Member: Obi Wan 69
Location: Bethlehem, PA
Remote Name: 216.193.144.114
Date: March 14, 2004
Time: 01:54 PM -0500
It feels good getting a real nights sleep, instead of passing out. Sometimes, I have trouble sleeping. I take Tylenol pm's to fall asleep. I guess that is considered a relapse, but I don't care. Without them I would be self-medicating to fall asleep. Obi Wan 69
Member: Carrie S.
Location: Los Angeles
Remote Name: 67.124.69.248
Date: March 14, 2004
Time: 02:10 PM -0500
My name is Carrie and I am an alcoholic. I took sleeping pills in the begining of my recovery and relapsed three times. I had to finally admit that alcohol comes in many forms. If am taking something to change the way I feel and it is not prescribed by a doctor who know's I am an alcoholic, I am self medicating and that's a relapse. I fall asleep on my own now, seems weird that I used to be afraid to sleep. I have found that chamomile tea and reading the Big Book are the best non-drug sleeping aids out there.
Member: jimr
Location: chicago
Remote Name: 69.3.218.203
Date: March 14, 2004
Time: 03:08 PM -0500
If your serious about not drinking and drugging, the best sleep aid is a good days of work. If you're not working, do projects you've been putting off, walk and or exercise, do what's in front of you. If that doesn't work, read. If that doesn't work, a good non-narcotic sleeping aid, a natural product (produced in the body) is called melotonin. At your local walgreens or drug stor in the herbal supplements dept. If you are serious about sobriety, do the work, go to any length to get the solution. The solution is simply in working the 12 steps of AA. Other things that help... good inspirational books, movies, music, concerts... anything that points to heling others, thinking of others... we've spent WAY too much time thinking of our selfish, self-centered selves... Time to grow up and accept life.Humilty is the key for growth... Mental, Physical and Spiritual Growth. GROWTH.... GROWTH.....! I just bought the new John Mayer cd... one of my favorites is "Bigger than my Body" I liken it to the "promises" of the AA 12 step recovery program, only if you work it... BIGGER THAN MY BODY This is a call to the color blind This is an IOU Stranded behind a horizon line Try to be something true Yes, I'm grounded Got my wings clipped I'm surrounded by All this pavement Guess I'll circle While I'm waiting For my fuse to dry Chorus: Someday I'll fly Someday I'll soar Someday I'll be Something much more Cause I'm bigger than my body Gives me credit for Why is it not the time? What is there more to learn? I've shed this skin I've been tripping in And I've never quite returned Yes, I'm grounded Got my wings clipped I'm surrounded by All this pavement Guess I'll circle While I'm waiting For my fuse to dry Chorus Cause I'm bigger than my body now Maybe I'll tangle in the power lines And it might be over in a second's time But I'll gladly go down in a flame If the flame's what it takes to remember my name To remember my name, oh Yes, I'm grounded Got my wings clipped I'm surrounded by All this pavement Guess I'll circle While I'm waiting For my fuse to dry Someday I'll fly Someday I'll soar Someday I'll be Something much more Cause I'm bigger than my body Gives me credit for Chorus Cause I'm bigger than my body Bigger than my body Bigger than my body now
Member: Miranda
Location: Vermont, USA
Remote Name: 198.115.160.131
Date: March 14, 2004
Time: 03:15 PM -0500
Insomnia was a big problem for me when I first got sober. I would wake up with night sweats and not be able to go back to sleep. I would either just go with the flow and get up and do something sort of mindless yet useful (match socks, clean out the silverware drawer) or I would read in bed. I like to read in bed anyway so that was kind of a natural for me. After a couple of months it was no longer a problem. I think a lot of people have trouble sleeping when they first quit drinking. It does pass.
