ForumGarden

a few of you may know i have been a massive social drinker for the last 5 years since the deaths of my brother casey and the murder of my cuz sam who was my best friend

i then found out my daughter had been raped and was in a mental hospital

plus sue dying twice through botched hospital and nearly ending up in a wheel chair which may still happen and i was thinking you guys have been there with me every step of the way through it all ,all the horrors that life can bring you guys have been there ... it just makes me well up and think ... you guys are jinxes :yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl er just kidding



i drank very very heavy to numb it never at home though just out in pubs which kinda made me feel it was kinda allright

my doctor put me on amitriptyline for National Fibromyalgia Association: About Fibromyalgia which is a horrid depressing condition loads of pain loads of tiredness ouch

any way i had a point oh yes i had been sent a letter by my doctor saying i needed a blood test for my blood pressure ,i was not prepared for the out come ,a safe level of this enzyme in your liver is 44 mine was 149 no ifs no buts if i carried on drinking my liver would fail :-5

in a pub i am probably the funniest most popular guy there in every pub i go in ,i know that sounds big headed but thats the truth

all i knew is builders and pubs i never knew any normal people except you guys ,every one else drunk and very heavy

i thought my world had ended i stopped drinking 3 weeks ago the first week i was pizzed off beyond belief but just as i seemed to of lost my life a new one opened for me a new world without hangovers ,time with my children and doing things i never of dreamed of ,seeing the fam more i even went to a rock concert with my son and my daughter last night ... why oh why could i not of seen this life before then it hit me BLIND DRUNK maybe that is where the saying comes from

i know a few months ago i went a little weird or weirder than normal even sorry about that

i stopped taking my meds i was hallucinating so i stopped taking them not realising you are ment to slowly wean yourself off of the things .it brought on a very trying time in my life but i'm more normal these days ..well for jimbo normal i mean ...thanks guys for everything over the years

AMITRIPTYLINE Withdrawal Symptoms May Include:

aggression, anxiety, balance issues , blurred vision , brain zaps, concentration impairment, constipation, crying spells, depersonalization, diarrhea, dizziness. electric shock sensations, fatigue, flatulence, flu-like symptoms, hallucinations, hostility, highly emotional, indigestion, irritability, impaired speech, insomnia, jumpy nerves, lack of coordination, lethargy, migraine headaches / increased headaches, nausea, nervousness, over-reacting to situations, paranoia, repetitive thoughts or songs, sensory & sleep disturbances, severe internal restlessness (akathasia), stomach cramps, tremors, tinnitus (ear ringing or buzzing), tingling sensations, troubling thoughts, visual hallucinations / illusions, vivid dreams, speech visual changes, worsened depression

Because AMITRIPTYLINE influence numerous systems of the body and brain, stopping AMITRIPTYLINE abruptly can cause what is termed a discontinuation syndrome. Therefore, gradual dose reduction (also known as tapering), combined with specific nutritional support is recommended to help the body and brain during the withdrawal.

ok:D so you not drinking at all? do you think you would be bale to have one or two ,, and leave it at that, or would you not be able to stop once you ahd a couple? Are you still going to the pub and seeing your friends there? do they give you a hard time, or have they accepted it quite easily?,,, if you know why im so nosey and asking so many questions, could you enlighten me please:Dyh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

kazalala;1205508 wrote: ok:D so you not drinking at all? do you think you would be bale to have one or two ,, and leave it at that, or would you not be able to stop once you ahd a couple? Are you still going to the pub and seeing your friends there? do they give you a hard time, or have they accepted it quite easily?,,, if you know why im so nosey and asking so many questions, could you enlighten me please:Dyh_rotfl:yh_rotfl


i could just have one or two but to be honest i'm just going to have none ,i'm drug free by that i mean doctor approved drugs ,i have never been into drugs at all ,and from the 3rd of june i am and will be tea total for ever ,believe me stopping drinking is very hard all my mates would love to but they cant ,i have even had a diet coke in the pub and people have brought a large jack daniels and put it in front of me saying resist it if you can ..i did,taking sue out when she is drinking and i'm not plus seeing all our friends drunk and them saying go on one wont hurt you aint to clever :-5:-5

