September 09

03/09/09
I have still got this cold/virus, unbelievable! I am back at my place at the moment as I have been at my partners constantly for about 10 days so I went to the gym yesterday and today; yesterday I come out and felt OK but today I felt rough again for some reason. I think it’s just one of those illnesses that takes a while to shift. No beers at all.

06/09/09
A non eventful weekend, I went over to my partners but she was working both days. No beer as usual and my virus seems to be going.

07/09/09
I can’t really remember the summer and already autumn is approaching... I shall take a lot from the spring and summer though as it is when I finally beat alcohol using baclofen. I had many ups and downs in that period as you know but I have come out of it more than OK I think ? You have to give it a chance [baclofen] as I did; I was sick to death of being drunk practically every day and having to revolve my life around it and to be honest I think that's what gave me the determination to continue with the baclofen therapy? On reading the post last month Thistle pointed out that it is wrong to put your faith in a tablet that no one knows anything about. Unfortunately I do not agree with Thistle at all on this. If I didn’t put my faith in baclofen or in fact if nobody put their faith in baclofen how could anyone of discovered the possible benefits of using baclofen to treat addiction in the first place??? I am sure baclofen is a cure to addiction as it has CURED ME so what is the point of denying the facts? Yes it had side effects but doesn’t drinking? Yes it made me depressed initially but didn’t drinking regularly? Yes I felt lethargic but I never passed out like when I was drinking. Not only has baclofen stopped me from drinking I can now drive all over the place without having panic attacks, as I can do anything without having a panic attack. Baclofen gave me my life back that alcohol kept from me and I am forever grateful. In regard to nobody knows about baclofen that’s incorrect also as it has been around for 30 years +. And I believe totally that it is A CURE. I am glad you did not need baclofen to cure your addiction Thistle but I did and so will others. So if you are on baclofen or considering please give it a chance.

08/09/09
I forgot to mention what happened at the doctor’s, after doing a test they found I had a skin infection, so I’m not sure if the virus gave me a skin infection or the skin infection gave me a virus? But I got given some antibiotics and have started to feel much better. I have also been looking after my diet a lot more than I did and I do not seem to be getting cold sore outbreaks anymore; Initially I thought all my cold sores and virus and everything else was the baclofen, but obviously not and I’m really happy about it and it seems my body desperately needed some good old vitamin C. Obviously no beers today. Got to weigh myself this weekend, last month on the 10th I weighed 18st 9 so I had lost just over a stone, hopefully I have lost some more?

09/09/09
Have been practicing my sports trading today, getting the hang of it I think??? I’m going to set my income targets high and do my best to reach them over the next year. A problem I faced in my last couple of years of drinking [really heavy drinking] before the baclofen was that I lost sight of my goals, so now I want to concentrate my energies on my success. No beers today as I don’t drink any more.

13/09/09
It’s been really quiet since I last updated and I have been really focused on where I want to go and what I want to do. Initially when you give up drinking it’s almost depressing in itself because you think to yourself, what am I going to do? And you wonder what does a recovering alcoholic do now it’s all over? But to be honest that doesn’t last long and all of a sudden you have found you have adjusted to your new alcohol free life and haven’t really noticed the transition at all. Slowly but surely you just adapt and occupy your life with positive reassuring things. I was discussing with my partner my views about alcohol the other day and I said I just cannot see myself drinking again. I just cannot picture it, it’s like I don’t agree with it anymore personally. My partner still drinks a glass of red wine in the evening but I never wish I could when I see her pouring one, after all the hammering I have given my body I enjoy saying aloud and to myself, I don’t drink any more. As you may have noticed I brightened up the blog, as the other one was too dark, I think it’s a nice change? Also good stuff and congratulations Thistle on your new job.

14/09/09
Another quiet day, I didn’t do any work or sports trading or anything actually apart from walking round the supermarket. But as a rule I don't do too much on Monday work wise anyway. Went to the gym in the evening.

16/09/09
Another uneventful day, went to the gym in the afternoon and evening. I was talking with my partner the other day and we said how I never done anything without a beer; from going to the shops to having dinner absolutely everything revolved around beer. I actually cringe at the thought of it nowadays, emergency beers in every location you can imagine, drinking until you pass out every night, the hangovers, the bad diet, bad stomach, in fact bad everything, but none of it made a difference as long as I had my alcohol. After all that I still find it amazing that I stopped drinking completely and never have even the odd craving.

18/09/09
Stayed over at my partners last night but neither of us could sleep so I feel a bit tired today. Cooking dinner tonight and going to have a nice relaxing couple of days. A lot of football this weekend and some crucial games so that's going to be entertaining. I’m away Sunday as I have a seminar. No beer.

19/09/09
Curry was OK yesterday, I used different rice than I normally use to make the Thai special rice and the result a very light dish whereas I prefer it slightly stodgy as it should be. My partner liked it though. No beer.

21/09/09
I didn’t get back from my seminar until about 8.30 and went straight to the gym. For some reason I did feel very anxious throughout the seminar today? I didn’t get loads of sleep last night so maybe that’s the reason, but I managed without obviously. Also a nice and refreshing change was the fact that once I had got off the train I got into my motor that I had parked at the station and drove home. I understand this is quite normal for most people but it is still a novelty to me at the moment.

24/09/09
I have been going to the gym quite regularly once again and that has been nice. No beers or cravings but I have got another cold sore??? Also my anxiety has levels have dropped again since the seminar. Going to the east end to see some friends on Saturday hopefully.

27/09/09
I didn’t go to London and ended up doing sports trading all day Saturday. Sunday went to Southampton. Had a massive roast in the afternoon, absolutely lovely. I have got yet another cold sore, I just don’t know what is running my immune system into the ground but I am going to find out. I have another appointment at the doctors on Wednesday so hopefully he can advise? And I’m also going to lower my dose of baclofen as I want to be taking the lowest dose possible without having any cravings. I think it’s safe to do this as regularly I find myself taking a dose in the morning and then not needing anything else until the evening and almost forgetting to take the afternoon dose.

29/09/09
Reduced my dose to 120 mg. Still have chronic cold sores so I need to analyse what it is I am taking or doing that is running my immune system into the ground. Initially I thought it’s the baclofen but when I was on 300 mg I never use to get them like this.