Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Gerald Ash on February 17, 2015, 11:35:22 am
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There are some of you that will say it was bound to happen and some that will say I deserve it.
I say both, Saturday 14th felt a bit breathless, clean front of first house and had pains front and back crushing, hard to breath and feeling faint.
Sat down for five mins felt better. Went to extend pole, pain was horrific and everything started to go dark. I immediately dialed 111. If i dial 999 it makes it real. within one minute they told me they are sending paramedics.
I`ve not had a heart attack but angina attack. No damage done but finally I might take fing notice of what I`ve ignored for years.
I`m so angry with myself and I now realise I`m not invincible.
Week before last I lifted a pump weighing nearly 100kgs into a van, today I can just about lift my backpack empty.
I am an arse. But I`m still alive and I intend to stay that way.
Doctors say my heart is strong but furring of arteries mean it can no longer deal with my weight and level of activity.
Sorry guys bit of a pointless post but need bollardings to drive home what a complete and total k nob I`ve been. I`ve always been very strong and robust but now I am reaping years of gross neglect of care for the future.
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The important thing is that you had the warning rather than the tunnel of light.
Do what your doc says. Do it conscientiously. You'll do just fine if you do.
Good luck.
Vin
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I`m going to. I was so terrified I thought I was going to die but at the same time I was thinking you idiot.
My business partner is carpping himself, he`s scared he`ll have to be a pawl bearer.
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lucky that you had this warning. My old man had a heart attack aged 53, no warning nothing, didnt survive, wasnt pleasant to watch as you can imagine.
What kind of lifestyle do you lead Gerald? Eat well? Smoke? Drink?
Best of luck with your recovery.
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lucky that you had this warning. My old man had a heart attack aged 53, no warning nothing, didnt survive, wasnt pleasant to watch as you can imagine.
What kind of lifestyle do you lead Gerald? Eat well? Smoke? Drink?
Best of luck with your recovery.
This is Gerald.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2292095/Britains-unlikely-window-cleaner-35-stone-Gerald-big-ladder--scared-heights.html
Hope you make a speedy recovery mate
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Make it a dramatic comeback Gerald.
Get yourself on a serious health regime and within a few years you can be down to a healthy level.
It's all about will power.
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It's all about will power.
As a sober alcoholic in recovery, I disagree. Will power is naff, it only ever got me so far, then the wheels come off; it's limited in it's value (though not useless).
My suggestion would be to get some strategies in place. For example, I don't like running, but I run. I'll do this by arranging runs with other people (and a dog); if I've got a set time and place to meet someone to run, I'll be there; it kind of removes the power of choice from me. Left to my own devices, I'll probably not bother, because I'm lazy like that.
I also find that spending time with a bunch of folk who all suffer with the same problem as myself a great help. For this I go to an anonymous organisation, which is actually full of smart and funny people. One of these guys is also a member of Over-eaters anonymous, and he tells me they've helped him loads.
http://www.oagb.org.uk/
At his heaviest he was 23 stone; now he's around 14 stone and has a very good diet; but more importantly, he has strategies that help him maintain a decent weight - and stay sober - and be happy about not abusing food or alcohol.
I personally think food is a tough one; it's 'easy' for alcoholics; they just have to stay away from the first drink - that's not so easy to do with food; obviously.
My suggestion wouldn't be to rely on will-power. Even this shock you've just had, Gerard, will only last for so long. In a few months, once the shock has worn off, you may find - without any good strategies in place - that you're back to doing the same old things and getting the same old results.
Find a bunch of people who suffer with the same thing as yourself, and learn from the guys who've solved their problem. If it's anything like booze for alkies, it'll not be an eating problem, it'll be a thinking/feeling problem.
Whatever you choose to do, I hope it works out for you.
Regards
Tosh
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Here, Gerard, I think this is your neck of the woods:
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1424193157_Tosh1.jpg)
It's an OA meeting. Why not try one?
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Will you be getting stented?
I had a heart attack Gerald at 45. It's not a death sentence, but my understanding is that the furring of the arteries is not reversible. Obviously you need to lose weight as a matter of some urgency. Incidentally I now run 20 miles a week on average and run the odd half marathon, 10k and 5k races. Life got better for me.
