Two posts in a day! See? When I’m ME and full of energy and have a clear mind, I have fucking LOTS to say! This is in spite of what might have turned into a terrible night’s sleep, but it would seem I am actually getting quite good at handling my feelings.
We went to bed as usual and cuddled up with hubby snoozing against my shoulder as I read for a while. The sleep wave came as it normally does when I read and I put my Kindle away, removed my glasses, checked my alarm was set and turned off the light. Snuggled in to warm hubby and that was that. Only it wasn’t. Perhaps it was a bit of anxiety at flying solo when he is away this week coupled in with a tinge of worry over Bambino spending the night at his dad’s given they have a fractured relationship and I wasn’t sure how it would go. Lay awake for a while but realised that my thoughts and emotions weren’t about to slow down, so fumbled in the dark for my glasses and Kindle and my dressing gown and went into the livingroom. And there I stayed, reading on the sofa until I was confident my mind had got back to the appropriate speed limits. And then that really was that and despite it being 1am by the time I came back to bed I did sleep those few hours soundly until my alarm went as usual at 6am. Feel quite proud of that, actually – I just accepted it for what it was (speeding thoughts and emotions) and dealt with it, just read my book until they were done. Yay!
The book I was reading (and finished) was ‘I’ll Stop Tomorrow’ by Paul Campbell, by the way, and I might talk about that some other time. Heavily leaning on AA and its philosophy and it did highlight some stuff I really don’t agree with as well as outline lots of stuff I do, so I’ll come back to it I’m sure.
Did I mention I joined a sobriety Facebook group? Yes I did, it’s the group for The Naked Mind for those who use this as part of their toolkit in getting sober and it’s super interesting to read posts and comments from others who are kicking the booze. There’s a good mixture – you have the alcoholics like me who sank quite far, you have some alcoholics who sank deeper and some who didn’t sink very far at all, you have those who drank “a bit too much” and really the whole register down to those who are only quitting temporarily for a health kick. Today someone asked how much we used to drink before we quit. Now, THAT is a question I am hesitant to answer!
I’ve been open on this blog when it comes to the amounts I used to drink of course, but even here I often hesitate and wonder if it’s such a good idea because I don’t know who you are who’s reading this, much less your situation. What if you’re me of, say, a few years ago? And what if, when I say I drank on average two and a half bottles of wine per day, you look at this and it’s more than you drink? And what if you look at this and take it to mean you don’t have a problem because just LOOK at how much Anna used to drink! I’m nowhere near as bad as that! That must mean I’m Just Fine. Tricky one, isn’t it? So I said exactly that, that I didn’t want to say in case me of yesteryear might see it and deduct she’s absolutely fine when in fact she might not be fine at all? Honesty in all its glory but what if that honesty could cause harm? Then again, whilst my amount of booze might fill one person with comfort that they’re not so bad, it might signal to another that oh shit, I drink more than Anna and she feels SHE has a problem. Damn, where does that leave me?! Swings and roundabouts I suppose.
Perhaps this is only interesting for me but it made me think about whether I spill all the beans, and when and where it is safe to do so. It’d be really shitty if I was the reason a budding alcoholic sank much further, so if you are me of yesteryear can I just say this: if you regularly drink more than you intended and find you can’t stop once you take that first drink…. Well…. I think we all deep down know when our drinking is a problem, a developing problem or anything else that isn’t quite “normal” but if that does apply to you, then perhaps have a little.. ….THINK, as Aretha Franklin puts it. And may she rest in peace – what a sad loss for the world but nowhere near as tragic as those amazing talents who left us too soon because booze and drugs. Sweet Lord, I am really preaching today!
I have two Aretha Franklin songs on the playlist I’ve put together for running. ‘Think’ is indeed one but this is my favourite, I can’t get enough of it – if I am at home I can’t stop myself from singing along and dancing and if I’m out on a run it puts a spring in my step:
Thoughts and emotions are welcome here and today I’m not going to drink.
Storm in a Wine Glass 