Turning the negative into positive

[PnorkelPW]

I like this @Lhiver and great work @UltraViolet ……..I love that you were all managing to have a laugh whilst being without the power. I’ve been trying to remain positive through all this lockdown stuff and realised I have a lot to be grateful for in the process. I still get to go to work but must admit I feel a little trapped by not being able to go far on the weekends.

For me it’s become a time to simplify and remind myself that I can happily sit with myself these days. If this was back when I was stuck in addiction it would have been a disaster because I didn’t like myself and didn’t understand myself. These days I can happily sit alone and quieten my mind, find activities to occupy me, reach out to support networks and be grateful for what I can do instead of obsessing over what I can’t.

So yeah………I suppose that’s it………I’m grateful for the perspective that lockdown has given me on far far I’ve come in recovery

[ScorpionPW]

Thanks for the reminder @Lhiver and it was great to read your examples @UltraViolet.

- Being back in lockdown and working from home feels like a drag but it makes it easier to help my son integrate into the new school he is going to because he is starting with shorter days.

- I ended up in a painful situation over the weekend which left me feeling shocked but propelled me into working on some stuff that I've needed to address for quite some time. Pain is usually the greatest motivator for change, that's for sure!

[initae89]

I'm being overwhelmed by things on my task list.
It's better to be busy and working than being idle, bored and using.

[Lhiver]

How is everyone this week? This week has been a long one!

This week has been chaotic with my current housemate moving out after giving only a few weeks notice, but it means that one of my friends is moving in this week and I'm so excited for us to make a lovely welcoming space together!

How about everyone else?

@PnorkelPW @ScorpionPW @initae89 @BonsaiBeginner @WildeReformed @OceanSky @CatMumofone @Jessjess @daveybasil @JKGeorge @Clazmatazz @Amya @Kaitlynd1981

[BonsaiBeginner]

I made it through the week without a drink! It was hard some days but by Sunday I didn't feel the urge so much. I did indulge in another addiction though, I purchased an e-novel. I stayed up reading late on Saturday night and woke up with a headache! Not quite the usual hangover. Once I get into a good book I find it hard to do anything else but it is a distraction that is helping.
@Lhiver I hope your new house mate settles in well!

[PnorkelPW]

@Lhiver it's great that you've been able to replace your housemate with someone who sounds like a better fit so quickly

@BonsaiBeginner that's an amazing accomplishment!!!!...........and sounds like the sort of headache I'd prefer to wake up with

My week's been orright overall but today has been a tough one.............nothing is worth picking up a drink or drug though............I'll let you read my post in Monday Meetup for context

[ScorpionPW]

That sounds hectic @Lhiver, any kind of moving of house/change of living circumstances can be incredibly traumatic, especially when it's at the drop of a hat, and especially when we have to spend so much time at home at the moment...I bet you're glad that it's on the other side and that you've got a good friend moving in with you, that's great to hear!

That's fricken awesome @BonsaiBeginner! That's what it's all about, especially in the early days. Finding new things to keep our minds at bay and put our energy into. I'm genuinely so happy to hear that you're pulling through and finding new ways to cope!

I can relate in some ways @PnorkelPW, things are dragging on and as they do I'm definitely feeling less motivated and each week in lockdown feels a little harder. I'm still glad though that I can find things to feel grateful for each day and that I'm having the first week of the school holidays off work.

[Lhiver]

hi everyone! It's time for some reframing!

This week the weather isn't that great, but I get to spend time inside resting after finishing my trimester at uni and being very busy!

Reframing is such a useful way to fund those little silver linings. Not everything has a good side, but where we can, focusing on the little things really helps.


I'd love to hear from you all!

@Steps @RinKin @StevenTum @effycat @Anecdotal @Arteen @ATG @Enoughs enough @Spyral @Simply me

[Lhiver]

Hello everyone!

We can start off this weekend with some re-framing. It can be very useful to give yourself some time for reflection and try to find those small silver linings

I have had some difficult times in the past week, having lost an important relationship due to boarder restrictions. However, I have used the time to reflect on the good times we had and the good we bought out from each other. I've also been able to reflect on what elements of my happiness are within my own control, and how I can make my environment as supportive and kind as possible.

