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Vacations: a bumpy time.

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Vacations: a bumpy time.

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 286

It sounds like a gift to get your momentum going. Congratulations for framing it as a positive happening. No room for beer in your fridge and no room for beer in your life? But more room for good foods, healthy activities and healing thoughts!

~Getting back on track!~

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 54

Thanks Julie.

Today I discovered an unexpected present: while we were away the ol' "beer fridge" in the basement died! It is with no sadness at all that I am dismantling it and putting it to the kerb, with no plans of replacing it. We also used it for extra food and freezer space, but we'll do without that for now. It's a pain to find any room for beer in the main food fridge - so basically no more cold beer in the house. That ought to help.

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 286

SPMW,

Welcome back from vacation and great job in getting back on track and coming back to this forum! The fact that you consumed less on vacation is a "step in the right direction" for sure. I am very familiar with the feeling of getting into vacation mode with the help of wine. Honest self awareness is a good thing and the strong desire for change is so important. Hope to hear more from you!

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 54

Actually the rest of the vacation went passably well. It's still early in the 'getting used to not drinking' game for me and given the calendar of events it would have been an awkward and miserable time to draw attention to myself by completely abstaining I thought, so I had set only modest expectations for this vacation. I did nonetheless manage to enjoy the vacation without (except for the occasion mentioned at the beginning of this thread) getting drunk, making an ass out of myself or suffering the next day.

Funny that ND mentions always getting plastered the day before a vacation - I recall many instances of that in the past. It almost seems like it's an unwritten tradition to knock work out of my head with a bender so I can get on with vacationing (spoiling the 1st day or two in the process...). This time I guess I just postponed that bender until several days into the vacation.

Anyhow overall I consumed considerably less alcohol this vacation than would have been the norm for many years now, without feeling grumpy about it (most of the time). I know it's not where I want/need to be yet but I feel it's still a step in the right direction. With the vacation out of the way the plan is to get right back to the things I was doing and feeling good about before. And I will say something on that subject here: upon my return I logged in and read all the posts in this thread, and found them to be a reassuring source of inspiration to help me shift out of 'vacation gear' and get back on track. Thank you all!

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11226

Hi SPMW,

I am sorry to hear about your slip. It sounds like negative feelings that occurred the next day really reinforced your desire to take back control of the drinking. I was very glad to read that you are still able to recognize the big success of being alcohol free for 15 days prior to your trip. 15 days is a big achievement. I have no doubt you will be able to get back on track when you are ready to.

What is your plan for the rest of the trip? How do you plan to get back on track when the vacation is over?

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 154

"That's all I have to say about that..." (Forrest Gump)

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 421

Yes Foxman--vacation is a free pass. And really when you look at it many vacation spots encourage overdoing it. I have been looking into another cruise and you know what the #1 thing they are all offering is?? Free Open Bar! OMG!! First of all--I don't want to be in anyplace with open bar for any length of time. Not only for myself but, imagine how the other people on the boat will be?! I don't get why that is such a perk. How about free massage or spa visit? :-)

I also agree that coming home from vacation is a trying time. For me though, the day before vacation was always the time I would get plastered. It was like the stress of traveling or something to do with the initial journey triggered me. And it's no fun to travel with a hangover and pissed off companions. In fact one time, I had hit my head so hard the day before that I was probably due to have an stroke from the head injury on the plane. Again lucky/grace of God whatever I flew and made it. But, vacation is difficult for sure.

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1562

I could relate to that. Vacations was a free pass to indulge in outrageous drinking. My wife would see that I am happy and nodding to everything she wants because I was a happy drunk. But just that toward the end, I would pass out and had to be careful to be close to were we stayed. But the thing is, I repeated it. Took the family as hostage on Fridays because its my drinking day. But then, became weekends and then slowly back to the old ways. Thats the progression of the disease. And then early morning drinking, drinking during work-hours because I would find an excuse to work from home or get back home even if I had to be at work for a meeting.

So for me when I was finally done, and as the befogged mind cleared up, what was presented to me in the book made perfect sense. Why I drank. So when they talk about few simple rules, its the principles behind those steps. Honesty, willingness, open mindedness, acceptance of myself and others..slowly the selfishness and self-centeredness vanished. Sometimes they do crop up but thats why its says we never graduate, its a life long work. I have to otherwise the mind would take over.

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 421

One time on vacation, I went out to get carry out Mexican food and a place just a block from our hotel. I had to wait for it and of course I waited in the bar. Duh!?! I slammed as many tequilas as I could...and of course had a beer to wash it down. All in the span of time it takes to order and pick up food. Let's not forget the 2 drinks I had before I left to pick up said food. Brought it back to the room late. Gave everyone their order. And drank some more....2 additional vodka and tonics. Then I wanted to " go for a walk to see the stars". Right, a walk to the bar for more drinks. My head was splitting the next day! Told my little vacation AV to shove it when it started up the next morning. Hungover and tired.....I was a mess physically for next day and a half.mthen emotionally I was a wreck for several days. Happy vacation family. I'm so glad I got to be an ass on this trip for you.

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 345

Ha! AV never says to me it's ok to have "just" one drink...it's always one bottle. It actually convinced me that having "just" one bottle was ok as long as I "just" did it once a week. Needless to say it doesn't stay at once a week for long. As ND has shared it's based on the reward system. How can setting yourself up to feel lousy for at least a day following the reward, be any kind of "reward??" Talk about a strange mental twist lol. I'm currently battling with myself because I have an out of province friend visiting in a couple of weeks who I've always gotten wasted with in days gone by. I know she'd be very disappointed if I didn't join her in a drink or ten. Oh the sacrifices I'm forced to make lol. However, there will always be an occasion where one feels they must socialize with booze. Who ever dreamed up this strange custom couldn't have imagined the misery that would ultimately befall so many.

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