Deep Thoughts I need to get out…

Well as most of you know and if you don’t you will know now, I am a happily recovered(ing) alcoholic. On Dec 14 is the day I decided to quit drinking and get help and the 15th of Dec is my New Birthday – This year I will be 7 years old.

I have allot of feeling about this disease and it does make me angry, but one thing I have learned threw out my sobriety is letting anger go, we all know what can trigger us to get mad or sad, and in this disease things can trigger us to drink, one thing I have learned to help me threw the last 7 years is not avoid these triggers but cope with them and learn to work with them, that means working on yourself as a person and the people around you.

People Places and Things – one of the things i learned threw my journey of sobriety, is remove yourself from these 3 things. If you don’t fix the triggers from People, Places and Things then your road will only be harder and its wont be easy for you to be thankful for the gift of sobriety.  For example if home life is hard, and you are in recovery for YOU, then you need to work on resolving these issue, and if they cant be resolved then new people, places and things is the next step for you.

I have lost a brother to this disease and recently found a post someone wrote about him on a website: (this you will read below is a post someone wrote on a website and in no way is the facts, its ironic that this person would say this)

“Paul died of Liver Failure caused by alcoholism. Whoever says alcoholism isn’t a disease is ignorant at best. He tried so hard to beat this, but our horrible healthcare system and social stigmatization of addiction screwed up any chance he may have had. Yes, I am bitter that I lost this man. It didn’t have to happen.”

When I read this I found it a bit disturbing, (ok straight out pissed me off) this same person that wrote this had a memorial for Paul, and in his honor at the end they raised there glasses (guiness, or drink of choice) in his honor. The person that wrote the above is the same person that raised her glass of ALCOHOL in the memory of a man, that lost his life that was in that glass… Yet what she posts in contrary to what her actions are.

This brings me back to People, Places and Things… I wish my brother was able to find this steps and it is the steps that removed me and helped me stay sober today. Others people ignorance in this disease is correct and if your people support your choice to not drink they should also change there places and things to help support the ones they love. My brother didn’t have that, and I wish he did

I am not sure if people ever read what I write, as I dont that much but when i do I mean what I am saying but if you are struggling with People, Places and Things… take the steps to remove yourself, step away and see what YOU want as sobriety is only for you.

I think these feeling come up more around the holidays and around my sobriety date and now that I know i lost a very special person in my life that wasn’t able to say ENOUGH is ENOUGH (to people, places, things) he is now in my heart, & memory’s but not here for me to give him a hug, but my Christmas present to him & my dad is another year I have made it to stay strong, stay sober and stay true to myself.

Once we have achieved some days of sobriety, we have to look at our past and determine what we need to modify in order to achieve a more positive future. “People, Places and Things” are what we need to focus on. After identifying these we need to begin setting boundaries.

Great Read: These boundaries help keep us focused on our sobriety while avoiding triggers that may induce a desire to use again. Boundary setting is critical in maintaining our sanity as well. We all know what its like to be spread to thin and have too much work and not enough time and not knowing how to say “no.” Well, saying “no” to certain “people, Places, and Things” empowers us to take back control of our lives.

Another Great Read: As amateur night (New Year’s Eve) is fast approaching, I’m reminded  of some very sound advice that is given to people in early recovery:  Stay away from people, places and things that may  push our buttons  aka ‘triggers’.  That was easier said than done for me because when I  was a new in sobriety, it felt as though EVERYTHING was a trigger.  Waking up in the morning – trigger, Monday through  Sunday – trigger, ex-husband – trigger, having a good day – trigger,  having a bad day – trigger, well you get the idea…

Sources:

http://realityrecovery.com/people-places-and-things.php

http://earlyrecovery.wordpress.com/2008/12/28/people-places-and-things/

To know the true brother I and my family love please visit http://www.paulkitwin.com & please stay strong!

Update: This post is my thoughts, if you don’t like this, please don’t read this… Part of moving forward is letting what bothers you out – so this I did, and again if you don’t like it – then please open another Tab (Ctlt, T)  browser and surf your heart out on things that you do like to read.