I'm rubbish! Play pool for County but when it comes to snooker can't knock up any decent sized break. In practice, I can pot balls but playing a match for a bit of money that I'm not even bothered about I can't seem to pot. Too worried when potting a red about leaving another red on if I miss and when I get on a colour I'm even more worried that if I go for position and miss I'd be leaving a red on! When it gets to the colours tho and that's the only ball you can leave on I actually start playing well. Seems to be a running theme when I play with my mate that he'll get ahead by a small margin (up to 20/25) and then I'll suddenly pot all the colours. Had a great game the other day where that happened and I potted green through to black - the green and brown were really good pots and the blue/pink/black were all easy (although had to do a great positional shot blue to pink!)
Use to play alot of snooker in my younger days playing in some of the big champs in NI. I have a great game for you, could try it at the end of a snooker session, great fun and good practice. You like cricket SO.
SNOOKER CRICKET
Put all the colours on there spots
Place 5 reds on the cushion between blue and black spots and same on other side (10 in total)
Player that is bowling breaks from D. His aim is to pot the reds these are the wickets. When he misses next player (the batter) now pots the colours in any order (Runs). e.g pot a blue then yellow then brown. = 11. This is then 11 runs.
If any player fouls e.g potting white, batter hitting a red first, bowler hitting a colour first etc then it is ball in hand.
Me and a mate use to play this and it was great crack.
im gonna post this here,im sure dohh wont mind and i originally posted on his thread. my brother Wayne passed away last night we are all devastated i want to thank all my family on sky poker who on the tables and some PMs and on the forum for all the support and well wishes thank you so much RIP Wayne my work mucker, best friend,brother we will miss you terribly ::::::::( dohhhhhhhh you stay on top of the problems you have keep going the doctors or whoever you have to see just do it seanxx Posted by stokefc
".....Off out for a game of snooker this week, going to have a few pints.
I don't know what the rules are for recovering alcoholics.
I don't even know If I am/ever was 1.
Maybe it's a bad idea.
I fully trust myself to be responsible with it.
But maybe everyone who has ever been in this spot and 'blown up' felt like they could manage a few responsibly too.
Time'll tell......"
OK, I'll be the first to say what so many are thinking.
A few beers, or even, as later suggested & accepted, a few shandies (in context, EXACTLY the same thing) would be the worst decision you ever made, especially after all your self discipline to get back on the right track.
I genuinely hope you did not or do not take that path of weakness, & give in.
As it happens, the chance of you taking my advice are precisely nil based on past evidence, so there is no need for you to take offence at my well-intended advice.
Good luck JJ. If you start having a few beers or shandies, you are gonna need it.
OK, sorry JJ, I take my advice back. I really can not see the harm in having a couple of shandies but wiser men have spoke now and it seems it was ill advised.
Hope that doesnt stop you going out though. It will be good for you to socialise, even for an hour or so.
.....that is if you can get away from this cricket match
In Response to Re: "Sit & DOHHHHHHH Diary" : second .... although i only used two words - glad i'm not totally alone on this Posted by GELDY
You/we are not alone in this thought train by any means. Several people contacted me privately telling of their identical concerns, but did not like to poke their head above the parapet for fear that other members of Team Dohhh would get on their case.
Asking or suggesting a guy who is recovering (& recovering well) from a drink problem to go have a few drinks is (imo) a truly terrible thing to do. You would not offer someone who gave up smoking a cigarette, nor would anyone in their right mind suggest meeting a guy with a gambling problem in a betting shop.
Anyway, he'll not listen to you or me, & in a way, it's none of our business. But caring for others IS everyone's business, despite that dreadful stuff we saw recently on Jac's thread.
OK, sorry JJ, I take my advice back. I really can not see the harm in having a couple of shandies but wiser men have spoke now and it seems it was ill advised. Hope that doesnt stop you going out though. It will be good for you to socialise, even for an hour or so. .....that is if you can get away from this cricket match Posted by MAXALLY
That's very good of you Alan, & I know you intended no harm.
But this is the point.
There IS NO HARM in a couple of shandies. There is not. None at all.
But it does not stop at a couple, does it?
We'll do it aqain next week. Beer next time. 3 or 4. Bla bla.
Anyway, it matters not, he'll not take any notice of me. But I'll sleep comfortably that I at least tried to help.
