Seven Glorious Years Since I Got Sober at Thamkrabok Temple

[gerryBScot]

Well done Garro and long may you continue enjoying life in sobriety. I am sober for exactly the same reason: I had had enough and was ready; teachable you could say. I went the AA route and I met people there that I grew to respect and trust. I took on most of their suggestions which worked most of the time. Good news about this temple too - I often think it must be so difficult for Thais to get sober in Thailand, so something like this temple is a brilliant resource.

I've heard some great sayings from Irish AAs. My favourite is: An alcoholic horse thief can stop drinking, but if he doesn't stop stealing horses he'll drink again. I also love: get honest, but do it slowly.

Friday night, 7 pm, it's lovely to be alcohol, drug and cigarette free (and gambling too!). WEll done once more!

[garro]

Well done Garro and long may you continue enjoying life in sobriety. I am sober for exactly the same reason: I had had enough and was ready; teachable you could say. I went the AA route and I met people there that I grew to respect and trust. I took on most of their suggestions which worked most of the time. Good news about this temple too - I often think it must be so difficult for Thais to get sober in Thailand, so something like this temple is a brilliant resource.

I've heard some great sayings from Irish AAs. My favourite is: An alcoholic horse thief can stop drinking, but if he doesn't stop stealing horses he'll drink again. I also love: get honest, but do it slowly.

Friday night, 7 pm, it's lovely to be alcohol, drug and cigarette free (and gambling too!). WEll done once more!

Thanks Gerry - I've found Thailand to be a great place to be sober.

[DesertRose]

Congratulations garro and thanks for sharing that with us. As mentioned above, so good to see a thread filled with positive messages.

I've met a few people who've gone through Thamkrabok and speak very highly of it. I was chatting a few weeks ago with somebody who relapsed a few months after his stay but got back to being clean partly because the vow there meant a lot to him. Whatever works is good.

rjcampbe, I'm sorry to hear your son is still struggling, moving beyond addiction doesn't always happen first time - or even second, third etc but I hope that for your son it works soon. Best wishes to him and to your family.

[Nowisee]

Alcohol use, just like everything (food, gambling, etc) can be abused.

Choosing not to is a state of mind.

Just like in the OP. ..."I went from struggling, ... to not wanting to drink"

He did that in a moment.

At Wat Umong in CM there is a sign that has two sayings.

Both are great life principles by which anyone can chose to live life by.

One who follows the rightness lives happiness

One who can control the mind can control the life

Don't fool or cheat yourself, the mind is incredibly powerful...use it.

[robblok]

As a non alcoholic who just stopped because I could better results in the gym if I did not I find it real hard to understand how addictive the stuff can be. I have done my fair share of drugs (I am Dutch it was easy back in the old country) but never had any problems stopping with any of them though XTC remains something that draws to me at times but of course I don't use it anymore.

I wonder how it is that a certain percentage of people is so vulnerable to alcohol or other drugs, is it genetics or mental. Its something to wonder about. I can only imagine how hard it is to stop an addiction. Thankfully I never smoked as that is supposed to be hard to stop too.

So good luck to all those struggling and for those that are succeeding.

[garro]

As a non alcoholic who just stopped because I could better results in the gym if I did not I find it real hard to understand how addictive the stuff can be. I have done my fair share of drugs (I am Dutch it was easy back in the old country) but never had any problems stopping with any of them though XTC remains something that draws to me at times but of course I don't use it anymore.

I wonder how it is that a certain percentage of people is so vulnerable to alcohol or other drugs, is it genetics or mental. Its something to wonder about. I can only imagine how hard it is to stop an addiction. Thankfully I never smoked as that is supposed to be hard to stop too.

So good luck to all those struggling and for those that are succeeding.

Hi robblok, I don't think that it has that much to do with alcohol or drugs. I drank because I couldn't handle reality. I suspect that if it wasn't for alcohol, I probably would have committed suicide. Giving up alcohol wasn't particularly difficult but learning to deal with life was far more of a challenge - this is why so many people will keep on relapsing. I think the driving force behind most addiction is that some people have a particulalry low tolerance for reality.

