1. < Addiction & Recovery

Recovering from alcoholism

Posted by Gray @Gray, Apr 24, 2017

Hi @brit I see that you define yourself as an alcoholic. I also am a recovering alcoholic with 30 years sobriety. I do work a 12 step program and attend weekly meetings. I have to stay close to my home group and recovering friends or I know I will drink again. I think we have much in common as I also live in a cabin in the woods which I love. Being in nature helps to relieve my anxiety and depression. Like you, I have suffered from major depression and anxiety for all of my life. Everyone in my family has also suffered from this so I think it is chemical and in my genes, too. Also, like you, I have a wonderful, supportive and helpful husband who also works a 12 step program although he is not an alcoholic. As for your tongue problem, I have a tendency toward yeast overgrowth especially if I am taking an antibiotic. For this reason, I also drink Kefir daily and take a prebiotic and a probiotic. Before bed, I rinse my mouth with a mild peroxide solution. This keeps it at bay. Glad to hear you are doing better. Stay in touch and stay strong.

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Gray | @Gray | Apr 24, 2017

Hi @melsy I am a 30 year recovering alcoholic and I do work a 12 step program. In fact, I was at a meeting last night where the topic was being "thirsty." I am not "thirsty" right now but I must confess I do love alcohol. I love the way it tastes, the way it smells and the way it makes me feel. For these reasons, I have to stay close to my home group and my recovering friends. I don't want to drink more than I do want to drink because I love being sober more. Like they say, "cunning, baffling and powerful." I will be glad to share my experience, strength and hope with you and invite you to do the same for me. I need all of the help I can get. Stay strong.

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brit | @brit | Apr 24, 2017

It's not easy as you know. I have anxiety freaquently but like you its in my genes and I try to deal with it on a daily basis. My husband is my person to go to when I am really feeling down and even last night I had been going through a hard time he was there. I share my thoughts and feelings with him and he is always ready to help.
Hope I hear from you again as you sound like I person I could communicate with. I have a therapist that is trying to find the medication I need to get this
depression and anxiety calmed.
Thanks for responding really do appreciate it. Stay strong sweetheart
Patti-Brit

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Gray | @Gray | Apr 24, 2017

I not only have depression and anxiety but I am also ADHD and Dyslexic. The main contributors to all of this are negative thoughts. When I was growing up my father was an alcoholic and then committed suicide when I was 10 years old. My mother was sickly and on opioids for migraines. The entire family was depressed and later both of my brothers became alcoholics along with myself. My older brother died of alcohol related cancer but my younger brother was in recovery when he died 20 years sober. My psychiatrist is trying to get my medication adjusted and it is beginning to help. I see a psychologist for cognitive behavior therapy and my thoughts are becoming less negative. I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Mayo clinic has also been a big help in clearing up diagnoses and ruling out other problems. This has given me great peace of mind. It is really scary when you don't know what is wrong with you. Take care and stay strong.

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Gary, Alumni Mentor | @gman007 | Apr 24, 2017

It sounds to me like you are both very brave and fighting the good fight! As a sober for 11 years recovering alcoholic, I think I understand much of what you are both up against. It is great that you have supportive spouses and I am not sure where I would turn to with my depression if not for my amazing wife. I am disabled that may or may not have been caused by my alcohol use (chronic pancreatitis with part of it being removed because of a benign tumor). The resulting diabetes and extreme pain from the pancreas problem, I have to use opioids for pain relief and they are not very good for anyone's mental health and mine was not great before; severe anxiety disorder and clinical depression. I wish you both success in your battles and that they become less onerous as time goes by.

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1 reply
Gray | @Gray | Apr 24, 2017
In reply to @gman007 "It sounds to me like you are both very brave and fighting the good fight! As..." + (show)
@gman007

It sounds to me like you are both very brave and fighting the good fight! As a sober for 11 years recovering alcoholic, I think I understand much of what you are both up against. It is great that you have supportive spouses and I am not sure where I would turn to with my depression if not for my amazing wife. I am disabled that may or may not have been caused by my alcohol use (chronic pancreatitis with part of it being removed because of a benign tumor). The resulting diabetes and extreme pain from the pancreas problem, I have to use opioids for pain relief and they are not very good for anyone's mental health and mine was not great before; severe anxiety disorder and clinical depression. I wish you both success in your battles and that they become less onerous as time goes by.

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@gman007 Thank you for your encouraging words. Congratulations on your 11 years sobriety. Your milestones are a message of hope for us and for all alcoholics. It can be done one day at a time. So sorry to hear of your pancreatitis. There are several members of my home group who have had this so I know it is something no one wants to have. I do have a fatty liver and high liver enzymes but my gastro stays on top of this and it mostly is under control. It is not painful, thank goodness, but always hangs over my head. Some groups don't like to hear members speak of taking medications but I believe we should trust our doctors to know what is best for us. If I was not on medication, I would be very suicidal. That would certainly not be beneficial for my sobriety. There are two things in particular I lean on for strength. One is acceptance and the other is gratitude. It is not easy but I know it is the right thing for me. Please stay in touch and stay strong.

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Gary, Alumni Mentor | @gman007 | Apr 25, 2017

Thank you Gray. I lean on my faith and I am not embarrassed by that fact, but don't try to force my belief's on others. Some people of faith have been on the wrong side of the anxiety/depression and probably a # of other circumstances. I also believe in science and unless or until I am healed (yes, I believe miracles still happen) I will also believe in science and know that I have a chemical imbalance that requires medicinal treatment just the same as my pancreatitis pain requires pain medicine. I have heard that my faith is not strong enough, I don't pray enough, etc., etc., etc...I know better and those close to me know what my reality is. I will tell you something my brother told me in my darkest days about 7 years ago when I realized I could not work any longer, and yes, depression runs in my family. He said " you did not wake up every other day of your life and you will not wake up every day the rest of your life feeling this way. No one can tell you the end date, but there will be one" and he was right." You take care and stay strong also.