farmer giles;1205513 wrote: i could just have one or two but to be honest i'm just going to have none ,i'm drug free by that i mean doctor approved drugs ,i have never been into drugs at all ,and from the 3rd of june i am and will be tea total for ever ,believe me stopping drinking is very hard all my mates would love to but they cant ,i have even had a diet coke in the pub and people have brought a large jack daniels and put it in front of me saying resist it if you can ..i did,taking sue out when she is drinking and i'm not plus seeing all our friends drunk and them saying go on one wont hurt you aint to clever :-5:-5


yea thats exactly what i was thinking:sneaky:men are so weird that way,,, well when i say weird i mean stupid really:-5:-5:rolleyes: why cant they just accept you need to do it and let you get on with it? why does it matter so much to them if someone chooses not to drink??? It just bamboozles me it really does ( i love that word ,, bamboozle:)). I have seen my hubs do it,,, go on here just have the one,, it wont hurt,,, go on you may as well,,, are you sure,, sure you sure are you sure on and bloody on,,, till i usually scream,, fgs they dont want one they are a grown person let them make their own decisions!!!!!!!:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl eeee fun times out with me and hubs eh:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

Awwwww Jim:-4



You have been through a lot of tragedies during your lifetime. I hope things get better for you:-6



I agree with Kaz, why can't one's mates just accept the fact that people want to better themselves and give up vices that will hurt them...like drink and cigarettes.



Congrats to you Jim....stay safe and sober:D



And Kaz....great on you for giving up the fags...



You both rock:guitarist

kazalala;1205514 wrote: yea thats exactly what i was thinking:sneaky:men are so weird that way,,, well when i say weird i mean stupid really:-5:-5:rolleyes: why cant they just accept you need to do it and let you get on with it? why does it matter so much to them if someone chooses not to drink??? It just bamboozles me it really does ( i love that word ,, bamboozle:)). I have seen my hubs do it,,, go on here just have the one,, it wont hurt,,, go on you may as well,,, are you sure,, sure you sure are you sure on and bloody on,,, till i usually scream,, fgs they dont want one they are a grown person let them make their own decisions!!!!!!!:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl eeee fun times out with me and hubs eh:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl


bam booze al it really is self explanatory as to why you love the word kaz :yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl



the reason men cant cope with a guy not drinking is they know deep down they cant stop and some one having the will power to do so makes them realise the drink controls them

Hang in there; you know I have always liked the way that you are so open and honest about yourself. You are a good guy who has experienced some bad stuff, but don’t let he bad stuff define who you are.

You are one of the good guys¦ fight¦ win! :yh_sungla

Kathy Ellen;1205519 wrote: Awwwww Jim:-4



You have been through a lot of tragedies during your lifetime. I hope things get better for you:-6



I agree with Kaz, why can't one's mates just accept the fact that people want to better themselves and give up vices that will hurt them...like drink and cigarettes.



Congrats to you Jim....stay safe and sober:D



And Kaz....great on you for giving up the fags...



You both rock:guitarist


Thanks Kathy,,, thing is i think you probably get more support giving up smoking than you do giving up drinkingNo one has tried to persuade me to have a cigarette:)

kazalala;1205523 wrote: Thanks Kathy,,, thing is i think you probably get more support giving up smoking than you do giving up drinkingNo one has tried to persuade me to have a cigarette:)


want a fag you know you want too :yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:sneaky:

i really admire you for quiting kaz you are one of fg's finest :-6:-6

kazalala;1205523 wrote: Thanks Kathy,,, thing is i think you probably get more support giving up smoking than you do giving up drinkingNo one has tried to persuade me to have a cigarette:)


I really admire you Kaz for giving up the fags. I smoked all of my life and gave them up years ago. I will never smoke again although I do have the odd, sweet cigarillo now and then. Just take a few puffs and then I'm done.



