Recovery from addiction involves daily spiritual maintenance and connection with others. Join me as I explore topics related to addiction recovery. Whether I'm responding to something I'm reading about recovery and spiritual growth or just sharing my own thoughts related to recovery from addiction, I'm here to administer your daily dose of recovery.
At last, watching my hives inflammation fade day after day until they completely vanished was such a relief, I went with what I pointed out and within the first 10 days or so the urticaria was barely visible! I just go'ogled the latest by Shane Zormander and after 20 days my skin has never been healthier!
OK, these are some good reminders, there’s no question that increasing your mental clarity and boosting your drive, comes with quitting. Yes, there are many ways to kick the habit, Steffon Barkload's latest is what worked for me, best shortcut I go’ogled that took days without withdrawal.
I agree with everything you say in the video. If I were allergic to alcohol I could drink safely and use an epipen when I became symptomatic. However my use of alcohol is different to the norm’. The relief alcohol gives me from my everyday physical, psychological and spiritual unease, which is greater than the average found in the populous, is tremendous. Therefore I am more triggered to use alcohol to relieve my dis-ease than the average drinker. I understand that to use the term ‘allergy’ as an analogy of my condition is a good fit although factually incorrect. I see you as courageous to investigate the true nature of the ‘allergy’ phenomenon proposed in the ‘doctors opinion’ in such a sensitive, honest and well balanced way.
I agree. I used drugs and alcohol because I felt inadequate and unloved as a child. My mother and elders in my family were addicted to alcohol and/or drugs so it all seemed normal to me. When I did start using, the drugs (marijuana and alcohol first), made me feel better than I had ever felt, and I thought I had found a solution. It took many years to learn that using these only created more issues in my life. Being sober for 75 days has shown me that, yes, I have character defects to work on, and using for all those years only hindered me from personal growth, but my character defects wasn't the cause of my addiction. My body's response to the drugs (including alcohol), was the cause of my addiction.
I don't mean to be contrary, but... It is true that anyone could technically become "addicted", given enough exposure and enough time. Because, the human body builds tolerance, no matter who you are. Now, the question though becomes: WOULD just anybody do that to themselves? And the answer is no. Because only the alcoholic has the "physical allergy" that causes them to push themselves to that point. In other words, it's like this: all people are capable of committing suicide, but only those that have that drive do it. Because, while everyone is capable, not everyone has those feelings. So the "physical allergy" to alcohol is something that is in us at birth. And not everyone that has it will necessarily give in to it. I'm not saying it is 100% an "at birth" thing. I suppose there are factors that could cause a person's body to develop the physical allergy, but I'm just referring to the general rule here. Simply my humble opinion.
7:36 Oh my goodness, YES! I don't understand those people. What is the attraction to alcohol, if not to get drunk? Or at least buzzed? I mean, IF a person can just have a couple and stop; what in the heck is the point of even drinking? And what is it about drinking that they like, that they wouldn't want all the time? And if they are content enough with life to not want it all the time, then what even makes them want it AT ALL? I don't understand NON-alcoholics.
I love that you mentioned the dangers of “opening the door” to alcoholics thinking there’s a CHANCE they can drink like those I guess, “normal” people that can have a few drinks and stop. I’ve been down that hole many times and made it back out for the most part. But for some people, hearing that and going back to drinking, optimistic that they too can drink “normally”, they may never make it back out.
Thanks for this. Im in 12 steps and I still am so confused about the idea of 'allergy'. I appreciate the book is old but I'm in programs for overeating and sex addiction. It is difficult to translate the Doctor's definition of 'allergy' to something that makes you crave more rather than something your body rejects. Thanks
In general, Allergies top symptoms are GI reactions actually. the allergy simply means we drink and tho it is making us sick, it causes a phenomenon of having us DRINK more anyway. So if we use 2 drinks we may feels sick but we will continue to DRINK to feel BETTER rather than to STOP drinking. And Allergies VERY often build over time. Eggs and shellfish are famous for acting in this way. The dictionary defines Allergies as am ABNORMAL reaction to a substance. Also the PSYCHIATRIST opinion was by Karl Jung. So these weren't half-ass opinions. A bacterial infection Is still a bacterial infection. A viral infection ois still a viral infection. Allergies in 1939 to Strawberries are still Allergies to Strawberries in 2024. . It's just the treatment that has changed. So your focus on the time is only related to the condition. We were VERY advanced in this regard in the 1930s. Thoughtful stream but I do believe in the allergy concept, tho it took me a long time to understand.
Self-pity is definitely a mind fuck and it contributed to the hole I was trying to fill with booze and other substances/distractions. Self pity is a part of self-absorption and I definitely get stuck in that hole. However, I got to commend any mentor who calls people out on their bullshit. Those people push you to be better and they know and believe you can be better. My friends and I can recover together and be a mirror for each other. Isolation and wallowing is definitely not helping. Thanks for posting.
Exactly, it's a fact that quitting booze not only makes your world a better place to be in, good things start to “magically” happen and the energy is insane! Steffon Barkload's Quit Drinking Forever, that’s the best shortcut I go’ogled that took less than a week to work without suffering withdrawal.
