Sunday, 15 March 2015

Life on life's terms



And boy have I had some storms to deal with recently
My life has been turned upside down in the past few weeks
My world has been rocked
I thought that I was doing ok
Coating along
Not using
Not critically underweight
But now I can see that I was just treading water
I was like a ticking time bomb
It was only a matter of time before I exploded
The Boy was the catalyst
But the wasn't the cause
It could have been anything
It just happened to be him

Despite the devastation
And the destruction that this recent relapse caused
And there was a lot of it
Some good things did come out of it
I am now back at meetings
Which is a huge step for me
If you have been reading for a while
You will know that I have been trying to get to a meeting for years
I also found out who my real friends are
Some people ran for the hills when it came out that I had used
Others rallied around me
And I am eternally grateful for that

I am one week clean today
I know that is a pitiful amount of time
But it marks the first steps of my recovery
Recovery from all mind altering substances
I  now see that I can't use
Anything
Be it alcohol
Or speed
Or cocaine
Or heroin
Or poppy freakin' tea
They are all a no go area for me
Maybe some people can use re-creationally
And still maintain a normal life
And function
But I sure as shit can't
I know that for sure now
I've always been an all or nothing person
There are no half measures with me
That's just the way I am
And I have to accept that
My self will has been running riot recently
And I left a trail of destruction in my wake
I want to be a better person
I don't want to be the person that I have been for the last few weeks
That is not the real me
Drugs turn me in to  a person that I don;t even recognize
And that is truly scary

I heard someone say this as a meeting recently

Give time, time

In other words
Things take time
Gaining back trust takes time
Becoming a better person takes time
Staying clean and sober takes time
Those three words mean a lot

So it is onwards and upwards
No looking back
No feeling sorry for myself
Time to dust myself off
And stand up as the person I want to be
Fake it til you make right?
I think so.......

Mothers Day

Usually I spend Mothering Sunday with my Mum
Usually I make her breakfast in bed 
Give her gifts
And bring her out for lunch
However 
This year is different 
This year my sister brought my mum to Prague for a few days
They arrived yesterday
And are living it up in a beautiful suite in a stunning hotel
I'm so glad that mum got to go away
God knows she deserves a break

So I am at home
Not home alone though
My Dad has come to keep me company for a few days
And of course Honey and Lea are never far from my side
I made my Dad dinner yesterday
Italian beef stew
I'm always meaning to post some recipes here
I can make a few dishes well
Taught to me by my sister who is an amazing cook
Anyway
I will get around to it at some stage 
So my Dad and I are spending quality time together
And are making dinner for my other sister and my nephew
Who are coming down later

Mother's Day reminds me how lucky I am
To have a mum that stood by me through everything we have been through
It reminds me to thank my lucky stars that I have a strong, kind and selfless mother
I have put my mother through more than any one person should have to take
Through my rebellious teenage years
Through my drug fuelled twenties
And of course through the eating disordered years
Which are still going on to a certain extent
Yes
I have broke my mothers heart more times than I care to remember
She has given me endless second chances
More than I deserved
So thank you Mum
For being there
And for knowing when to turn your back
For holding my hand through everything
For never giving up hope on me
For believing in me when I couldn't believe in myself
For carrying me when I couldn't walk
For loving me when I didn't love myself
For being strong when I was weak
Thank you

I'm doing my level best to get back on track
I've planned my week with things to keep me occupied
Unfortunately
Because I am getting my using under control 
My ED behaviours seem to be spinning out of control
Purging has increased some
I'm weighing multiple times a day
Although my weight seems to be staying stable
Fluctuating a kilo or so either side
I don't know if I am happy at the Wright I'm at
I mean
It's fine
It's ok
It's not fantastic 
I don't feel super good or confident
But I can accept it
And maybe that's enough for now
Maybe this is as good as it gets for me

After the dentist last Friday
I went to Rivet Island for a look
I found a lovely navy and white striped dress
With pockets and a tulip skirt
I took in a size 8 and a size 10
The 8 fit me perfectly
And I really liked it
I didn't buy it though
Not like me I know
But I think I am going to go back and buy it tomorrow
I will post photos too

Two of my crowns came out when o was eating chocolate yesterday
I bought some polygrip to try and secure them back in 
But that didn't work too well 
So it's back to the dentist tomorrow
To get them cemented back in
Pain in the buttocks 
But it has to be done

Anyway
I'm off to make dinner
See you on the next post.....