Member: Gage
Location: swamp
Remote Name: 64.12.96.103
Date: March 14, 2004
Time: 03:25 PM -0500
I'm Gage, and I'm a sober alcoholic. I started sleeping better when I started taking the Steps. I stopped worrying so much when I started taking the Steps. My appetite started leveling out to normal when I started taking the Steps. My sense of humor started to come back when I started taking the Steps. Overall, my sense of well-being in general got better when I started taking the Steps. I have a friend who says that when he was first getting sober, he had an old beat up, half dead car that got stolen one night. It was the only thing he had in the world, and somebody stole it! At that time, he says, he was stalling on beginning his Step Four. He told his sponsor about the car: "The only thing I had in the world and somebody stole it!" "That's because you aren't taking the Fourth Step," the sponsor replied. I don't know if what his sponsor said is true or not, but I can tell you for sure, I started losing my obsession with alcohol when I started taking the Steps. I lost my compulsion to drink as I tool the Steps. And I started sleeping better as I took the Steps.
Member: Kerry B 3/21/80
Location: Idaho
Remote Name: 24.117.81.139
Date: March 14, 2004
Time: 05:18 PM -0500
I couldn't sleep very good when I first stopped drinking either. I'm not sure what the physical explanation for that is, but I know that I was definitely an emotional mess. I had to learn how to stay awake well during that short time. Glad I was living alone, because someone would have really gotten mad at me running the vacuum in the middle of the night while they were trying to sleep! My sponsor told me that no one ever died from lack of sleep! I held on to that when I got impatient with it. Better to lose sleep than keep drinking myself to death.
Member: DaveT
Location: Michigan
Remote Name: 68.85.141.33
Date: March 14, 2004
Time: 05:39 PM -0500
I'm Dave and I am an alcholic. I am 25 days now sober and have been working through step 3 on surrending my will to God my higher power. This morning I was reading in my living room and the dog barked to go out the patio door in the room where the TV is. I let her out and there was a preacher on TV talking about 7 steps and he discussed a navigation system in a vehicle. At that point, step 3 came very clear to me on what it means to be in line with God's will. The week before last, I was in Germany driving a Mercede's vehicle with one of these navigation systems. It was really neat, you dial in the address and a very nice woman's voice tells you how to get there. Before turning she said 'Prepare to turn right in 300 meters' At the turn she says "turn right now." When I missed the turn she would say "make a u-turn as soon as possible". One of my collegues was annoyed because it reminded him of his wife nagging and wanted to bitch slap her :). My other collegue liked her voice and wanted to have phone sex with her. Maybe marketing is working on that to sell a few more cars:). I think there are other 12 step programs my collegues might want to look into. For me I just followed the directions and every once in a while when I wasn't sure I was going the right way, I would push the button and she would just say "Follow the Road" because unless you need to turn, she doesn't say anything. She doesn't tell you watch out for that asshole driver on your right or adjust the heat or move your seat up. Those types of things are left up to physical or "common senses" and of course those decisions I can do on my own. I just used the navigation system to get me to where I wanted to go. Now my higher power is like the navigation system and he only speaks when there are major turns in my life that I need to make to get to where I need to go which is the Kingdom of Heaven. Before I had a navigation system I was off the road four wheeling, running over trees, gas to the floor and hands completely off the wheel. About 20 years ago God spoke to me to make a turn to accept Him, the second turn I made was getting married shortly after that and at some point between those two turns and 25 days ago. I muted the navigation system because I was tired of hearing "make a u-turn as soon as possible" in regards to Drinking. Of course with out the navigation system for my Spirit I was completely and hopelessly lost with no idea how to get back on the right road (not quite four wheeling again yet not far from it). Well I turned on my Navigation system, it said "turn to AA". It has put me clearly back on course to the original destination - the Kingdom of God. Now I must remember the navigation system doesn't speak if I don't need to turn and if I am not sure, and if I must push the botton it will say "Follow the AA road" and when something BIG comes up in my life my God will first say "prepare to Turn" and then "turn right NOW". He did it three times now because I felt it in my spirit. Also I must remember the navigation system does not care about the physical decisions, he lets me take care of those. Well, now that I have that said, I will begin my 4th step.
