Last Call Blog
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My blog is to bring awareness to others about alcoholism, addiction and recovery. I've been sober since May 11, 2004 and its been an amazing journey - one that I never could have even dreamed of.
Last Call Blog
1y ago
I don’t pick a word. I tried to do that a few years ago when I was going through my divorce, but I couldn’t be open and access that channel during that time, for a multitude of reasons. As I’ve been reading friends yearly New Year’s blog’s, I’ve seen the words they’ve chosen and I keep asking myself, “Should I choose a word this year?” My hesitation is that I won’t remember this every day – but then I ask myself do I need to?
It’s 5.30 am and I’m wide awake. I’ve been so tired the last few days from the Holidays and New Year’s, I stayed up until 1 am – which I haven’t done in years! Another ..read more
Last Call Blog
1y ago
It’s Sunday evening and I am home in bed. I’m listening to Elton John’s farewell tour via Disney streaming, which I’ll cancel in the next day or so, and I start crying. I love Elton John – his music evokes so much emotion and memories for me. I was born in 1967 and Elton arrived on American soil in 1970. I grew up listening to his songs, all of them, on the radio. I loved each of them. Especially Philadelphia Freedom, as that’s where I was living in 1976, and I knew the back story of the song as a close family friend of mine was instrumental in getting that song written.
Rocket man is the s ..read more
Last Call Blog
1y ago
This post is a guest post by Joe Gilmore of Renaissance Recovery, and I feel the content is so important. It was helpful for me to read it and I have a good amount of time in recovery! Thanks Joe!
When it comes to addiction treatment, the process doesn’t stop when you leave the rehab or treatment facility. Addiction is a lifelong disease that you need to be conscious of every day. To help with this, clients are often taught a number of relapse prevention methods to help keep them in control of their mind and urges.
For some, these come in the form of meditation or mindfulness exercise ..read more
Last Call Blog
1y ago
I recently had a conversation with someone at a meeting about how my second DUI saved me and how grateful I am that it literally saved me; so I wanted to share (again) why the second one worked!
I can’t tell you how many people have said to me, “Why didn’t you get sober after your first DUI?” These people were not alcoholics mind you; they were normal drinkers who didn’t understand why anyone would get a DUI in the first place, let alone – GASP – a second one! It’s pretty normal to hear people at an AA meeting that have had five, six, seven, DUIs – commonplace really. It’s al ..read more
Last Call Blog
1y ago
As I shuffle into 2022 healthy and happy, I have to give 2021 the props it deserves! 2021 for me was the year of YES! It was a lot of growth, healing, introspection and saying Yes to things normally I would not do. On New Year’s Day last year, I did a breathwork practice on the Beach, followed by a polar bear plunge into the Pacific – and it was exhilarating, and I gave myself a huge pat on the back for that. Did I do it again this year? Uh yah-No. Last year saw me doing a lot of Reiki healing, a vision board, on-line dating (whole other blog post for that!), many beach walks with Baile ..read more
Last Call Blog
1y ago
With Christmas just a few days away, I wanted to share a post I wrote a few years ago about staying sober during the Holidays and what’s worked for me over the past 17 years – and still does to this day. The Holidays are a trigger for a lot of folks, as well as depressing for a good portion of us alcoholics; so we need to be on guard this time of the year more than ever. I hope these suggestions will help guide you through your first sober Christmas or your 13th, whichever it is – help is always available to you – just ask ..read more
Last Call Blog
1y ago
For the past year or so I’ve had writer’s guilt because I’m not writing as much as I’d like to. It’s been that constant nagging voice in my head that kept talking to me. Why aren’t you writing anything?, Do you have nothing of any importance to share? Etc., Recently I just decided to stop beating myself up about it. I have talked to my other writer friends, and they shared that they too go through this and for certain writers it could last for years. So here I am writing something! When I started my blog back in early 2010, I wrote about my sober life and dealing with ..read more
Last Call Blog
1y ago
I’ve had barely any time to write for “me”. I enrolled in a 7 week grief recovery program (that friend Amy Dresner told me about) to finally finish the healing from my 10 year relationship with my ex-husband. It’s been so therapeutic and great, but also taxing with a lot of emotional upheaval – but this is where the growth is, right? As much as I want to write about this experience, and I will when I’m finally finished, I am in the process of healing and forgiving. I’ve gotten to a great place of forgiveness for him and even myself – but I wanted to fully heal with a pr ..read more
Last Call Blog
1y ago
I wrote this a couple of years ago and it still resonates with me today! The holidays are tough, especially when we are newly sober and around alcohol. I am grateful I still use these tools today and know that as long as I follow a few simple suggestions, surviving the Holidays is manageable, and usually fun! Happy Holidays everyone – Nanc xo
I was thinking this morning about how grateful I am that this isn’t my first sober Christmas. This came to me last evening as I was listening to a couple women share about how nervous they are being around family (who drink) and traveling hom ..read more
Last Call Blog
1y ago
I’ve been having a rough time during the Holidays and every time I sit down to write about it – I can’t. I’m just in a place of angst and sadness (which I’m sure I’ll reveal more about in a future blog post) and my writer’s block is more like the Mexican wall that Trump is building. I’ve added more to my spiritual practice in recent months and that’s been helping a lot. I do want to write my New Years’ post – especially as we embark on a new decade, but for today, I’m at a loss. I wanted to share a post about how I have had to enlarge my God in the past, because it stil ..read more