Sobriety.... One year later... Please Read.

Anniversary on the 10th.

 

Congrats!!!

 

@World2405

 

Gotta think HD here for a bit. You can do it, we can help.

 

Alcohol free: 1 year 9 months
Tobacco free: 2 months 24 days

Total $avings on substances: $24,050 and change...

 

F**k Yeah !!!

 

Took a 2 year chip on December 29th yay!

 

Big Congrats Hope the Shoe is starting to fit right. IICR year two I felt pretty awkward but made ‘er through. Good on You, Man.

 

Year 1 through Year 2 was generally smooth sailing. My spiritual growth continued. Near the end of year 2 I found myself getting complacent and so I have been attending lots of meetings like when I started.

Life is sure simpler this way.

 

Sure is.

I still attend 2 a week. Besides the fact I see friends and my brother in law there, to invest 2-3 hours a week in keeping a whole 168 a week on the right path is a pittance.

 

Forgot the it gets easier part but nobody believes that at first anyway

 

Then life fucking sucker punches you, and you have some bad days. Eventually, if you stick with everything long enough, your instinct is no longer "I gotta drink" or use... and overall, it's just easier to deal with life! I started making decisions based on values and principles, not on that gut feeling of needing an escape, and after some time, it kept getting better. Even on the shit days, it's better!

 

My growth in the area of "letting go" happened this last year. I am not new. It is very freeing.

 

It does on the whole get easier, it did for me. I'm very much a creature of habit and routine. Routines are good if they are good routines, of course.

Yeah life kicks my face..buried both my inlaws and quite a few friends whilst sober, for instance. That's just life though. To be fair, I was never a trigger drinker at all. I drank Tuesday because it's league night, Friday because I worked hard all week, Saturday because it's Saturday, etc..

I always tell newcomers either one of these two things (maybe both) is going to happen in time. Either it will get better..and even if not, even if it sucks worse, you're going to deal with it better because you're sober.

 

Sometimes I still need reminders of that. Better or worse I have a very good and long memory..while I don't dwell on them, I can provide examples of how my sister has treated me poorly throughout our lives in case asked for instance..

 

Hello. Thank you to all those who have contributed here, I stop in now and again. AT 64 years old, I have been a highly functional alcoholic for 45+ years, along with common use of various 'side dishes'. Basically 6 -10 drinks day forever, with occasional breaks of a few weeks or occasionally months. Day 5 sober today.
I always justified may drinking with the fact that I was 'doing great', providing well for family, no car accidents, fights or other alcohol induced stupidity, quite successful professionally.... Now looking back, I realize I wasn't doing great where it matters, and I can see the effects on past relationships and positions that, at the time, I blamed on others. The long term health effects are kicking in at an accelerated pace - just as retirement has freed me to do other things - which sucks. Worse still -- 2 of my 4 childen are struggling with alcohol and I am tortured daily by the thought that my example contributed to their issues. I guess my point is that if you are reading this and think, as I did, that you have it under control and all is well - don't delude yourself - there is only one ending to heavy daily drinking.

 

Only disease I know of that keeps telling you that you don’t have it. We’re always here or near. TW never sleeps.

 

If it does in fact get easier......
Why are there so few old timers?
Trust me, learning never stops. Commitment is not just for new people.
(I will now go back to my seat in the back)