Hello from your Monsta!

Now I know Im a slack tart but Im here and I promise to be back to arrange (help at least) some XMAS fun and games...I dont care if you lot dont wanna join in Im still gonna do it~!

Im coming up to 11 months sober this month and I have a life like I had never dreamed possible. Thank you all again for everything you did to help me. My love is your love!

I will most certainly be back to celebrate my 1 year anniversary with you all on the 27th November....so please those who would like to share that monumental event I would love to see you all, old friends and new!

I miss you and think of you all often!

My love for now and forever....

I promise to be back soon!

Monsta!

Hi Monsta, it was really great to meet you in chat earlier today. Well son for the 11 months sober and please don't be a stranger for so long again, your bright personality would be great to have around especially in chat sometimes.

well done monsta

Oh gosh, that is just the best news 11months, well done you. Huge hugs

Monsta Xmas games are fun.

LAst xmas we had to take xmas carols and put a TBBD spin on them.

Will be good to have you back on the site Monsta.

Miss you

ZEN
thats the Tao.

How smart you are
to heal yourself.

I am finer now too,
and the family is happy.

see you again sometime!

Great to see you here monsta, Im so proud of you, 11 months... WOW. Im just so happy for you.

Hopefully will catch u in the chat room sometime

Much love, Haley xx

Monsta, I need your help please if you can. I have a customer who is young, in early 30's, young children and clearly in trouble. Thinking maybe as I am not close, I may be able to help, what advise would you give me. Today she told me she started drinking 5am. Partner died 5yrs ago and she thinks booze is her freind, yet shes lost her licence, which also means her job, etc etc. She left my shop today drunk and late, to take lunch to her children. Where and how would I go for help and do I want to (sorry being honest). Can I help. Gave her some advise and when she said she would come back and see me, sorry, but I told her to come back when she was sober, that way she may be in a position to listen. Any advise appreciated, hope this is ok to ask.

I remember too lovely Spring Daze!

Hi PeterPam......I am always happy to answer any questions that I can. I have sourced the number for CAD's CHCH (Community Alcohol and Drug services) 03 3354350. I suggest you give her that number. However unforunately addicts wont accept help until they want to. Often this is a life changing experience though not always. Until that happens though you are possibly wasteing your breath, short term. Hopefully the message that someone cares enough to confront it though is going through slowly. Just be careful of being caught up in manipulation. You were completely right to tell her to come back when she is sober, drunks make all the right noises but they dont have the cognition at the time to understand or reason properly.

Its a long road but worth every step....My journey in the early days is well documented on here, not sure if its all still here but I am happy for anyone to have a look and see just how low addiction can take you and hope that any who read it will see that there is hope and there is a way out. Its not easy.....but I still marvel at how insane I was then and at the life I have now. Worlds apart.

CAD's is the programme I went through in Auckland. The clinicians tend to be recovering addicts so the experience is there and I think that helps with 'connection', which is so important in recovery. Cad's is twelve step based programme and you are encouraged to seek help through other sources as well.

If she chooses to seek help there she will have an initial assesment (honesty is essential in this) and then be directed to a programme that best suits her needs. I went through a pre-entry programme......followed by an outpatients programme and then continuing care. The first 2 parts of the programme take around 4 months, usually (but can be longer). The 3rd part is an ongoing weekly group.

I found the 'group therapy' perspective to be extremely beneficial as you are forced to let down your guard and connect with people, something addicts struggle greatly with.


I hope that helps and if I can answer anymore questions you have please ask.

Thankyou so much hun, I will jot all that down, so that when she comes back, I have it right there for her. I really appreciate this, not only do I feel for her, but for the children. Yesterday I told her she was killing herself and then what was going to happen to her wee ones. I asked if she wanted her family to raise the children and she said no. Sorry but I may have been a bit harse, with some of the other things I said, but she took it, thank god, because she is rather solid (I'm a pit squeek compared) and she didn't smack me in the mouth, lol. Thankyou so much for your honesty and I so appreciate that you didn't mind me asking. Good luck hun with your journey, you sound awesome.

Hi PP

As long aS you are safe then being 'harsh' with your client is exactly what she needs. Truth isnt something alcoholics enjoy, we much prefer our lives glossed in the sugary sweetness of the drinks we hold in our hands.

Truth is the only thing that will help to get her where she needs to be....everything else is enablement. Dont be caught up in that track, be inscrutible with the truth as long as you can do so safely.

Good luck and thank you for taking the time to deal with an addict. You cant save her or change her but you can give her truth.

hey I can vouch that zen mosta is awesome - i have met her and she is!

Now she has your seal of approval mylife, I am sure she can relax and we can all have confidence in her words of wisdom.