I'm new here and won't be taking Nal until Monday BUT I'm trying all the tricks of the trade to psych myself up for success.

One strategy I'm going to use is visualization. I have a dream connected with my drinking that I'm going to use to keep me motivated. Just general thinking about drinking "normally" won't be enough to get me over any stressful times ahead.

Here's my visualization scenario (I'd love to read yours....)

I get off the plane after a long, uncomfortable trip from Toronto to Phoenix. Home was -15 degrees with a landscape of frozen slush and dirty early spring snow, Phoenix is 75 degrees, blue sky, warm sun. My beautiful daughter is waiting at the airport to drive me to her fab house in Scottsdale in her Mercedes. We get into her 6,700 sq ft home and she puts me into one of the 6 bedrooms to put my stuff away.

Then after a wash and brush up I join her in her fantastic kitchen. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, sparkles are glinting off the azure blue water in the pool.....she turns to me and says "well, Mum, would you like a drink?"

AND I SAY "NO THANKS, HON, I'M NOT THIRSTY" YES YES YES!!!!! That's my dream. And first week in March 2010 which will be my next visit down to see her that's what's going to happen!!!

What's your dream?

My dream: to always walk around with my fly up. That's a quote from the great Firebird on this board. Excellent question. My dream is to not even think about alcohol when I'm stressed out, sad, happy, lonely, anxious, feeling a sense of accomplishment, or any other emotion that has historically led me to drink. And, I'm just about there. Great post.

Just livin' the dream, my friend.

NO,NO,NO you're not getting it!!!! what do you mean you want to just have your fly done up???? I want to hear the kind of pants you'll be wearing, how about the shoes? Are you at home when you're pants are done up? or are you walking down easy street with a lovely gal on your arm?

Maybe this is a girl thing? Visualization must as specific as we can get it....for example, I can remember feeling so terrible sitting at a dinner table across the street at our neighbours' house - man I was really drunk - I felt so inferior because I knew I was not in control - the conversation was buzzing around my head - I had eaten way too much food, the neighbour husband is not my favourite - he's a bit "leery" if you know what I mean - and he kept filling up my glass and filling up my glass - even though they had drunk a ton of wine I seemed to be the only one out of control....but I can visualize now a whole different dinner party - one where I am cool, in control, enjoying eating just enough food to be comfortable - saying no to more wine - or simply walking away and leaving that tall elegant glass of wine sitting there on the table while I go to talk to another guest - then looking at my watch and saying to myself "man these people are getting a little boring - hasn't he told that story three times this evening - I think I'll slip away." Now that's visualization and I know it's going to help me succeed!!!!!!


Commmmmmooooooonnnnnn people - what are your dreams???????

I want to be able to go to work and serve an entree to a guest without having to worry about whether my hands are going to shake so bad that I drop the plate. I want to go back to school and get a real job. I want to be able to lay down next to Jane, hold her tight, close my eyes and go to sleep listening to the sound of her breathing. I want to be able to do this and not be waiting for her to fall asleep so I can sneak out and pound a bottle of wine. I want to fall asleep next to her and not be be screaming silently inside my head: "You're gonna lose this warm body next to you if you don't stop this! What the **** are you doing? Stop Evan stop you f***ing idiot, you're going to lose everything that matters to you..."

That's my dream.

Hi BGH,

You are totally right about the visualisation thing. It's something I've been way into for many years, since I learned about it through Psycho-Cybernetics, as well as many other sources. These techniques really do work for most things in life. I tried to apply visuailsation, as well as a host of other such techniques to my drinking problem over the years, only to find my faith shaken, and my head hurting.

My addiction was somply not going to be cured by that type of exercise alone. Although I have found great success using "mind magic" in every other area of my life, addiction substitutes it's own visualisations and affirmations into my thought processes - and not usually to my benefit! I'm not knocking these techniques, by any stretch. It's just that in my case, I needed medical intervention (TSM) to get my thoughts in order before I could visualise anything beyond a six pack of Pabst and a bottle of cheap wine.

But yes, be specific when you visualise. See the condensation droplets on those blue and white cans. See and smell the drops of sweat forming on the clerk's brow as he wipes off the condensation to scan the price with that little scanner thingy-bob. Picture in the theater of your mind the psshhhhiiit of beer fumes making their escape as the tab pierces the top of the can . . .

All in good fun And I will picture my fly firmly and snugly at the top of its trail, at least when I want it to be.

Firebird - I'm visualizing the fly done up thing and having a good laugh - that really knocked me out and I will use that as a pretty amazing "visual" when I look at my nieghbour gents drinking too much at the next dinner party on our block. There's a saying that if you fear a situation like public speaking, or if some people make you crazy you should visualize them naked!! Takes all the fear away - that's what I'm going to do with a few of the gents around here. Don't get me wrong - we live on a great block - fine folks - teachers, a pharmacist, a lineman, my hubby a news hack retired and freelancing - but man when we all get together for BBQ or dinner!! Alcohol is the guest of honour!!!!!

I feel out of control pretty fast and somehow this makes me vulnerable to "looks" and suggestive jokes = even though they are not coming on to me or anything, they are just a bit looser than they would be in the morning over the back fence - I just feel vulnerable - it's the spaced out, out of control thing. But now, of course, I'm going to be able to get a handle on this beast - I can use the naked thing to look at these guys with a little secret smile!!!! Much better.