Upcoming Holidays~~~~~~~

Holiday time is fast approaching and can be full of stress and triggers.  We see relapses happen during this time.  The first year i was clean i was told by a very wise person to hit the meetings real heavy and that is what i did.  There are office parties and family gatherings.....our minds can play some real games with us during this time.  For some of us money is tight and that causes stress or the family gatherings have alcohol and people will make comments to you about not drinking. Some may not know you are no longer using and will have a "gift" for you.  Pick and chose where you go and surround yourself with others who share and support you in your recovery.  Your sobriety/clean time should always be the number 1 priority.  Protect it with your life........sara and gnarly

We would also both like to wish all of you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving.  We all have so much to be thankful for~~~~~~

[vicki595]

Happy Thanksgiving to you and Mark!

Love and many blessings to everyone~~

Vicki

[kimbo546]

NO egg nog and brandy this year!! Oh well. Have a very HAPPY Thanksgiving Sara..Thanks for posting this thread. Kim

[ang_811]

I never thought about the holidays bn the reason I relapsed but it's one of the reasons...!! Go figure!!

Great post Sara and mark...hope u both have a happy thanksgiving!!!

[quinner]

Nice to see a familiar name on here.  You too have a Happy Thanksgiving (even though ours is done up here in Canada) There'll be no turkey but i'm gonna enjoy the Football.

Quinner

[wendy111]

Happy Thansgiving to all my new friends,  I got  something new to be thankful for first time in many many years that I have been straight.  Yes I will keep my guard up.

happy turkey day to u both Sara and mark
;)

[FassFeat]

Happy Thanksgiving Mark and Sara. I got my guard up. Go Saints....Cowboys are going down. We do have alot to be thankful for. I will take a little over eating and being sober any day. God Bless

[ang_811]

Andrew since I owe ya one...I'm rooting for ur saints tomorrow!!! No need to thank me...ur welcome...I do actually like them..when they r not playing my steelers!!! Lol happy thanksgiving!

[jeffclowns]

happy thanksgiving to all and hey this should be fun i won't have to have anybody keep checking my nose to make sure there is no vicodin before i go in front of my family...lol....it should be interesting, well have a great sober turkey day everyone and remember ..LET'S KEEP IT CLEAN............AND SOBER.....god bless..jeff..

[Toby1863]

Thanks for this. Sage & wise timely advice. Phew...triggers are bad.

I've talked to my wife and decided to just spend Turkey-Day w/our sons  daughter & grandchildren at one of our sons homes. She is just so fine a woman!

No going out afterwards w/friends etc. It's just too soon for me. That day may come but just not yet. I don't want to have to keep my guard up on a day of thanks. A stress free day w/family is the ticket. I'll probably cry a happy family hug cry even though I think I won't. This addict ain't ready to chomp the "party" bit yet. He!! I may never be able to conquer that temptation but one day at a time will suffice for now. At least for this oxy warrior.

Sincere thanks for the heads up........Simple things like the heads up presented within this thread help those of us whom are still feeling a bit tender. 24 days clean and I'd be willing to bet my bippee that I'll be 26 days clean the day after Turkey Implosion due in large part to the effort of you.....D-Sarah.

Tryptithan (sp?) overdose be damned...sleep inducing Seratonin right???????? Thank you!

Toby

[dominosarah]

I will bet my bippee that you will be 26 days clean too!!  I havent heard that word in a long time!!!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving~~~~sara

[vicki595]

OMG!   I am old!   "Bet your sweet bippee"  !!  Well,"Sock it to me" !!

Say goodnight, ****...


A Safe and Sober Day to all~~

[roughroad]

yes... Holidays are for sure filled with triggers. I feel as though every trigger I face the stronger I get. Its like I am building a new life in a sense and when I face family gatherings, vacations, and other such stuff while sober I am creating new memories of my new sober life. This is wonderful to me and I am filled with joy to go through this season clear headed and sober.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

[vicki595]

Why did the guy's name get bleeped???   Geez!!!

"Say goodnight D I C K "....