Giving up cigarettes was the hardest thing that I've ever done and still miss smoking:(...but, that's past history now;)

farmer giles;1205526 wrote: want a fag you know you want too :yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:sneaky:

i really admire you for quiting kaz you are one of fg's finest :-6:-6


aw fanksD and well done on giving up drinking! i know that must be hard,, specially for a man

I can relate to this Jimbo. My husband drinks NA beer. He likes the taste of beer but not what the alcohol does to him. I had a lady, who is a functioning alcoholic, give me hell for not letting him drink a shot on his birthday. She couldn't grasp the concept that, for him, one shot leads to ten. I see it all the time where I work. If you were to come in, I would refuse to serve you alcohol. It takes the pressure off the person who doesn't want to drink.

As far as not taking meds for fibromyalgia, it's not going to go away. Talk to your doctor. There are other meds out there.

Good luck to you and know that I am very proud of you for giving up alcohol. Keep up the good work.:-4

mikeinie;1205522 wrote: Hang in there; you know I have always liked the way that you are so open and honest about yourself. You are a good guy who has experienced some bad stuff, but don’t let he bad stuff define who you are.

You are one of the good guys¦ fight¦ win! :yh_sungla


thanks mike :-6

Kathy Ellen;1205519 wrote: Awwwww Jim:-4



You have been through a lot of tragedies during your lifetime. I hope things get better for you:-6



I agree with Kaz, why can't one's mates just accept the fact that people want to better themselves and give up vices that will hurt them...like drink and cigarettes.



Congrats to you Jim....stay safe and sober:D





And Kaz....great on you for giving up the fags...



You both rock:guitarist




thanks kathy :-6



i joined a forum called sober recovery :-3 or something like that

any way there was this guy called dave i think on it

his doctor told him he must stop drinking or die

i followed his journal for several months he was saying how hard he was finding it

on his journal the other member where trying to help him stop drinking

i followed his journal for a few months reading all his trying to stop and all the times he had failed then one post at the end by his friend said thanks for all your support dave died yesterday the drinking caused massive renal failure :(

it kinda hit home to me what crap i was really in ,i remembered my cuz sam's children crying at his grave side as they lowered his coffin in then pictured my children crying by mine ...i know i cant put them through it i must drink no more

Peg;1205533 wrote: I can relate to this Jimbo. My husband drinks NA beer. He likes the taste of beer but not what the alcohol does to him. I had a lady, who is a functioning alcoholic, give me hell for not letting him drink a shot on his birthday. She couldn't grasp the concept that, for him, one shot leads to ten. I see it all the time where I work. If you were to come in, I would refuse to serve you alcohol. It takes the pressure off the person who doesn't want to drink.

As far as not taking meds for fibromyalgia, it's not going to go away. Talk to your doctor. There are other meds out there.

Good luck to you and know that I am very proud of you for giving up alcohol. Keep up the good work.:-4


See thats what i dont get?? why do people think you cant possibly enjoy yourself if you cant have a drink? dont get me wrong,, i like a drink ,,but i very rarely drink enough to get me drunk ,,and i drink what i actually like the taste of, not just anything as long as its alcohol:rolleyes:but if i didnt fancy drinking,, or was on antibiotics or summat it dont bother me at all that i cant have a drink.. i can still enjoy myself:rolleyes:

Thank for that last post Jim....really makes you think about your health.



Think I'll also have some good healthy grub at my Irish pub, and then go for a long walk along the stand.:guitarist I can smell the sea from my home:-4

Kathy Ellen;1205542 wrote: Thank for that last post Jim....really makes you think about your health.



Think I'll also have some good healthy grub at my Irish pub, and then go for a long walk along the stand.:guitarist I can smell the sea from my home:-4


i hope to come to CT next year so iwill take you up on that kathy :-6:-6:)

Good for you, since I got fibromyalgia I found that my body won't tolerate much alcohol so I was forced into cutting back!



