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#1
Dec 24, 2008, 03:03 PM
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I know this is a high stress time for lots of us, what with parties and being around family or conversely being alone. So I hope you all have a totally awesome clean and sober Christmas.
--splitimage
__________________
 "I danced in the morning when the world was begun. I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun". From my favourite hymn. "If you see the wonder in a fairy tale, you can take the future even if you fail." Abba 
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 Capp, Christina86, Lenny, madisgram, notz
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#2
Dec 24, 2008, 03:22 PM
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Quote:
Keep in touch with our sponsors, attend extra meetings, and take it ten minutes at at time if necessary... Jme, but holidays can challenge us because we let it. Our focus on staying clean and sober shouldn't change because there is Holi in front of day instead of Mon... After I got clean and sober, I understood how important it was for me to be around other sober people. Family visits were short and without guilt. Sincere good wishes for all of us to enjoy celebrating the holidays--sober and grateful Cap
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The most dangerous enemy is the one in your head telling you what you do and don't deserve. ~~unknown~~ http://capp.psychcentral.net |
| Lenny
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#3
Dec 24, 2008, 05:21 PM
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#4
Dec 24, 2008, 05:31 PM
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This Christmas is special to me.
Christmas Day 06 I spent in the ER going through extreme withdrawls - almost died. Christmas 07 was better, but I was just coming out of a relapse so I was feeling **** about myself, and I was stressed about being unemployed. This year I'm sober. I have a job. I'm spending Christmas day with really good friends who are also sober. I've bought the sparkly grape juice. And best of all I had 3 different invites to do stuff on Christmas day with buddies from AA. A far cry from when I was alone drinking myself into oblivion. I went to a great Christmas concert Mon. night put on by a harpist friend of mine with a friend from AA. I've set a goal for myself. And that's to learn enough harp music to play for an hour from memory, so that I can volunteer to provide live music at next year's AA intergroup Christmas day event. --splitimage
__________________
"I danced in the morning when the world was begun. I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun". From my favourite hymn. "If you see the wonder in a fairy tale, you can take the future even if you fail." Abba
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#5
Dec 25, 2008, 10:46 PM
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((((((((((((((splitimage and everyone)))))))))))))))))
Thanks for this. Today was hard for me. My family kept asking me if I wanted to drink - when I told them I *quit* drinking (they don't know about AA). They wouldn't leave me alone, and then they made jokes. Oh, and my family all decided to get a little bit drunk. Not fun, but I survived it without drinking! WOOT!
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#6
Dec 26, 2008, 01:33 AM
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(((Christina86)))
Well done on not drinking and sorry your family kept bugging you about it. It's funny alcohol is one thing that some people simply don't get about others not drinking. I was lucky - I had a lovely day with my friends. One of them's been sober 10 years, and the other was never a heavy drinker but quit totally to support her partner. We had so many varieties of sparkling non-alcoholic juices that it was quite funny. We were joking that we could have the AA version of a wine tasting party. We had lots of lovely homemade munchies in front of a real wood burning fire, and I got given a couple of books on knitting and a box of peppermint sticks. The peppermint sticks are a bit of a joke among my friends. For about my first three or four months sober I was totally craving sugar and the only thing that satisfied the craving, plus kept me and my mouth occupied was candy canes, so I was always going around with a supply of peppermint candies. So now for my birthday and Christmas, I can always count on at least one of my friends giving me peppermint sticks.  --splitimage --
__________________
"I danced in the morning when the world was begun. I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun". From my favourite hymn. "If you see the wonder in a fairy tale, you can take the future even if you fail." Abba
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| Christina86
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#7
Dec 26, 2008, 10:32 AM
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Quote:
First, I am sorry it was hard for you... Way to Go on staying sober! I salute the courage you showed in protecting your sobriety. It must have been emotionally draining not to drink in response to the triggers of being around a drinking family. My interactions with my family when I was in early sobriety certainly were for me... In time, I understood my sobriety threatened their own drinking patterns. It made them uncomfortable so there was some anger behind their joking...they were not ready to accept the change in the status quo. If I had said I had a "medical condition" like diabetes then they would have more readily accepted my not drinking--somehow it made it all right for me to not drink. Honestly? I didn't share about AA for awhile. I did not believe it was any of their business, and it would have led them to try and convince me that I was not an alcoholic. Again, it would have threatened them...but I also did not want to start doubting myself about my addiction being real. I needed more time to feel secure enough to share that with them. Their reaction was exactly what I expected, However, I refused to respond to their protests. With respect, Cap
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The most dangerous enemy is the one in your head telling you what you do and don't deserve. ~~unknown~~ http://capp.psychcentral.net |
| Christina86
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#8
Dec 27, 2008, 12:19 AM
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Split Image (a.k.a. Peppermint Patty) thanks for wishing everyone a happy clean and sober Christmas. It helps me to remember the miserably dirty and drunk times of Christmas' past. Such memories go a long way keeping my gratitude up to date!
Christina, my hat is off to you for surviving this Christmas sober! Man, talk about trial by fire...it sounded as if your family took it as a challenge to get you to drink. I hate it when people don't "hear" my words like that. Have you thought about a Christmas cruise next year?!  notz |
| Christina86
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#9
Dec 27, 2008, 12:49 AM
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My family is annoying sometimes. Still love them though...
Christmas cruise would be great! I'm at a conference from the 28th until sometime late on January 1st, so I at least avoid most of the family togetherness time! And I avoid the other occasion my family might get drunk (since apparently New Years = DRINK FEST!) My parents really ought to be more understanding since they *KNOW* I'm on antidepressants. And as most people know, ADs + alcohol don't mix! But alas, they still think I should drink some. At least my mother gave me the option of water or Coke for Christmas supper.  Everyone else - including the 16 year old sister - had wine.Sigh. But I'm alive, I pulled through and all that!
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