In Response to Re: "Sit & DOHHHHHHH Diary": In Response to Re: "Sit & DOHHHHHHH Diary" : That's very good of you Alan, & I know you intended no harm. But this is the point. There IS NO HARM in a couple of shandies . There is not. None at all. But it does not stop at a couple, does it? We'll do it aqain next week. Beer next time. 3 or 4. Bla bla. Anyway, it matters not, he'll not take any notice of me. But I'll sleep comfortably that I at least tried to help. Posted by Tikay10
If only that was true. This may not be at all relevant, but JJ could be suffering from Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome - PAWS
PAWS symptoms reach a peak from three to six months after we get clean. Use of drugs or alcohol, even in small quantities or for a short time, will eliminate much of the improvement gained over that time as it will keep the brain from healing.
Info on PAWS
There are two stages of withdrawal. The first stage is the acute stage, which usually lasts at most a few weeks. During this stage, you may experience physical withdrawal symptoms. But every drug is different, and every person is different.
The second stage of withdrawal is called the Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS). During this stage you'll have fewer physical symptoms, but more emotional and psychological withdrawal symptoms.
Post-acute withdrawal occurs because your brain chemistry is gradually returning to normal. As your brain improves the levels of your brain chemicals fluctuate as they approach the new equilibrium causing post-acute withdrawal symptoms.
Most people experience some post-acute withdrawal symptoms. Whereas in the acute stage of withdrawal every person is different, in post-acute withdrawal most people have the same symptoms.
The Symptoms of Post-Acute Withdrawal
The most common post-acute withdrawal symptoms are:
Yup, know all that Geldy, I was making exactly the same point as you, though not as well.
Incidentally, I've not had an alcohol problem, ever, but I have had other addiction problems, such as cigarettes.
I quit smoking completely, just like that. Then some oaf - who KNEW I had been a lifelong smoker, but had given up 2 years earlier - bet his mates he could get me to smoke a cigarette again. Nice fella, him. He won his bet.
I always look back on that & view him as the most dumb, selfish, stupid person I ever met. I've never spoken to him since, & I never will. It's my fault of course, I'm not blaming anyone, but we need our friends to help us, don't we?
Anyway, I'm grumpy today, I've seen some real bad stuff on here this week (the Community, not this Diary), hence the honesty. Time I shut up.
^^^ Yup, know all that Geldy, I was making exactly the same point as you, though not as well. Incidentally, I've not had an alcohol problem, ever, but I have had other addiction problems, such as cigarettes. I quit smoking completely, just like that. Then some oaf - who KNEW I had been a lifelong smoker, but had given up 2 years earlier - bet his mates he could get me to smoke a cigarette again. Nice fella, him. He won his bet. I always look back on that & view him as the most dumb, selfish, stupid person I ever met. I've never spoken to him since, & I never will. It's my fault of course, I'm not blaming anyone, but we need our friends to help us, don't we? Anyway, I'm grumpy today, I've seen some real bad stuff on here this week (the Community, not this Diary), hence the honesty. Time I shut up. Posted by Tikay10
Sort of related in a way. I quit smoking for 2.5 years after the weeman was born. The odd one while drunk and stressed but nothing which retriggered the cravings.
Recently though, through a huge positive change in my life (and i know jj isn't happy with me over this as hes made clear in private coversations) but through a mix of anxiety, increased drinking time (social), tiredness and a single silly arguement with mel, i let slip. Suddenly im a full time smoker again.
By far one of the worst decisions I've ever made.
Making that bold just so when i read back one day i can shout at myself. I've just undone so much hard work getting off the smelly horrid things and i do something daft like that.
JJ hope the snooker went well, keep up the solid progress.
I had 3 bottles of Bud, the first 1 on it's own but it was so yuk I had to have the 2nd 2 in shandy form.
What sort of a snooker club doesn't have lager on tap!!!
3 buds is less than 2 pints, it's alright. I didn't want anymore, I don't want any now, I wont be having any if I go back etc.
Snooker was very embarrassing.
I was terrible to start, there was a big unexpected development which led to pretty huge and unpleasant anxiety type thing. So the first couple of frames my head and body was pretty fekked and I couldn't pot a ball.
Came on strong towards the end to win 3/5 total.
Highest break...
Red
Black
Red
Pink
(looks better in words than it does numbers)
I played abit of poker on sky before going out yesterday, and a little bit on dollar sites this morning too.
Lost both times.
