I was pulled from death. Lifted up, shaken dry, God spoke to me and wiped my eyes. What peace came over my restless nights, my nightmares vanished, my wrongs made right. My past desolved and future clear, God spoke again, removed my fear. What feeling there is in the cool falling rain. How soft the senses, how far away that sensless pain. From sick and wilted to beautifull bloom, God saved my soul from certain doom. What wonder I see in every day. May I now have courage, patiance,strength. For someone else. Someone who needs the joy, the touch, the wonder and peace, so freely givin me.

It takes all kinds

2005-10-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

Please ignore the idiots that are spamming my blog with advertisements in the "comments" . What a sick world when someone tries to take advantage of a service oriented site like this. I do look at all comments, and would appreciate yours, but now I have to take the time to impliment spam blocking software. Only a tiny inconviniance wich would be hugely overshadowed if just one alcoholic found something usefull here.

The new addition.

2005-09-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

My grand daughter was born Saturday, Aug 27. She was six pounds eight ounces and very healthy. Holding her in the hospital at less than twenty four hours old, looking down on her tiny face her little hands... The almost indecernible little smile that came when I gently brushed her arm with my finger while she slept. I realized how completly and utterly small I was. For many years my days were centered around myself. I wanted everything my way. I wanted people to act like I expected. I wanted the world to revolve for me alone. But this. This little girl, this miracle, this is life. Beauty. Unconditional love. Trust. I was drunk when my first daughter was born. I thank God that I was sober for this. When I talked about by years as an alcoholic father with my daughter the other day, I told her I knew that Id hurt her in many ways. I know there were times she was afraid, hurt, angry. I told her I wanted to set it right if I could. How could I make right the wrongs of so many years?
She smiled softly, looked me in the eyes, and said "just be a good grand daddy".
I will be the best one I can.

My Story (part two)

2005-09-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

From the very start, I drank differently from others. While they were busy sipping away on their beer, bating their pole, or counting their cards, I was downing two or three. I got drunk fast and often got sick. As I met more and more new friends, it seemed that they all drank and/or smoked dope. I worked in restaurants during the day and partied at night. Just a few nights a week at first, then every night. Days that I didnt work, I began spending at the local pot suppliers house. People liked me, I blended in easily, made friends, and got lots of free dope and booze. I never saw a problem comming. I never drank more than three to five beers at a time, even though it was a daily routine. I knew guys that drank 12 packs, did hard drugs, drank liquor. I figured they had a problem.
I could hold a steady job. Older people trusted me. I never fought or passed out. Every thing was cool. I met a girl around the time I turned twenty one, and we moved to Florida. Im not sure what happened, mabye I missed my friends, or my lifestyle, but I began to drink a little heavier. I graduated to a six pack a day, seven days a week. I worked in a seafood restaraunt, and they served beer. Every night I filled up a gallon jug and brought it home. By the time my first daughter was born a few years later, I was drinking a 12 pack and getting high every day. I kept up my job, always had a car, and paid the bills. I just drank at night, so again, I figured it wasnt a big deal. No problem. At two years old my little girl learned to bring daddy two beers from the fridje. I always pulled two at a time, because one was gone in minutes. Beer was for drinking, not sipping. The next year I was drinking a case a day. Thats twenty four cans of beer. And that was on work days. On my days off Id drink two cases. Soon I noticed that if there was no beer I was miserable. I found out I had to drink... it was no longer a choice. I needed the beer. Our bills fell behind. I started loosing jobs. My wife and I began to fight.
One day I came to the dreaded conclusion. I had it. I had "the drinking problem"

More to come

2005-08-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

Yes Ive been away a while. Some times it's just hard to find something to write here, but tomorrow I'll continue with part two of my story, and add something interesting for my visitors as well. Be sure to bookmark GSH, and I'll see you tomorrow.

Projecting the future

2005-07-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

You know, we alcoholics have a bad habbit of projecting, or "predicting", the future. My daughter (who is living away from me with her mother right now) turned sixteen this week. I was sure there would be a party, but had heard no mention of it. Her birthday was today, Saturday but I figured the party would be at the barn where she boards her two horses tomorrow. When Id heard nothing by Friday, I was sure her mother had decided not to invite me over. "How could she! How DARE her not tell me about my own daughters sixteenth birthday party!"
Never mind the fact that I was the recovering alcoholic dad, and mabye mom would feel uncomfortable if I were there. Never mind the fact that in actuality, this day would be my DAUGHTER'S day.. I felt like I should be there. Me Me Me! How selfish of me.