Member: Kathy B
Location: Ohio
Remote Name: 24.210.252.87
Date: March 14, 2004
Time: 07:22 PM -0500
Hi, My name is Kathy and I am a grateful alcoholic due to the 12 spiritual steps of this program. The suggestion that was given to me early on is move a muscle change a thought. This also is a favorite of mine as long as I am not the one hearing or reading this "This to shall Pass".
Member: Les
Location: San Diego
Remote Name: 198.81.26.74
Date: March 14, 2004
Time: 10:25 PM -0500
When I first quite drinking I just could not sleep well. I would fall asleep at 1:00 or 2:00 AM and wake at 5. One of the things I did was to lie in bed and read until I fell into sleep. I read some of the Ann Rice vampire books and decided that all the members of AA were vampires feeding on the new comers. Another thing that worried the hell out of me was how to make a living since I had not worked at much of anything in some time and had lost the use of my profession. The thing that helped there was to convince myself of a Higher Power that would help and that, because of this, I had nothing to fear. After taking the Steps of AA I no longer needed to convince myself of the existence of my Higher Power because I knew for a fact that my Higher Power was there and, consequently, there is nothing to fear.
Member: Kelly M
Location: NH
Remote Name: 205.188.209.42
Date: March 15, 2004
Time: 08:23 AM -0500
Hi Everyone, Kelly an alcoholic. I had a little trouble with insomnia in the beginning but It was mostly just adjusting to sleeping and not passing out. I also had a crazy schedule of drinking from 2pm to 2am. I went to a lot of night meetings in the beginning and made myself get up for the daily noon meeting. Over a few months I stopped being a (vampire)/ night owl. Today 17 and a half months sober I sleep like a baby. If I do have insomnia it us because I have something weighing heavily on my mind and need to make a decision. Ann, I have had you in my prayers all week. Please say hi when you get home. I bet it was a major learning experience and I would love to hear about it! Take Care All, Kelly :)
Member: Tihearah K.
Location: Charleston SC
Remote Name: 68.58.252.23
Date: March 15, 2004
Time: 08:34 AM -0500
im an alcoholic name tihearah, when i first got clean, my sponsor told me to get a phiscial,and tell the doctor im a alcoholic. did not take care of my health along with a whole lot of other thing because i drank and used drugs and had very little time to do anythig ealse. anyway i found out that i had an illness as a direct result of my using, i also found out that i suffer from depression.and had to take medicine at first a stuggled with that, one of the meds was to help me get a good night sleep. without a good night sleep i could not function. maybe you need to go see a doctor, tell him/her that you are an alcoholic. and your in recovory. it's working for me.
Member: Bob W
Location: Grimsby UK
Remote Name: 62.254.0.30
Date: March 15, 2004
Time: 03:16 PM -0500
When I admitted to myself that I am an alcoholic, the first thing I did was phone AA and the second was to see my Dr.. He arranged for liver function tests and gave me a prescription for a months supply of sleeping pills, "just to help get into a normal sleep pattern". When I saw him two weeks later he asked how I was sleeping. I told him that as I did not like the idea of taking a potentiallt habit forming drug, I had only taken them for a week then flushed the rest away (I have a habit of doing that with pills). I simply did what jimr suggested above and threw myself into my work.
Member: Barry M.
Location: Alamogordo, New Mexico
Remote Name: 67.27.39.226
Date: March 15, 2004
Time: 04:12 PM -0500
Hey All. Barry here, A not so long recovering alcoholic. I have 44 days today and it feels great!!! Getting a good nights sleep let alone being able to sleep through the night was a major problem for me for the first few weeks but it gets better with each day that I don't drink. Meditation helps along with working the steps and staying in constant contact with your higher power. Hang in there and God Bless!!
