ALCOHOLICS: RECOVERY & FITNESS (Serious Only Please)

[mirroroferised]

Story time. Something we've had to deal with the past couple of days.

....snipped

It's terrible to see people hit rock bottom. I have a difficult time feeling sympathy for someone that isn't trying, but that doesn't make it any easier to watch.

Yaar that's terrible and I hope your friend does get some help. That's not easy at all for those around him either and I hope you and your family/friends are coping okay right now.

Good posts lately. Some victories are nice to read.

I have been hesitant to post as I am unsure of which direction my life is going to take. Been in a pretty foul mood. But it is really coming around lately. Last weekend highlights : Thurs. 1 small glass Turkey 101. Friday not so good but not horrible 20 or so beers and bed at 3 AM but was able to turn down a good friend and family member who wanted to go "out" (run country and no doubt find fights, old whiskey and young women). Saturday not a drink one was had. Got some work done on bathroom remodel. Sunday made it to church for first time in a long time. Not a drink was had that day. Monday back to work and as of now no drinks had.

Nothing to brag about but so much better than my weekends have been going. While I intend to drink this weekend, I am already coaching my self on backing off and keeping food and gains as a priority.

Feel like I need strapped into bed to stay there if I go to bed before 4 or 5 am or sober but have been managing to stay there. Grit teeth and lay awake but ignore calls and stay by my wife's side in bed. Hard at the time but feels right the following days

Great to see you posting tandpr and that you've had some success's over the last little while. Last weekend I was left alone, no family and I forced myself into bed early, put a movie on and refused to get out. Good job man!!

Good to see that everyone is still sober, its encouraging, gives me hope. I got 97 days today. I don't know how about you all, but man, the anxiety and depression and just overall being crazy feeling is too much sometimes. I am working with a sponsor and do meetings. I am thinking about taking up Crossfit or Powerlifting, just to be more occupied. I love working out, but big lifts are not progressing, I am sort of stuck and feeling discouraged. Do hobbies help? I don't know, just unable to deal with life. I read somewhere that you can have lingering symptoms up to 2 years. Jeez, 2 years I might not make it

Congratulations on 97 days (hopefully a couple more now). For me, I threw myself into lifting and learning about (not always following) nutrition. The gym has become my safe haven. My big lifts progressed a bit and then I went just nuts on hitting up the gym nearly every single day just for the simple sake of doing something and being involved. It helped me a lot.

Some updates on me:

Just got back from vacation and I did...ok. I did drink but kept it to no more than 8 beers per day and some days didn't drink at all.

Now that I got back home I am going to rededicate myself to getting on the wagon completely. I managed to keep it under control on vacation which is good but I cannot fool myself. Now that I am home I am capable of going back into the binging so I will be careful.

Lastly, since I am tired and want to catch up reading this thread....the oddest thing happened. On vacation my bother sent me an email and wanted to confide in me. He trusts me so basically he needed some one to talk too. He told me he is an alcoholic and wants to quit drinking. I felt like I got punched in the stomach. I hate that my younger brother is suffering from this toxic obsession same as me. I had some suspicions but just trusted that he was in control. Apparently he is more like me than I would want him to be.

Long story short I am going to call him and let him in on my secret and maybe we can work this out together. Anyways, thanks everyone for this thread. What a wonderful thing to have. I have never felt more ready or confident to battle this ...thing I have until I started reading the posts in here.

Good to hear that you're still on board with making positive changes. My older brother has 37 years sober and it helped me a lot early on to talk with somebody I know and trust. You two could really be a positive force for each other.

I've watched too many people go through this, I try tried my best, but just didn't work. All we can do is hope they will come out ok and be there when they are ready to come to you. Very, very sad and frustrating for sure. Sobriety has to be by attraction and not promotion. Sorry to hear that.

QFT

I hate to say it but it seems most of us alcoholics are also crazy about firearms. Guns make us feel like we have control over something, control over our right to own them, when the rest of our lives spiral out of control.

My first two weeks clean I put a gun to my head almost every night. As a teenager I had a history of suicide attempts and have a nice collection of scars and stitches all over my wrists going every which direction. I kept thinking that I couldn't live clean, I would never succeed and I would rather just die than watch myself waste away all over again, and again, and again. When I wasn't being hostile to myself I was being hostile to everyone else. I would drive suicidally on my motorcycle, pick fights, do anything to get a reaction, some sympathy, or an adrenaline high.