Start with walking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja9BFx5Mhqo
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Hope you continue to improve Gerald .Like I said a while ago I was lucky I went for a free health check at dr's . whats 20mins in dr's if it saves your life
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Sorry to hear what's happened Gerald. I hope you make a speedy recovery. Be gentle with yourself.
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Hope you succeed pal
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Gerald.
My father had his first heart (angina) attach in his early 40s. After 2 heart by-pass operations and a lot of drama he finally left us three years ago at the age of 92.
Ignore what Tosh said about willpower and I'm sure you'll make it to 92 as well.
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I guess your Grandad wasn't thirty five stone though ???
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id try what tosh has suggested gerald.it could help you immensely mate.bite the bullet and go to a few meetings.
best wishes
dazmond
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Ignore what Tosh said about willpower
He's welcome to. And I can imagine he's tried the willpower method already, failed, and may try it again. But one definition of being mental is repeating the same behaviour and expecting different results.
But for anyone with even a little knowledge in the field of addiction (and over eating can be an addiction), they know that willpower only gets us so far. White-knuckles and toughing it out only can last for so long - it's like Japanese water torture - it grinds the addict down until they snap and relapse. Willpower, by itself, isn't much cop.
So the idea is we've got to be smarter than the addiction and get some good strategies in place, and we can learn what those are from people who've solved a similar problem to their own.
And we all have addictions, whether we're aware of them or not. Some are just more harmful than others.
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Forget will power. GET THE OPP. Get gut stapled. It works
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Here, Gerard, I think this is your neck of the woods:
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1424193157_Tosh1.jpg)
It's an OA meeting. Why not try one?
I am laughing so hard, together with my business partner TED who is the TED of the oagb in Gloucester. Now I obviously know about oa but until you mentioned it I hadn`t thought of it as a source of help.
You been lambasted on here on some things you posted but let me tell you this. You have hit the nail on the head. In a few weeks or months being a good boy which will alleviate my symptoms I`ll think one takeaway won`t hurt, then one day won`t hurt and so on.
The freakiest thing of all is it happened 28 years to the day I buried my Mother who died of a massive heart attack. She`d had an attack exactly the same as mine a few years before.
Thanks for all the support guys and I hope to be writing needlessly long and rambling post for many years to come.
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My problem is why I eat and put that together with someone who loves his grub then I`m the result.
Will power alone is not enough for long term so as Tosh says I need to put systems in place so as to make it a lot easier to stay on track.
As to gastric bypass and other similar options I think my head is where the solution lies because you can cheat on these and believe me it can be more of a compunction than a feeling almost like a voice urging you on to buy and eat those burgers or that pizza.
I think I have a food addiction which is also driven by issues from my past but I guess that`s true for all addicts.
I`m staying away from the windows for a while and just walking gently knocking doors. I`ll start back with the ground floor few weeks and build up gently.
I`d just gone over the 200 good customers mark as well.
Still plenty of oppertunities to get more.
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Here, Gerard, I think this is your neck of the woods:
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1424193157_Tosh1.jpg)
It's an OA meeting. Why not try one?
I am laughing so hard, together with my business partner TED who is the TED of the oagb in Gloucester. Now I obviously know about oa but until you mentioned it I hadn`t thought of it as a source of help.
You been lambasted on here on some things you posted but let me tell you this. You have hit the nail on the head. In a few weeks or months being a good boy which will alleviate my symptoms I`ll think one takeaway won`t hurt, then one day won`t hurt and so on.
The freakiest thing of all is it happened 28 years to the day I buried my Mother who died of a massive heart attack. She`d had an attack exactly the same as mine a few years before.
Thanks for all the support guys and I hope to be writing needlessly long and rambling post for many years to come.
That's pretty amazing isn't it. OA came up on another thread a couple of days ago on the other topics forum. But I'm surprised Ted never suggested it. Most of us can stop, but it's staying stopped that's the problem.
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Thanks 8weekly, I should have ate weakly or even weekly ;D
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Well, not hourly anyway. ;D
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My problem is why I eat and put that together with someone who loves his grub then I`m the result.
Will power alone is not enough for long term so as Tosh says I need to put systems in place so as to make it a lot easier to stay on track.
As to gastric bypass and other similar options I think my head is where the solution lies because you can cheat on these and believe me it can be more of a compunction than a feeling almost like a voice urging you on to buy and eat those burgers or that pizza.
I think I have a food addiction which is also driven by issues from my past but I guess that`s true for all addicts.