Friday, 13 March 2015

Weather forecast

To give us all a break from the drama that is my life
I thought I would write about something completely different today
As you know
I live in Ireland 
The west coast of Ireland to be a bit more precise 
I've lived in Ireland my whole life 
And there is one topic of conversation that is talked about more than anything else
More than the state of the worlds economy
More than any of the wars that are going on
More than any murders, rapes or kidnappings 
What is this subject I hear you ask?
Well 
As you might have guessed
It's the weather

We love to talk about the weather in this country
And we get great mileage out of it
It's talked about everywhere you go
With your neighbours
With shopkeepers
With people you pass when you're out for your morning walk
Oh yes 
We love to chat about the weather

Ireland is pretty well known for its weather
Especially rain
Rain is a common occurrence here
But the thing about this country is
You have to be prepared for every eventuality
It is not uncommon to have rain, wind, sunshine, hail and snow
All in the same 24 hours
So if you are heading out for the day
You really need to be prepared
And should really bring rain gear
Fleeces 
A heavy coat
And shorts and a t- shirt
Just in case

You would think that living in this country all year round
That we would be well prepared for all the weather we get
But we're not
You can always tell a tourist in this country
As they will be dressed weather appropriate
You can always spot an Irish person too
As they will be the one wearing a t-shirt in a storm
Or high heels in snow

Every so often we get extreme weather
Like bad storm
Or heavy snowfall 
You would think that we would be prepared for this
But no
Oh no
The slightest flurry of snow
And the whole country comes to a stand still
Roads are closed
Schools are shut down 
And people don't venture outside their front door
This is when preparation comes in handy
So for all you doomsday preppers  out there
Now is the time to break out your supplies

I was in my local store yesterday 
I was queueing up at the till 
There was a storm brewing outside
And there were about three people ahead of me in the line
The girl at the till had the exact same conversation with all the people before me
Girl: The weather is shocking today
Customer no 1: Oh I know it's desperate

Girl: The weather is tight today
Customer no 2: Absolutely

Girl: it's a miserable day today
Customer no 3: Absolutely

But more than talking about the weather
We Irish love to complain about the weather
We give out yards when the weather is bad
But secretly we are delighted as it gives us a great opportunity to complain
I've been to other countries
And no where I've  been do people talk about the weather as much as we do here
Why is that?
I'm not so sure
Maybe because we get such a variety of weather 
Maybe because the weather determined our day somewhat
What ever the reason
Talking about the weather is part of our culture
And when all other topics of conversation run out
The weather is always there 

Teething issues

As you know
I'm in the process of getting new teeth
Last August I had temporary crowns put in
They were replaced in December
And I'm now waiting to get permanent ones
I had an appointment this morning to take impressions of my teeth
My dentist is so funny
He's always telling me how great it is that I'm getting new teeth
And how he's getting 'great satisfaction' out of my case
It was a marathon session this morning
Almost three hours
First I had surface anisthetic applied to my gums
Then came the huge needle
I hate that part
It stings like nobodies business
There was lots of horrible noises 
And a lot of pulling and pushin and scraping
The noise alone was enough to make me want to run screaming from the room
He then took out my crowns
Which went flying across the room at speed
Next he took impressions of my teeth
It's a scary sight to see myself without the crowns
All that is left of my real teeth are little stumps
Pointy shards of rotting tooth
Next he put the crowns back in
Which took some time
I was so glad when he finally announced that we were finished 
I couldn't take much more

