Sober Meds - sharing and listening

What happens when I don't take my sobriety meds? Sobriety meds are my meetings, entries, and interactions with other alcoholics. The answer is that I lose touch with what my main objective; serenity within myself. I lose focus on what really matters. I progressively become hazed in the fogginess of anger, resentments, and self-pity. I am supposed to be progress to perfection, but never to attaining it. When I fall off of my structure of sobriety, I being reverting back to my old ways. Yesterday was the first one I attend since last Thursday. As of yesterday, before the meeting, I had allowing anger and a slight resentment edge closer to hatred. Hatred....EWWW! GROSS!!! There were moments in the past two days that I had urges to drink. Yep, it's true. I was thinking to myself that all this effort was seeming to be too difficult and a pain in the ass. They say the program to staying sober is simply, but it's sure as hell not easy. These negative thoughts were all before my meeting yesterday, I must include. I got some shit off of my chest. I listened to others' experiences. I continued my search within to finally find where I was at fault. I made a conscious decision to change MY attitude and way of thinking. What was the result? A much more serene day. That's what I look for; serenity. As much as I sometime don't feel like doing what I'm suppose, no have, to do, I have to really keep in mind where my mind goes without what's necessary. Doing what I'm supposed to be doing...ummm, sounds a little grown-up to me! Am I really getting there? I think so!

Letting Go

There was one non-family member that had the unfortunate challenge of knowing the using me that I treated beyond poorly. Up until entering the program I was in, I had really no remorse to the things that I did to this poor person. She hoped and hoped...one more, and hoped that I would change my ways and just treat her the way that she deserved. It wasn't happening on my watch. I was enjoying my sickness. At same time, I was hating it. Really though, I was not willing to see this sickness or accept defeat. At risk of being judged my some, I'm going to briefly go over the hells that I dragged this person through. I am not too concerned about being judged because I've figured out that this method of honesty really shows me who healthy for me and who is not.

Before getting into it, I'm going to tell you how my cousin asked me why I'm not afraid of sharing me with the world. My response was born from what I learned in Windsor. In Windsor, we were forced to share things with the other alcoholics. We found that by doing so and seeiing that we were not judged by others, because they were no different, we can see that what we are so shameful of has the right to be forgiven. More importantly, if anyone did judge or talked about it, that was their problem and they weren't "there" yet. The good people in life won't judge on differences, but accept and cherish what we have in common. I am trying sooo hard not to judge and to find common grounds with people. It's tough as shit. I do catch myself all day, every day judging and picking apart personalities. By catching myself, it gives me an opportunity to take another look at myself and further refine my personal defects. It also, gives me an opportunity to put a stop to my corrosive judging. People define themselves by things that we have in common with one another. That's how civilization works. Why is it that although this is a natural tendency, there's such a paradoxical tendency to find the difference, as well? That's my question. Whatever, it's a question that I can define the answer to myself with the internal changes that I make. Finally, what the sharing with the other alcoholic did was help me accept that people are going to think what they want. Some will love me, some will hate me. Their thoughts are their's, not mine. I can't change what's theirs. I can only change what's in here...pointing to my heart.

Alright, now that I procrastinated to expose the terrible things that I've done, we can get back to it. Really, I'm not going to get into too much detail, but I still can sum it up and get the appropriate effect. This person asked me one request...to be faithful. I looked her in the eyes and promised that. That promise was not a promise. It was more of a way of getting the answer out that was necessary to get off the topic. It was on more than one occasion that, as my Nanny would say, I was running around. With that, naturally came the dishonesty. I would lie about things that wouldn't even be necessary. I would disappear for a couple of days at a time. Whether I was cheating or not, she was assuming that because I provided her the reason to believe it. I tried to set double standards. I could go out and find nothing wrong with it. If she wanted, I didn't like that too much. Jealousy...hmmm, jealousy and no trust. Why cause I saw that dishonesty in myself and projected it on her. Drunken messages...oh, the drunken messages. There were times that things got the extremes whether they were physical or verbal...ALL IN ALL THE LEVEL OF DISRESPECT WAS BEYOND WHAT SHE WAS READY FOR. All of of this affected her in a truly deep manner...even long after her and I. I never realized what kind of damage that I have done, but it's over. This is just a sharing and a releasing of what was in me. This person has begun the healing process now. In knowing this, I can begin the self-forgiveness, as well. I mustn't dwell on what happened in the past...just has I made a point of in my last entry. Today, today, today. I, now, know who I was in the past. I'm beginning to know today's me. I'm going to end this with letting you know that RIGHT NOW, I am in a wonderfully peaceful place and I am very excited for this weekend...