I`m staying away from the windows for a while and just walking gently knocking doors. I`ll start back with the ground floor few weeks and build up gently.
I`d just gone over the 200 good customers mark as well.
Still plenty of oppertunities to get more.
From an alcoholism point of view, I relate to a lot of what you write. One thing I will say though, it's pointless trying to work out why we have some addiction. I mean we can guess, and we might think if we found out, it would solve the problem - but that's not been my experience.
It's best to start with "I have a problem, what can I do about it?" rather than trying to work out why we have that actual problem. I'm sure many alkies do a lot of drinking-thinking trying to work out why they drink so, and they end up dead.
And a good suggestion would be to develop some 'clever feet'. Your head may tell you that you can work it all out by yourself, that you don't need to go to OA, but hopefully your feet will get you to a meeting regardless of what your head is telling you.
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If you need to lose weight then eat less.
One meal per day and the weight will drop off and you will earn more money by not stopping for lunch. ;)
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Gerald.
My father had his first heart (angina) attach in his early 40s. After 2 heart by-pass operations and a lot of drama he finally left us three years ago at the age of 92.
Ignore what Tosh said about willpower and I'm sure you'll make it to 92 as well.
No no no, Tosh is 100% correct. I'm 20 stone now, but when I started window cleaning I was 24 stone. The change in lifestyle lost me 2 stone, that was it. I though and hoped it would be more.
About a year ago my son started Thai boxing. I used to bring him 3 times a week and sit and watch. Then about 7 months ago I started boxing myself. I've lost another 2 stone. It wasn't will power, it was heavy hard exercise and the fact that my trainer is depending on me to lose weight, she hopes it will bring more people into the gym if I'm doing well. It's not cheap and my partner is giving up things she wants so I can do this and its working. It's not will power, it's doing something I love and having people relying on me to do the right thing. If I don't loose weight I can't justify spending the cash and will have to quit something I love.
In my gym there is also a lesson in will power. There is a photo of a bigish guy on the wall. I asked about him one day and apparently he came to the gym one day at about 28 stone. Wouldn't skip, wouldn't run and so on. Eventually he got into it, lost loads of weight and became a decent boxer. Under his photo in the gym is a belt. It's an amateur world heavyweight title belt which he won in turkey a few years ago. Willpower got him into the gym, willpower trained him up and willpower won him a world title. Within a year he was dead, he went back to eating like he used to, wouldn't leave his room and died of a heart attack. His willpower didn't hold.
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Then about 7 months ago I started boxing myself. I've lost another 2 stone. It wasn't will power, it was heavy hard exercise and the fact that my trainer is depending on me to lose weight, she hopes it will bring more people into the gym if I'm doing well. It's not cheap and my partner is giving up things she wants so I can do this and its working. It's not will power, it's doing something I love and having people relying on me to do the right thing. If I don't loose weight I can't justify spending the cash and will have to quit something I love.
Love it. And it's a common thing that if we have to do something purely for our own benefit, we'll put it off, or not bother doing it at all. But if other people are involved, we get more motivation to do it.
Your story shows that; you're not only boxing for yourself, you're doing it for others too; there's power in that.
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Then about 7 months ago I started boxing myself. I've lost another 2 stone. It wasn't will power, it was heavy hard exercise and the fact that my trainer is depending on me to lose weight, she hopes it will bring more people into the gym if I'm doing well. It's not cheap and my partner is giving up things she wants so I can do this and its working. It's not will power, it's doing something I love and having people relying on me to do the right thing. If I don't loose weight I can't justify spending the cash and will have to quit something I love.
Love it. And it's a common thing that if we have to do something purely for our own benefit, we'll put it off, or not bother doing it at all. But if other people are involved, we get more motivation to do it.
Your story shows that; you're not only boxing for yourself, you're doing it for others too; there's power in that.
I have to admit there's a little bit of me that wants to emulate that guy too. Not the dying bit, the bit that came before.
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Gerald.
My father had his first heart (angina) attach in his early 40s. After 2 heart by-pass operations and a lot of drama he finally left us three years ago at the age of 92.
Ignore what Tosh said about willpower and I'm sure you'll make it to 92 as well.
No no no, Tosh is 100% correct. I'm 20 stone now, but when I started window cleaning I was 24 stone. The change in lifestyle lost me 2 stone, that was it. I though and hoped it would be more.