I've had an awful lot of trouble with my teeth over the years
A combination of smoking thirty a day
A drug addiction
Daily rinses of stomach acid
And ten years of methadone have really taken a toll on my poor teeth
I've had so many extractions
That all that's left in the back of my mouth is gum
Given all my teeth have been through
I'm lucky to have any left standing all
So I'm back in a couple of weeks for my final appointment
I'm dreading it already
But it's worth it to have nice white and straight teeth
My dentist is an artist I think

They say in recovery that you should do it for yourself
Get well for yourself
Get clean and sober for yourself
And if you can't do that
Fake it until you make it
When ever I have tried recovery
It's always been to appease others
And maybe that's enough to get clean
But not to stay clean
Which I am learning for myself
So this week
I decided to do a few things to help myself
I went to see my addiction counsellor
I had reflexology done
I went to a meeting yesterday 
And got my teeth done today
And I did all these things for my well being
I did them for my own peace of mind
My own self worth
And it felt good

So yes 
I went to a meting yesterday 
I was glad to see that the creepy man wasn't there
 I was asked to do a reading at the start of the meeting
For some reason this caused me huge anxiety
And at one point I didn't think I could do it 
But I took some deep breathes
Grounded myself
And I was able to continue

The meeting itself was great 
Listening to the readings
And listening to others share
Made me realise that I was in the right place
That I am an addict 
And I need a programme to get well
I'm not sure why 
 But I always fight with myself over going to meetings
A big part of me doesn't want to go
And resents going
But yet when I am there
I have no doubt that I am in the right place
And am around others who are just like me

After the meeting I felt like my battery was charged
Like my fuel tank was full again
And I felt able to go out and face the day
So often I am going around with an empty fuel tank
Running off of fumes
With no energy
Going to a meeting is like a shot of adrenaline in the arm
And it was much needed

My mother and my sister can't in to the living room yesterday
And told me they needed to speak to me
I immediately became anxious
As I had no idea what this was about
It turns out
That my sister is bringing my mother away for a few days to Prague
From Saturday to Thursday
Although my dad will come down for a couple of those days
I'm really glad they are going away
God knows my mother needs a treat
They made it clear that they are trusting me with the house
And if I mess up
There will be consequences
I am determined not to mess this up
I will stick with my clean friends
Go to a meeting or two
And generally keep my head down and out of trouble
This is my chance to prove that I can be trusted

That's all the news from here today
See you on the next post x

Thursday, 12 March 2015

This Girl




This girl is Ruby

This girl is 33

This girl lives with her mother and sister

This girl has two dogs

She is the youngest of four

This girl loves to write

To dance

And to swim

She loves her dogs and her family more than anything 

How ever

This girl is flawed

She has made a lot of mistakes

She has come through drug addiction

And anorexia/bulimia

She relapsed recently on drugs

She made many mistakes

Hurt everyone she holds dear to her

She is trying to make it right 

But saying sorry only goes so far

She needs to show people she wants to get back on track

This girl struggles every day 

To stay clean and sober

Not to binge and purge

She battles her demons constantly

Torn between what her addiction wants her to do

And what she wants to do

This girl has always been told that she has potential

But what does that mean?

That she could do something great

Possibly

Maybe 

This girls confidence is perpetually low

Her self esteem is non existent

She needs to be told by others that she is doing ok

Because telling herself isn't enough

This girl is battling self hatred

She never knew it was possible to hate herself so much

She thinks she is a bad person

She is convinced that she is nothing more than a manipulative devious addict

Recent events have proved this theory right

This girl hates her body too

She thinks she is over weight

Even though the scales tell her otherwise 

This girl is paralysed by fear

Crippled by anxiety

This girl is on many meds

Sometimes she feels they are the only things holding her together 

For a long time this girl wanted to disappear

She didn't care if she lived or died

But now this girl wants to live

She wants to survive

She wants to experience love and laughter and joy

She wants to move on with her life

She doesn't want to be reliant on drugs for the rest of her life

She wants to pursue her education

She wants to work

She wants to have a social life

Friends

A boyfriend

This girl wants to help others through her own experiences

She wants to use her past as a motivator to get well

This girl wants to be a good person 

She wants to be better in every area of her life

She is hopeful

She is positive

She is taking baby steps every day

This girl believes in a better life 

Wednesday, 11 March 2015

So much for a break.......

