Monday, 2 March 2015

Monday Monday

It's Monday morning
And it couldn't have come soon enough
All day yesterday
I felt I was on the verge of withdrawal
I was yawning constantly
My eyes were streaming
Nose was running
And some time yesterday evening a dull ache set in my bones 
I can't remember the last time I had meds left on a Sunday
And Sunday is like an eternity with no meds 
The only thing that keeps me going is the thought of a fresh batch of meds in the morning 

I went to bed at one 
Read until two
Tossed and turned until three
Got up had a cup of tea and a biscuit
Read some more
And sometime in the wee hours I finally fell asleep

I awoke to a snow covered mountain
Bone chillingly cold 
Even the dogs didn't want to go outside
I made tea
And settled down to watch an episode of Frasier
For those of you that don't know
Frasier is a show that aired in the ninties 
About a psychiatrist and his family
I've watched the whole thing three times and I still find it hilarious
Then I got dressed 
Pulling on extra warm socks 
And a fleece in an effort to keep the heat in
I piled my dogs In to the car
Fetched my sister and headed off
Despite the snow
The roads weren't too bad
And I arrived on time
I sat in the waiting room
And read an article about how bloggers are taking over the world
Soon my doctor called me in
He told me to go ahead in to his room
I went in and sat in my usual seat
I looked around the room
The green feature wall
The weighing scales
Which always catches my attention
I noticed how messy his desk was
Coffee cups
Papers everywhere
I took a tissue out of a box and cleaned my nose
Soon my doctor came in
He sat down and smiled at me 
'How was your week?' He asked
'Ok' I replied 
'Did your methadone hold you?'
'Just about'
'Did you see The Boy at all?'
'Just once but didn't use' I said
He didn't drug test me
I told him it was harder to stay away fromThe  Boy than I thought
'Do you like him?' He asked
'Kind of' I said
He gave me a knowing look
As if to say 'That's looking for trouble girl'

He said last week that he was going to decease my methadone this week
I asked him if he still planned on doing that
He said he was
'Can you leave it at 26mls for another week or two?' I asked 
'No' he said flatly
'Just another week to get back on track?'
'No' he repeated pointedly 
I was quiet for a moment as he wrote my script
I was cheeky and asked him once more 
'Just one more week?' I chanced my arm
'Ok' he gave in
'One more week but don't argue with me next week'
'I won't' I promised
I know that's manipulation 
I know I can get around him if I want to
And I shouldn't 
Because he is a kind and decent doctor 
And I should really take his advice more
He gave me my script
And left
'Be good' he said to me as I walked out
'I will' I smiled

I am slowly but surely coming around to the fact that I just can't use
And that means I can't see The Boy
He may be able to hold down a job and live a relatively normal life using
But I sure can't 
It doesn't matter if I use once or one hundred times
The level of chaos is the same
I have to accept that I have an addictive personality
There is no off switch it off button with me
Once I start I can't stop
For love nor money

My feelings for The Boy are another problem 
He texted yesterday
And I actually had anxiety when I saw his name show up on my phone 
But in a strange way
Just knowing he wants to see me is enough
Just knowing that he may have feelings for me is enough
Despite what my family think
He is not a bad person
I know he doesn't think that giving me poppy tea is a bad thing
In his mind it is preferable to heroin
And anyway 
His life is more or less together
He functions
As I have said before
This is the first boy contact I've had in a long time
And when I say a long time
I mean it's been ten years since I've had a boyfriend
But then I was ill
So I was in no position to entertain boys
It's only now that I am feeling better
That I can even fathom having a relationship with a boy
For those ten years boys were not on my radar at all
And I didn't miss what I didn't have
But as you have said to me
This is just one boy 
And even I know it would never work
There is a whole world of boys out there
And I do believe there is someone for me
Who is meant for me
Who is healthy for me
I know there is

 So this week is operation get back on track
Dare I say it 
I am planning to go to a meeting this morning
Am I am looking in to starting an animal care course in September
I think it's now imperative that I find an occupation
And working with animals is where I am happiest

I got a question on my last post asking me for tops about starting to write a blog
So I am going to write a post about that tomorrow
I know that a lot of you have been blogging for a long time
So I would love if you chimed in with any advice you have about creating a blog

Have a happy Monday everyone
See you on the next post

Sunday, 1 March 2015

New blogs?

It seems that the blogosphere is quite quiet at the moment
So many people have left 
And it's been forever since I followed a new blog
So I'm inviting anyone out there with a new or existing blog to get in touch and share your blog
Maybe you are a new blogger?
Or maybe you have been reading here for a while?
Or maybe you've never commented before?
Whatever the reason
I'm on the look out for new blogs
So do get in touch.....