Today - the one day that counts.

Let me tell you something about resentments. They are the one thing that prevents relationships from continuing and blossoming. For me, they caused continuous negative feelings. Negative feeling that included fears of relationships, anger, bottled up emotions that could only be expressed while drunk. I've noticed that resentments also prevent people from being responsible through responding and only allow them to react. Until my resentment were diluted, I wasn't able to accept responsibility for my past actions, enjoy the full relationships that were meant to be, or simply be happy. There is something going on my life right now that is difficult to deal with. The person involved is someone I care for in the pure meaning of caring. I feel powerless over the situation. I feel that there are too many unknowns. If there are unknowns and powerlessness, I mind become to be in shambles. I wanted to share this Thursday, but I couldn't. I needed to compose myself and reflect to really be able to share the positives that are arising from this situation. Without getting into detail, which is tough, I have to be able to, at least, lay the groundwork. Someone I know is in trouble. I don't know the consequences of this trouble. Me not knowing is opening the door to a great deal of fear. Me not knowing also makes me feel powerless. This feeling of powerlessness makes me also feel angry. I like to be in control of things, but I'm not God. There is a plan in the stars and I have to let go and allow whatever is to happen happen...this is very difficult. I don't like things that are difficult. I like the easier route. If I wasn't good at something, I would say that I didn't like it and quit. Anything that I was a natural at, I loved it and continued on until others became just as good as me. At which point, I would come up with an excuse and quit. Baseball, basketball, football...I quit them all because I wasn't at the top. Most importantly, I wasn't, or at least I thought I wasn't, good at being sober. I was great at consuming booze and drugs...so I continued. I stopped because I wasn't any good at it anymore. I mean, I was still great at the act of consuming, but the resulting actions of mine weren't so great. In fact, I became terrible with how I acted and dealt with me. My life was completely unmanageable. I'm very slowly getting good at being sober. It's the first time I'm actually taking steps to improve my feelings of me, my ability to be social, and my ability to think of others first. Most importantly, I getting good to releasing my resentments. So we're back to the resentments. I didn't get a little off track there. For reasons unnecessary to disclose, this person that's in trouble, was the main focus my resentments. Through, accepting my sick behaviours, understanding that I'm not perfect, and accepting that others aren't perfect, I have been able to wash myself to this garbage. In doing so, I've come to realize that yes, I do feel powerless and scared, but why? It's because I care for this person. Would I feel these intense emotions to this degree if I was still holding on to these resentments? N.O.! Sure they would be there, but not to the extend that would bring me to tears when talking about it. This is the positive that I need to realized before I could share anything. Mind you, this does not take away from the fact that stress it still there. I have to help myself relieve myself of the stress. I have to accept that this is what is going on. I have to accept that I am not in control. At the top of the list of HAVE TOs would be to just live for today, appreciate the love in my life today, and embrace that I care today rather than worrying about things that I cannot control tommorow, or stressing over things that I cannot possibly predict tomorrow. Today not Tomorrow. Today not Yesterday.

Spoiled vs. Struggling

I was talking to someone the other day regarding my recovery. I mentioned my struggles and he replied along the lines of being spoiled not struggling. I became defensive right away and tried to discount what he said. As he proceeded to speak, preventing me to say mine, I was becoming more and more agitated. I didn't want to hear what he had to say because I know this guy (me) has been spoiled from day 1. I've always had an out. I've always had someone to fall back on. I've never walked through life without a lifeline. This is exactly the point he was trying to get across. This messed me up so much that it took me away from what I really meant by "struggles." It took me until later that night while reviewing/reflecting on my day to really see what was really going. The fact that I wasn't ready, at that point, to see the truth made for my pride to be hurt. Stupid pride! Pride along with a laundry list of these character deficiencies that I have work on and mitigate. To say the least, it's taxing and frustrating. It's funny, this is exactly what I meant by struggles. It's these struggles to be aware of, catch, and stop these slips in character. Sure, I am progressing successfully, but I'm the type of person that expects me to be great at everything. When I'm not in comes the frustration and anger. Really, the only thing keeping me sane is the support of loved ones (you), meetings, and writing the inside garbage out with this outlet. You see, what I just said about expecting myself to great...deficiency. In my program, someone said that we walk in thinking we have one or two problems, drugs and/or alcohol, then we leave with a list of 62,000. I laughed...it's funny cuz it's true. Is it every true. For the gentleman that brought up the point of being spoiled and begun the ball rolling to the point that I had to look at myself even deeper, he deserves my thanks. For myself, I have to continue to grow-up, stand on my own. In addition, I have to accept me and my deficiencies, learn to be patient with my progression, and continuously persevere. There isn't a magic pill. This is a lifelong journey. I am going to fall and scrap my knee, but I am going to get back up, dust myself off, and continue.