Don't rule out prescribed medicines for your condition altogether - mine help so much I wouldn't be without them. Remember that fibromyalgia has lots of associated conditions too, some of them really do need some medical help.

read your story-wow-thinking about you and hoping you are better! I just signed up here today so i don't know how all this really works so i'll start with this....

Well done Jim and good luck I know you can do it. :-4

Imladris;1205651 wrote: Good for you, since I got fibromyalgia I found that my body won't tolerate much alcohol so I was forced into cutting back!



Don't rule out prescribed medicines for your condition altogether - mine help so much I wouldn't be without them. Remember that fibromyalgia has lots of associated conditions too, some of them really do need some medical help.


uh oh

er what other ones :-3:-3

sunnyskies;1205654 wrote: read your story-wow-thinking about you and hoping you are better! I just signed up here today so i don't know how all this really works so i'll start with this....


welcome to fg:):)

i wish i'd done a kaz diary



first week i felt ok but really down

2nd week i felt really ill ,when i started drinking loads of water like they said my right side was killing me like i had beaten with a baseball bat

my side swelled up and sue wanted to take me up the hospital as my ribs at the back where pudhed out and she was worrried about the swelling

3rd week i am feeling great not much pain swelling all but gone and that heart burn type feeling has all but gone

all in all

i have found it all quite easy :-3:-3 early days though:D

Well done Jimbo, i will drink to that.

Barman;1205752 wrote: Well done Jimbo, i will drink to that.


tosser :yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

good to see ya buddy :)

Jimbo. May I speak my mind?

Ok, well I'm going to anyway.

In my life, I have met many drunks, in fact, I've been one myself. Jeez, I look back and remember how I used to go out and drink, smoke cannabis and just get laid out. Those were my young days. They, my young days, continued till I hit my heart attack when I was 49.

But as drunks go, you were unique. I didn't have a lot, of time to chat with you in Birmingham. Face to face and all that. I would like to have done because you need to know something.

Underneath all that drunken besottery is a winner, a trier, a real aimer. You even have your own language and dialect. That makes you a king, man.



What you might not recognise, but which is something that all of us on FG can see plain as day is that you have an enormous quantity of compassion for everyone. You try bto hide it within your zaniness, but it stands out a mile. It's also what's kept you alive and going in your turmoil. Life's a fukker for the best of us, but you've had some real ***** to deal with. I understand the need to get drunk and how it can tend to pull you into your very sadness. But the real man can pull away once there's a way out. That is what sets you apart from your fellow drinker. You drink and you entertain us to distract yourself from your pain and sorrow.

No more, Jimbo. At last your dawn has brightened and you can follow that light. Go for it. Say no goodbyes. Change your name even if it helps. There's no law against it. Though you'll always be that Jimbo to us. The guy that loves to laugh, say wise things in a different way.

You know, I've been through a lot of pain myself throughout my life - from my childhood up - and yet, I find it hard to place myself in your shoes.

Now it's time to redress the balance. You can't change except yourself. But the most important thing is to be nobody else. Be you. There's someone out there who, underneath it all, wants to know who you really are. Don't lie to that person. Don't pretend. After all, there's nothing to be gained from pretense. It's fine when you want to hide away.

Jimbo, Farmer Giles, FG. Whatever you want to be called. You are well loved on here and everyone here respects someone who speaks from their heart as you have done.



Go forth, mate, and bring her home, so to speak.

I have faith in you.

I believe in you.

I like you very much and Im in your corner.

I want to see you happy healthy and norm....happy and healthy.

Jimbo your one of my favorite people and you have had some difficult time over the past few years. Your due for some peace of mind, body, and soul and you are on the right track. I'm in your corner and only wish you the very best as you work through these live changing times. Just come here and talk it out when ever you need to we will be here for you.