Not feeling that bad about it though, looking forward to playing again tonight.
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@ Don.
Not great, but a big fat mac n cheese in the oven atm should improve things.
Doh you've had a minor set back so time to get back on track. Only you can do it. You know what you've got to do please don't be tempted by the demons. My ex was an alcoholic, still is becuase he's in denial. Cant help some people. But once you've admitted you've got a problem then that's the first step. You've done that great stuff. A minor blip in the bigger picture so to speak. Go seek the help you need so you don't slip back any further.
Omg MAC and CHEESE!!!!! Now I want some!!!! you rotter.............lol
Just wanna chip in and say this really isn't a setback imo. I know JJ pretty well and personally I don't think he is/ever was an alcholic but I can understand thee kneejerk reactions that some people might have if you only have half the story/don't know him that well. If he was an alcholic then having even 1 drink would be a total disaster, but I don't think he is.
Some really amazing positives to take from the other night anyway, mainly getting yourself into a spot that induced an 'unpleasant anxiety type thing' and getting through it fine.
It depends on how you define addiction. If the definition is something like "uses X drug against his/her willpower" then ja, I wouldn't say JJ was addicted, and I wouldn't even say I'm addicted to nicotine. I think it's quite rare for someone to be fully dependant on a particular drug - I think everyone has enough willpower to refuse, or to get help.
If the definition is something like "prolonged use despite health implications and takes control of life" or something, then yeah, I'm addicted, and so was JJ. I've seen both definitions used so I don't know which people prefer.
Also, the addictive agent in cigarettes (nicotine) is much stronger and much easier to get hooked on than alcohol, so JJ has more chance of successfully returning to a social drinking scene than a smoker does a social smoking scene.
Yah I don't see any setbacks on the drinking yet, people will have opinions of course, it's fine, but from my point of view nothing bad happened.
I planned to have a couple of beers, I ended up having less than 1, coz bud not only tastes like kak you get like 1 gobfull per bottle.
The one thing that's way out in front of everything else in terms of a potential trigger to drink alcohol irresponsibly again is feeling tired, day in day out.
When I'm drunk I get a few hours respite.
If I can resist the temptation all day every day when I know I have a liquid cure sitting in the cupboard, then I'm pretty confident I'll be able to do the same when other less potent cravings arise.
20nl shooting tonight is on. (with a coffee) Good luck on the grind all. Posted by DOHHHHHHH
It finally happened.
So much fun once I got started
Played 2 sessions, first around 2 hours where I lost a buyin.
2nd session started poorly too, a £13 donation within the first orbit made it pretty tempting to just go to bed, but as I was being 'staked' or 'backed' I felt I could and should approach it like a half decent poker player would and not act like a child/don.
Of course if there was any sort of tilt, standing would be the best option but that rarely happens, I just get sulky and quit because I don't like losing
After being stuck around 3 buyins overall at 1 point I managed to turn it round and end +£9.
The result is very pleasing, but more importantly I felt really good in the games, playing within myself for much of the session and still not feeling like I was being exploited, targetted or run over/outplayed/outclassed by anyone.
A name I recall from my previous experiences at low stakes, weedgi (or something like that) gave me quite a few problems, and in return, I gave him quite a few pounds.
May develop into abit of a rivalry
Enjoyed the session alot, probably has alot to do with the fact I was looking forward to playing for once. Adrenaline of relatively nosebleed stakes does the tiredness levels alot of good too
Finished +£9. Of which the lambster gets four pounds and fifty pence towardsssss who knows......
A KFC? A Super Roller buyin? A nose related operation? 888 $ xfer debts?
All good options.
Also, insert the inevitable "his most profitable cash session so far this month" gag here.
------
Have to try and switch off and sleep now as I'm going to watch some sunday league togger in the morning.
Just wanna chip in and say this really isn't a setback imo. I know JJ pretty well and personally I don't think he is/ever was an alcholic but I can understand thee kneejerk reactions that some people might have if you only have half the story/don't know him that well. If he was an alcholic then having even 1 drink would be a total disaster, but I don't think he is. Some really amazing positives to take from the other night anyway, mainly getting yourself into a spot that induced an ' unpleasant anxiety type thing' and getting through it fine. Wpwp Posted by Lambert180
Eh?
Were I to reply to that in the manner I'd like to, I'd almost certainly get the tin tack.
So I think I'll leave you & JJ to it, to say to each other "yup, everything's cool".
