AA meeting was great today

[TJack]

Hi everyone.  Hope everyone is hanging in there and leaving the booze alone.  Owen are you with me on this?  No booze!   I went to my 4th meeting this morning and I like it more everytime I go.  I listen to these women from all walks of life and all have the same thing in common, booze.  But, when they talk I am taken aback because the words could be coming from my own mouth.  WOW!  
As far as my anxiety, which was about to get me for sure on friday and saturday, one of the women at aa told me.
Yes, get on blood pressure meds, but do not take the valium.  Gee i hated to hear that.  I don't think i can get hooked on valium with 14 pills and taking 1 or 2  a day.  I go see my dr. on thursday and I will talk to her about all this.
The gal at aa basically told me we all have to go through this anxiety thing.  Well, heck for how long?  If i knew it was going to be a week or less i could maybe make it.  But, even that would be rough.  How about just a little help with the valium for a week?  Couldn't that get me through the worst of it?  Your thoughts please. TJ

[usia55]

Well, I'm not really doing that great staying off booze but I always come back here.  I guess it's always on my mind that I need to address the problem...because it is a problem.  In my previous post I have mentioned that I will be graduating with honors soon, and I did.  Last night I graduated eiht high honors and I should be proud of myself.  Now I have to do something about my drinking problem, because no one else will do it for me.  I am really sad  and feel powerless now.

[TJack]

Thanks Lily.  You all give such good advice.  Because who knows better than someone going through it or who has been through it.  Gosh, i wish you the best with the xanax.  That will be tough, huh?  
Ibizan, i don't go overboard on the coffee.  A cup or cup and half in the morning is my limit and i drink decaf ice green tea the rest of the day.  Chocolate, naw, i like caramel.
Thanks for your help.  Looking forward to a very nice day here in southern Oregon, 85.
We haven't had it that good since last Aug or maybe sept.  Out to an outdoor lunch with my friends for a birthday.  Normally they would all have a glass of wine and i will feel awful today because they won't.  They have all said, nope no drinking in front of you.
Good friends each one of them. But i don't want their normal lives to change because i am messed up.  Thanks for your post.  This is my go to site now several times a day.
Hugs to all.  TJ

[lilyput]

hey...how it goes, girl? i agree with everyone else....stay away from the valium. try some herbal anxiety remedies. much, much better than playing with fire with the benzos.

i was prescribed xanax for panic disorder over 15 years ago. and i'm still on the ****. i don't abuse it, and haven't increased the amount i take, but alas i am physically dependent upon it. after i have a while sober from alcohol, i'm going to have to deal with tapering-off the xanax. that's going to be worse than the alcohol i'm afraid, but i'm sick of taking it. it doesn't even help with anxiety anymore - i'm just taking it to keep from having withdrawals.

and i do agree with you getting back to swimming. exercise is sooooo good for anxiety!

lily

[ibizan]

it was probably aggravated by my xcessive caffeine use and chocolate consumption!actually its a quite normal number considering what i did to myself for 14 years!

[TJack]

Thank you all.  I know you have been there and know best.  I will not be asking for anymore valium.  I will hope that clonidine or some blood pressure med will help me.
I knew this was too good to be true. Rats!   Jacker i have already traded addictions twice and sure don't want a third one.  Ibizan, 9 mos. sounds pretty scarey to me.
Working Dog 3 mos. sounds better.  I have got to get back into my lap swimming and walking.  No doubt about that.  And where is Owen?  Any word from him.  Hopefully he is leaving the booze alone.  Don't drink Owen!    Thanks so much to all of you caring people.  TJ

[Jacker]

My wife and my mother were both perscribed valium for different reasons.  Both of them ended up with a major habit that they had to quit.  They wern't overdoing it- it's just a really addictive drug.  If you already have an addictive personality, I think this could be a major problem.  Anxiety is part of the process of sobering up.  All I can do is promise it will eventually get better.  The worst for me was 6 weeks.  I was probably anxious for several months, but it was't so bad after the first few weeks.  Stay off the valium.  You don't want to trade one addiction for another.  

[ibizan]

Back in 1983 when i got sober the docs refused to give us anything for anxiety/depression course if u lied to a doc bout ur drinking u could find one that would give u anything u wanted.My anxiety/depression/mood swings were the worst the first 9 months...i used natural things like walking reading going 2 meetings...course there was THAT AA coffee there...but it went away in TIME..hell i didn't get the way i did overnite!:)))))that valium is a crutch and a bad one...ole Mick boy sang bout it in song Mothers Little Helper!

[working dog]

the anxiety could take a year or more to really get under control...mine was awfull but now i feel so much better...the first 3 months are the worse....thats great that your doing good...i'm not sure on what to take for the anxiety but others here will......good luck...billy