Thank you for this! I am a peer support specialist, and I work with other addicts and alcoholics who are in recovery. I’m familiar with the 12 steps and the other literature, but I had never heard the term king baby or queen baby until I started working at this treatment facility. All the clients do an assignment about king, baby or queen baby. As a peer support specialist, I can share my own experiences with them, and I was sharing an experience as part of a lesson about reframing and taking accountability when we messed up. I told him a story about how I was kind of mean to somebody the other day. She was a complete stranger, and she was being mean to me, for no reason at all that I could discern, but I was mean back to her and that’s what I wanted to focus On. I told them that I felt so angry. I felt like a toddler and I’m very embarrassed that I behaved that way. And they told me.” your queen baby came out.” I am going to get a hold of the assignment and do it myself. Because we are never done working on ourselves. ❤
Thank you for sharing. I keep relapsing with alcohol and I just googled relapse autopsy and found a worksheet and some info. I think this a very helpful exercise to do
I’ve been struggling with cravings lately and the using dreams seem to go hand in hand with cravings while awake. I’m 4 months sober as of this post after over 20 years of substance abuse. I had relapse dreams in my first month into recovery, but figured I’d gotten past it. The relapse dream caught me off guard and I’m worried that the cravings I’m experiencing while I’m awake are spilling over into sleep as well. Hopefully, by staying busy and focused I can power through and the cravings will subside again. 🤞
thank you so much for making this video. i cant put into words how much it helped me feel connected and less isolated as a recovered addict. still something i think about and struggle to wonder why. having no one to tell this to/relate to is hard. so thank you for taking your time to make this video. you’re learning, you’re growing, stay strong even when it doesn’t feel like you can be ❤
Wouldn’t you say the feeling of “terminal uniqueness” is justified if someone who has been through extreme trauma is around people who have had pretty “normal” childhoods and lives without trauma??? I mean, I understand how terminal uniqueness can hold people back in addiction and recovery groups when they’re amongst others with similar stories, but, when a traumatized individual is surrounded by “normies”, I just think there’s reason to feel different and out of place, no???
Try naltrexone if you want to moderate. See Dr Sinclair or Baclofen another medication that french doctor discovered helped though is used most for muscle spasm. Both have 70% success. Way more than AA s current 5 t 20 per cent claims.
Thanks. A sponsor almost had a fit when i said addiction. Well never met an alcoholic with a rash swollen tongue face etc or needed some alcohol epi pen
Thank you so much for the kind words! I’m still here-took a break for both school and to try to learn a little more about making videos. I’ll be back sometime soon!
I've been sober 23 years. I spent 20 years in meetings. I spent the last 3 years questioning the clique and hard-core idealism projected by people with time. Specifically, the ones that tell you "you better get a sponsor or you're gonna get drunk". "you better do things my way, or I will let you go as a sponsee". There's a lot of judgment, gossiping, coffee clutching folks repeating themselves day after day after day. I needed it at first. IT's a great foundation to learn how to cope. I recommend people find alternative support to work on core issues without the influence of the church of AA.
Thanks for sharing Vashti! I’ve encountered all sorts of people at meetings and can definitely understand where you’re coming from. I too would recommend people explore recovery outside of AA-there are many different options available these days. I do still love AA meetings but also know that not all of them are right for me, and I’m fortunate I live somewhere where I can pick and choose which ones I go to.
@@easygoing7500 I'm very sorry to hear that you had that experience in AA. It's horrible that people could act that way in a place that's supposed to be welcoming and healing.
Thanks Branden! Great talk. I'm goin for it. The folgers can has a small amount left. Whittled down from 4-5 cups/day by making less in the pot and committing to not making more. Down to 2 cups now. Picking up a chai the other day at 3pm was a noticeable mistake. I got super irritable. Introduced the system to Matcha, I enjoy it. After doing Tommy's chapter 13 about our infinite pharmacy there is now a huge jug of prepared green organic juice going down the hatch too. So sort of trying to replace the coffee with the juice and some matcha? The morning is going to be STRANGE with out it. I really want to check out the central system reset. :)
@@recoverydailydose1424 so far, a headache, lethargy & spelling errors (cognitive fog-?). Buddies are kindly sharing on the mushroom alternatives etc. In the past full disclosure, I ended up mixing them (Mudd) into the actual coffee itself. LOL. How's that for a truly dedicated & compulsive soul, ha! We spoke today in a group on experiencing the joy of a cup. Tapering down, winding up at savoring it more so than abusing it (?). Take it easy :)
@@recoverydailydose1424 Hello! It is going good on day 4. Was lethargic with headache. I'm having some tea - matcha with honey & almond milk. Sleep is great. I make two cups of tea in the a.m. right away. Good Earth Sweet & Spicy green tea and one matcha. Got a huge jug of tolerable Suja organic green juice and drink a small glass before the teas. If you are interested here's a link comparing the caffeine levels with a link to Matcha too. 30 day reset (?) - it will take me a bit of being immersed here in the tea world prior to blatantly off the tea! onesipoftea.com/green-tea-caffeine-vs-coffee/#:~:text=Here%E2%80%99s%20a%20comparison%20of%20the%20caffeine%20content%20of,to%2050%20mg%20%204%20more%20rows%20
WOW… This got to be one of my favorite videos from the bunch because you share something so personal and real. “I need a vacation from my vacation (have you ever heard that?)”. All those tips you gave to relax are helpful and necessary. Self-care is the #1 priority to heal and stay off drugs and alcohol, it is part of the maintenance stage. Very few understand the 5 stages of change, and you, my friend, have given a perfect example of the stage 5/maintenance stage. Being a therapist, while rewarding, can also be exhausting physically and mentally. Thus, we also need to exercise stages 4 and 5 (Action and Maintenance). One of the songs I used to play often, especially in the morning is from Van Halen, Jump! IN fact, my alarm clock was this song “I get up and nothin' gets me down, You got it tough, I've seen the toughest around, And I know, baby, just how you feel, You got to roll with the punches and get to what's real” This song got me inspired, motivated and energetic in the morning. We all need to find our motivations to keep rolling with the punches and face what’s real.