Just have to assume alcoholics have guns and when you know one does just let them do their own thing. I honestly don't even think you should have gone as far out of your way as you did. When we're high or drunk we're not right, we're like unpredictable animals. Just get yourself and anyone you care about out of harms way. You can't force an animal to eat food from your hand, they have to get around to it themselves. If you try to force it you'll end up bitten or dead.

Good post.

First off, 1 day at a time. Don't bother thinking about 2 years from now. :-)

I experienced withdrawal symptoms for nearly 2 years but I also drank from 13 to almost 33. They are ever lessening and sometimes changing.

Funny enough, at the one year mark I took up crossfit. I would caution you about that as I left that community partially because of the party nature of the sport. When liquor bottles started popping up instead of the usual beers I built a home gym.

Congrats on 98? days now!

QFT

[BlackJack619]

I don't have a drinking problem anymore but now I have a smokey problem

[lotusdeva]

Thanks everyone. I went to a meeting yesterday and a lady my age shared about how her son died. She got 4 years and almost killed herself. With the help of AA she made it. Put things into perspective. My kids are alive, I got a roof over my head, everyone is ok, I am sober. Life is just one moment and its now, as long as I am sober now, I am ok

[doughnutgut]

Thanks everyone. I went to a meeting yesterday and a lady my age shared about how her son died. She got 4 years and almost killed herself. With the help of AA she made it. Put things into perspective. My kids are alive, I got a roof over my head, everyone is ok, I am sober. Life is just one moment and its now, as long as I am sober now, I am ok

Good stuff to hear.




It is once we realize that our problems in life will always be there.
But it is just a darn site easier to deal with them through a clear head.

Alcohol numbs the pain. But brings the worries back 10 fold once it wears off.

[Rajon25]

Good stuff to hear.




It is once we realize that our problems in life will always be there.
But it is just a darn site easier to deal with them through a clear head.

Alcohol numbs the pain. But brings the worries back 10 fold once it wears off.

It is all relative. When your brain dries out you will feel emotions that you never felt and they will hit you harder than they ever had. It is like lifting though. Your emotional and spiritual selves are weak due to the alcohol. Those selves will get stronger as you allow yourself to actually deal with and process the emotions.

This goes for the pleasant emotions as well. Which is good and bad.

As always, just play the tape all the way through with alcohol and emotion.


My favorite thing about sober me is the moment I take to think before I speak/hit/yell/throw. I never had that before. Let me tell you, I am a master at fixing drywall but I no longer have to use that skill. I like my emotions now. I like to feel them. I did not feel this way during the first or even the second year.

I am sorry if this is a babble. Things get better all the time. This is a lifelong journey and there is much to learn. Put in the time, one day at a time and watch the promises become reality.

[raynerd]

It is all relative. When your brain dries out you will feel emotions that you never felt and they will hit you harder than they ever had. It is like lifting though. Your emotional and spiritual selves are weak due to the alcohol. Those selves will get stronger as you allow yourself to actually deal with and process the emotions.

This goes for the pleasant emotions as well. Which is good and bad.

As always, just play the tape all the way through with alcohol and emotion.


My favorite thing about sober me is the moment I take to think before I speak/hit/yell/throw. I never had that before. Let me tell you, I am a master at fixing drywall but I no longer have to use that skill. I like my emotions now. I like to feel them. I did not feel this way during the first or even the second year.

I am sorry if this is a babble. Things get better all the time. This is a lifelong journey and there is much to learn. Put in the time, one day at a time and watch the promises become reality.

Hardly babble at all, great post! Thank you, I am grateful I read it.

[yaaar]

Went and saw my friend that went into the hospital yesterday.

Even though he's better friends with my wife and her friend, though it would be better if I went. Last thing you need when you're in a bad spot is to have people you like see you in a bad spot, so I went in just to make sure he was all right so I could convey this back without them having to see him like this.

In short, he looks terrible. I understand he's in a hospital, but he looks like he's in a hospital. He didn't look like that a couple weeks ago.

His 72 hour observation was up, he's at a VA facility now. I guess he woke up with DT's even after the three days. He is staying there voluntarily, and he's trying to see what kind of treatment program the VA can put him in, whichever are his options he wants to take the longest one possible.