I know I said I was taking a break
Or a possible break
But then I realised that this is one of the only outlets I have to vent about this
I need to write about it
I need to make sense of it
As much as I can 

I think it's fair to say that the drugs are now out of my system
I feel like I am back to myself
And I don't look like death warmed up anymore
However 
I feel like I am on the verge of withdrawal 
I'm yawning constantly
My eyes are streaming 
And my nose is running
I hope it doesn't get any worse
As I really can't handle it at the moment
It's bad enough the mental torture I am going through
But to add physical symptoms to that isn't too much for one girl 

My family are on high alert
And the eye is on me
I think back to Saturday
And it's like a bad dream
My mother is the most gentlest kindest person you could meet
She rarely gets angry 
But man
She lost it with me at the weekend
I haven't seen her that upset since I was using years ago
And it was a shock to see it
It really hit home how serious this all is

I've always worried that I am a bad person
I really do t want to be a bad person
I want to be good and honest and decent
But the truth is
When I am using
I am a bad person 
When I am using 
The drug is the only thing that matters
When I am using
Any loyalty or love goes out the window
When I am using
I lie
I cheat
I steal
I manipulate
I become everything that I loathe
It's time to take a good hard look at myself
And decide what kind of person I want to be

This isn't my first rodeo
I know what I need to do
But knowing it and doing it
Are two completely different things 
I can talk the talk
But can I walk the walk?

As you know
For the longest time 
I didn't want to live
I was planning on disappearing
I wasn't actively seeking death
But I welcomed it
I had a passive death wish
I was more afraid of living than I was of dying
But in the last year
Things have changed for me
And for the better
I now can say that I want to live
I want to be alive
I want to love
And laugh and experience everything that life has to offer
To use
Is to choose to stay in deaths waiting room
It's the same with an eating disorder
It's a slow suicide
And I don't want that for me or my family anymore
I want to live

On Monday
My counsellor Breda told me to fake it til I make it
To good through the motions
Until it becomes real for me
Good advice I think

In other news 
I had reflexology done yesterday
It was amazing
So gentle and relaxing
And it was nice to do something good for myself
To help with my well being
Alternative therapy is part of my counselling
And it only costs me €5 per session
Usually it would cost €40
So that is great

Also today 
I am seven months smoke free
And it feels so good

So am trying
Trying to get back on track
To rebuild the trust with my family 
To get and stay clean
To go to meetings and take part
To be a better person
A better daughter
Sister 
Auntie
And friend
I know it will take time
And I need to be patient 
And do the next right thing

Thank you for your comments, emails and texts 
They mean more than you will ever know

Tuesday, 10 March 2015

Possible Break

I've been thinking
About this blog
And wondering whether or not is a help or a hindrance at the moment
Don't get me wrong
Most of the time my blog is a force for good
But at times like this 
When I am struggling and
And when things are not going well
I wonder if I shouldn't be focusing on my real life 
And mending relationships here 
I've managed to hurt a lot of people recently
People I care about
And have a lot of time for
I think I may even have lost a couple of people forever 
Which breaks my heart

Something which bothers me some
Is that my blog stats shoot up whenever something goes wrong in my life
And I write about it here 
I'm wondering why that is
And why misery is more popular that happiness

So I am thinking of taking a break from blogging
I'm not sure yet if I will
But I think it may be a good idea 
While I put things right in my life and relationships
And I have a lot of that to do
So if I am not around
That is why

In the mean time
Take care of yourselves
Stay safe 
Be kind to you 

All my love, 

Ruby x