souljourn

I am convinced from people's stories that Cold Turkey is the way to go. I have half my bottle left and the smart thing to do would be to just dispose of it. But I've been hemming and hawing and dragging my feet... can anyone recommend an old thread on this topic or suggest ways to summon that burst of confidence needed to take the leap? I know that nobody else can do this for me, as we are all responsible for our own lives. But I am reminding myself it's ok to ask for advice now, as helping each other is what this community is built on. Thanks

Thank you for sharing your story. Your success is encouraging.

I'm only recently off adderall, like within the last month, and I know that one of the best ways to stimulate my dopamine system is to exercise, but like all of us it's very hard to motivate myself. I still have not done that first day's workout I had written down in my day 1 goals... But now I am showing some progress with a "baby steps" approach in which I set a small goal for myself, and if I really don't have the energy to do it, then I make the goal smaller, and so on until I at least do something, even if it is just a single sit-up or to jump up out of my chair instead of simply standing. The point is to actually getting a starting point somewhere, no matter how small, and work up from there, and always make an effort to push your boundaries, but never beat yourself up when you don't exceed expectations or when you take a step backward. The hardest thing is not criticizing myself for "just doing 10 push-ups" or JUST anything, and recognize that it's better than the alternative of procrastinating yet another day... This technique is how I quit smoking, and while that took me over a year and a half, it worked where no other method had. And if this doesn't work for you, maybe the bigger lesson is to find something that does, even if you have to invent it or you feel silly doing it. Just be open to experimenting and having a positive attitude!

Thank you for sharing your perspective after four years. I have recently quit after a year-long relapse and am feeling mixed about how difficult it's been. I can remember how long ago I started and one night debating about whether I was playing with fire... and then continued anyway. That was probably 10 years ago. Since then it's been ups and downs and most recently, I've been sober only a few weeks. So I have some reservations about really how challenging it will be to make it last. So I'm very appreciative to hear your advice for the long haul and that someone who has been sober as long as you have still finds value in and contributes to the community of those trying to become or maintain sobriety. I know I certainly found invaluable support in the forums even as a new member, and what would they be without the experienced veterans who have been through many struggles and can help show the rest of us the way? So thank you.

My experience is that the voices are worst when feeling sad and afraid, and the voices disappear once optimism and energy are better. Basically lowering stress and improving mood. Also, ignoring them and choosing to work on a single task no matter what they say was helpful. I found they disappeared temporarily when I kept myself preoccupied with uplifting movies or standup comedy videos. Also, with alcohol, but that has the tendency to create problems of its own. There's a movie on Netflix called "Happy" that I really like and made my voices go away one day completely. Also, getting empathy and patience and acceptance from others, and being able to tell them about the voices without losing that empathy and acceptance or them freaking out in front of me was helpful. So while it may take time for them to disappear on their own, I found basically that improving my mood and activity level, or having a positive task, person, or movie to focus on, were helpful remedies in the meantime. Dur. Just noticed your post was over a year ago Well hopefully everything worked out for your friend. Would be interested to hear how she did if you want to post a follow-up. =)

Is anybody in SoCal who can recommend a good meeting to go to? I'm in Long Beach but can make it up to LA or down to OC as well.