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My Search for Happiness in the First Year of Sobriety
DAY 1: HOUR BY HOUR Happiness in sobriety? Could this really be possible? Yes, I know I need to quit drinking if I want to continue to live. Survival during sobriety maybe, but happiness seems almost out of the question. I do feel a little glimmer of hope when I see other sober women who seem happy. Could I get there too? I won't think about that now. First I must somehow find a way to quit drinking. I will try to get through today without a drink. I will survive this day hour by hour. I know that I have to begin to really try. DAY 3: PROUD BUT SCARED It's been three days without a drink! I feel proud of myself but I'm also scared to death that I won't be able to maintain this. Maybe if I accept the fear but don't let it take over, I can continue. The women in my group have given me praise for what I have accomplished. That feels good. I don't want to let them and myself down. Just one more day, I can do it! I am feeling uneasy about myself. Thoughts have been coming to mind about what I don't like in my life, oh, what I wouldn't give to have a drink to numb my brain. How can I stay sober and deal with all these problems in my life too? I feel angry, it's not fair! I also feel angry at myself for letting my life get so out of control. Guilt will just get me drinking again so I can't go there. I need to try to think positive and just know that not drinking is enough for now. 3 WEEKS: MORE IN CONTROL It's been three weeks! I heard once that to establish a new pattern, it takes 21 days. It's true that I feel a little more in control now. My need to drink seems to occur more with mental triggers than with a physical need. When I feel sad or lonely or angry, it's the worst. Staying with my real feelings and honoring them is tough. My group keeps telling me that getting to know myself will help me stay sober. Then why do I feel all this guilt about what I seem to need or desire. Will I have to change all the relationships in my life? Will they stick with me when they get to know the real me? It's too scary to think about if they are unwilling to grow and change with me. 3 MONTHS: COULD THIS BE PEACE? It's been three months with no alcohol. When I was walking on the beach today, I felt a moment of peace and acceptance with myself. Could this be happiness? I noticed that as soon as I tried to soak it in, I felt a desire to drink again. Why do I want to sabotage myself? Is it because I don't think I deserve to be happy? 1 YEAR: ACCEPTANCE It's been over a year now. My life used to be filled with busy activities, always finding a way to distract from what I really felt. Drugs and alcohol also served this purpose. Now my work is to accept my feelings, sit with them daily during meditation, and try to live in the moment as much as possible. I used to think happiness was something big, like exhilaration or joy, when I felt ecstatic! Yes, that is happiness, but those moments come rarely. Jean Kirkpatrick, Ph.D., founder of the Women for Sobriety Program, was right when she said happiness is created, not waited for. It takes practice to feel happiness or at least peace. THE BIGGER PICTURE Someone once told me that if I had the key to happiness, I would be happy while doing the dishes. Yeah, right! The truth is that life is often filled with many small, repetitive tasks. Happiness comes during those moments when I know that I am doing the right task, and that only occurs when I know what my bigger picture is. My more difficult and long-term goals include keeping my Women for Sobriety group going, building my business, and learning art and dance. When I know that I am working steadily towards those goals, I can enjoy the beautiful view of nature I see outside my kitchen window and feel happiness while doing the dishes! APPRECIATION I need to work on developing awareness and appreciation of the small moments throughout the day that provide the opportunity for me to feel happy: a beautiful blue bird flying in front of my window while I type this, my daughter singing in the other room, me writing this on New Year's Day because I had a desire to. I wish for you the strength to look inward and find your own road to happiness. Jeannie Long About the Author Jeannie Long now enjoys 8 years of continuous sobriety. She leads a weekly support group for women using the Women for Sobriety Program. She helps women achieve better physical and mental health through her health related web sites and newsletters. To read about the subjects covered in Jeannie's Commit to Recovery newsletter, click on the following link: http://www.ajpip.com/addictions/anopi/dir/jncrb.htm
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Alternative Medicine Natural Poison Oak-Sumac-Ivy Remedy Have you ever casually strolled into a patch of poison oak or sumac? And then, of all times, you realize for the first time in your entire life, that you are extremely allergic to these wonderful, little plants? Have no fear, Holistic Junction has the perfect and most natural remedy for you. Iridology: A Natural Health 101 Article What It Is Herbal Products HERBAL PRODUCTS are comprised of herbal care remedies, such as ointments like Tea Tree ointment. Tea Tree ointment has the ability to help and cure dermatitis, excema and fungal infections. Health & Longevity With BelAir Aromatherapy 1. Clean and Fresh Air Treating West Nile Virus with High Quality St. Johns Wort West Nile Virus, although new to the U.S., is well-documented. The Centers for Disease Control identifies it as a flavivirus, a member of the Togavirus family. It is closely related to yellow fever and dengue fever. This is important because the Togavirus family are encapsulated viruses, i.e., they are covered with a lipid (fatty) coating. Why Use An Aromatherapy Diffuser? We breathe 22,000 times a day, inhaling 400 cubic feet of air. How To Rid Your Home Of The Nations #1 Health Menace With today's