About a year ago my son started Thai boxing. I used to bring him 3 times a week and sit and watch. Then about 7 months ago I started boxing myself. I've lost another 2 stone. It wasn't will power, it was heavy hard exercise and the fact that my trainer is depending on me to lose weight, she hopes it will bring more people into the gym if I'm doing well. It's not cheap and my partner is giving up things she wants so I can do this and its working. It's not will power, it's doing something I love and having people relying on me to do the right thing. If I don't loose weight I can't justify spending the cash and will have to quit something I love.
In my gym there is also a lesson in will power. There is a photo of a bigish guy on the wall. I asked about him one day and apparently he came to the gym one day at about 28 stone. Wouldn't skip, wouldn't run and so on. Eventually he got into it, lost loads of weight and became a decent boxer. Under his photo in the gym is a belt. It's an amateur world heavyweight title belt which he won in turkey a few years ago. Willpower got him into the gym, willpower trained him up and willpower won him a world title. Within a year he was dead, he went back to eating like he used to, wouldn't leave his room and died of a heart attack. His willpower didn't hold.
Ten years Shotokan Karate. Some Wing Chun and a smattering of Krav Maga.
Fantastic exercise but have dislocated left knee twice so not really up to it anymore but I do miss it.
Tosh you know the crack, I can never say I had a food addiction, the best I can say is that I have won some battles for so long. I can eat normal meals and be sated but it`s not about feeding a physical hunger it`s emotional hunger for want of a better phrase.
I`m out on the windows today but only setting up for Ted to clean. Might do a couple of ground floor.
Also I weighed 32st 13lb on Saturday and weigh 30st 12lb this morning, good start.
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Gerald.
My father had his first heart (angina) attach in his early 40s. After 2 heart by-pass operations and a lot of drama he finally left us three years ago at the age of 92.
Ignore what Tosh said about willpower and I'm sure you'll make it to 92 as well.
No no no, Tosh is 100% correct. I'm 20 stone now, but when I started window cleaning I was 24 stone. The change in lifestyle lost me 2 stone, that was it. I though and hoped it would be more.
About a year ago my son started Thai boxing. I used to bring him 3 times a week and sit and watch. Then about 7 months ago I started boxing myself. I've lost another 2 stone. It wasn't will power, it was heavy hard exercise and the fact that my trainer is depending on me to lose weight, she hopes it will bring more people into the gym if I'm doing well. It's not cheap and my partner is giving up things she wants so I can do this and its working. It's not will power, it's doing something I love and having people relying on me to do the right thing. If I don't loose weight I can't justify spending the cash and will have to quit something I love.
In my gym there is also a lesson in will power. There is a photo of a bigish guy on the wall. I asked about him one day and apparently he came to the gym one day at about 28 stone. Wouldn't skip, wouldn't run and so on. Eventually he got into it, lost loads of weight and became a decent boxer. Under his photo in the gym is a belt. It's an amateur world heavyweight title belt which he won in turkey a few years ago. Willpower got him into the gym, willpower trained him up and willpower won him a world title. Within a year he was dead, he went back to eating like he used to, wouldn't leave his room and died of a heart attack. His willpower didn't hold.
Ten years Shotokan Karate. Some Wing Chun and a smattering of Krav Maga.
Fantastic exercise but have dislocated left knee twice so not really up to it anymore but I do miss it.
Tosh you know the crack, I can never say I had a food addiction, the best I can say is that I have won some battles for so long. I can eat normal meals and be sated but it`s not about feeding a physical hunger it`s emotional hunger for want of a better phrase.
I`m out on the windows today but only setting up for Ted to clean. Might do a couple of ground floor.
Also I weighed 32st 13lb on Saturday and weigh 30st 12lb this morning, good start.
You've lost 2 stone in 4 days? :o
And (is this a bit personal?) where do you buy scales that go that high?
Ours only go to 20stone...
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Tosh you know the crack, I can never say I had a food addiction, the best I can say is that I have won some battles for so long. I can eat normal meals and be sated but it`s not about feeding a physical hunger it`s emotional hunger for want of a better phrase.
I think that's insightful, and you're talking about a level deeper than the mere compulsive eating. You know over-eating is just a symptom of something deeper that's going on. That's true for addictions like alcohol or drugs too; the booze or drugs isn't really the problem - in fact we use them as a solution - for the real problem, which is how we're feeling when we're stone cold sober.