Hey Well put! A higher power is not a religious figure, it is the interconnection of many things, family, yourself, the environment, people, personal goals, satisfaction, hobbies, etc, you name it. The fact that you said “A power greater than yourself” is inspiring. Many clients in residential therapy struggle with this and we (the therapists) emphasize exactly what you have said, “a higher power is not God” it is whatever you believe your internal power is. BTW, it is good to take a day off/break from sharing.
This is a great video. My husband also liked it and commended you for this great work you're doing. I have to say that I heard time after time clients saying "I relapse because my family/friends, significant others wanted me to come to rehab" but they knew their heart was not in it. They did it with the hope to seek the approval of others, not because they were ready. As you said, recovery is a journey, so enjoy the little things you see at the bottom of the mountain that perhaps the one at the top missed or neglected to stop to enjoy the wonders around the bottom of the mountain. Like this video, it's not the number of followers you have that will carry your message, is that message in itself for those in recovery who wish to watch your video, listen, learn and realize whether or not they're on the right track or not.
This is great! I had a few clients who had sorosis and they did not want to take it seriously. I am glad you followed the instructions of your therapist. Good job with sharing as always.
Excellent part-2. First let me say that you should give yourself more credit than what I saw on this video. Before attending this party, what was more frightening for you?, Second: what do you feel most proud of after attending this party? and third: Summer is around the corner and family gatherings are prone to be more frequently happening this year, where drinking is always part of the menu. How would you get ready for summer?
Great questions. 1. I did have a bit of social anxiety going into the party, particularly regarding a couple of the people who were going to be there. The interesting thing is that the social anxiety was much less of a problem than the stress I would have dealt with trying to manage my drinking all day so I didn't get blitzed before the party even started. 2. I think I'm most proud of being able to represent my best self in conversations with people. For example, I was able to have a great conversation with a friend's parents and can remember almost every detail. Had I been drinking, I know I would have woken up mortified that I had said something to embarrass myself in front of them. 3. I've been to a lot of family gatherings since I quit drinking, to the point where I get really excited about them now. They're an opportunity to socialize in a way that I never cared about when I was drinking and using (it was hard to socialize at the bar this weekend because it was so loud you could barely hear what anyone was saying). At family gatherings, I like to focus on talking to people, asking them questions about their lives--really being interested in them. Meeting new people, trying to connect--these are the kinds of things I get to do at gatherings now that I am not concerned with being drunk or high as much as possible. It's a great feeling and keeps me coming back.
@@recoverydailydose1424 Excellent answers, especially number 2. I was hoping you would say something like that. That is the end goal for us therapist, we want you to take your life back and enjoy it again. The fears, the temptation may always be there, you have to be realistic, but if you have been in recovery with great support, facing those demons may become easier. Clients have asked me before if I ever get drunk, my answer is "of course I have and I hate the feeling of being hungover". I drink socially and have gotten drunk in college before becoming a mental health professional, thus, I can relate to making a fool of myself and not remembering conversations or embarring myself and past BFs. I am glad that you recognize the social anxiety and that you managed it head-on. Good job and do not become complaisant, that is the error I see from my past clients, but hey we are just humans.
Love, love this video. I can't wait to see part 2 of this video and hear your comments after attending this party at a bar. The way I see, and used to explain it metaphorically (to those in recovery), was like you have taking time to heal inside out and face your abusive ex (i.e. alcohol) whenever you run into him/her again. You are now in control and can be YOU without subjecting yourself to the commands of your Ex/alcohol!. You now can have fun, either alone or with your friends, without being tempted or afraid of your ex (i.e. alcohol) controlling you like when you 2 had a relationship.
Thanks for your comment! Part 2 is posted here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fPGgcS4-_xw.html I had a great time, but there were also some old emotions and feelings that cropped up that I wasn't expecting!