I'd love to hear from everyone else!

@initae89 @r_ogerthat @Ab1234 @paperplane @Lee.B @plusoutmatch @Wendyhammond1 @WildeReformed

[initae89]

I had moved to a new city to be with my partner, without any friends. Because of Covid19, I basically became "trapped" in one place, and it is a pretty isolating experience a lot of the time working from home.

But all of that extra time enabled us to build a home life for ourselves - something we could not even imagine 24 months ago. And we truly love our home life together.

The situation of new-found time and freedom also led to increased drug use. Which finally sobered me up to the reality that I have an addiction and dependency problem - which is how I found this forum. And through the resources and help, I can see a pathway out of this. I am so grateful for that.

[Xena9492]

That’s a really great way to reframe experiences.
For me this weekend I have to work long days , which is hard getting out of bed early in winter , and I’ve been having trouble sleeping. But it’s good because I’ll keep busy and not have time to dwell on things , and the extra income is good too

I hope everyone is going well this weekend.

[Lhiver]

I thought I'd just change this up a little and go back to an old classic! Turning negatives into positives!

I've just left isolation for covid and while having a week at home on my own being sick wasn't the most fun it did give me a chance to reflect on stuff that's been going on for me and allowed me time to properly address and process things! It can be daunting being on our own but at times it's really important. We need space and time for self-reflection, without it e can't grow. So being forced to do that this past week was really a blessing in disguise.

What about everyone else? What things have been going on for you that maybe need a bit of reframing?

@ScorpionPW @PnorkelPW @Dinesh @Purpledragonfly @purpleamethyst @Purse73 @Nevergoingback @ISN @Xena9492

[PnorkelPW]

Couldn't agree more @Lhiver ...............I've just had two weeks off with the second week being for me to reflect and assess. I made some changes so that I got 8 days to myself because I realised I needed it. I'd found that of late my thinking had become quite negative and I was focusing on problems rather than solutions. I hadn't wanted to admit it but my physical, mental, and emotional energies had become quite depleted too. It was only by taking the break that I was able to realise just how depleted they'd become though.

The break gave me the opportunity to realise where I need to focus my energies, where I need to adjust my attitude and how I can find solutions. I'd reverted back to the thinking that I need to do everything myself but it's by getting others to help that life becomes easier and I can't do everything on my own.

I hope the ol' "spicy flu" didn't knock you around too much and you're feeling back on top.

[ScorpionPW]

Thanks so much for the tag @Lhiver, I can really relate to that too, sometimes when we're forced to slow down it helps to see things we can't see when everything is moving so quickly through the day to day. I've had a bit of that this week actually with my son being sick, having to work from home and adjust to being back in an environment that I haven't been in since lockdowns.

At first I felt anxious about being at home all week with my son whilst working due to his school not opening until next week unexpectedly. After spending the day with him today, being able to care for him and seeing how much he appreciated how gentle, loving and caring I was able to be with him, I'm actually feeling grateful to have this time with him. All it takes is a simple shift in perspective to completely reframe how I view a situation and be reminded that most of the time the only place there is something wrong is in between my ears.

I hope you enjoyed your time off @PnorkelPW, I reached a similar point and had a week off the week before last. It's so good being able to read the signs and take some time off to restore before it gets too out of hand, burn out is never easy.

[Lhiver]

okay everyone it's time for us to check in with ourselves and do some reframing! Reframing is great because it can help us get perspective on certain events and situations in our lives and see the good things that may have come out of them!

This week I've been pretty tired and feeling a bit run down, but it has meant that I've been able to stop and actually recognise that I need to revaluate the pressure I put on myself and properly start engaging with self-care. It can be hard when we want to keep going at 100% but that isn't realistic all the time, so being forced to slow down a little can actually be a really useful thing! Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day

So how about everyone else?

@GretaGarbage99 @Bethred @Iwillbeok @Teena @Angela8381 @Blackdoggriffon1976 @IceOneBro @newstart2021 @PnorkelPW @ScorpionPW @SunflowerSeed