Saturday, 28 February 2015

Still standin'

The past week has been unimaginably hard 
So much has happened
And yet most of my family know nothing
So I am trying to save face for them
Using really threw me for a loop
And all I really learned is that I can't say no
And that I am still a greedy addict
The Boy has also confused me 
Wondering whether I  Iike him or not
Feeling strangely drawn to him
Anticipating his texts and calls
It's all very high school and hormonal
I now know that I can't see him
And I've accepted that
For now
Just knowing he wants to see me is enough

Anyway
This is just a quick post to let you know that I am still here
I'm hurt
I've been stung
A good friend had left me feeling bruised and battered
It sucks because I really cared about this person
Even though they think I don't 
The whole situation had me wondering whether I am a bad person
Or a sick person 
Sometimes I feel like I leave a trail of destruction in my wake
And hurt everyone around me
But do I really have that power?
I don't know



Friday, 27 February 2015

Dentist

I had an appointment with my lovely dentist today
As you know 
I had temporary crowns put in last summer 
And now it's time to get the permanent ones
My dentist had a big hello for me when he saw me
He shook my hand vigorously
And told me that I was looking great
He looked at my teeth
At which point he started to get very excited
'This is fantastic' he exclaimed 
'Your mouth looks so much better since you gave up smoking'
'I can't tell you how delighted I am with this, I'm going to turn you in to a fairy princess'
I had to laugh
He seemed so thrilled with the transformation
So he booked me in for an appointment in two weeks
It will be a marathon to get the job done
But my dentist assures me that it will be worth it

In the car on the way home
My Mum and I got chatting
She was saying how strong I am
And how I have overcome so much
I felt like a complete and utter hypocrite
I considered telling her the truth
But what will that do
Other than worry her
If only she knew though

She brought up The Boy too
I told her that he is moving
She seemed very relieved
And speaking of The Boy
He just texted me
I didn't text back
I can't
And I won't 

It's always hard to get back on track after a slip
The trust is now gone
And my sister is keeping a close eye on me
It's just a rotten situation for everyone involved
And it's down to me to put things right
 
It was easy to think that I wasn't really using
After all
It was just a cup of innocent tea right?
Maybe to some people
But for me 
It has the power to send me spinning out of control
It has the power to cause me to relapse
To break my families heart
To cause utter chaos in my life
Because I am an addict
A greedy, hungry, don't know when to stop, dust bin junkie
My brain works on the basis of all or nothing
There is no in between
No happy medium
No half measures
And I have to face up to this fact 
I can't use
I can't drink
Not if I want to face any semblance of a normal life

Now it's time to pick up the pieces
And put them back together as best as I can
It's time to take stock
To reflect on the last few weeks
And to think about where I go from here
I lost a friend this week because of what happened 
And that saddens me greatly 
She wants nothing to do with me
And that feels so crappy
But 
I understand that I have frustrated people
And let people down
Heck I am sick of myself
And the trail of destruction I leave in my wake
I need s good dose of common sense
And a swift kick up the ass
Any volunteers?

No seriously 
I have to get back on track
I know exactly what that entails
I have been here many times before
The only difference this time being that I have an awful lot to lose 
I can't 
I won't let that happen
It's time to pull up my big girl pants
And behave like a responsible adult for once in my life
As the saying goes 
It's not about the size of the dog in the fight
It's about the size of the fight in the dog
And this dog has a huge fight on her hands 

Fighter

I've decided to fight
To fight for my life
For my sanity 
For my health
And my mental health
For my future
For my dogs
But most of all for my family
I might survive another relapse
But it would damn near kill my family
I truly believe that an addicts family get the brunt of addiction
At least the addict gets to zone out with drink/drugs
The family has to suffer through it all

So yes
I was sitting on my living room with my mother and my sister last night
And I thought to myself 
Where would I rather be?
Would I rather be out in The Boys house
Drinking cups of poppy tea
Passive weed smoking
Listening to them waffle on in a drug addled monologue about the meaning of life?
I suddenly thought to myself
I don't want that
I would much rather be here with my family watching Eastenders
And drinking good old fashioned Barry's tea

It's no exaggeration to say that The Boy has turned my world upside down
And my poor sister doesn't know what to do
It's up to me to put this right
And to earn get trust back
Not easy let me tell you
I just don't want my mother to know
If I can get through this without telling her then I will

But yes
I have no other option than to fight
If not for myself
Then for my family
They don't deserve this
God knows they have suffered enough
I'm doing this for them
Until I'm able to do it for myself 

Thursday, 26 February 2015

Struggling

My sister knows 
She read my blog
Even though I asked her not to
She is not happy
And tells me if I see The Boy again
Or use again
She will call the police
And report me and him
I don't doubt that she will go this 
She means business 

He texted yesterday
Wanting to meet up
I decided to go and tell him that I couldn't see him anymore
Against my better judgement 
I went to his house
Where I found myself sitting in a living room
With three dudes all skinning up
Suddenly I just wanted to get out of there 
And just knew I had made a huge mistake going there
I racked my brain for an excuse to get out of there
I was becoming very anxious and paranoid
And just wanted to get the hell out of there 
It's like I suddenly realised that this was all bullshit
It wasn't real
And do I really want to be part of this world?
The answer is no
A definite no
I couldn't have got out of there quick enough
And before you say it
I know it was a really stupid thing to go and see him
I know it was putting myself in danger 
But yet I still plough ahead in to self destruction 

