drinkin' - Page 3

[Jish]

QTB, I wish I could take it back. Of course it hasn't stopped me from drinking diet pop by the gallon and eating sugar by the pound.


Why isn't there a support group for this -- sugarholics anonymous. I'm guessing that the goodies at the meeting wouldn't be very good. :LOL :LOL :LOL

BTW, I might consider marrying sugar too. Perhaps we could move to some commune together and bake cookies, cake, candy, etc. Life would be good.

[EllasMama]

Chrissy, I totally understand where you are coming from and I think I understand what you were trying to say. I am not a raging drunk, but I do really enjoy alcohol. I can stop drinking, but it *is* a substance I feel the desire to consume in certain moods or situations. I understand your not wanting to give alcohol up entirely forever, I sure don't want to do that. I just don't want to feel like I can't deal with bad moods in other ways. It's honestly a lot like some people treat sugar - they are in a bad mood so they want a few brownies. (I say "some people" like I'm not one of the brownie lovers, which is far from true, LOL!)

I was also trying to do the no alcohol thing but I had a glass of wine a couple of times when my in-laws were visiting, and I had 2 beers the other night on a "date" with DH. I didn't particularly even want the wine but didn't want to not drink b/c it would have felt weird. It would be out of character for me to turn down wine, so I figured if I did they'd either think I was pregnant or an alcoholic or something. The beer was enjoyable, but after one I really wanted another, which reminds me why I have to be quite vigilant.

I am not sure about the zero drinking policy I have been toying with. I feel like I'm setting myself up for failure. I'm considering occasional drinking instead, as in, on occasions where it would be appropriate (like the in-laws taking us out to dinner) but NOT just because I'm at home and there's beer in the fridge. I am happy to have mostly stopped, though. It's a relief to use other ways of dealing with stress and sadness, which I have had a ton of the last couple weeks with only the rare fleeting dream of a fish-bowl sized margarita...

Carol

[EllasMama]

"Why isn't there a support group for this -- sugarholics anonymous. I'm guessing that the goodies at the meeting wouldn't be very good. :LOL :LOL :LOL"

Too funny! They'd probably be a lot like the wheat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, taste-free things I try hard to interest my NON-allergy-free daughter in! Mmmm, pass the oaty bars with fig and quince paste...

[QueeTheBean]

Originally Posted by Jish

BTW, I might consider marrying sugar too. Perhaps we could move to some commune together and bake cookies, cake, candy, etc. Life would be good.

Oh--I am so there!! I think we should set it up in Hershey, PA, OK?

I am a really good baker, too. In fact, I often call myself a compulsive baker. I always thought that'd be a great name if I ever started a cookie business!

[SpiralChrissy]

EllasMama-
Thanks for sharing your story. It helps a lot. I think it is a really challenging issue sometimes. There's so many factors that can play into why a woman drinks. It's hard for me to figure out sometimes exactly what's going on. I think you make a good point that there's a big difference between drinking cause you're feeling bad and having a glass of wine when you go out to dinner. My worst bout with drinking was, of course, cause I was using alcohol to cover pain. (And woe is me, that REALLY didn't work.) I think I want to be able to have some wine out from time to time. I just want to stay away from over drinking, drinking at home out of habit and drinking to mask pain. What do you do for yourself to deal with pain instead of drinking? I've got some ideas for myself but I can always use more.
It sounds like you're really doing well! Hurray! You go girl!
Chrissy :girlpin

[SpiralChrissy]

Sugar

I love sugar too! I read somewhere that people can crave sugar when their bodies really need another substance. A lot of cravings for some reason come out as sugar. The article said you could want sugar when really what your body needs is protein or lettuce or something. Hmmmm..... That's interesting.

Not sure I buy that. It sure seems like when I WANT BROWNIES , I really want brownies!!


: : : :

Chrissy (I don't knit or use curlers but I thought these were cute!)

[Jish]

Hmmmm.........

Sugar ----- Lettuce.....

Sugar ----- Lettuce.....

Which will I choose?











Quee, PASS THOSE BROWNIES!!!!!!

Heck, pass me a Mike's Hard Lemonade while I'm at it.

I should fess up that I'm not an anti-drinker. I drink on occasion, but it's only a handful of times a year. I'm basically cheap and alcohol is expensive and I don't enjoy it enough at this point to justify the cost. Now, back ten years ago when I was in my 20s, I enjoyed A LOT of alcohol. Way to much alcohol at times. Thankfully, I began getting hung over very easily and decided it wasn't worth it. Coming from a family with one parent who is an alcoholic and the other who is bulimic (sp?) I was probably wise to back off.

On the other hand, I should thank alcohol. My darling 2 month old was conceived due to a bit too much Mike's lemonade, a beautiful evening, and being to lazy to go back inside and get a condom. Thank goodness for blankets and back yards with privacy fences.

I think I just got this thread way off topic...

[EllasMama]

Originally Posted by SpiralChrissy

What do you do for yourself to deal with pain instead of drinking? I've got some ideas for myself but I can always use more.

Therapy, taking breaks, exercise, reading, brownies - the usual, nothing earth-shatteringly cool. I've also been on Lexapro for 8 months and that's helped me gain control and a feeling of hopefulness. I guess mainly I try to control it through not buying alcohol. Just like with natural childbirth, if you go to a birth center where an epidural isn't available, then you are forced to rely on other ways to deal with your pain. So if I don't have the alcohol around, and it's too much trouble to run to the store to buy any, I can hold up pretty well. (DH still has beer around, but it's not as big a temptation b/c he buys brands I'm not familiar with.)

I'm also trying to motivate myself to go to church more regularly since I don't take time for my spiritual side otherwise. There is a wonderful Unitarian Universalist church in town...I actually went this morning. There are no "rules" about what God you have to believe in and no judgment about behaviors you have being "sinful," so it's a good approach for me. I figure it's cheaper than an extra therapy session, LOL, and the awesome music is an added bonus. I go about twice a year and always mean to go more often but never get around to it. I feel sometimes like I drink and eat to try to fill up a void inside me, so I'm hoping having more spiritual practice might make me feel less empty. Can't hurt, anyhow!

Carol

[sarahbay]

Well I don't drink as my Hubby is an alchoholic, so no liquor in the house, but there are days when I wish I could...........

Red Raspberry tea and Chammomile Teas( yeah it sounds cheesy, but they really do help frazzled mommas!)

If you can barder or trade or pay a Helper to come and clean your abode, it's not like it's a solution, but it sure helps in the short time. You can look around and say "ahhhhh clean house"

Get a local HS girl or someone you know to watch the kids a couple hours a week, some alone time for you is totally nessesary, unless you can't leave a nursling, then maybe she can come to your house and watch them while you're home, you can relax, seh can watch make food , wash dishes etc! I know it takes a lot to ask for help, you've taken the hardest step already!

We are all connected in this life and we cannot do it all alone!

[SpiralChrissy]

Thanks Sarah.
Part of the reason I need to monitor my own alcohol use is because my DH is an alcoholic. My DS needs to grow up with one parent, at least, with a reasonable view on alcohol! It's hard to be dealing with alcohol sometimes and dealing with the DH's issues too, let me tell ya!
Thanks for writing. I do have a babysitter that I rely on and I"m trying to do the FLYLADY so I can get my house together.
One of my big problems is motivation though. I just don't feel like doing anythign so my life feels a little vapid. So, I suppose sometimes drinking sounds like fun cause I'm so bored with my life, huh?
Now that's something for me to work on!
Chrissy