new building procedures, our homes are more dangerous than ever before! Dangers of Dehydration - And The Importance of Kidney Cleansing The human body is composed of 75 percent water and 25 percent solid matter. To provide nourishment, eliminate waste and regulate all the functions in the body, we need water. Most modern societies, however, no longer stress the importance of drinking water as the most important "nutrient" among all nutrients. Entire population groups are substituting water with tea, coffee, alcohol and other manufactured beverages. Many people don't realize that the natural thirst signal of the body is a sign that it requires pure, plain drinking water. Instead, they opt for other beverages in the belief that this would satisfy the body's water requirements. This is a false belief. Massage Magic - Music & Touch What Massage Therapists Do! You Don't Have to Live With Stiff Neck Pain Getting quality sleep has, for many, become an elusive goal in the modern day. We work longer hours, take less time off, and try to overcompensate by micromanaging what little free time is available to in order to enjoy all facets of our lives. More and more of us are becoming aware that we are fatigued, and this is further exaggerated by the countless advertisements and commercials that discuss the number of Americans who are not getting good sleep. Many of us wake up daily with sore muscles and stiff necks. Nothing is more tiresome than the combination of exhaustion and neck pain. Lead Poisoning in Environment and Our Children Pollution is generallyy defined as the release of harmful environmental contaminants. Pollution can take two major forms: local pollution and global pollution. In the past, only local pollution was thought to be a problem. For example, coal burning produces smoke and in sufficient concentrations can be a health hazard. One slogan, taught in schools was "The solution to pollution is dilution". In recent decades, awareness has been rising that some forms of pollution pose a global problem. Herbs For Protection If you have never used plant matter in magic before, I explain in detail in the column Plants, Herbs and Roots for Prosperity the different ways these substances can be practically used in rituals and everyday practice. In brief, the main methods of using plant material to summon protection are: carrying the substance on your person in a locket or a sachet, boiling the herb and sprinkling the residual water around your residence, putting a sprig of it under your bed or pillow, bathing in a distillation of it or burning it as incense. Also with love attracting, just keeping the living plant in your house can help increase your vibrations. Amazing Artemesias Artemis - Goddess of the herbalist - gives her name to a genus of marvelously aromatic, safely psychedelic, highly medicinal, dazzlingly decorative, and more-or-less edible plants in the Asteraceae family. I love Artemis, and I love her plants. Alzheimer's Home Testing Manual Now Available Online If you are concerned about the condition of an older family member or loved one, you are likely asking yourself: "I know there's something wrong. Could it be Alzheimer's?" Home Saunas and Kits: Benefits, Pre-Planning, and Purchasing Tips For quite some time now home saunas have gained massive popularity across the United States. A tradition first followed by the Finns about a thousand years back, the benefits of saunas have caught on in the United States with a lot of acclaim and acceptance. Hypnosis HYPNOSIS is a state of induced but conscious sleep through the process of suggestion. Hypnosis must be readily accepted by the subject in order for the hypnosis to be achieved. Usually, the process of hypnosis involves a hypnotist and a subject. Hypnosis is characterized by deep concentration and extreme relaxation. And of course, a high degree of suggestibility. Different social settings are utilized for hypnosis. From the showroom to the clinic, to the classroom and even police stations. Hypnosis may or may not work for individuals using this format for pain relief, addictions, fear and other problems such as weight control, quitting smoking, etc. The subject's degree of suggestibility is truly the core portal for hypnosis. This trance-like state is commonly viewed as an altered state of consiousness. Exploring the Mystery of Aromatherapy Through Biotechnology Aromatherapy originated in Ancient Egypt. About a hundred years ago, a pharmacist from France used an innovative method which led to a breakthrough in aromatherapy techniques. In recent years, under the strong promotion by Sathelyne Group, Bel'Air aromatherapy came into being to benefit many consumers. Aromatherapy at Home: Beating the Cold Bug It seems that nearly everyone I know has been either fighting or recovering from a cold or flu these last few weeks. And many of my clients have been asking how essential oils can help them prevent or heal their illnesses. There are a few things you can do to prevent yourself from catching a bad cold: Why DO the Japanese Have the Longest Lifespan? Part 2: Live the Lifestyle Why do the Japanese have the longest lifespan? Last month you learned to eat the things Japanese people eat, and now you will learn how to live like they live. Fast, long, and lively best describes a usual day in Japan. The country is geared towards an active lifestyle, as the 'couch potato' concept is completely foreign. This lively lifestyle centers around three key aspects: work, socializing and recreation. Reduce the Effects of Fears and Phobias with Hypnosis Hypnosis is very useful in the treatment of fears and phobias. Hypnosis is perfectly natural and allows you to experience deep physical and mental relaxation. Daydreaming is very similar to hypnosis in that it is a mild hypnotic state. With hypnosis you are always in control, you remember everything that happened and you can come out of a hypnotic state at any time.
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