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Moderation Gang (MoGa) - an ongoing discussion of moderate drinking

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Moderation Gang (MoGa) - an ongoing discussion of moderate drinking

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 616

Hey everyone....so today my supervisor called me about 5 times again and had me login to work and do a few things. I'm not pleased but how do I say no? Anyway she also sent me a form that the company wants comp,eyed on my functional ability which I find highly unusual because this form is completed when someone is returning to work. She claims it's so they can accommodate me, I think it's a load of crap. I suspect, and so does my chiropractor, that they're up to something. Bring it on, I hope they kick my ass out the door, it would probably be the best thing that could happen to me.

Anyway, I'm again thinking of having a glass of wine but I know with wine, I can't stop at one so I'll abstain from that. I think I'll go make myself a virgin drink with club soda.

Hope everyone is having a great day.

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 41

Hi all.

I haven't checked the site for over a month, so I was pleased to see this discussion group, and from the number of posts, the subject of moderate drinking obviously strikes a chord with a lot of the members here. The purists will tell you that only abstinence works, but there is a lot of evidence now that some heavy drinkers can moderate their alcohol use. And in fact that is what I have been doing for the last 24 years or so.

I drank very heavily in my 20s and 30s and quit completely through AA on my 40th birthday. I abstained completely through the program for 2 1/2 years, then slowly started to drink again. I found that I could go for quite long periods drinking "normally", but that my tolerance would slowly start to increase over time until I had to consciously stop for a while or cut severely back. This happened two or three times over the years, the last time being last year when I joined this forum. After my period of abstinence in AA I never went back to drinking at my previous level, and have never experienced a blackout since. Neither have any of my grandchildren (oldest one 14 now) ever seen me drunk.

Nevertheless, I've always been glad that I went through that period of abstinence, because it made me realize how heavy and how abnormal my drinking actually was, and I've been determined never to go back to that level again. I doubt that I would have been able to drink "moderately" without the period of abstinence first, as I'd been trying to do that already for many years and I'll always be grateful to AA for being there at that particular time of my life.

For me, this problem is ongoing, and I like to check in with the forum every so often.

All the best,

George

and the dragon.

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 409

BP, I went through a severe clinical depression about 18 years ago. It started after several years of graduate school sleep-deprivation and lasted almost three years. It cost me my marriage, my job, and nearly my entire education. I got a divorce and dropped out of graduate school and work. I gained a ton of weight and lived on credit cards for a year without a job, which had ramifications for years afterwards. The main things that finally, SLOWLY helped me out of it were (1) catching up on years of sleep (2) some key therapy (including self-hypnosis) (3) anti-depressant medications (4) time.

Hang in there -- sleep is possibly the best thing you can do for yourself right now, along with keeping busy and continuing with therapy and trying to find a medication that works for you. I know you WILL eventually pull out of it and get back to photography and all of the other things you used to love. I did so much soul-searching at the time. What kind of person did I really want to be? And why? As desolate and painful as that time was for me, it laid the foundations for where I am now. I don't know how old you are, but I was in my early thirties at the time, and my life seemed over. Now I am turning fifty, and that all seems so long ago. I still have bad days, of course (thus the drinking) but they are few and far between. You have the determination to make it! Just keep avoiding the brandy and believing in yourself. We care about you here....

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 616

BP I'm so happy that you checked in. It's nice to hear from you, but Im sorry you are still feeling so down. I hope in time the new medication will start to work for you and you will feel like you are back to yourself again. It's great that you are not letting this sadness make you drink more wine. I wish there was something I could do to help you through this.

I ended up having two daiquiris with my husband before dinner then thought I'd like a beer after dinner but I ended up throwing most of it away because it tasted horrible and I was too full from dinner.

ER I'm like you, hot weather makes me retain water, and when there humidity involved, it's really bad. Today was horrible, even my eyes were swollen and when I stepped on the scale I was 5 lbs heavier. Omg that's a lot of excess water. I need to find something to get rid of it. I do take an herbal diuretic but it's not doing a lot right now. I think I'll need to bump up the dosage, I take the minimum amount. I hate the fat feeling in my fingers too....it's awful. I guess I need to really reduce the salt intake too.

