Treatment Advice

[Andy in Sactown]

So, it's taken a long time to get ready for this, but I'm scheduled to go into a residential treatment program for my alcoholism next week.

The good news is my service is going to help fund recovery via the V.A.

I'm curious what advice anyone here can provide. Books I should read. Strategies or insights that might prove helpful. Obviously, please do not feel constrained by this thread. PM's are more than discretely welcomed.

 

[Cali_domer]

So, it's taken a long to time to get ready for this, but I'm scheduled to go into a residential treatment program for my alcoholism next week.

The good news is my service is going to help fund recovery via the V.A.

I'm curious what advice anyone here can provide. Books I should read. Strategies or insights that might prove helpful. Obviously, please do not feel constrained by this thread. PM's are more than discretely welcomed.

I PM'ed you

 

[BGIF]

Sorry to hear of your situation, Andy. Congratulations, if that's the appropriate word, on dealing with it. In my litany of medical issues that's not one that I've encountered so I can't offer any advice, only moral support. I trust there are others here who will be more helpful.

Best wishes.

 

[tadman95]

Let's do this!! One day, sometimes one second at a time. Find something new to interest you, to give passion!

Pulling for you, don't give up access to IE

 

[NorthDakota]

So, it's taken a long time to get ready for this, but I'm scheduled to go into a residential treatment program for my alcoholism next week.

The good news is my service is going to help fund recovery via the V.A.

I'm curious what advice anyone here can provide. Books I should read. Strategies or insights that might prove helpful. Obviously, please do not feel constrained by this thread. PM's are more than discretely welcomed.

Thank you for your service (or family member's) and good luck!

 

[Andy in Sactown]

Just knowing myself, I'll read a couple hundred pages in an afternoon. But as much as I want to utilize this time for personal growth, everyone has to take a breath from time to time.

I've already decided to start with St. Thomas Aquinas, so more suggestions in that vein are more than welcome, but also something to stagger with higher thought. I can't go back to Tolkien since I can recite most of his texts, but was considering revisiting C.S. Lewis.

Thanks again for all the suggestions, kind words and support.

-Andy

 

[Andy in Sactown]

Thank you for your service (or family member's) and good luck!

It's a family business. I'm 4th generation Navy. Thanks for your support.

 

[irishff1014]

Good luck man. Don't give up on yourself keep fighting.

 

[Old Man Mike]

The greatest source of grace on this planet is the direct wisdom/love of Jesus in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles. The amount read in any session is definitely not the point. It is whatever amount read and quietly meditated upon. Use the out-of-doors. Nature (God's Creation) is literally FILLED with God. Let the Holy Spirit whisper to you there. He is in the smallest creature and the grain of sand. Then find a cause to give yourself into --- something directly physically helpful to others. As the power of Life flows OUT of you rather than the deadening flow of Inwards-only, your spirit will strengthen and cleanse.

Get a place in nature to be with God the Creator, then get a place in Society to be with God the Son. You will find God the Holy Spirit there in both places waiting to embrace and strengthen you.

God Bless you and know that you are always loved by Him.

 

[Ndaccountant]

Best of luck to you. I have a few family members and friends that have entered treatment for various addictions. It won't be easy, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[ShakeDown]

If you like Tolkien, and the whole high fantasy genre, I would suggest Steve Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen and Robert Jordan (and later Brandon Sanderson’s)The Wheel of Time. That’s a solid 22.5k pages of material.

Best of luck friend.

 

[Greenore]

Hey Andy,

Given your background, I would suggest anything by Tom Clancy (RIP). It may be dated now, but he must have had some incredible inside information. IIRC, he was given some special Naval accolades to keep his mouth shut.

I really enjoyed his writing and intrigue.

Cheers and Go Irish!!

 

[greyhammer90]

So, it's taken a long time to get ready for this, but I'm scheduled to go into a residential treatment program for my alcoholism next week.

The good news is my service is going to help fund recovery via the V.A.

I'm curious what advice anyone here can provide. Books I should read. Strategies or insights that might prove helpful. Obviously, please do not feel constrained by this thread. PM's are more than discretely welcomed.

Congratulations on the self improvement you're taking on. I'd recommend working out or getting some other new hobby. My experience with friends and family who have cut out a negative activity is that the ones who replace it with another positive activity are the most successful. My BIL had an addiction issue and has since replaced it with bike racing competitively.

 

[Irishman77]

The greatest source of grace on this planet is the direct wisdom/love of Jesus in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles. The amount read in any session is definitely not the point. It is whatever amount read and quietly meditated upon. Use the out-of-doors. Nature (God's Creation) is literally FILLED with God. Let the Holy Spirit whisper to you there. He is in the smallest creature and the grain of sand. Then find a cause to give yourself into --- something directly physically helpful to others. As the power of Life flows OUT of you rather than the deadening flow of Inwards-only, your spirit will strengthen and cleanse.

Get a place in nature to be with God the Creator, then get a place in Society to be with God the Son. You will find God the Holy Spirit there in both places waiting to embrace and strengthen you.

God Bless you and know that you are always loved by Him.

One of the greatest posts I’ve read here. This is sage advice for all of us.

 

[bkess8]

So, it's taken a long time to get ready for this, but I'm scheduled to go into a residential treatment program for my alcoholism next week.

The good news is my service is going to help fund recovery via the V.A.

I'm curious what advice anyone here can provide. Books I should read. Strategies or insights that might prove helpful. Obviously, please do not feel constrained by this thread. PM's are more than discretely welcomed.

Shot you a PM Brother. Good luck and you can do it man!

 

[Henges24]

Andy, you seem to have a really good attitude going into it. That's step-1. You will pull this off. Good luck!

Use IE as a support system if you must. There are a lot of great people on here always willing to help.

 

[Irish#1]

I really can't offer a lot as I've never been down that road or had a family member in that position. I will say Greyhammer's suggestion of physical activity seems pretty solid to me. Best wishes. We're all pulling for you.

 

[Redbar]

God Bless, Andy.

 

[PraetorianND]

I've spent a ton of time in AA meetings as I was born and raised with two alcoholic parents that couldn't afford babysitters. However I don't have an issue with addiction myself, so can't speak to the personal mental stuff. What I did learn from all of those meetings I went to is that the people that were most successful a) wanted to change, and b) took active steps to change.

It sounds like step #1 is done, which is honestly the hard part. My dad was too prideful to admit that he wanted/needed to change and ultimately he drank himself to death.

As for #2, my mom filled her life with activities, hobbies, and super regular things that made drinking a practical impossibility. By putting a 6am workout on the calendar, and prioritizing everything on her calendar, she was able to break the cycle.

One thing I discovered from both my mom and dad, is that the second you think you're more powerful and stronger than your vice, you'll relapse. Just cut it off completely and don't consider it an option anymore, otherwise your genetics will take over and you'll be back where you started.

Godspeed and prayers.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

I can't speak to the helpfulness personally but I just heard this snippet the other day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LUm51Z-Ii0

In it Nikki Glaser talking about how she got away from alcohol and the book she recommends is, "The Easy Way to Stop Drinking" by Allen Carr

I wish you good fortune in the (interpersonal) wars ahead.

For Thomas Aquinas, I'd suggest foregoing his original texts for some condensed versions:

A First Glance at Thomas Aquinas: a guide for peeping Thomists is by an ND professor (I think?) and Chesterton's book on St. Thomas Aquinas was really good.