Community Chat

[seattlegirl98026]

Sylvia, anyone who would stop posting with you because of your statements in this thread are people who are not worth your time anyway. Remember, we all have struggles. Some of us are just better at hiding them from the world. You should be very proud of your sobriety. Remember the quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent".

[Lucky Charm]

Sylvia~you are a gem. I love reading your posts. I love your poetry. Congratulations to you on your sobriety!

[Sushismom]

On 11/13/2014 sylviahomeatlast said:

I read something in another thread that ,to me, was sad and quite righteous. "I'm happy to say I've never had to join or go to an AA meeting".

Well, that was pretty crass. I've known some alcoholics. I've lived with a couple. So I understand how difficult it can be to want to get sober and stay sober.

All I can say is I commend you for your sobriety. And I'll continue to post with you.

[toodles11]

Funny how you can read the same thing and have such a different impression. I didn't think that it was crass or self righteous at all. Seeing the toll that alcoholism or drug addiction takes on one and their families and friends and how many relapse, I would that I was glad that I never needed them. I would also be very glad that they were there if I would ever need them.

Sylvia, I'm glad that they are there for you. I'm really glad that you are doing much better.

Have a wonderful day.

[chickenbutt]

I didn't see the post that's being attacked here, so maybe I am the one who is being out of line, but it just sounds to me like the person was saying they were grateful for never having experienced the addiction and gone through having to join AA - and that's a good thing.

Just on the merit of the words shown here, I don't read anything self-righteous about that. Hey, I'm also glad that I never had an alcohol, or any other substance, addiction. Nobody wants that. But it happens to many people and I don't think anybody is cheering their misery or looking down on their recovery.

Or - I could be wrong and the person was being a snarkmonster. But, based on the sentence quoted, it just doesn't sound that way to me.

Anyway - kudos for coming out the other side and staying clean for all these years. That is a huge accomplishment and one of which to be proud. Addiction gets a hold on you and some people don't want out enough to make the commitment. Anybody who does make the commitment has a lot to be happy about!

[kittymomNC]

Sylvia, Soft Raindrops said "Anyone who wouldn't want to post with you because of your illnesses wouldn't be anyone worth posting with in the first place.....or at least that is my opinion."

I totally agree with that. Apparently some others know of your history with this disease, but I didn't, and I can tell you that I admire you for what you've done and your willingness to share it. It's so unfortunate that there are still people who "look down" on others who are dealing with the addiction to alcohol or any other mental or emotional illness. I don't know exactly what prompted your post, but hopefully the person didn't mean it in a hurtful way... it's so hard sometimes here to interpret what someone means when you can't look them in the face.

I won't go into how this disease has affected my own life, although I may have at some point on here. Suffice it to say, I remember the words of a doctor many, many years ago. A member of my family was in this doctor's office begging to be put in a hospital to help him quit drinking. My brother was there also, and heard the doctor say "you don't need a hospital, you're just a drunk!" My brother was and still is the gentlest of souls and he said if the doctor hadn't been older, he would have decked him right there in his office.

That family member quit drinking with the help of a wonderful man from AA who came and took him to meetings every single night for three weeks, until he could go on his own. He never touched another drop. I remember attending his one-year AA anniversary party.

Alcoholism has affected almost every aspect of my life in one way or another and to different degrees, and still does, although I myself never touch it. I used to have an occasional social drink, but I haven't even done that in years because of my medications. This is a horrible illness, and it definitely is an illness, and I think it's wonderful what you've accomplished and the same goes for anyone else who has overcome this.

For those who have never experienced it, either yourself or with a family member or friend, you definitely need to thank your "Higher Power". It is devastating to families in so many ways, and one of the most difficult things to overcome, no matter how much one wants to.

So be proud of yourself, Sylvia, and never feel you have to apologize.

[Lion]

On 11/13/2014 SoftRaindrops said:

On 11/13/2014 Cakers1 said:

On 11/13/2014 SoftRaindrops said:

Why didn't you address Kalypso on the thread where she said it? You are taking what she said completely out of context.

<br />

Kalypso can speak for herself.

So you would prefer that Sylvia, continued to feel badly about what she had written? How strange considering you appear to post in friendship with Sylvia.

There are far too many arguments and hurt feelings here because things are taken out of context.

I apologize to no one because I responded and your trying to control me from posting is futile. You are not the Webmaster.

ITA. There was nothing wrong with your post. You were trying to be kind and helpful to the OP.

I applaud your last sentence.

[RedTop]

Thank you for bearing witness to an issue that has touched many of our lives. My uncle came out of the military after WWII an alcoholic, and never achieved total sobriety for the next 25 years of his life. He suffered a massive stroke and died at 47. Continued best wishes to you as you move closer to another milestone anniversary.

[sylviahomeatlast]

I truly did not want to bump this up but I feel a need to thank all of you who are supportive of me and other recovering alcoholics. I'm sorry for you who have witnessed deaths due to this serious disease.

Congratulations to those of you who are continuing your wonderful sober life, thanks to AA. I didn't single out any person for "shaming". These are my opinions and it IS difficult to discern what another person is saying in this context. For any misunderstandings, I am sincerely sorry.

And blessings to you who have lost loved ones to the irresponsible and criminal action of someone driving drunk. I met a woman in AA who was sentenced to prison (prison, not jail) for years for driving drunk and killing someone. She came to the program too late but maybe while incarcerated she will achieve sobriety. That was most likely my future

All we have is truly have is one day at a time.

[raven-blackbird]

slyvia.............you've touched on something that has always bothered me about this joint............the propensity of a vast, well, maybe not vast but a good number of people here, who seem to use the board as a place to feed their need of self importance.........I'm smarter than..., I'm financially better off than..., I have better kids than..., I dress better then than..., I shop at better places than..., the list goes on and on.......when the fact of the matter is...........NO ONE here has a perfect life..........no one here has a perfect anything

life is all about it's imperfections and how you deal with them...........character is about, once those imperfections are recognized and handled how you carry on........how you take that new found knowledge and handle it......if you own it.......if you help others in a similar situations overcome........and if you do that, you do it knowing that in helping them, you also help yourself and you acknowledge that fact to yourself......so in my book sylvia...........you're a woman of character..........at the end of the day who cares what anyone else thinks....you came to your sobriety on your own.....yes you had help, but we both know you can't change a person, they have to change themselves and you did that, congratulations on your new found life.........................raven