It's Thursday today; that meeting is on tonight.
I hope you've got some clever feet on you! ;D ;)
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The scales are made by Salter and I think I got them from Aldi they go up to 250kgs. When you are as big as me two stone isn`t that much.
Yes Tosh I`m going to the meeting mate.
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Yes Tosh I`m going to the meeting mate.
Spot on. It takes some balls to walk into a room full of strangers, but all them strangers were once new too.
Keep going back.
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Yes Tosh I`m going to the meeting mate.
Spot on. It takes some balls to walk into a room full of strangers, but all them strangers were once new too.
Keep going back.
keep up the good work Gerald 8)
good post tosh .
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Oh yes, addictions are certainly about far more than the end symptoms. Obviously I can only speak for myself but I found it very helpful to take a big step back to gain more understanding of the underlying issues. Not everyone wants or needs to do that and if that works too, that's great. Taking that step back need not necessarily be about looking for causes of the addiction(s); it can be more about understanding vulnerabilities and learning to accept them for what they and/or finding workarounds. All IMO of course - what works for one may not work for another.
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Apart from childhood bullying and other issues I lost twin daughters in 93 so there is a few things to be sad about. I try to live in the moment these days and 99.9% I manage to but it`s not only emotional eating or at least eating whilst feeling emotional.
When I eat I dont stop when I`m full.
Good meeting last night.
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Good meeting last night.
Spot on, Gerald, glad you got something out of it.
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I have killed myself.
This isn`t my ghost typing this but a statement of fact. The chances of dying of a non obesity related illness is, pun intended, very slim.
It is all about postponing that event as long as possible.
Please don`t think I`m being morbid just a realisation of my situation, Hopefully I will die of heart failure in twenty years time but it will be the consequences of my actions up until now and I`m at peace with that.
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stop eating fellah
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http://youtu.be/kuBZnftGLc0
Gerald, Watch this guy you will lose weight and keep it off whilst still filling your face.
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;D ;D
I've watched the guys cycling videos loads of times but I'm not sure of his diet plans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5GHBXk2QEM
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It's ironic how many people (and I include myself in this) spend their lives sidestepping pain - yet the sidestepping eventually becomes more painful than facing up to the original pain.
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It's ironic how many people (and I include myself in this) spend their lives sidestepping pain - yet the sidestepping eventually becomes more painful than facing up to the original pain.
That's why rock bottoms are considered so important; 12 Step recovery organisations are the only lot that really understand that.
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Pain is what helps the student to be ready.
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It's ironic how many people (and I include myself in this) spend their lives sidestepping pain - yet the sidestepping eventually becomes more painful than facing up to the original pain.
That's why rock bottoms are considered so important; 12 Step recovery organisations are the only lot that really understand that.
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Pain is what helps the student to be ready.
Indeed - I'm delighted to see that you got your act togther too; you were still drinking the one and only time we met. A very friendly drinker as I recall taking the p out of Ian Giles. In case you're wondering, it was in that pub some years ago (near Birmingham I think). That was actually fun even though I saw it all through lemonade tinted glasses :)
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Slight problem with the advice from those videos, I`m diabetic so I have to be careful.
My sugars are out of control which is a large contributory factor.
I`m afraid it`s the good old three meals a day and no snacks. The theory is I eat the calories that would sustain my weight that I need to be. Get familiar with that and fight the urges to binge and all should be fine.
Easy to say but I`m trying to think of ways to stop the inevitable boredom and temptation.
Calorie counting is an absolute pain so I intend to make meals and count the calories to get an idea and carry on from that.
The simple fact of not eating takeaways and snacking should be a head start.
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Easy to say but I`m trying to think of ways to stop the inevitable boredom and temptation.
And that's the real problem of addiction. Being restless, irritable, and discontented. I always thought that the problem with being sober was that you're sober, all of the time. It's plain old boring - which is like British understatement.
In the early days, I did stuff like find a sponsor, go through the 12 Steps (which OA does too), go to meetings; I even went to meditation classes. Meditation is pretty routine nowadays for relapse prevention.
The idea is to transform something negative (just not doing the addictive behaviour - it feels negative), into something positive. If OA is like AA, it's a program of ACTION - doing stuff - not sitting on our arses feeling bored and sorry for ourselves (though I did plenty of that too).