tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post8188413245923495439..comments2024-03-27T00:48:06.021-07:00Comments on Mummy was a Secret Drinker: Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is WrongSoberMummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09149651295183331661noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post-80040747942306486832015-09-13T13:17:29.010-07:002015-09-13T13:17:29.010-07:00I watched the Ted Talk and it really makes sense. ...I watched the Ted Talk and it really makes sense. I started abusing alcohol after my husband left me and we got a divorce. The increase in wine consumption has been subtle and gradual until it hit a double bottle a night every night of the week three months ago. Exercising seems to help me not drink so much or want to drink so much. Hence I have decided to register for a 1/2 marathon in May 2016. That gives me 7 months to train. And I'm wondering: is there even room in there for moderate drinking? 3KKatzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02900553940878022590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post-63331260580299209562015-09-13T12:53:41.694-07:002015-09-13T12:53:41.694-07:00I think that we can find personal stories to fit b...I think that we can find personal stories to fit both nature and nurture situations. Also, the way that we use alcohol can change. In my teens/early twenties I drank to fit in with the crowd - I wanted to be "normal". My drinking (much like yours SM) took a far more sinister turn when I started drinking alone, to self medicate, to drown out loneliness/get away from the stresses in my life. Whereas a wild boozy early life almost seems like a rite of passage, many people go on to have "normal" drinking habits as they mature. Some of us (more and more of us it seems) bond with alcohol to fill voids, our coping mechanism. The trick, I think , is to figure out the reason behind our personal drinking circumstances, understand it, and fix it. Sobriety enables us to do that. xx<br />Jackiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09236064383725290818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post-77654395232686136002015-09-13T12:04:09.722-07:002015-09-13T12:04:09.722-07:00Welcome Eeyore...Nice to meet you!Welcome Eeyore...Nice to meet you!Tallaxohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13386522171119897358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post-17553365416129439022015-09-13T11:31:49.780-07:002015-09-13T11:31:49.780-07:00Yes the whole nature nurture thing is tricky. I th...Yes the whole nature nurture thing is tricky. I think it's a bit of both with me. I'm from a family of big drinkers and have been around that scene my whole life. However I think I always was one of the biggest drinkers. My habits definitely changed after having children and becoming a full time mum. It was lonely and really hard work. Lack of sleep and no time to yourself meant that once kids were finally asleep you could have a glass of wine. Then it grew to 2 glasses then 3 etc etc. Numbing and relaxing and so well deserved but the dependancy and amount needed to have effect just kept growing! I don't know if I would have become so addicted if I hadn't stopped working but I don't think so....Edinburgh Housewifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16507850075300916316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post-82454517441572187262015-09-13T01:20:01.087-07:002015-09-13T01:20:01.087-07:00This was a bit of a Eureka moment personally for m...This was a bit of a Eureka moment personally for me. My drinking took off when I left the fat cat corporate world. Im at the very beginning of my new sober life and last night I decided I needed to make more time for me, improve certain aspects of my life so booked up a couple of evenings (without the pub) with friends, listed some me time things that I want rather than just providing a service for child and parents! Etc Etc. I have no genetic predispositions to drink to my knowledge, maybe there is deeply buried one but the way I drank I think is born around escapism, lack of fulfilment and the need to get my derriere out there! I(not literally of course!) It would be easier just to open a bottle of wine and watch crap tv but Im sure if I make the effort now, life will be allot more fun! <br /> Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13256105169469286590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post-40381070301660940062015-09-13T00:59:11.071-07:002015-09-13T00:59:11.071-07:00Well, I disagree (without having seen the TED talk...Well, I disagree (without having seen the TED talk): You have written a very different story here, about how you drank a lot at work, and that you quit to get away from the boozy work environment (didn't work, of course).<br />My drinking did take a turn for the worse when my father died, but I know for a fact that I was born with special genes. Even as a child I was focused on alcohol, wild to get to my parents' beer (they were not huge drinkers and thought it was cute), binging i high school etc., and had a huge tolerance from the get go. <br />Meeting my husband, having a child, all very happy events, made me drink more rather than less. I drank because I was born to drink, no special circumstances required.Ullahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16422287349331460686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post-48111518928854615832015-09-12T14:09:35.282-07:002015-09-12T14:09:35.282-07:00I saw this talk a couple of weeks back too. It is...I saw this talk a couple of weeks back too. It is so true, for me the triggers were moving to Belgium and becoming a stay at home mum. Drinking took the edge off the loneliness but also stopped me from making new connections so I became more reliant on it. The talk really made me think. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03384586539207057247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post-10930145149939477402015-09-12T12:48:02.500-07:002015-09-12T12:48:02.500-07:00Hi Eeyore! I'm thrilled! Not only another chap...Hi Eeyore! I'm thrilled! Not only another chap, but a pessimistic donkey too :-) Amazed you read the whole thing, and most chuffed by your kind words. Thank you! SM xSoberMummyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09149651295183331661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post-6096576490448082172015-09-12T11:34:56.409-07:002015-09-12T11:34:56.409-07:00I agree.
I started bonding with happy hour and wor...I agree.<br />I started bonding with happy hour and work friends, then each year, it became a smaller circle, until at the end it was just one friend.<br />Then when retired, I had no one to bond with, just bartenders.<br />xo<br />WendyUntipsyteacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14975521042875808241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post-43377204839511494412015-09-12T11:07:37.090-07:002015-09-12T11:07:37.090-07:00Thanks for sharing that SM, the Ted Talk made me c...Thanks for sharing that SM, the Ted Talk made me cry a bit. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out WHY I drank so much, and it's true, once I was "disconnected", I did start bonding with the bottle. That, coupled with the reassurance from alcohol marketers everywhere, that it is completely NORMAL to glug away on our own, it's no wonder that alcoholism is on the increase among women who basically feel lonely. Great post xx<br />Jackiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09236064383725290818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post-49187244481234637122015-09-12T10:40:40.935-07:002015-09-12T10:40:40.935-07:00SoberMummy,
Wanted to say that I enjoy your blog ...SoberMummy,<br /><br />Wanted to say that I enjoy your blog very much. Over the course of the week I read all the entries in chronological order (oldest entry first). It's been fascinating to follow your story, progress, and hear your insights.<br /><br />I'm you second "official" male reader (I'm sure there are many more that haven't commented). It's a great blog and I can relate to your story even though 1. I'm a bloke and 2. I live in the states (California to be precise). I was a grad student in England about the time you were at Oxford - and I enjoy the english self-depreacting humor and point of view.<br /><br />Congrats again, I just wanted to say hi.<br /><br />Eeyoreeeyore.modhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17878586242292184206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post-86744650409172133632015-09-12T03:42:02.059-07:002015-09-12T03:42:02.059-07:00The more ratty friends we have, the better ;-)The more ratty friends we have, the better ;-)SoberMummyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09149651295183331661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4763877266715908242.post-76416516625527884992015-09-12T03:02:24.633-07:002015-09-12T03:02:24.633-07:00I reached out yesterday evening, emailing, texting...I reached out yesterday evening, emailing, texting and writing. Connections! I love them. Annie xAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com