Old, but New Writing...and some New New

Hey hey! I'm at home right now with an ill stomach. This means that I've missed my first meeting while I was in the area. BOOOOO!!!! I didn't feel like typing tonight, but I think it would be a suitable substitute for my meeting. I feel like poop, that's with a capital SHIT! I'm still going to work today. I've been pondering on the goal of making this a perfect season: no sick, missed, late, or vacation days. Pretty lofty, but I think I can do it.

My cousin, whom I never met, came over this weekend. I tell ya, today, I went into work feeling absolutely fantastic. This was a superb weekend filling with laughter, tears, and good quality family time. My Nanny slept over Friday and Saturday. As you know, it was her birthday Saturday. Her and my Step-mom's reactions to their card where priceless. It feels good to make others feel good. It's far better than feeling shame of forgetting or not having the money to buy even a card simply because I've spent it on me; feels damn good.

Back to my cousin, this man is the definition of persistent and never say die. He has faced adversity, the unknown, rejection, and near loss of hope. I said near loss of hope, though. After rejection, he got back up and strove to find out what he wanted, no needed, to find out. It has been a journey for him that I can't really understand. This is what I have learned from him: 1) Failure is only when I give up. 2) I took for granted having and knowing my family 3) If I want something enough, I will acheive it (a little like #1), family is number 1 (re-inforcement) God, this weekend was something else. It also makes me realize that there's been something that I have been procrastinating about because I'm afraid...this is something that I need to do, or I will never be complete. I don't know how others involved feel about me sharing this so this is as far as I'm going to go. Whomever is reading this, please ask me if I've done my "commitment" here. I'm going to do it by Friday.

I still feel pretty ill here, but I'm glad I could share the awesomeness of this weekend. I've been feeling pretty bottled up while not making these entries, so expect a few more this week. Not tomorrow though because I'm having a sleep-over at my Nanny's again. Oh ya! Here's something that I wrote while I was fresh out of Windsor. My dad sent me an email today recommending that I make that part of my daily reading being that I will remind me of "whence" I came. I'm going to take his advice.

I was doing my daily reading from my Twenty-Four Hour a Day book and something special in me occurred. While readying yesterday and today’s messages (Honesty Note: I missed my reading yesterday) I came across a message that I related to myself a couple weeks ago while on Program. The message was regarding the Prodigal Son, whom, “took his journey into a far county and wasted our substance with riotous living.” Something came over me to look it up while at my friend’s place and I was taken back by the similarities of myself and that story. Now keep in mind, that I’m not all too religious, but I am alcoholic. To me, this is powerful because I'm not too religious, but I can look past my resistances and accept the similarities and my spirituality. When I shared this with my group, I related this me having a job with my Dad, but wasting the opportunity through selfishness, irresponsibility, self-deservingness and overall lack of appreciation. My natural negative assumption was that the opportunity was wasted and a great deal of shame and guilty were attached to my riotous living. There is another part of the message the is read, “When he came to himself, he said: ‘I will arise and go to my father.‘” Through letting go of my need for self-medication of substances and relying again on other human beings, I’ve been able to come back to the new opportunity with my father’s open arms of forgiveness. We are able to the share the mutual opportunities together due to my new found willingness, my new found openness to those that love and care for me. The message today briefly tells the end of the story where the father of Prodigal Son says, “He was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found.” I inadvertently made that relation to myself in my graduation speech. What I was getting at was that I was lost to my family: my parents, my siblings, my grand mothers, aunts/uncles, cousins and friends. I was lost to myself. As the light slowly came upon me and the negativity was slowly released, I was able to begin finding myself. In doing so, I wasn’t lost anymore to those that tried and tried to love me, but I wouldn’t accept it. Upon being found, and my continuous search into myself, and my continuous acceptance of myself, I am able to be the loving son, brother, grand-son, nephew and friend, those whom needed and wanted to be special in my life. Everyone in my life is special and deserves me to love them. Everyone in my life is important and deserves to be allowed to love me. So, I’ve lived one life and I’m beginning a new one. I dragged others through my old one. Now, I’m welcoming others to join and team up with me and enjoy the new one.

Love,
Trevor

Non-using Relapse Mode

Wow, it's been awhile. The network producers cut the blog down from a daily sitcom to a weekly event. Trust me, I've been feeling like there's something missing in my life. I've been slacking in nearly all aspects of me staying sober. Until today, I hadn't read my daily reading since Monday. I haven't been doing simple chores that I should be doing. Clearly, I haven't been releasing what's inside on this blog. As a result, feelings of wanting to use have crept up, loneliness and the want of female companionship is at a highest, and I've be falling in my spirituality; judging, reacting, and not accepting. I feel that I have been on relapse mode without the using.

