Introduce yourself here - lived experience

[PnorkelPW]

Welcome to the forums @Lost.Soul...............it's great to have you join us.

I remember feeling lost for many years and sometimes I can still feel a bit lost but not like I used to.

What brings you to the forums?

Is there anything in particular you're looking for?

Have you found anything helpful so far?

[gorden]

Hi my name is Gorden and i have set some goals to deduce the amount of alochol i drink.
My first week was a success and i am looking forward to this new life style

[Sunflowerseed]

Good afternoon everyone,
Big welcome to @initiis novis, @marlapow110, @liltee83, @Kenneth C, @Joseph00000987, @Country Boy, @Best me, @Axess, @Magic1 for joining this community. This is a safe and non-judgemental space. Feel free to look around for others' journey. Jump in and join the Monday Meetup to have a chat with our peer workers (@PnorkelPW & @ScorpionPW). Let me know if you have any questions by using the @ symbol.

[ScorpionPW]

Hi @gorden,

Thanks so much for sharing with us about how you're working towards a healthier relationship with drinking.

It would be great to hear what occured for you to decide to begin this journey, and what's worked well for you so far?

I can remember whenever I tried to change my habit with substance use having someone/something to be accountable to always helped.

Are you attending any support groups or getting help from anywhere else?

[PnorkelPW]

Hi @gorden and welcome to the forums. Thanks for sharing with us.

It's great to hear that you've put in some strategies that are working for you. Do you feel comfortable sharing those strategies with us? I'm sure there are plenty of people who'll find it helpful when they jump online and look around. What does success mean in relation to the goals you set for the week?

I'm also curious as to what your plans are for your new life style but please only share if you feel comfortable.

[PnorkelPW]

Welcome to the forums @initiis novis @marlapow110 @liltee83 @Kenneth C @Joseph00000987 @Country Boy @Best me @Axess @Magic1

It's great to have you join us. I wonder if you'd feel comfortable sharing what's brought you here or what you're hoping to find?

Have you found anything helpful so far?

As one of the Peer Workers on here I share a lot but I really love reading what other people share because it gives me fresh perspective and I'm always learning.

[Sunflowerseed]

Good morning all~ Are you enjoying your weekend?

Warm welcome to @tayb, @MCP2107, @courtzzz, @minion1, @brisgirl27. There forums are a space for you all to share your story and connect with each other who are or were in recovery journey themselves. If you don't know where to start, feel free to look around the forum for others' stories. We have two peer workers here to provide some extra support for you all. If you have any questions, feel free to ask myself or the peer workers, @PnorkelPW & @ScorpionPW.

[PnorkelPW]

Welcome to the forums @tayb , @MCP2107 , @courtzzz , @minion1 , @brisgirl27................it's great that you've taken the step to join up.

Are you looking for any specific information or help?

Have you found anything helpful so far?

I've had my own history with drugs, alcohol, and other addictions and know how hard it can be to change the amount you're using and then maintain that change. Some people want to stop altogether, some just want to cut down a bit. What are you hoping to be able to do? I made countless attempts before being able to maintain my change and it took a long time to figure out what worked best for me.

If I can answer any questions please feel free to ask. I'm here to share my experience and am happy to answer anything.

I hope you find some helpful information..........it'd be great to hear how you're going.

[Sunflowerseed]

Good morning~ Are you finding it hard to wake up in the morning these days like I do?
@LifeWarrior, @Josho Welcome for joining us here in the forums. When you feel ready, we are here to listening to your story and give you the support you might be looking for. Our peer workers are in their unique journeys as well, @PnorkelPW & @ScorpionPW, so you can ask them any questions you might have. You can use the @ symbol to tag them or myself in your post~

[gorden]

Hi All

Thanks for making contact, im not the best on the replies but i give it ago when time allows

I've had another good week with hitting my goal, however i did drink a couple more drinks than the week before.

im still happy with the amount i have consumed as it is extremely less than my usual amount.

sometimes i do feel the want to consume more, but i find that if i stop and think to myself, and tell myself that i don't need to consume anymore i find that im not having a heavy night as in the past.

gaining the ability to stop and think is working for me so far.

Thanks to all.

[gorden]

something i have found to help reduce the amount of alcohol i was drinking in the past, is now i like to go for a drive like a adventure. i like to go exploring towns and beaches.

i find it very interesting and it helps me to forget about wanting a drinking session.

thanks

[PnorkelPW]

Welcome @LifeWarrior and @Josho...............it's great to have you on the forums.

It'd be great to hear what you're hoping to find here and if you've found anything helpful so far.............if you feel comfortable sharing that it.

[PnorkelPW]

That's great to hear @gorden..............hitting your goals is motivation to keep going. I like that you're being realistic too and even though you may have had a couple of more drinks this week than last, you've still reduced your intake.

It's amazing what an impact stopping to take a breath can have, and not just hen it comes to not drinking. Being able to stop and assess whether what you're doing is the best possible decision is something that takes time but makes a massive difference. I did a mindfulness course a few years ago. It was one night per week for 6 weeks and was one of the best things I've done for my own self development. By putting what I learned into practice I was able to get an understanding of my body. I learned to be able to listen to my body and understand when it was sending me signals. If I don't stop and take a breath it's easy to ignore those signals or even just not to miss them all together.

I also learned how important breath is, and just breathing. Being able to stop and take a few deep breaths when I can feel myself getting wound up or emotional allows me to reset. I never knew breath could be so powerful.

I hope you continue to stop and take a breath and I hope you can continue to maintain your goals. I look forward to hearing your next update. Keep up the great work!

[Sunflowerseed]

Good afternoon everyone~ How has your day been so far?

@Chrispy101, @Nevergiveup welcome to the community. You are safe to share your story in this space. Everyone in here is in their unique journey towards recovery including out two peer workers, @ScorpionPW &@PnorkelPW. You can tag the peer workers and ask them questions. Hope you can find the support and connection here. Let me know if you have any questions, we are here to support you through this. ;

[Judas]

Hi @gorden,

Well done on cutting back, it can be a difficult thing to do.
Have you heard of the 3 D's? Commonly known as Delay, Distract and Decide- however there are some variations to this which some people prefer. Personally I like Delay, Distract and De-Stress as sometimes I get to the end of the 3 D's and then decide that I still want to use. By de-stressing I can do something practical to alleviate some of the negative feelings that I'm having and avoid using.

It sounds like you are already trying this technique in some form by stopping and thinking before you drink. But I thought it might be useful to tell you about this particular technique as it's similar to what you already do. It's something that I've had moderate success with in the past and others have found useful as well. I will link a sheet for you that explains the technique so you can have a look if you like.

Best wishes on your journey and I hope that you can continue to meet your goals.

https://www.psychologyresource.ca/wp-co ... 10/3Ds.pdf