About Pink Hi-Top Adventures

The Far Side®, by Gary Larson

For those of you new to this blog, I thought I'd give you a little background. Pink Hi-Top Adventures is my first blog ever! I started it back in January 2013 as a chronicle of my ongoing recovery from depression, anxiety, and alcoholism. 

Almost eight years ago, I entered treatment for alcohol addiction. At the time, I thought it would resolve whatever it was inside that was stopping me from moving forward in life; however, it only drained the pool and uncovered the disease within.

Though I had been anxious and depressed but functioning for years, I finally imploded a year ago. I spent about three weeks in bed - unable to work, unable to shower, unable to function. My thoughts were turning darker too. I fantasized about death and hurting myself; and for the first time ever, it felt comforting and logical.

When I shared this with my {wonderful!} husband, he reached out to my therapist; and I was admitted to a partial hospitalization treatment program {PHP}. There I was diagnosed with major depression, dysthymia {long-term, low-grade depression}, and generalized anxiety disorder. Fortunately, I was treated by wonderful doctors and therapists; and, though I've experienced periodic set-backs along the way, I've been doing better overall since.

This blog is a chronicle of my continuous recovery and progress toward achieving my goals - one of which is graduating from college with a psychology degree. {I've been in college - on and off - since September 1984; and graduating would be quite an achievement indeed!} I also hope to inspire and inform with personal stories, resources, and a little humor!

The blog title is inspired by my favorite pair of Converse Chuck Taylor’s that I wore when I last felt my happiest and freest. 

And finally, Pink Hi-Top Adventures is a place for you too. Please feel free to comment and discuss - either in the comments section of this blog, or on the blog's Facebook page!

Thanks for reading!

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Here is an overview of some of my favorite posts from the past six months:

Addiction:

Thoughts from my addiction (2/27/13)
Alcoholic or problem drinker? (3/14/13)
How do you help and addict (6/19/13)
Take me out to the ballgame! (8/12/13)

Anxiety:

Obstacles (5/22/13)
Social Anxiety (5/29/13)

Depression:

Notes from the Vortex (2/11/13)
Life (3/7/13)
Lifeline (3/8/13)
Grey veil...again?! (3/16/13)
Overcoming...inertia! (3/19/13)
Can't sleep (4/23/13)
Do the next right thing - part II (4/25/13)
The daily struggle (6/6/13)
Taking down the wall (6/7/13)
Contained emotions (6/13/13)

Stigma:

"Nervous breakdown" (3/6/13)
Depression is not a character defect (3/27/13)

Wellness:

Never underestimate your own power! (2/26/13)
Acceptance (3/1/13)
Recovery step #2: sleep, damn it! (3/5/13)
Rebirth (3/30/13)
Wellness part I: physical (4/26/13)
Change is possible part II (6/27/13)
Seven steps to mental health (8/2/13)
Take me out to the ballgame! (8/12/13)
Climbing back up (8/18/13)

Pink Hi-Top Adventures Blog Planner

Okay, so I'm doing a "happy dance" right now! I just received in the mail a planner that I had purchased from Erin Condren (www.erincondren.com).

It is a beautiful, personalized planner that I will be using to plan out this blog and record the adventures about which I'll write; but that is not the sole reason for my happy dance. 

I also just received a message that Erin Condren just posted my planner cover to their Pinterest "Wall of Fame!" Yippy!!!!!

Okay, I know, I know...a lot of people get posted there, but shazaam! Pink Hi-Top Adventures is on a nationally-known Pinterest Board! Only last month, Erin Condren was on the Today Show!

Okay, okay...that's all I wanted to share. :)

The Dragon

It has been almost eight years (November 18) since I took my last drink of alcohol; and still, to this day I occasionally have a craving for it or have some crazy dream about it.

Last night, I dreamed that I was at a party at my house where everyone was boozing it up. Feeling put out that no one respected my addiction and the need for an alcohol-free home, I became disgruntled. At some point, I snuck myself a glass of red wine {my old lover}, and thought, "That didn't hurt me. Maybe just one more." By the third glass, I had a buzz and then the remorse set in. I began to cry because I thought I'd have to start my AA coin collecting all over again with a 24-hour coin instead of an 8-year coin next month.

