Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Jamie, not wishing to preach.... but given all you posted... are you seriously thinking of reverting to your old habits at the end of the month???

Why waste the detox and addiction breaking month you've already endured???

Rupe,

have been thinking about this a lot, wife has been saying a lot along the lines of what you said, and your completely right, i have a large family culture of drinkers, every family do ends up with us all drunk, even just a visit between family members includes a slab.

i enjoy a beer after work most nights as i work in a hot engineering workshop long hours and hard physical and mental work, i guess i use beer as a wind down method, but have noticed after the last few weeks maybe i dont need to use beer to wind down.

and maybe i havnt notcied how my drinking antics may inflict on my kids growing up thinking that its ok to wipe yourself out every night.

my best mate has sourced a Non-Alcoholic Malt Beverage, tastes somewhat like beer can be brought off the shelf in supermarkets etc, he grabbed me a sixpack to try, as his uncle is an recovering alcoholic and he takes it too pissup's etc to be able to blend in socialy and still have a few stubbies. its also sugar free, and low carb.

maybe this ocsober is going to be the turning point to m3tals life!

I think balance is the key, as with anything else. Just got to know the limits. Now that you've, commendably, re-found the lower limit the choice is up to you.

I also come from, and see nothing wrong with, a play hard culture but we've all been to parties and seen those that shouldn't drink. I won't preach total abstinence but more awareness. I know plenty of people that won't or can't go to a party without drinking but everybody should try it, at least once!

Personally, after many years of heavy boozing and due to medical conditions (non alcohol related) I've had to, and still do, give up drinking totally for a month or two at a time. It's been an eye opener for me too and those I care for which is why I sponsored you.

Don't get wrong. I can still drink most clowns under the table when I'm able and want to but now I can also stop after one, or none, and a cold beer on a hot day never tasted better!

Whatever path you personally choose I hope it all works out, mate. You have my respect.

Cheers PhP,

its good to have somewhere to discuss and get support from peers.

i admit i have no trouble stopping at 1, but find it hard to stop at 2-3, im not sure what will happen guess it will just play out, iv had counseling for alcoholism before, and last year i lasted 2.5 months dry then went back into it full swing.

Hoping with my new hobby, and outlook, not to mention support from you guys i can restain from falling back into that old habbit.

wife is supporting me without saying "DONT DO THAT" but more a supporting role. i guess being such a young couple with 5 kids, we've had trials and tribulations and falling into that married lifestyle at such a young age has aided me to fall into a drinking habbit that is not healthy. Both of our parents (divorced) are all victims of alcoholism, wife doesnt drink very often at all, she may have half a beer on a warm night every now and then, and the occasional glass of wine with dinner when out, i guess this has somthing to do with seeing everyone around her drink so much. If not for her, or my kids but for myself i think i really need to do somthing longterm

i am really staying positive and wanting to keep off the booze long term, even considering AA Meetings and seeking counciling again to kick it once and for all.

cheers again for all the support and input and will keep updating.

Donations are upto $190 Now

Keep it going Jamie! A true inspiration

You can do anything you put your mind to M3tal!

Yep, nice work.. Don't take this the wrong way, but I reckon this month of yours may have been a bit overdue
I struggle with the booze thing and go thru the abstinence thing every now and then and every time I come to the same conclusion. For me, it's Bourbon... Love it more than my own Mum. Can drink it, get pissed and not have a hangover. Generally skull a few while making dinner for the rugrats if they are being feral to get me smoothed out. Beer on the other hand, I have one or 2, feel satisfied and stop enjoying it after number 2, so really I should stick to beer. For you, you may find that none is better, or with the support you have and willpower, you may be able to curb it a bit. I too tried Birrell a few years back when beer was the grog of choice, but it really just made me want to go full strength. Also, a friend of mine who works at a rehab centre/hostel in the Adelaide hills said the "inpatients " try to get away with Birrell, but it is banned there, as it is just like beer, and if you drink enough ie a carton, it will get you pissed. I also have a mate who is an alcoholic and his wife said "me or the beers" so he switched to Birrell. I went out to see a band with him the other night, he got mashed and couldn't stop.

Keep up the good work.

Just took the kids out for a few hours on my own to let wife have a few hrs peace.

Went for a drive to lake eppolock, for a scooter ride along the local walking path, went to an oval played footy And ran around like idiots. I'm usually on the beers by now and while I spend a lot of time at home with the kids it's been ages since iv taken them off on my own and had fun like that. Good to do somthing different

Great stuff Jamie. I really should try to cut down as well and you are an inspiration

Well its the last day today

been a tough month, but raiseing that money for such a good cause is awesome!

Thanks heaps for the support & Donations it has been much Apreciated.

Hopefully this dry month has been a bit of an eye opener, sitting watching tv last night realiseing i dont need to be pist, hell it felt good to not be pissed.

im no doubt going to have a beer tomorrow, but Im Just gunna buy 2 to have with dinner got a couple of mates and there partners coming over for a BBQ

Not going to be getting Pissed in the near future, just enjoy a beer or two with dinner every now & Then. i think that i can handle this fine. made a pact with wife to keep on my case if it look like im going to go back to old habbits, but im sure after this eye opener, i wont as iv learned theres a differnce between enjoying a beer or two and drinking 6-9 to get pissed....

Even though last year i done ocsober, for the whole month i was looking forward to going out and getting blotto at the end of it all, where as now iv no intention of getting Blotto.

Cheers again Guys

Great stuff Jamie

Well done mate... and thanks for sharing the journey and revelations that have impacted on you while you did it....

Wow, you need to make a pact with the wife to get ON your case?

Good work Jamie, your body will thank you for it in the long term.

Thanks again Guys!

And Just to put this out there, if anyone out there (more aimed at those stubborn blokes) has any Drama's with Depression, Anxiety and Drug/Alcoholism and want to talk to me or get some advice i'm pretty open to shareing my own stories and helping out with some ideas or just a good listen.

IV suffered Anxiety for most of my life, just didnt really know about it until my father (Vietnam Vet) was diagnosed and as i follow his footsteps so closely i soon realised iv got it too, and it became clear how long iv had it. MY 20 Year old Brother also battles with anxiety.

IV been battling depression for the last 4-5 years, Result of Anxiety mainly, and a high stress job that i ended up quitting. but once i got it out in the open with my things have been a lot easier, also getting some Psychology help to discuss and talk has made me 100x the man i was 2 years ago.

Aquaponics has played a large role in giving me somewhere to hide, or get away when i need too, and somthing to stimulate the mind to stop it wandering, without having hobbies in my life i found that i was stuck in a consistent rut of Work, Kids, Drink, Sleep which can get over whelming quickly, id like to thank you all for the support and sence of being that i get from here and having some people to talk to and discuss things outside of my own rut.

And if anyone needs help there is lots of it out there, GP's, ED's Lifeline, Beyond Blue all great places and i started by talking to someone on the phone at Beyond Blue and lifeline and they were so great, no judging no criticism just the feeling you could be out there and honest.

Cheers again!

Love ya work m3tal