Last week, I failed to include some of the goings ons on Friday. I went bowling with my cousin and his lovely girlfriend...whom I'm very fond of. If there is any points for cousin acceptance, she gets them. After bowling, there was talk of going to a bar. I used to hit this bar up EVERY Wednesday for cheap drinks. 99% of the goings ons I cannot recall on account of being over-self-served and then over-served. When it was first mentioned, I said no. Then the song Tik Tok came on in the bowling alley and I got excited...shut up! i love the song...and decided to go. Entering into the bar, I immediately felt out of place and old as shit. I ordered an energy drink because I was tired...another reason I had no business in this place. I didn't see the bartender pour it and it looked like there was booze in it. I ask my friend to test it for me, which he did, and he asked the bartender if there was any booze in it. Nope. Let's see, sober 31 year old surrounded by drunken 19/20 year olds...TERRIBLE. Why did I go? At first, I thought it was because I got excited to dance, but I realized that I really didn't have any motivation to do such a thing. While reflecting and taking a deep honest look on the inside for my motivations I came to my real reasons...women and pats on the back. What a reason to place myself in a situation that would could very well unravel everything that I have worked so hard for. My cousin's girlfriend showed much concern and kept asking me how I was doing. That I found very caring and considerate. After 20 minutes, I decided to leave. I didn't know anyone, I didn't want to dance, and I was bored, and I was getting increasingly irritated with the whole scene. I came to the conclusion that that life was truly not for me. That conclusion came on the Friday and Saturday, but I look at it even more honestly at my meeting on the Monday. If I knew people and were getting the pats on the back, if I had some attention from the females would've I really have left after 20 minutes? These are the tough questions that need to be answered, or at least honestly considered. The truth is that I probably would've just basked in the attention and LOVED IT. My conclusion that that scene is not for me wouldn't exists. My intentions to continue to go to clubs/bars would be intact. My self-immersed temptations would be strong. And my inevitable fall would be present. There's an old saying: If you sit in a barber's chair long enough, you will eventually get a haircut. I have my head shaved so I don't need to go and waste my time, my money, and my self getting that "haircut".

As mentioned above, I've been slacking and I've been in relapse mode. I've been allowing my self-will take over. Monday, I felt great about being 5 months sober. This is what's getting to me, I thought things were supposed to get easier. Self-will has crept in and I've been under a constant urge for the past 2 weeks to smoke the weed. I feel that I never really had a problem with it so why not. I'll tell you why. I CAN'T. If I can't be content in a clear and sober mind, then I'm defeating the whole purpose of not needing booze and the others to feel complete and of value.

Speaking of feeling of value, I was also sharing that it was my lack of self-value that was a contributor of drinking. Everyone nows that I was a talker, a joker, a non-filtered and sometimes biligerent drunk. You catch me while sober, not so. While drunk, I was on the phone calling everyone; regular drunken-social-butterfly. While sober, my phone wasn't being answered and I was in hiding. I was talking to an old friend and I made a joke about where he's been. He replied what are you talking about? You're the one that has been in hiding. So very true. I was in hiding. I was hiding myself. My aunt sent me a message that I was in hiding, I was sometime MIA, but that she's happy to have the old TJ back. That it's been years. You see, although I was out and about, talkative, and emotional while drunk that wasn't the real me. Sure the booze gave me the courage to cry or show how I was really feeling. Without the booze, I didn't feel that my feelings or thoughts were of value. I kept them in. I hid myself. As I feel better about myself, as I feel of more value, I don't need to hide what's inside anymore. More and more, I am becoming more talkative while SOBER. I'm becoming a more geniune me. I'm becoming TJ again. My mom sent me a Christmas letter that said that "The old, young TJ, that everyone found irresistable, is waiting to come out and play again...just without the maturity." By far the most touching and inspiring words anyone could offer me in my time of necessary support. I smiled then immediately began to cry. The point is that I do feel of better value to people and I do want to come out and play again. Don't get it wrong here: I'm still pretty immature. You should see me in my hyper-activity mode...OH BOOOY!!! I'm not going to discount my progress though. I do feel that I have been growing up...FINALLY! The first 30 years of my childhood was a rough go. My focus is not on the next party or next whatever. It's on what the next right thing to do is. You know what, the next right thing to do is to remain focused on staying sober, do the responsible thing, and proceed with progress. At that, I'm going to end this and say Happy Mother's Day. Although she doesn't have a computer, I'd like to say, "Happy Birthday, Nanny. I love you!"