Member: Berr
Location: Alberta, Canada
Remote Name: 142.59.179.54
Date: March 15, 2004
Time: 06:18 PM -0500
Hi All! Welcome to the newly sober people! I never experienced the insomnia you are talking about when i first stopped drinking, but every now and then when I am working night shift, i have trouble sleeping...what works for me is doing some meditation, or trying to just focus on counting your breaths...trust me, before long, you will be asleep.
Member: Serenity
Location: Iowa
Remote Name: 207.177.76.253
Date: March 15, 2004
Time: 06:40 PM -0500
When I first sobered up sleep was hard. I had always used alcohol to drink myself into oblivion. I used those over the counter non-narcotic sleeping pills for awhile, but I felt horrible in the mornings after taking them. (headache, no energy) I learned that for me the best sleeping pill is prayer and a little soft music. When I pray at night I clear my mind of all the clutter, talk things over with my higher power, I thank Him for helping me stay sober and I review my day, ask forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken. (Page 86 in the Big Book really helped with this) I go to sleep quite easily now with God's Peace resting on my pillow. Occasionally I have a sleepless night and go to Him in prayer longer. Sometimes He guides me to read certain things in His word that helps. Thanks for the topic! God Bless! Serenity
Member: Ed
Location: VA
Remote Name: 68.100.37.88
Date: March 15, 2004
Time: 09:02 PM -0500
Hi all. Ed, an alcoholic. With regard to insomnia I concur with JimR. Work/workout and don't hesitate to take Melatonin. For me it works. On the broader topic of alcoholism, let me admit I'm starting over, now 2 days. With just at 8 weeks, I lost touch with God. That rolls off the tongue or keyboard easily, but it took me a couple days to figure out just why I blew it. And it wasn't easy to go to a meeting tonight (Step meeting on the 3rd step) and admit it. But I was afraid to stop going to meetings and worried that if I didn't tell them what happened it would just fester in my mind. Hope (and believe) that I learned something that will be helpful in the future. Fortunately, enough of what I'd learned from AA stuck so that after getting drunk on Saturday I pitched what was left on Sunday and started over. At the meeting, I got a few semi-tough words from one old timer (he was right) and a lot of love. I have resolved to make Step 3 a daily thing and have started on Step 4 -- "do the work" as JimR keeps telling us. DaveT - Loved your navigation analogy. You spent some time on that. Ed
Member: Tihearah K.
Location: Charleston SC
Remote Name: 68.58.252.23
Date: March 16, 2004
Time: 12:31 AM -0500
im an alcoholic name tihearah. i was going thew a lot of pain for about 2ys even taking my medicine i could not sleep. i went to my doctor i had a lot of tests done and they could not tell what was rong with me.afther seeing a specialist i found out that i have fibromyalgia it affect my joints, and cause me a lot of pain.nothing seem to work.it just got worst. no matter what i did or what i took it woud not stop i was getting no sleep i felt like dying i always pray that was the first thing my sponsor taught me to do no matter what. i got drunk i got high, that didn't work. it took me about 1 month to figure that out. today i have a little over 60 days i take some meds. i'm still in a lot of pain. i'm holding on for dear life. i get some sleep,and im so greatful. i have an apointment for a pain manigement, the 23 seems like it just won't come. please pray for me. after 2 and a half years of being in recovery starting over is not a problem. thanks for letting me share.
Member: Barry M.