                                          "Goodnight D I C K"

[gnarly_1]

HI I just wanted to take a minute and thank my partner in crime here....she give a good bit of her life to this community and has a heart of gold...each and every one of you mater to her
and  this forum wouldent be the same without her so everybody a big thanks to
dominosarah she always looking out for all of us...
I wish every member of our community a safe and sober holiday as Sara would say
GUARD UP may God bless all of you abundantly your friend and fellow addict Mark  

[lifewithoutcoke]

Thanks for posting Sara and Gnarly:) You are both right. Holidays have always been tough to swallow. This year, so much to be thankful for I can't even believe it.

One of the neighbors across the way at my condos put up a Christmas tree and I just stared at the beauty and lights all night last night. For the first time in a long time there was a feeling inside me which was not synonymous with fear, horror, angst and stress! I felt a warm fuzzy feeling in it's place. So strange, must be the sobriety:). Knowing there will be no alcohol, drugs, fights, drama, hangovers, resentment etc. this year....brings on kind of a peaceful and easy feeling:)

I am thankful today for MedHelp, and all the people on here who are so wonderful and supportive. And of course for my husband's and my sobriety. God Bless us all:)

[Toby1863]

Just figured I'd check in this morning and report, that despite the efforts of Ruth Buzzi my sweet bippee is still intact.

Toby

[dominosarah]

Glad to hear your sweet bippee is intact!!  Hope everyone elses is too!!

[gnarly_1]

bump

[Twinmomof3]

I had no triggers, thankfully.  I had my family and my mom here and nobody drinks or does drugs.  I am my own trigger, however, but I made it through.  I just thought about last Thanksgiving and how I had to "go to the bathroom" alot to get my little relief.  A friend of mine pointed that out a few days ago and that alone affected my family...so badly that my little girl went in her pants because I was in the bathroom so long and wouldn't come out.  That horrid thought helped me realize I am a better person without drugs.  I just play it all out in my head when I think about using again.  

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

[beatingthis]

I hate the holidays....

But I hate even more the thought of using. Stay stong my friends.

Terry

[dominosarah]

I hear ya loud and clear.

We will get thru the holidays in one piece as we always do.  Lets make a point to do a "traditional" thing this year like we talked about before.        sara

[ang_811]

Hope every1 had a safe and clean holiday...

Now time for Christmas music, watch ralphie in A Christmas story, and bake the cookies with the lil Hershey kisses on top....

[vicki595]

Angie!  You just made me think about a movie that's great to watch!  It's called "Love,actually".   I can watch it everyday!  Get it Ang;you'll love it!!

xo

[dominosarah]

Nati0onal Lampoon's Christmas for me!!  I love when Clark wigs out on his decorations.  The reindeer antlers go click click click as he is whoopin on them, then he kicks Santa!!  CLASSIC~~~~~~

[ang_811]

Maybe I'll get it tonight and watch it...is Ralphie in it??...lol

[ang_811]

Lol...That's a great movie also..!! I love all the national lampoon movies..

Let's have movie night!! I'll bake the cookies wih the Hershey kisses on top..Vicki can bring the movies...Sarah..we will just meet at ur place... Sound like a plan?

[scaredoutofmymind333]

I don't know how I missed this thread over Thanksgiving, but I did! I wanted to send my thanks along to Sarah and Mark, your compassion and caring in your posts whether they were in answer to my posts or reading someone else's post, have helped me along tremendously on my new road to recovery. The time that you 2 put on this website is amazing, and I just wanted to say that when I was reviewing what I was thankful for this year, this website was at the top of my list. And to everyone else on this website, you are all truly an amazing group of people ...everyone of you have helped me through one of the worst times of my lifes, something I am truly thankful for. Thanks again and give yourselves a pat on the back for the good that you bring into peoples lives everyday!

[dominosarah]

Thank You~~We are just paying it forward.  We were both given so much help when we came to this site(i am speaking for gnarly now!!) and it is very important to us that we give back what we were given.  This site is a godsend as we all share the same thing, the only difference is our names.