[garro]

Congratulations garro and thanks for sharing that with us. As mentioned above, so good to see a thread filled with positive messages.

I've met a few people who've gone through Thamkrabok and speak very highly of it. I was chatting a few weeks ago with somebody who relapsed a few months after his stay but got back to being clean partly because the vow there meant a lot to him. Whatever works is good.

rjcampbe, I'm sorry to hear your son is still struggling, moving beyond addiction doesn't always happen first time - or even second, third etc but I hope that for your son it works soon. Best wishes to him and to your family.

At least three of the people I went throgh detox at Thamkrabok with have relapsed. It's sad but so long as their is life there is hope.

[garro]

Alcohol use, just like everything (food, gambling, etc) can be abused.

Choosing not to is a state of mind.

Just like in the OP. ..."I went from struggling, ... to not wanting to drink"

He did that in a moment.

At Wat Umong in CM there is a sign that has two sayings.

Both are great life principles by which anyone can chose to live life by.

One who follows the rightness lives happiness

One who can control the mind can control the life

Don't fool or cheat yourself, the mind is incredibly powerful...use it.

These are nice sayings. In my experience, controlling the mind involves the abiliyt to not be fooled by every thought that happens to show up

[StefanBBK]

Garro, well done! I am happy for you, and all the best for the next 7 years.

Also I am really happy to read finally an all positive thread!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[garro]

Garro, well done! I am happy for you, and all the best for the next 7 years.

Also I am really happy to read finally an all positive thread!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Thanks Stefan

[jackflash]

Just a note to thank ThaiPauly for mentioning the book "Dead Drunk" by Paul Garrigan.

Have just finished reading the Kindle edition. It is a wonderful book and an inspiring read.

Thoroughly recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Drunk-Paul-Garrigan/dp/1905379692

[jackflash]

More info on the Thamkrabok Temple
http://voices.yahoo.com/thamkrabok-temple-detox-links-5915450.html

[garro]

Just a note to thank ThaiPauly for mentioning the book "Dead Drunk" by Paul Garrigan.

Have just finished reading the Kindle edition. It is a wonderful book and an inspiring read.

Thoroughly recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Drunk-Paul-Garrigan/dp/1905379692

Thanks for the plug jackflash!

[bigdod]

Yep, well done guys. Personally, I've always been able to handle my drink, but for some reason, that seems to have changed recently, so I'm thinking its either time to have a break from it or if that doesn't work, knock it on the head all together..which is why this post grabbed my attention.

[Mangkhut]

Comgratulations with seven years of sobriety. Thats just fantastic. Hope it lasts....

[garro]

Yep, well done guys. Personally, I've always been able to handle my drink, but for some reason, that seems to have changed recently, so I'm thinking its either time to have a break from it or if that doesn't work, knock it on the head all together..which is why this post grabbed my attention.

I don't think you have to be an alcoholic to give up drink. If you feel it is getting in the way that's a good reason to knock it on the head.

Comgratulations with seven years of sobriety. Thats just fantastic. Hope it lasts....

It will last, thanks.

[bigdod]

Yep, well done guys. Personally, I've always been able to handle my drink, but for some reason, that seems to have changed recently, so I'm thinking its either time to have a break from it or if that doesn't work, knock it on the head all together..which is why this post grabbed my attention.

I don't think you have to be an alcoholic to give up drink. If you feel it is getting in the way that's a good reason to knock it on the head.

Comgratulations with seven years of sobriety. Thats just fantastic. Hope it lasts....

It will last, thanks.

yep....getting in the way is probably one way to put it....

[sendbaht]

WOW 7 years!!!!!!!!!1 great job and congraulations...I seem to always enjoy what you post...thanks!

[bangkokstick]

I cannot find videos of TAM KRABOK, any idea ?