Location: Alamogordo, New Mexico
Remote Name: 67.27.37.107
Date: March 16, 2004
Time: 01:37 PM -0500
Barry here, still a recovering alcoholic. I just wanted to let you know Tihearah what I recently learned in what I hope will be my last rehab. Be completely honest with yourself and never, ever forget where you came from, meaning don't dwell on the past but never forget the pain our alcohol and drug use has caused in our lives. A bad day sober in my life is always better than my best day using. Its my life and I need to take care of it. God Bless. Barry
Member: Melisse T
Location: North Carolina
Remote Name: 207.144.42.66
Date: March 16, 2004
Time: 02:09 PM -0500
Melisse, definately an alcoholic. I was seriously sleepless in early sobriety. I just could not sleep the first few months sober and I hated that part. I recall more than once when I would not sleep for several nights in a row. What I heard alot was NO ONE HAS DIED FROM LACK OF SLEEP and THIS TOO SHALL PASS. It did and just the memory of those times helps me to stay sober today. Nonetheless, in going to any lengths to remain sober during those times I found myself starting my day at 2:00 am and also getting some phone numbers for AA's that didn't mind being there for me in the middle of the night. Today it is much better but I still am a light sleeper. These days I find that some soft music at night helps as well as prayer/meditation. Much love and sleep to all.
Member: KellyM
Location: WA
Remote Name: 198.108.89.38
Date: March 16, 2004
Time: 03:56 PM -0500
i remember when i drank all the time part of it was to help me sleep. drink till you pass out seemed to make so much since when you were having trouble sleeping. now, being sober i realize how that made no sense at all.
Member: jimr
Location: chicago
Remote Name: 68.164.8.193
Date: March 17, 2004
Time: 12:32 AM -0500
Ed, If stumblebums like me can get sober and stay sober, there's hope for you or anybody for that matter. e-mail me when you get a chance. Tihearah, prayers to you that you get what you need with pain theorapy next week. Sweet dreams y'all.
Member: Heather D
Location: Mississippi
Remote Name: 12.215.184.216
Date: March 17, 2004
Time: 08:25 AM -0500
Hi everybody, I'm Heather and I am an alcoholic. I am very new to the program only being sober for 3 days. I have been diagnosed as bipolar and take medication for that some of which helps me sleep, is this a violation of the rules? Any other help would be greatly appreciated.
Member: KimM
Location: Pompano Beach, FL
Remote Name: 64.118.241.84
Date: March 17, 2004
Time: 08:52 AM -0500
Heather: There are no rules for AA. Only suggestions and steps that we follow. Some of us are on medicines for this and that. Some of us refuse to take medicines for this or that. We are not doctors and we do not perscribe. If someone tries to do this to you, check out their credentials first. INSOMNIA! When I first got sober I had my days and nights mixed up. I would sleep all day and be up all night. Night meetings were a habit for me and then out to the coffee shops and diners in the early morning. Until my sponsor mentioned something about change. This is what I use to do when I was drinking; that is sleep when I wanted to. So she made plans for me during the day, work was included, since I had a hard time doing a 24 hour schedule for myself. Before long I was sleeping eight to ten hours a night and on a good and healthy plan. Years later, I am a crab if I don't get enough sleep at night and sometimes I have to take a nap in the afternoons. But today there is a ritual I go through at night, I stand in front of my bed and raised my hands up and then to the left and up again and to the right. I ask my HP: "God please do not allow me to take anyone or anything to bed with me tonight". This helps me especially when I have frustrations laying on my platter.
Member: AZbill
Location: azbill1172@cox.net
Remote Name: 68.231.160.24
Date: March 18, 2004
Time: 02:37 AM -0500
Hi Bill here. Alcoholic from Arizona. I been sober all day. First to Heather D, I concur with Kim M's opening statement. She is right. Now a related amusing anecdote. A sponsee came up to me a while back and told me that someone in AA told his mom she could not be sober if she was taking drugs even under a doc's prescription. I told him to tell her that if anyone in AA tells her she had to get off medication, they may be practicing medicine without a license. That is against the law and they can be sued. Last I heard she is still attending the meeting and has not been bothered since. :) Now for the Insomnia. I experienced it early on. I still experience it some. Early on I took that opportunity to study the big book. Today I read spy novels and westerns. They both work pretty good. Take care. Love ya, Bill
Member: Dee M.