I am realising that I can't use recreationally
I can't drink socially
I can't have just one
I am an addict
And a greedy one at that
It has to be all or nothing

So there I was 
Sitting in a fog of dope smoke
Listening to these guys talking
I couldn't even say anything
I just wanted to run out of there 
I took out my phone 
And pretended that I had just got a text
I said it was my nephews school
And they needed someone to pick him up as he was sick
I made my excuses and left
It was such a relief to get in to my car and drive away from there
I don't know if they believed me
And I don't really care
All I know is that that is not a world I want to be part of
At least now I know that for sure

I arrived home
And my sister was on high alert
She wanted to know where I had been
And who I had seen
I told her the truth
There's no point in lying anymore
She is worried
But said she won't tell our mum
This time

I'm not sure why it's so hard to stay away from The Boy
He has nothing to offer me
Other than a drug habit 
But I still feel drawn to him
And I hate that I am
But I know I can't see him anymore
If I want to stay clean and sober
If I don't want to worry my family
It sucks

I have too much to lose though 
As my sister said to me yesterday
I have worked too hard to get to this point
I don't want to throw it all away
And lose the trust I have built up with my family
Do I really want to throw my life away for the sake of a boy or a drug?
The answer is no
I definitely don't 


Wednesday, 25 February 2015

NEDA

It's National Eating Didorders Awareness Week this week
An important date on the calendar for sufferers and their families
I know it has been in the media a lot this week in this country
My doctor from treatment has been on the tv and radio numerous times this talking about eating disorders 
I think it's so important to talk about EDs
As we all know
EDs have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness
That is a chilling statistic

Eating disorders thrive on secrecy
Sufferers don't want to talk about what they are doing
Because they are embarrassed 
Because they are afraid
And because they are ashamed 
I know in my case
It took me years to even admit to the fact that I had an ED
I couldn't face up to the reality that I had anorexia
As well as having an addiction
It was all too much
I remember feeling so scared and alone at that time
I knew nothing about EDs
I knew no one that had experience with them
And it was so confusing
As I had always loved my food
And now it was becoming my enemy
I didn't know where to turn
Or what to do
Telling my family was beyond difficult
But I soon found out that they had suspected I had food issues anyway
That's the thing about EDs
We think we are hiding them
And keeping them secret
But those that know us best 
Always know that something is up

I think it's so important to talk about EDs and mental health issues
Ten people kill themselves every week on this country
And eight of those are men
Some high profile people have spoken out about mental illness in this country
Which has started the conversation in homes
We are not very good at talking about our issues here in Ireland
We are experts at sweeping things under the carpet and burying our heads in the sand
My family used to be like that
Growing up our house was turbulent
There were issues that badly needed to be addressed 
But instead they were ignored
And they festered and stewed
Almost tearing my family apart
But now 
Years later
We are able to talk openly about out addictions and disorders
And we are closer than ever

My hope for this week
NEDA week
Is that people talk more about EDs
In my mind 
EDs are a way to take some control over our lives
Those with EDs are not happy well adjusted people 
We are suffering
Suffering from low self esteem
We have little or no confidence or belief in ourselves
We are lonely
And afraid
It's no exaggeration to say that hate ourselves
And so we try to take control ovet the one thing we can
Our weight

As we all know
Treating EDs is extremely difficult
You are dealing with someone who might not want to get well
And it's damn near impossible to treat someone who doesn't want the help
I have been in hospital and treatment many times
It was always me trying to maintain my illness
Trying to stay one step ahead of the staff
I saw them as the enemy
As them trying to take away the only thing that was keeping me going
For me
Inpatient treatment did not work
And it took me a while to figure that out
Being around other girls with chronic illness was so hard
And the docks all day was good and weight
I don't doubt that it works for some people
And you have to be so focused and determined to get well in that situation
I began to get well with the help of Mary
It took me a long time 
But eventually I mustered up the courage to address my demons
I found doing it from home suited me much better
I think that inpatient treatment really needs to be looked at
And more out patient treatment needs to be available

This week two years ago
There was an ED convention in my home town
Organised by Bodywhys and Mary
Two days before the convention
Mary rand myself and my mother
And asked us both to speak at the conference
I was terrified 
But I really wanted to do it
I wanted to be honest about what it is like to live day in, day out with an ED
I felt it was so important to let people know the reality of it
I wrote out my speech
And wrote as if no one was ever going to read it
The day of the conference
I was a bundle of nerves
I watched the room fill up
With doctors, psychiatrists, families and sufferers
I held my speech in my hands
Reading over it again and again
Soon it was my turn to speak
I don't remember much about reading it out
Only that it was over before I knew it
I got so much great feedback afterwards
Mary hugged me
And she had a tear in her eye
I hope my speech that day gave  people a better understanding of what it's like to live with an ED
Because often families and friends are at a loss as to what to do to help their loved one
And I think it's up to us
Those of us that are suffering or in recovery
To let others know how to help us
And to ask for that help
Because inspire of what we think 
We can not do this alone