Let me just remind you that just 16 days ago, he proudly (& rightly) puffed his chest out to tell us this, & at the same time, reminded himself of the temptations he needed to avoid.......
"A rare positive in here of late....
Yesterday was 148 days (21 weeks) since I last had a drink (barring 1 rogue pint)
I stopped counting ages ago, as I aint that bothered anymore.
But as I know I'm going to be walking through Barnsley on a Friday afternoon past tonnes of boozers I definitely just thought about it and it seemed a good idea to remind myself of the above ....."
Lots of folk congratulated him, & he thanked every single one. That's how proud he was.
Two days later, very tellingly, & very scarily, for this is when we (or most of us) realised the scale of the issue, the magnitude of the battle he had - at the time - just won, he wrote this.......
"....When I first stopped drinking, 150ish days ago I couldn't do 1 minute of very moderate (walking) physical activity without needing to lie down for an hour, couldn't go out or even answer the door without severe anxiety/panic attacks, never really spoke to anyone aside from immediate family, and couldn't play poker without a drink for longer than 10 minutes without feeling very ill......"
That all strikes you as "normal", then, Paul?
And you think good-hearted well-intentioned (& in some cases, experienced in ways of the world) people trying to prevent him going back to that are having kneejerk reactions?
Guess I'll bid you all a good Sunday & leave you guys to it.
Back from Sunday Morning footy, shattered, aching, laying on the bed, watching Super Sunday waiting for Sunday dinner!
Throwback to 2005
Aside from the fact I was only watching.
And the absence of a Lamb Shoulder
Honestly enjoyed the game so much more than both my recent trips to Bramall Lane.
Professionals trying really hard to be really good and failing is 1 thing.
Amataurs trying really hard to be really good and being absolutely useless is so much better
------
I once said being a professional dym player must be up there as 1 of the worst jobs there is.
Having being reminded of the difficulties of being a sunday league football referee I have to retract that statement.
Those guys have it tough!
Turn up on a Sunday Morning, jog about in the cold for 2 hours having a bunch of ego driven Roy Keane wannabes shouting and balling and in your face, calling you every name under the sun everytime you make a decision, even if you get everything spot on, all for the sake of 20 quid.
Give me the ICM manual over that any day.
-----
If you keep your eyes and ears open at any sunday league game you'll see and hear some incredible things.
Todays favourite was...
"come on lads this is f* sh**. Lets get the f* body language going!!!"
-----
Lazy Sunday ahead, going to snooze in front of Newc v Norwich, wake up and eat a mushroom bake or something equally revolting and then if I feel I can get my body language going, start thinking about poker.
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I dont want to comment too much on TKs above post, I know Paul is awaare of it and will be replying later.
I just want to say I do really reallyyyyyyy appreciate all the encouragement, tips and advice I get on here. More than you will believe.
I'm trying to do everything without any guidance from doctors or councillers or anything, so this thread is pretty much my only form of 'council'.
I cant follow everyones advice to the word, if you read through the last few pages you'll soon realise that is impossible as there are many contrasting opinions.
They all have 1 thing in common though in that they are all posted with good intentions and all in an encouraging tone.
For that, I am very greatful, as it's abit of an awkward thing to discuss at all, nevermind in a public forum, and everyone who has contributed has made talking about it alot easier than I expected it to be.
Comments
Condolences to you & your family.
OK, I'll be the first to say what so many are thinking.
A few beers, or even, as later suggested & accepted, a few shandies (in context, EXACTLY the same thing) would be the worst decision you ever made, especially after all your self discipline to get back on the right track.
I genuinely hope you did not or do not take that path of weakness, & give in.
As it happens, the chance of you taking my advice are precisely nil based on past evidence, so there is no need for you to take offence at my well-intended advice.
Good luck JJ. If you start having a few beers or shandies, you are gonna need it.
x
Asking or suggesting a guy who is recovering (& recovering well) from a drink problem to go have a few drinks is (imo) a truly terrible thing to do. You would not offer someone who gave up smoking a cigarette, nor would anyone in their right mind suggest meeting a guy with a gambling problem in a betting shop.
Anyway, he'll not listen to you or me, & in a way, it's none of our business. But caring for others IS everyone's business, despite that dreadful stuff we saw recently on Jac's thread.
But this is the point.
There IS NO HARM in a couple of shandies. There is not. None at all.