I'm not a big drinker but my father was and it took his life at 57. When they opened him up he had the inside of a 75 year old man. I miss my father each and every day he was a great guy just like you. So take care of your body we only have one and it so adaptable and can take a lot of abuse. When it is telling you to slow down please listen. :-4

You are a very brave man and intelligent to realize what you had to do. I was married to an alcoholic who didn't realize what he was doing to himself and his loved ones. It killed him. You are on the right path. Good luck on your journey.

OM,Nomie ,Carla and Zapata

thanks very much for your kind words

maybe this is my time ,my time to have anormal life

honestly my teeth are ground down from all the gritting them trying to force myself forewards

last night was royal ascot day ,the horse races where every one gets very very drunk ....except me

sue was very very merry every one was dancing and singing i tried to enjoy it but could not so i left sue and her friends and took the dogs on a 4 mile walk

i picked her up about midnight

whilst i was outside i saw maggie a woman ten years older than me ,she has just lost a 13 year old granddaughter to cancer ,she is very worried about her son he is going out of his mind with grief ,we had a long chat we both shed a few tears i'm a very soft guy i told the woman to give him all the love she can he is going to go through hell and back for many years and i told her he will never be the same ever ,there is a book called Loss Review it should help

now if i'd of been drunk or merry i would not of been able to do that would i



not to mention no hangover today :-6

my song listen to the words in the middle

i saw these in concert in portsmouth i took my son and daughter ,it was fantastic i was so happy i cried ... quitly on my own no one saw , it was the emotion of knowing i had beaten the drinking and i was going to live to see my children and hopefully my childrens children grow up :-6:-6



please listen to the words :)



YouTube - Shinedown - Sound of Madness lyrics

Good for you, mate. I'm glad to hear that you're not only getting over it but feeling good about it.

'Fraid I can't play anything just yet. I haven't got round to checking whether my stereo works or not.

farmer giles;1205751 wrote: welcome to fg:):)

i wish i'd done a kaz diary



first week i felt ok but really down

2nd week i felt really ill ,when i started drinking loads of water like they said my right side was killing me like i had beaten with a baseball bat

my side swelled up and sue wanted to take me up the hospital as my ribs at the back where pudhed out and she was worrried about the swelling

3rd week i am feeling great not much pain swelling all but gone and that heart burn type feeling has all but gone

all in all

i have found it all quite easy :-3:-3 early days though:D


:yh_rotflIts not too late ,, backdate it:-3:D

Its probably not that easy ,,, just not as earth shatteringly terrible as you imagined it would be;):-6

Good for you Jim, now what are you going to do with all that excess cash you spent on booze? Start putting past what you would have spent in the pub and dream of yourself on some exotic beach or whatever floats your boat mate :-6

buttercup;1205987 wrote: Good for you Jim, now what are you going to do with all that excess cash you spent on booze? Start putting past what you would have spent in the pub and dream of yourself on some exotic beach or whatever floats your boat mate :-6


funny you should mention that

i drank two pints of diet coke and several pints of soda water

i spent about a fiver :sneaky::sneaky:



i hate holidays all that layin around i'll save up for the next fg meetup :):)

Have you got a boat, Jimbo?

OpenMind;1206020 wrote: Have you got a boat, Jimbo?


no buddy i do not have a boat but i do have a mountain bike hopefully i will be able to get back on that soon .... and no guys i dont have a HGV licence to drive it :rolleyes::rolleyes:

farmer giles;1205547 wrote: i hope to come to CT next year so iwill take you up on that kathy :-6:-6:)


Hey Jim:-6



You know I'd love to meet you and family when you come to the States;):p

Kathy Ellen;1206112 wrote: Hey Jim:-6



You know I'd love to meet you and family when you come to the States;):p


that will be nice kathy :):)

farmer giles;1206070 wrote: no buddy i do not have a boat but i do have a mountain bike hopefully i will be able to get back on that soon .... and no guys i dont have a HGV licence to drive it :rolleyes::rolleyes:


That's a shame. That means you can't float it. How about getting a model boat?