Location: San Diego
Remote Name: 198.81.26.74
Date: March 19, 2004
Time: 08:13 AM -0500
Dee here from San Diego. Another nite with little sleep. Lots to explore on the internet. Just found this site, and liked all your comments.It was a very good topic for me, as after 3 months, I still have sleepless nites. I know it will get better.
Member: Tihearah K.
Location: Charleston SC
Remote Name: 68.58.252.23
Date: March 19, 2004
Time: 03:30 PM -0500
im an alcoholic name tihearah.thank you and ed barry. i had a good night sleep.i took my 17 yr to school i went to a 12pm meeting, doable pain nice day oh i took my sister to wallmart,befor i went to the meeting. it's been so long ago that i was able to do haft that.i'm so grateful to my HP for life. i didn't take a drink today,i have to this one day at a time. peace love and happiness to all. it' a good day to be sober. thanks for letting me share.
Member: kelly h
Location: nj
Remote Name: 151.204.197.71
Date: March 19, 2004
Time: 08:49 PM -0500
hi im kelly an alcoholic i have 80 days today and i tell ya i didnt sleep for the first 60 only in the last 3 weeks did i sleep now i wake up 5 am every morning im like what are ya kiddin me??? a bad joke hmm my hp has got some humor i cant stand the morning ...guess what i love morning now that i dont wake up hungover with a blarin headache its my to read and pray for my day quiet time before the kids get up.. at night like right now its friday night and its 8:30 and im tired i try to stay awake now but i am exhausted!!!oh but i remeber those sleepless nights and when an occasional one slips in there i read my big book or write in my journal that i started about 20 days in.. i write in it every night well thats all i have kelly
Member: Elliott W.
Location: Kodiak, AK
Remote Name: 208.151.106.23
Date: March 20, 2004
Time: 05:01 AM -0500
My name is Elliott and I am an drug addict and an alcoholic. Let me first say that I love this program, but I'm not sure if I want it all the time. I am a relatively high-bottom A.A. and I have almost 10 months clean and sober. I try to eliminate chemicals from my life as much as possible. Like the Doctor Alcoholic Addict on page 449 I believe (3rd ed.), I have lost my right to a chemical piece of mind. I do smoke and drink coffee, but I find that at this point in my life, those are not much of a hinderance, although I realize they aren't good for me. I suffer from sleep disorders as well as bipolar disorder occasionally. I say occasionally because since I've been clean and sober this time, I find that when I start to notice symptoms of either, just as with my disease of alcoholism/addiction, I can choose to excercize other options and simply DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. It works. I can pray, read, do jumping jacks, play guitar, meditate, browse the internet, (I could increase the list ad infinitum...) just something else besides what I initially feel is my only option. Insomnia is still there all the time, but I don't have to SUFFER from it. Even if it means getting to sleep whenever I can and waking up anyway for the morning meeting. I find that staying in bed after I wake up and pray is the worst thing for my depression. God has been doing some wonderful things for me, and I am grateful, but sometimes I try to hold on to my old ideas. At the same time, I haven't seen one person who has let go of all of their old ideas. I like loud, obnoxious "evil" music. It means a lot to me and helps me feel. I like dark humor and disturbing artwork. I like having long hair and black fingernails and holes in my face and ripped clothes. I also love to help people. I love my family. I love being clean and sober. I want to cry just reading these posts. I believe in the program of A.A., but I don't accept a lot of things that have grown into meetings. I especially have a problem with the bleeding-deacon old-timers' way of using the "terminally unique" pitch. I know that my disease is the same as everyone else's, but i'm not the same as anyone. I'm not better or worse, just me. Some would have me believe that I must conform to stay sober. I disagree. I believe I must surrender. Not to someone with 30 years sober, but to my higher power. Sorry for ranting, but I am on a small island, and I don't feel like the meetings here are very condusive to me letting some of these thoughts and feelings out. I was in a bad place when I started typing this, but now I am very very grateful. Thanks for being there everyone. What a great end to my day. Now I am crying.