After a day of some self indulging pity and much worrying I became convinced. They were going to have the party without poor ol dad. In my my mind I pictured my daughter asking me why I hadnt showed up for her party. Another one of moms screw ups I thought. Id explain that mom must hate dad. Id tell her all the things mom ever did wrong. Id get even! Then of course Id have to deal with my wife. I pictured the argument. She'd tell me I was wrong for telling my daughter all those things. Id respond with one nasty comment after another. I thought up just the right things to say to make her feel guilty.

As yesterday wore on I became more and more upset. The day went terribly. Work was like trudging through thick mud, and I was full of resentment and pain, and getting madder by the minute. Finally at home last night I sat down at my desk with my coffee, feeling utterly helpless and rejected. When would I find out they'd had the party? How long would it take me to get over the hurt? How would it affect my daughter? Would this ruin all chances of my wife and I ever reconciling?

The phone rang at eight thirty. It was my daughter. "Dad, arent you comming over?" I was flabbergasted.
"was I supposed to?" I asked. "why would I?"

"tonights my party, I thought I told you"...
Why do we want to predict how bad things will always be? Why do we glory in self pitty, especially false pity?
We couldnt run the world when we were drunk, and we sure as hell can't run it now. I should have just trusted God. He runs things, not I.
(It was a great little party, no one felt uncomfortable, and she even opened dads gift first)

Reader Interaction

2005-07-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

If you have an interesting alcohol related story, an article, or would just like to make a post related to this topic you might feel would be valuable to other readers, please email me by clicking the email link in the sidebar of my main page. Let me know who you are, and a few details about what you have in mind, and I'll send you the info on how to create your very own post on this blog. Thanks for visiting today.

Andrew

My Story (part one)

2005-07-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

I was born in Akron, Ohio, in 1961. The son of a proud and strong man, a mason, and his wife, the mother of my six brothers and two sisters. I attended a babtist church in my early childhood, learned manners, obediance, and good moral values. My parents provided an excellent upbringing. We never went hungry, we had nice clothes and hair cuts, and knew what was right and wrong. We had nice hollidays. Birthdays, Christmas, Easter... Always a great Thanksgiving feast. My mother stayed at home, and my father was self employed. He layed brick, his father layed brick, and his father... well lets just say the skill had been passed down since when folks made their own brick from raw materials. I often marvel at what determination it must have taken for them to raise nine children.

There was never alcohol in the house. There was no abuse. We were all loved and taken well care of. I can attribute my alcoholic life style to nothing in my childhood at home.
I was an average student, but kept to myself quite a bit during my school years. Tall and skinny, and not very coordinated, I did not do well in any sports. I couldnt dribble a basketball, climb a rope, or run very fast. I was, in the student body circles, known as one of the "weaklings".

I had but a few friends. One or two other quiet kids like myself, and usually one BIG guy, who no one would mess with. I could always run to him when the other students threatened me. My parents would not allow any of us to smoke, and we were taught well about the dangers of addictions, drugs, alcohol, ciggerettes, ect. I swore from an early age Id never drink or do drugs. I just couldnt understand how anyone could let some kind of chemical control their mind or their actions.

I did understand being left out though. I hated school because in my mind, no one liked me. I wanted so badly to be "someone". In my senior year I learned how to make friends. If I could just do what some of the other kids did, I found they didnt make fun of me. Since I couldnt do sports, I found a few kids that liked to smoke in the bathroom and get high on reefer during lunch. That I could do. Suddenly I had not just two or three friends... I was part of a GROUP of friends. The last few months of school, the last few months of a long twelve years, I felt like I was actually having fun at school. I didnt attend graduation. I didnt even attend school on the last day. I never picked up my diploma or a yearbook.

I went straight about the buisness of making new friends. I discovered new things quicly with my new friends. Speed, qualudes, opium, hashish. I liked the affects of drugs. I never got so wasted that I lost functionability or self controll. I just loved a good buzz. But it was expensive. And illegal. Around the age of ninteen or twenty, I met a guy named Bob. He loved to fish. He fished every single day. And he drank beer.

update

2005-07-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

Over the next few days, I'll be putting links to my first four posts over in the sidebar... I think first time visitors here should read those posts first. I'll also be adding more links under the "usefull" links section. We have one link trade so far, and tomorrow I'll be adding an email contact link so others can contact me about linking their sites/blogs. I'm excited about this whole project. The pace will be picking up soon, as the search engines pick us up and others start to visit and post comments and or questions. We're hoping to be able to reach out to many who may have problems and together mabye find workable solutions where there were none before.