I only drink now when I go into town. Occasionally, I might buy a fiver's worth of beer when I do my weekly shop on a Friday. This compares to when I lived in Bedford and drank regularly large amounts at the weekend and occasionally during the week.

Living over a pub in Dewsbury would see me having a couple in the evening if I was bored with my room and quite a few on Friday and Saturday nights when bands were booked to play (they'd set up directly under where my bed was).

But over the last year plus since moving from the pub, I have found drinking beer more tiring than anything else and I don't miss it much. It sure helps to save money for those other things.

farmer giles;1205749 wrote: uh oh



er what other ones :-3:-3


Jim, there are lots of conditions that can (but don't have to) hold hands with fibromyalgia. Including chronic headaches (just slept one off - they sometimes last for a week!), irritable bowel syndrome, menstrual problems (you won't get that!!), sleep disruption and others.



My point was really that if you get some other health issue it may be connected, it may not, but don't rule out medical help - often it is just what you need to function day to day.



Hugs to you and you know where I am if you ever want to chat.

Imladris;1206151 wrote: Jim, there are lots of conditions that can (but don't have to) hold hands with fibromyalgia. Including chronic headaches (just slept one off - they sometimes last for a week!), irritable bowel syndrome, menstrual problems (you won't get that!!), sleep disruption and others.



My point was really that if you get some other health issue it may be connected, it may not, but don't rule out medical help - often it is just what you need to function day to day.



Hugs to you and you know where I am if you ever want to chat.


i do get the headaches big time

the muscle pains like a huge axe going into my arms and legs that start for no reason and can last hours or days then just go

i have to be carefull what i eat or else i need to stay very close to the loo :-3

i get itchy eyes and skin like ants on it that drives me insane ,the tiredness OMG that is awefull

but the thing that really gets me is the painfull wrists and fingers like they have been smashed with a hammer

ok rant over carry on :yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

how are you cranefly queen :sneaky::sneaky::sneaky: its nearly that time of year :sneaky:

Hugs to you Jimbo for sharing this. :yh_hugs

My hubby's elderly aunt was a recovering alcoholic. She came to my son's christening but refused to have a slice of his christening cake because I had put a drop of alcohol in it to flavour it. TBH you couldn't smell or taste the alcohol in it but she said that once you're a recovering alcoholic then you're always a recovering alcoholic and you have to take it one day at a time and even one hour at a time.

People would say to her 'oh just have one' and 'one wont hurt' but she said 'no because one is never enough and one is all you need to send you back down again.'

In a way its like going on a diet and people say 'oh one slice of cake wont hurt you' but it will because you enjoy the taste and want more and so its harder to refuse and harder to get back on track. It also helps you one step closer to a heart-attack. Such people are well-meaning but stupid so don't listen Jimbo. You did the best thing by getting out of a situation you couldn't cope with and taking the dog for a walk. Walking always helps me think clearly.

Keep it up Jimbo. One day at a time. One hour at a time. We're all here to support you. :-6

farmer giles;1206158 wrote: i do get the headaches big time



the muscle pains like a huge axe going into my arms and legs that start for no reason and can last hours or days then just go



i have to be carefull what i eat or else i need to stay very close to the loo :-3



i get itchy eyes and skin like ants on it that drives me insane ,the tiredness OMG that is awefull



but the thing that really gets me is the painfull wrists and fingers like they have been smashed with a hammer



ok rant over carry on :yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl



how are you cranefly queen :sneaky::sneaky::sneaky: its nearly that time of year :sneaky:


Oh no!!! My poor family have to suffocate soon, all windows and doors shut the second that the lights go on, none of those nasty things in my house!!!





BTW rant any time you like, at the moment I'll join in, I have a horde of Dutchmen in clogs on a stag weekend fuelled by ecstacy dancing in my head - well that's what it feels like!!!