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Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Apr 25, 2017
In reply to @gman007 "Thank you Gray. I lean on my faith and I am not embarrassed by that fact,..." + (show)
@gman007

Thank you Gray. I lean on my faith and I am not embarrassed by that fact, but don't try to force my belief's on others. Some people of faith have been on the wrong side of the anxiety/depression and probably a # of other circumstances. I also believe in science and unless or until I am healed (yes, I believe miracles still happen) I will also believe in science and know that I have a chemical imbalance that requires medicinal treatment just the same as my pancreatitis pain requires pain medicine. I have heard that my faith is not strong enough, I don't pray enough, etc., etc., etc...I know better and those close to me know what my reality is. I will tell you something my brother told me in my darkest days about 7 years ago when I realized I could not work any longer, and yes, depression runs in my family. He said " you did not wake up every other day of your life and you will not wake up every day the rest of your life feeling this way. No one can tell you the end date, but there will be one" and he was right." You take care and stay strong also.

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@gman007 It sounds like your brother's words planted an important idea in your mind. Thanks for sharing that! Teresa

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brit | @brit | Apr 25, 2017
In reply to @gman007 "Thank you Gray. I lean on my faith and I am not embarrassed by that fact,..." + (show)
@gman007

Thank you Gray. I lean on my faith and I am not embarrassed by that fact, but don't try to force my belief's on others. Some people of faith have been on the wrong side of the anxiety/depression and probably a # of other circumstances. I also believe in science and unless or until I am healed (yes, I believe miracles still happen) I will also believe in science and know that I have a chemical imbalance that requires medicinal treatment just the same as my pancreatitis pain requires pain medicine. I have heard that my faith is not strong enough, I don't pray enough, etc., etc., etc...I know better and those close to me know what my reality is. I will tell you something my brother told me in my darkest days about 7 years ago when I realized I could not work any longer, and yes, depression runs in my family. He said " you did not wake up every other day of your life and you will not wake up every day the rest of your life feeling this way. No one can tell you the end date, but there will be one" and he was right." You take care and stay strong also.

Jump to this post

Hi Gray so good to hear from you. Having a rough day today staying anxious and depressed. Hope you are doing better I have you in my prayers. Tell me something, what are probiotics and prebiotics? I would like to try them on myself. but would like to know a little more about them. Hope to hear from you soon
Patti

REPLY
Gray | @Gray | Apr 26, 2017
In reply to @gman007 "Thank you Gray. I lean on my faith and I am not embarrassed by that fact,..." + (show)
@gman007

Thank you Gray. I lean on my faith and I am not embarrassed by that fact, but don't try to force my belief's on others. Some people of faith have been on the wrong side of the anxiety/depression and probably a # of other circumstances. I also believe in science and unless or until I am healed (yes, I believe miracles still happen) I will also believe in science and know that I have a chemical imbalance that requires medicinal treatment just the same as my pancreatitis pain requires pain medicine. I have heard that my faith is not strong enough, I don't pray enough, etc., etc., etc...I know better and those close to me know what my reality is. I will tell you something my brother told me in my darkest days about 7 years ago when I realized I could not work any longer, and yes, depression runs in my family. He said " you did not wake up every other day of your life and you will not wake up every day the rest of your life feeling this way. No one can tell you the end date, but there will be one" and he was right." You take care and stay strong also.

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@brit Hope today finds you less anxious and depressed. I have seasonal allergies (and year long allergies, too) and the oaks and pecan trees are blooming now. These are my two worst irritants. For this reason I am very short of breath which makes me even more anxious. Thank goodness this will pass as soon as the blooming season is over. Regarding probiotics and prebiotics, these are harmless food sources taken to prevent yeast overgrowth. I have colitis and Interstitial Cystitis which requires a ph balance in your digestive system. (Google yeast overgrowth) This can get out of balance particularly when you take antibiotics and other medications such as hormones. The probiotics keep the ph balanced in your system and the prebiotics feed the good bacteria required for this balance. Speaking of your tongue problems, I have this when my ph balance is off. Take care and stay strong.

REPLY
brit | @brit | Apr 26, 2017
In reply to @gman007 "Thank you Gray. I lean on my faith and I am not embarrassed by that fact,..." + (show)
@gman007

Thank you Gray. I lean on my faith and I am not embarrassed by that fact, but don't try to force my belief's on others. Some people of faith have been on the wrong side of the anxiety/depression and probably a # of other circumstances. I also believe in science and unless or until I am healed (yes, I believe miracles still happen) I will also believe in science and know that I have a chemical imbalance that requires medicinal treatment just the same as my pancreatitis pain requires pain medicine. I have heard that my faith is not strong enough, I don't pray enough, etc., etc., etc...I know better and those close to me know what my reality is. I will tell you something my brother told me in my darkest days about 7 years ago when I realized I could not work any longer, and yes, depression runs in my family. He said " you did not wake up every other day of your life and you will not wake up every day the rest of your life feeling this way. No one can tell you the end date, but there will be one" and he was right." You take care and stay strong also.

Jump to this post

Thank you so much for getting back to me. I will google yeast overgrowth and see what I can find. Like what kind of foods etc should I eat and avoid. I know dairy but am completley clueless on what foods I should be eating yes my tongue problem is back again! Its really become a problem and I don't know why. My ENT did all kinds of testing and didn't come up with anything so I am hoping you can help me.
Hope to hear from you soon. Stay strong and my our LORD bless and keep you.
Patti

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