Off to bed, my daughter has her first day back to school tomorrow and she is very excited. Let the craziness begin...lol

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 161

BP, you are asleep now, but I wanted to say I'm glad you checked in. Sorry to hear you feel low. I've been thinking about you.

What is it about August? Change of season? Start of a new school year? End of summer? Yeah, all of the above... end of summer.

I was just telling DH at dinner... my MoGa sisters (and brothers PJ and Royhobbs... Roy, you there?) are still checking in. We're not perfect but we're not giving up. We're still here.

Thanks for being out there for me, all of you. Still feeling stronger today, even though I was really groggy and retaining a lot of water from being out in the heat yesterday. Lesson: I'm sensitive to salt, so it doesn't take much Gatorade to keep my minerals balanced. And there were those two Labor Day martinis. :) :)

Night all.

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 80

Hi Mogas,

Hope you are all doing fine.

I did check online everyday but I have in such a down mood not to do anything, except going to work for the bills. I sleep very early everynight in order not to let myself drink more than 2 glasses of wine each night. I am a Mogas member so I have to keep the faith.

Depression is a horrible sickness, and I am trying very hard to pull myself out. 3 years already and its still conquering me. I lost interest in everything, photograph, reading site-surfing, videos, even I don't have the mood to turn on the TV. But I won't go back to drink brandy to numb myself.

I am still pushing myself to do the volunteer work on every Sat and Sun afternoon, this is a way to stop myself drinking in all the weekend. I hope I could have faith to keep on doing this, but my mentally is very tired being attacked by the depression all the time.

Camiol, hope your back pain is feeling better, do you ever consider to have some accuputure treatment, it helps to release the pain.

Turqouise, you are a very strong woman, you seem very cheerful everyday. I hope I could be your state.

How about the other ladies? Remember to stay moderate even though we are not in good mood.

Have to sleep now Ladies,

Best wishes to you all.

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 161

Hey, everyone made progress. Turq, Marylizy, Camiol, and me, starting the week feeling like things are slowly improving. Camiol, hope your tomato back is feeling better today. Somebody somewhere in your company knows who's really keeping things running.

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 616

Hi Marylizy, I think a few of us drank more than we intended to, but we shouldn't be upset or angry with ourselves. We all know that this battle is a tough one to beat, but each time we have a slip, we become stronger in realizing what triggered us to overindulge.

What I am pissed at myself for is this.....I was ordered off work for two weeks, and here I sat/laid on my bed all stinking day, connected to the office, working on month end and processing a payroll. I am an idiot. I let this company use me however they see fit and I get zero recognition for it. So why do I do it? My boss's biggest concern was that she get the doctors note tomorrow. I am just so damn fed up. Here I'm killing my back more by working out of guilt and responsibility, and they're just worried whether or not I am off for legitimate reasons. Unfreakinbelievable.

This is the type of company I work for, they don't give a rats ass about their employees, it's work, work, work. Long term disability is looking really good at this point.

So I'm ticked off and would love a drink right now but I'm going to try to abstain....one minute at a time right now.

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 325

Hi everyone.

I am glad our long holiday weekend is over...I have not been good through out the weekend and really drank way too much beer...but I did stay away from the wine and vodka so that is a positive twist. Not making excuses for myself..I over did it and now it is time to cut back.

You all seem to be doing so great. I am so pleased to read that and for those of us who are not, that is OK also. We have our goals and will keep pressing forward.

Have a great week MOGA's...Camiol take care of yourself, the job will still be there. Turquoise, you are doing so great, congrats...Elizabethrr do not be so hard on yourself...today is a new day.... PJ sounds like you are on the right track...good luck

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 616

I'm definitely going to try to enjoy this time off but to be honest I'm already feeling guilty that I'm not working andhoping it wont be for too long. Thankfully the pain Is a reminder that I physically can't sit at a desk for 8 hours. It's crazy how much I absolutely hate my job yet I still feel so bad about not being there. Is that nuts or what?

Turquoise I wouldn't consider those two sips anything more than a taste of wine and it doesn't count against your sobriety challenge. You were strong in putting the glass down and then giving it to your husband. I think you deserve a huge pat on the back for that.

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Moderation Gang (MoGa) - an ongoing discussion of moderate drinking