In fact, the dream felt so real, I awoke this morning worried that I had actually drank. I felt relief when I realized that I hadn't; and yet, still...somewhere deep, deep, deep down inside, there was still this desire - an insatiable dragon of craving and need - a cavernous mouth that just wants one more drink...just one more drink...

It's times like this when I know I need an AA meeting. I need to hear the war stories of former bar-flies, house fraus, Hell's Angels, college kids, CEOs, et al (all of whom are my kindred spirits) to remember why it is I cannot have "just one more drink".  

AND THE WINNER IS...

Congratulations CYNTHIA SHERMAN!! You are the winner of the first ever Pink Hi-Top Adventures blog contest giveaway! To claim your prize, please send an email to: pink.hi.tops@gmail.com with your size.

Thanks to all of you who entered the contest! If you did not win this time, don't fret! There will be another contest giveaway with MULTIPLE PRIZES this coming January to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of the PHTA blog, so stay tuned!!

One Step at a Time

Sometimes I feel like a million points of light shoot out of my head and my attention scatters from one thing to the next like a bumble bee in a field of daisies. 

I am in one of those moods today.

I need to focus on housework and school work - the latter being more interesting - but I just can't seem to do it. My attention is drawn every which way but on either of the two. There is only one way to get myself out of this thought pattern, and that is to break things down into micro-tasks. For example, read three paragraphs of psychology; or unload five dishes from the dishwasher every time I enter the kitchen. Committing to a micro-task is easy to do, and I often find I keep going with whatever I've started. It's the starting that's the hard part - the inertia to overcome.

Okay, that is the plan for the day. Micro-task my way into getting things done!

Sorry for such a lame post. Just had to get my thoughts out to be able to re-focus. 

LAST DAY TO ENTER

In honor of hitting my 100th post this week, I am giving away a pair of pink, yes, PINK, hi-top sneakers to a lucky winner! (Feel free to forward this to friends, family, well-wishers, and passersby.)


To Enter:

Simply post a comment right here on the blog or on the Facebook page acknowledging your entry in the contest. 


Deadline for Entry:  Friday, September 27, 2013, 11:59 PM EDT


Winner Announced: Sunday, September 29, 2013.

Rules/Restrictions:

Limit (1) entry per person. 

Contest not open to immediate family - you know who you are!

Winner will be randomly drawn using randompicker.com.


Prize:

(1) pair of pink hi-top sneakers (Converse) in winner's size

Prize will be shipped within 3 - 4 weeks of drawing - depending on how long it takes me to find the right size! ;)

Note: This contest is a giveaway paid for solely by the blogger (Pink Hi-Tops) and is not sponsored by Converse or any other manufacturer, corporation, individual, etc.

My Cross-Addiction

Hey! Don't forget to enter the Pink Hi-Top Adventures giveaway! See: http://pink-hi-top-adventures.blogspot.com/2013/09/100th-post-contest.html

And now, back to our regularly scheduled blog...

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Filofax, A5 Finchley in Imperial Purple

Haven't blogged in a week(?) or so. I have been trying to get myself caught back up in school after having gotten a little behind. I have also struggled with writer's block again - waiting to write the perfect blog. After all, this is my 100th post. It's gotta be good, doesn't it? Oh well. It is what it is. I'll just write about what's on my mind now.

You know what's on my mind? Cross-addiction: giving up one addiction and replacing it with another. I am cross-addicted to a Facebook group - Planner Addicts. Yes, the name says it all. It's a wonderful group full of like-minded women and a few men, who love organization, office supplies, planners, and planning. I realize this jettisons me into the realm of super- geekdom, but I love this group! And, being a good addict always out for a quick "fix" - anything to stuff that hole of never-ending want - Facebook is currently filling that void.

The irony is that the group is dedicated to planners and organizing one's time. I clearly need help with the latter. I have a planner and I plan my day, but I struggle with following through on the plan!

{Lord, this blog  is SO boring! If anyone has stuck with me this far, God bless you!}

So today's goal is to use my planner - to plan my day {yes, at 12:50 PM!} and follow the plan - and to better manage my time on Facebook.

That said, gotta get to work! Hope you have a productive, happy day too!