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Update

MaryG
Community Member

So haven't been on here for a while. Seems there are some changes to the site to speed things up. That has to be a good thing. When I am desperate it helps to know that someone else out there is listening and takes the time to respond. If that post doesn't appear till a day later it's kind of too late. 

It is day 10 of medication today for me. I am still not drinking and haven't had any more setbacks there. I have had a couple of social evenings and I felt ok just having tonic water while everyone else was drinking wine. I feel that they are not drinking as much as they would normally with me (maybe I was a bad influence on them, and we'll all be better off for my abstinence)  

The medication has taken the edge off the anxiety a little although I really don't know what I'm feeling at the moment. It's a bit all over the place. Am I anxious or depressed or hyper. I don't know. I am trying to do my mindfulness meditation daily to help me learn to deal with and defuse unhelpful thoughts. The psychologist is helping me work through this stage of treatment. Other than that it's just day by day.  I realise now that this is going to take some time and I will not feel better for a while yet. I am very lucky that I have an amazing supportive husband and my GP is the best. I don't have that many friends, I have gradually pushed them all away over the years not letting anyone get too close or else they might find out the truth. But the couple that I have are also very understanding and supportive.

So anyway, I'm getting there, wherever there is, slowly but at least with some purpose and hope now.

Mary

4 Replies 4

Beetle
Community Member

HI Mary'

congrats beeing so good for not drinking.Im not that good. I got trouble to go to sleep and use a glas or so as a nightcap........

I also started meds 2 weeks ago and upped them today as my doc told me. Waiting for the sidefects but nothing yet.. maybe they only appear when u start meds not when u up the dose?

yeah i found the meds take those extreme emotions away. such a relief.

I also pushed my friends away for a while. thank god i started study so i had some more energy and regained them all. now workign hard to keep it that way. not all know whats wromng with me only some know buit they are very supportive.

I need some counceling but cant go until 10 days  because i cant attend anything due to placement all day. but after that i try to get weekly sessions to talk about stuff.i think its very important.

Keep up the good work, let us know what the meds are doing in the coming weeks:)

Beetle

 

geoff
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

dear Mary, I was thinking of you yesterday and was going to post a comment, 'how are youuuuuuu going Mary lol.

Tonic water is a great substitute as I used to drink it while I was abstaining.

10 days great, slowly building up again, I'm proud of you.

Anxious, depressed or hyper, I think it's a bit of each, and that's understandable, but slowly those will even out, but it's great strength to drink tonic water while others drink wine.

I remember somebody saying to me and they weren't drinking alcohol, that seeing everybody getting drunk and being stupid was interesting to watch, as you know that drunk people do all sorts of stupid things, and can embarrass themselves.

Don't worry about loss of friends because they all probably drink, you will make another group of people, and as I said I am very proud of you, but please post again so that I don't have to say where are youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Mary. L Geoff. x

MaryG
Community Member

Hey Geoff, I'm still here. Trying to stay focused and positive. Some days I feel like I'm really getting somewhere and then the last few days I've been so low. Wondering again where I'm headed with this and what the point is. 

I will keep my friends who drink and I hope to be able to have a couple with them down the track a bit. Yes it's interesting being the only sober one in the room. Should be interesting come Christmas party time. At least I can be designated driver for once!

That's another thing I'm not looking forward to. Christmas. I'd be happy if it was cancelled. I wonder if that's partly contributing to my mood atm. It's still a while away but people are starting to talk about it. 

Hope you are doing ok and not missing David too much!

Mary 🙂

geoff
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

dear Mary, thanks a lot.

After all the hammering I gave my body while being depressed, I can now have a social drink, but this is controlled by me and no one else, and by saying this I mean that when I have had enough and someone offers me another drink I can now refuse it.

Can I say to you in your present situation, and you know that I say this from my heart and wouldn't want to offend you in any way, is that your not quite ready to try this.

Basically at the moment it's either drink alcohol or not to, and your on the path that will correct what you have set out to do.

It takes awhile to refuse a drink that maybe offered to you by your friends who are drinking alcohol, because this teaches you to know when it's time to stop drinking, otherwise the past will only continue and then your back to square one.

You know what, because you have felt low, it would be easy just to pick up a glass and start again, but you haven't, and for me looking from the outside, this is the strength and resistance that you are building up, but it maybe hard for you to realise this, but it's true.

Mary please don't leave the update too long. L Geoff. x