Member: Kelly M
Location: NH
Remote Name: 205.188.116.131
Date: March 20, 2004
Time: 07:05 AM -0500
Hey Elliot, It was so nice to hear your share this morning. Very honest! I could relate to a lot of your feelings. Especially the part about being terminally unique. I used to be terminally unique in my my own mind. An enigma to my own self. It was a wall of sorts. For me being different was shown as arrogance and haughtyness. It masked my own feelings of low self-esteem. Ya know what, I still have low self esteem but I'm working on it with a different approach. I'm real today. What you see is what you get. The wall is down more then it is up. People can take one look at me and know if I'm having a bad day or a good day by my face. I'm getting real and it feels good! I also like to retain my individuality which can get you some strange looks in AA. I dress for me, I wear my hair for me, what do I like? I never thought of what I liked but dressed to look good for others. No wonder
Member: Kelly M
Location: NH
Remote Name: 205.188.116.131
Date: March 20, 2004
Time: 07:10 AM -0500
Oops, fat fingers! Anyway, I was saying no wonder I was so neurotic! Phoney nails, Big hair, fake tan, latest clothes fashions, you name it! What a lot of work and it wasn't even for me. Today I am for me. Your right "Surrender" is what it is all about. Take Care! Kelly :)
Member: Stephen C
Location: North Stratford,N.H.
Remote Name: 165.121.131.117
Date: March 20, 2004
Time: 02:32 PM -0500
well stephen here and stiil a recovering alcohlic,well insomnia for me is the most fearful thing i have and still have because of what happen to me as a child and so i dont sleep more then a few hours (4)and im up for the day and have been able to over come the fear and the only thing that i know i dont have to drink over it today,ive found that i love to draw and write so ive been doing these thing to keep myself busy and so if anyone wants to talk or like to be friends because i dont have very many you can reach me at fruitbomber20027@hotmail.com and thanks for the wondrful topic.
Member: O.B.
Location: Austin
Remote Name: 63.246.170.233
Date: March 21, 2004
Time: 12:19 AM -0500
Hey my name is OB and I'm an addict/alcoholic. I had a really hard time with insomnia when I first got sober, and guess what I did? I took tylenol PMs. I started taking so many of them I decided to change my sobriety date! (sorry if anyone already heard this; I was just writing about this in another meeting). I still have a hard time with sleep, but I just work really hard during the day so I don't have any choice but to pass out at night. Seems to do the trick; the only times I suffer are when I don't have any work to do. I'm on spring break right now and I'm starting to feel a little crazy. That happened over Christmas, too. I haven't figured out what to do in those cases yet. Thanks
Member: jimr
Location: chicago
Remote Name: 68.165.58.120
Date: March 21, 2004
Time: 02:08 AM -0500
Elliot, welcome! I used to live in Kodiak back in 82/83 I was in the Coast Guard, flying search and rescue Helos. Don't let all the meetings or crusty old & newtimers get you down. You know that getting past a certain uniquiness gets us past our self dellusion at first. Through recovery by being freed from the bondage of ourselves, our special talents and unique personalities are highlighted by the power that relieves us. Let your light shine! It is up to us to take that new light, that responsibilty and go out in the world and give back, instead of take. Your special interest and even guilty pleasures will be seen from a different perspective. When we ask for courage to change, we're given everything we need and more. It get much, much better. Don't be yourself anymore, be much, much more. It's all good, my friend. From that new perspective, see what you can bring to the tables of AA, not what you can take. Sounds like you have a good start. Is El Chicano's still in business? Loved climing old woman mountain! Used to go out to the rendevous to get sloshed on the weekends. Not much sunlight in Kodiak this time of year, gotta get it while you can... maybe artificial sunlight will help the depression. Best Wishes.