Powerful Happenings

Good morning. I've been slacking as of late. My excuses are that I've been quite tired after my daily physicalities with meetings on top of that. I realize that they are just excuses. I've returned to Sarnia for the weekend. This is where really it all began. I have hesitations when the thought of Sarnia come into play. There's a mixture of excitment and fear associated with my visits to Sarnhole. I've only been back 4 times since beginning my journey of sobriety. They were for Christmas, Easter, after Graduation, and now, for my Mommykins' visit from Alberta. Yep, I did write Mommykins'. Have I ever called her that? No, but it just came over me to give her that term of endearment. Since my last entry, a few great things have happened.

The first one occurred at my meeting on Thursday. One of the fellowship was expaining that she had a powerful Godly experience. It was quite moving. When it was my turn to share I was quite emotional and content. Sobriety is a strange and wonderful thing. I had a moment of realization that I have made progress on spiritual level that I never thought would be. You see, I've always been quite scientific and mathematical. I've always been very anti-religious. My Mom would always try and make me read the Bible, talk to me about praying. I would become angry and irritated. The more I heard about it there more I would put up a barrier. A few months ago, if I would've heard someone talking about hearing God, I would've rolled my eyes, sighed heavily, and walked away resentful and angry. Now, I hear this sharing and I am listening, getting teary eyed, and am being open to this possibility. I have an open-mind to a Higher Power and now believe that anything is possible. Perhaps, what I've so strongly held on to for 30 plus year could be wrong. This is what I shared about in Windsor that if I were to accept that there could be a God or a Higher Power would mean that I would have to let go of something that I believed so strongly in my whole life. If you know me from before, then you know that I like to be right ALL OF THE TIME. It's a matter of pride and ego. To admit or accept that I could be wrong is an incredible stepping stone for my sobriety and spiritual growth. I'm not there, not in the least bit, but I am open to the possibilities. I am accepting of others' view, experiences, and beliefs. With this bring a great deal of peace, calmness, and tranquility.

The second came yesterday when I got into Sarnia. I have TERRIBLE credit. Right from when I was 19 when I got that student credit card at Seneca and maxed it out in Sarnia in 10 days and never paid it back my credits been poop. I had no sense of obligations went it came to credit and no sense of consequence. Unfortunate mindset, but a reality. Over the past few years, many opportunities were missed because of my financial immaturity. It has been a boiling point for self-pity as well. I'm not going to get into everything that has been missed, but I will tell you that I am on my way to normalcy. I know that I am unable to get a unsecured credit card, but there's is the option to go the secured route. Somewhat of topic, I've made a list of personal actions that I must take to achieve certain things in my life. I guess we'll call them goals. This isn't the first time I've written out goals, or other ideas for that matter. There has never been an excution though. I guess it a good thing that I bought that Making Ideas Happen book rather than the book for picking up women. One of things on my list was to get a secured credit card. I've went through the process of applying, but when it was time to pay my money was appropriated to other "more important things" such as the drinks or the drugs. I went to the bank yesterday right before it closed and got a money order for the security fund for the card signed to the "lending" bank. I never got over that hump. I've made that past elusive step. I'm sorry I had to bow my head there in thanks and just give myself an internal, "right on"

The last thing that made me feel great about myself is that I owed somebody very close to me some money for well over a year. I was in Sarnia in November of 2008. It was the last time I saw that close person until I entered the recovery program. I missed my ride home to Brampton because I was continuing my bender and because I was being inconsiderate. I missed work on the Monday without calling. In order to get home, he had to lend me the money for the train and cab. This was on top of money that he'd given me for booze and food. This was money for his trip to Jamaica in which I promised to pay back the next week. This was money that he was relying on for his trip, money that he diligently saved. I never did pay him back. I left him high and dry. He went, but with less than he wanted go with. The guilt and shame attached to the inconsiderations to someone that I apparently loved was more than too much. It wasn't too much though. I should've felt that shit because what I did was disgusting. I'm actually feeling kind of ill about it now. The thought sickens me. Let's refocus on the present now though. He's forgiven me, but I haven't fully myself. During Christmas, he said not to worry about it. He that we're are straight. I offered him some money yesterday. It was about half of what I owe. He refused it until I'm more sturdy on my feet. That old saying...it's the thought that counts...rings very true here. He appreciates the offer and the willingness. I appreciate his patience and support. We are back to our old tight ways and although the thoughts of the past things I did make my stomach turn, I do .have a sense of comfort that self-forgiveness is an eventual given. In doing the right thing comes a right feeling.