Your not alone

2005-07-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

If youve been reading over my previous posts and your still here, something must have caught your attention. I'm glad. It may some day save your life. Did you know that out of the millions and millions of alcoholics in the world, only three percent ever quit and never drink again? Some might say, "wow! the odds are really against me!"
I look at it like this. If you are able to quit, and completely recover (meaning you never drink again) then you are, by some miracle, in a very elite group.
What a gift! It's important to know that you are not the only one out there with this disease. It's also VERY important that you realize that you are NOT the only person that has made some very very bad mistakes. We all have. I once thought I'd done some of the most terrible things imaginabe while I was drinking. Surly, no one had been as bad as I. I soon found out through talking to other alcoholics, that other folks had done things as bad, even worse. Far worse as a matter of fact. It's true. No matter what youve done, no matter how meen you were/are when you drink, no matter what dispicable, immoral, or unlawfull acts youve commited ... your not alone.
As alcoholics we have had a warped sense of judgement. All of us. Thats what alcohol does to a person. So please, quit feeling sorry for yourself, quit beating yourself up over what youve done in the past, and start thinking of the future. Theres hope for you. And help. There is a way you can rid yourself of these past actions for good. And make sure you never make those mistakes again. Step one is deciding youve had enough. Alcohol has controlled your life for far too long. It's time you you took back control of your life! Make that decision and your already on your way to fixing many broken things.
If youd like to find out more, visit the links on my main page. If you know you need help, and need it now, theres some twentyfour hour hotlines available in those links right under the picture of the man with the bottle. That picture describes how I was ... And mabye how you feel right now. Feel free to leave a comment by clicking on "comments" right below this post. If you have a question, I'll try to awnser you in my next update. (I update this blog daily). If I dont have an awnser, I'll point you in the right direction. I have many friends and collegues that are very experianced in the subject of alcoholism. Thanks for stopping by today.

An Alcoholics Story

2005-07-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

"All was fine and cozy in my loving family and in myself as a young child, but as I began to get a little older, things began to happen inside of myself. It began with hearing whispered conversations that contained my name. I don't recall all of the things that were said, but one I do remember was, "It was the fever she had, that's why she is the way she is". I remember times when I got a bad grade and my parents would say, "why can't you be more like Deni and David?"
During that time of my childhood, I built two new rooms onto my home. One was called, "confusion" and the other called, "worthless." I would go into these rooms when I was troubled with myself and try to piece together what it was that was wrong with me. I never found the answer and maybe there never was a question, but it must have been built next to my "comfotable with me" room because even though I felt worthless, I knew that I wasn't."
Read Full Story
This story was copied with permision from Gramma Mae. Thank you ......

Am I an alcoholic?

2005-07-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

A commonly asked question among those who drink. You may hear some say, "Only you know", or "only you can admit that". While it's true, one of the first steps to recovery is admidtance, there are some very plain tell tale ways to determine if one is, indeed, an alcoholic. Heres a few things you can ask yourself.
"Do I drink more than once a week, or do I drink heavily at least once a week?
"Do I drink concistantly, that is, be it only one drink or several, do I look forward to having it at a particular time/day/week?
Do I find it hard to stop after one or two drinks?
Does drinking tend to be my form of relaxation after a hard day or stressfull situation?
Have I ever said "I should stop drinking" but havnt yet?
These are just a few of the clues of course, other more obviouse signs are "I drink till I pass out"
"I dont remember what I did" and "my drinking affects my family, social, or buisness life"
In most cases, if your totaly honest with yourself, (wich by the way doesnt meen you admit anything to anyone else) but are simply in your own heart of hearts square with your SELF alone... you know if you have a problem with alcohol. Once you have asked yourself "Am I an alcoholic?" the awnser is already painfully clear.

Getting Sober

2005-06-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

First things first, OK. It aint gonna be easy. Dont let anyone tell you it is. It's gonna suck, plain and simple. But so does any abrupt change we humans are faced with. Move out of state and leave your friends and family... You'll be miserable for months, right? Nicotine withdraw sucks big time (or so I hear... I smoke like a chimney). Folks that loose limbs some times take years to begin coping and regaining some resemblance of a normal life. The fact is, CHANGE HURTS. But heres the deal, from one real alchoholic to another... The alternative to getting sober is staying a drunk. Alchohol has kicked your ass. Your NOT having fun any more. I'll tell you from my own heart felt experiance... If your any where near the LOWEST level of self esteem, self confidence, moral awareness, and continuose sanity youve ever been at... Your ready to quit drinking. Perhaps youve lost your job. Mabye your wife has left you or is planning to. Youve gone to jail, wrecked your car, closed your buisness, your children hate you, or your friends have abandoned you. It's not time for me to tell you my story yet, but I can tell you this. Your NOT ALONE. As alchoholics, we've made terrible mistakes. We've had lapses in moral and character judjment that we some times dare not even bring up amongst others. Other folks have even told us things we've done that we cannot believe are true. In short, alchohol has destroyed the "good" person we once were. We became despicable beings. Now we must restore who and what we were. The good news is that everyone quits drinking. My question to you.. will it be before, or after your dead? (more to come)...