He also thinks they can help him with some sort of vocation and housing towards the end of his stay. Told him I'd come check in on him once a week and when it he felt up to it we'd have some other people come visit.

[JRT6]

I can't drown my demons because they can swim.

[thewhaleshark]

I can't drown my demons because they can swim.

^^^^^I am stealing this quote! On a side note, 100 days sober today. My avatar is of me this morning. Goal is to get in to the 12s (body fat) by my 42nd birthday on Aug 21st.

[Blacksmith80]

100 days sober today.

Congrats bro, stay strong!

[raynerd]

^^^^^I am stealing this quote! On a side note, 100 days sober today. My avatar is of me this morning. Goal is to get in to the 12s (body fat) by my 42nd birthday on Aug 21st.

Thats a lot of days, you are doing great, never let your guard down, booze is a patient mofo! Looking really good in the AVI, good luck with your goals

[HYMENATOR]

Day 4 here, giving this sober thing another go. While I may not be drinking beer, I can't stop drinking ****ing liquid. Litres of water plus cokes, gatorades. Just in the habit of guzzling I guess. Should I try to stop this?

Anyone here had any serious liver problems from their boozing? I've been starting to wonder if I've done myself any permanent damage.

[thewhaleshark]

Day 4 here, giving this sober thing another go. While I may not be drinking beer, I can't stop drinking ****ing liquid. Litres of water plus cokes, gatorades. Just in the habit of guzzling I guess. Should I try to stop this?

Anyone here had any serious liver problems from their boozing? I've been starting to wonder if I've done myself any permanent damage.

OK, I checked in to the hospital with a .474 BAC in April. Liver enzymes were off the charts. After a month of sobriety + a ton of water / exercise, my levels were back to normal. Had an unltrasound and got away with a little bit of fatty liver, nothing else. How the hell I pulled that off I have no idea. Grace of god I guess. The liver is pretty f-ing amazing because I really gave it hell for a long time. To me "giving it another go" as you say is to set yourself up for failure. You're 4 days in, 5 tomorrow. Positive attitude here is a must. Oh, and drop the coke and gatorade!

[raynerd]

Day 4 here, giving this sober thing another go. While I may not be drinking beer, I can't stop drinking ****ing liquid. Litres of water plus cokes, gatorades. Just in the habit of guzzling I guess. Should I try to stop this?

Anyone here had any serious liver problems from their boozing? I've been starting to wonder if I've done myself any permanent damage.

The liver is the only organ that can regenerate after serious damage. If its taken too far, it will develop scar tissue (cirrhosis), at this point it is non-functional tissue. That being said, it can take some serious abuse (with no outstanding disease such as hepatitis C etc)
I agree that you are setting yourself up for failure if you "are giving this thing another go", this is a serious life destroying disease in which you either stop completely and indefinitely, or let it eat you alive. Sorry if you just chose your words poorly, but this is life or death for mostly all of us here.

Best of luck to you, keep posting!

[HYMENATOR]

Cheers guys. I'm actually feeling pretty good today and am gonna try and eat healthy and keep drinking water. Not really thinking about beer which is good. Gonna give it a week or two and then try and get back in the gym and actually make some gains this time! Thinking positive!

[yaaar]

Good news! I'm on week 3 myself.

What's helping me is knowing I've got a program to follow, and that drinking isn't part of it. Best of luck!

[Rajon25]

Cheers guys. I'm actually feeling pretty good today and am gonna try and eat healthy and keep drinking water. Not really thinking about beer which is good. Gonna give it a week or two and then try and get back in the gym and actually make some gains this time! Thinking positive!

Good plan but remember eating like crap is better than drinking at all. Stand back while I science. Alcohol, in addition to messing with your mind, metabolizes to sugar. You generally will have a sugar addiction on top of the alcohol addiction. Having a stash of candy can help quell physical cravings. Science over - great job, I am pulling for you!

Good news! I'm on week 3 myself.

What's helping me is knowing I've got a program to follow, and that drinking isn't part of it. Best of luck!

Great job! I am pulling for you!

[Blacksmith80]

Good news! I'm on week 3 myself.

Good job bro, stay sober!

[raynerd]

Cheers guys. I'm actually feeling pretty good today and am gonna try and eat healthy and keep drinking water. Not really thinking about beer which is good. Gonna give it a week or two and then try and get back in the gym and actually make some gains this time! Thinking positive!