But it does not stop at a couple, does it?
We'll do it aqain next week. Beer next time. 3 or 4. Bla bla.
Anyway, it matters not, he'll not take any notice of me. But I'll sleep comfortably that I at least tried to help.
In Response to Re: "Sit & DOHHHHHHH Diary" : That's very good of you Alan, & I know you intended no harm. But this is the point. There IS NO HARM in a couple of shandies . There is not. None at all. But it does not stop at a couple, does it? We'll do it aqain next week. Beer next time. 3 or 4. Bla bla. Anyway, it matters not, he'll not take any notice of me. But I'll sleep comfortably that I at least tried to help.
Posted by Tikay10
There are two stages of withdrawal. The first stage is the acute stage, which usually lasts at most a few weeks. During this stage, you may experience physical withdrawal symptoms. But every drug is different, and every person is different.
The second stage of withdrawal is called the Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS). During this stage you'll have fewer physical symptoms, but more emotional and psychological withdrawal symptoms.
Post-acute withdrawal occurs because your brain chemistry is gradually returning to normal. As your brain improves the levels of your brain chemicals fluctuate as they approach the new equilibrium causing post-acute withdrawal symptoms.
Most people experience some post-acute withdrawal symptoms. Whereas in the acute stage of withdrawal every person is different, in post-acute withdrawal most people have the same symptoms.
The Symptoms of Post-Acute Withdrawal
The most common post-acute withdrawal symptoms are:
^^^
Yup, know all that Geldy, I was making exactly the same point as you, though not as well.
Incidentally, I've not had an alcohol problem, ever, but I have had other addiction problems, such as cigarettes.
I quit smoking completely, just like that. Then some oaf - who KNEW I had been a lifelong smoker, but had given up 2 years earlier - bet his mates he could get me to smoke a cigarette again. Nice fella, him. He won his bet.
I always look back on that & view him as the most dumb, selfish, stupid person I ever met. I've never spoken to him since, & I never will. It's my fault of course, I'm not blaming anyone, but we need our friends to help us, don't we?
Anyway, I'm grumpy today, I've seen some real bad stuff on here this week (the Community, not this Diary), hence the honesty. Time I shut up.
I played abit of poker on sky before going out yesterday, and a little bit on dollar sites this morning too.
Omg MAC and CHEESE!!!!! Now I want some!!!! you rotter.............lol
Some really amazing positives to take from the other night anyway, mainly getting yourself into a spot that induced an 'unpleasant anxiety type thing' and getting through it fine.
If the definition is something like "prolonged use despite health implications and takes control of life" or something, then yeah, I'm addicted, and so was JJ. I've seen both definitions used so I don't know which people prefer.
Also, the addictive agent in cigarettes (nicotine) is much stronger and much easier to get hooked on than alcohol, so JJ has more chance of successfully returning to a social drinking scene than a smoker does a social smoking scene.
So much fun once I got started
Were I to reply to that in the manner I'd like to, I'd almost certainly get the tin tack.
So I think I'll leave you & JJ to it, to say to each other "yup, everything's cool".
Let me just remind you that just 16 days ago, he proudly (& rightly) puffed his chest out to tell us this, & at the same time, reminded himself of the temptations he needed to avoid.......
Lots of folk congratulated him, & he thanked every single one. That's how proud he was.
Two days later, very tellingly, & very scarily, for this is when we (or most of us) realised the scale of the issue, the magnitude of the battle he had - at the time - just won, he wrote this.......
"....When I first stopped drinking, 150ish days ago I couldn't do 1 minute of very moderate (walking) physical activity without needing to lie down for an hour, couldn't go out or even answer the door without severe anxiety/panic attacks, never really spoke to anyone aside from immediate family, and couldn't play poker without a drink for longer than 10 minutes without feeling very ill......"
That all strikes you as "normal", then, Paul?
And you think good-hearted well-intentioned (& in some cases, experienced in ways of the world) people trying to prevent him going back to that are having kneejerk reactions?
Guess I'll bid you all a good Sunday & leave you guys to it.
Throwback to 2005
Turn up on a Sunday Morning, jog about in the cold for 2 hours having a bunch of ego driven Roy Keane wannabes shouting and balling and in your face, calling you every name under the sun everytime you make a decision, even if you get everything spot on, all for the sake of 20 quid.
"come on lads this is f* sh**. Lets get the f* body language going!!!"
-----