Good to hear, get a plan in order ASAP, the gym helps me just as much as my program!

[raynerd]

Good news! I'm on week 3 myself.

What's helping me is knowing I've got a program to follow, and that drinking isn't part of it. Best of luck!

3 weeks....you should be getting out of the fog and feeling quite a bit better. Keep going man, a whole new life awaits you!

[twisttx]

Cheers guys. I'm actually feeling pretty good today and am gonna try and eat healthy and keep drinking water. Not really thinking about beer which is good. Gonna give it a week or two and then try and get back in the gym and actually make some gains this time! Thinking positive!

Good news! I'm on week 3 myself.

What's helping me is knowing I've got a program to follow, and that drinking isn't part of it. Best of luck!

Whoo whooo to the both of you.

Good plan but remember eating like crap is better than drinking at all. Stand back while I science. Alcohol, in addition to messing with your mind, metabolizes to sugar. You generally will have a sugar addiction on top of the alcohol addiction. Having a stash of candy can help quell physical cravings. Science over - great job, I am pulling for you!

Great job! I am pulling for you!

Troof^ I also found it helpful to stock up on drinks I like. Hot tea, cold tea, crystal light (or any of those new things that are out now), and soda for when I just had to have something carbonated.

[tandpr]

Stayed out till around 5am last night. Made bad decisions. To make it better I got the bottle of 101 out for breakfast. And lunch. And still going waiting to call it dinner. Go back a and forth from crying to singing and dancing. Want so bad to say I don't give a **** but I know I am going to be angry at myself. Eyes move sluggish and I find it challenging to talk. Must mean relaxation is right around the corner

[tandpr]

Got to post so I don't talk. Wife tired of hearing my mindless drivel. Think I may be going insane but my dad said if you can worry about insanity you are not insane? Idk. Gonna take wife to movies. Flask in pants ??? Herm. Big decisions.

[tandpr]

Went to wall mart earlier. Hard to drive six sped with glass of Turkey. Anyone ever been asked to leave this thread? I bet I get there. I wear out my welcome everywhere I go lolo . Not gonna make it. Nope nope. When I got the turkey this morning I looked at my 357 mag. I thought......you know these two things proly have the same end result. One just faster. So why do I choose the slow painful way? Does not conpute

[tandpr]

Well off to see Lucy. Ckeck in later. Or at work tomorrow. Or when I get home. **** idk. I be back to see if I got my suggestion to gtfo

[Rajon25]

Whoo whooo to the both of you.



Troof^ I also found it helpful to stock up on drinks I like. Hot tea, cold tea, crystal light (or any of those new things that are out now), and soda for when I just had to have something carbonated.

Sparkling water. It has the bitterness to scratch the itch. It is hydrating, i tend to drink it slow and can drink all I want.

[LadyLore420]

Good to hear, get a plan in order ASAP, the gym helps me just as much as my program!

This is so true.

Today I stayed clean and sober with the help of my best friend, the barbell:

[doughnutgut]

Went to wall mart earlier. Hard to drive six sped with glass of Turkey.

If your on about DUI then yeah. No problem. Just make sure you live with the guilt if anything happens.

Anyone ever been asked to leave this thread? I bet I get there. I wear out my welcome everywhere I go lolo .

You will not get asked to leave this thread buddy.

The thing about your post is that it brings back memories of my interwebz time when on the sauce. Cringeworthy at times. But one day you can look back and see for yourself what you posted.

I was a DEEP ASS shade of red after going full potato in this forum when I first started. All due to drunken antics.

Not gonna make it. Nope nope. When I got the turkey this morning I looked at my 357 mag. I thought......you know these two things proly have the same end result. One just faster. So why do I choose the slow painful way? Does not conpute

I do hope there comes a time when you really do get totally sick of the sauce mate. Then decide that a solid run at AA and sobriety comes your way.

You are full of potential my friend. Plough your energy into something positive. My PM box is always open dude. Also always online at some point most of the day.

[tandpr]

Wobble baby wobbe baby wobble. Uhh I feel like ****. I should move this to a journal. How to **** up body building.com

[tandpr]

I can pull 425 but right now I feel like I can't get up. And I am trying to be a lifter? Hmmm common sense much