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Why is sober date, time sober, etc., an accomplishment?



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Why is sober date, time sober, etc., an accomplishment?

Old 09-16-2011, 04:05 PM
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Why is sober date, time sober, etc., an accomplishment?

Isn't that a little like being proud of never having been to jail?

You're not supposed to be drunk all the time anyway, so why should it be looked at as an accomplishment?

I'm not trying to start a battle here. I just don't understand why people look at X days sober as an accomplishment.
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Old 09-16-2011, 04:09 PM
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You're not alcoholic, are you?

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Old 09-16-2011, 04:10 PM
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Not everyone does see it as an accomplishment. Some do, some don't. The reasons are varied. There is lots posted here on SR about it. Read on.
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Old 09-16-2011, 04:10 PM
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No...I was hoping an alcoholic could explain it to me.
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Old 09-16-2011, 04:11 PM
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As an alcoholic, I look at every sober day as an accomplishment. I don't want a medal or anything but it is nice when you hit a milestone to get the appreciation of your fellow alcoholics/addicts.
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Old 09-16-2011, 04:15 PM
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Originally Posted by choublak
No...I was hoping an alcoholic could explain it to me.
LOL we are not all the same...we are actually individuals with different thoughts and feelings. I do enjoy recognizing my clean time, but don't assume that everyone does or sees this as an accomlishment. Some see it as a hindrance.
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Old 09-16-2011, 04:15 PM
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Originally Posted by choublak View Post

why should it be looked at as an accomplishment?
To others... non alkies... it shouldn't be, and most of us understand that. It's tough, at first, and it's nice to celebrate accomplishments and milestones, and it gives others hope.

I celebrated 3 years this week. I bought my own cake and took it to the meeting... it is a way to give back... to all those who supported me and a way to give others one more person's experience that they may be able to relate to.
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Old 09-16-2011, 04:16 PM
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Why wouldn't an alcoholic look at X number of days sober as an accomplishment? It's easy for a non-alcoholic to not drink for a week or a month or whatever. It IS quite the accomplishment for an alcoholic to do so.
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Old 09-16-2011, 04:17 PM
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What if you were overweight your whole life, diets never worked. You ate and ate and ate. Then one day you found a way to lose weight. Wouldn't every time you stepped on the scale and saw you were a pound lighter feel like a victory?

That's what my sober days feel like...times ten!
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Old 09-16-2011, 04:20 PM
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Because alcoholism is a disease not a life choice and everyday we go without drinking is another day we're alive.
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Old 09-16-2011, 04:48 PM
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Originally Posted by choublak View Post
No...I was hoping an alcoholic could explain it to me.
I don't know how to explain to a nonalcoholic what it means to need to drink, and conversely, what it's like to get through a day without having to take a drink. It's even more amazing to get through a day and not have to fight the urge to drink--to be relieved of the obsession.

I don't pat myself on the back for not drinking, but I am extraordinarily grateful for my sobriety. If I was allergic to strawberries, it'd be silly to puff myself up because, "I didn't eat a strawberry today." But what if I found that strawberries were the answer to the constant pain I felt?

A sober alcoholic is a miracle. If you're not alcoholic, you're not likely to understand it. Suggestion: find an Al-anon meeting.

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Old 09-16-2011, 04:55 PM
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But binge drinkers can go for days and weeks without taking a drink.

Is counting the number of days sober an accomplishment for them?
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Old 09-16-2011, 05:00 PM
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Not everyone counts days. I don't. I just happen to know that my sober anniversary is my birthday, so I can keep up with it that way. July was 3 years for me. Anytime an alcoholic does not take a drink when they normally would, is an accomplishment. Again, if you aren't an alcoholic, you aren't going to understand these things.
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Old 09-16-2011, 05:02 PM
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I don't count days and never really did unless pressed for a number. I don't think of my sober time as an accomplishment but, given the way I used to be, my sober time is certainly a miracle.
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Old 09-16-2011, 05:05 PM
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So why do some alcoholics not feel the need to count their number of days sober?
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Old 09-16-2011, 05:08 PM
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Originally Posted by choublak
But binge drinkers can go for days and weeks without taking a drink.
choublak, one can certainly still be in addictive addiction and go for days and weeks without ingesting alcohol. If alcohol is controlling one's thoughts and behaviors and they have not found a way to quit, then it's likely still active addiction regardless of the amount or frequency with which the addict drinks.

Is counting the number of days sober an accomplishment for them?
If it is an accomplishment for them, then it's an accoplishment for them. Viewing something as an accomplishment cannot be designated by another person.
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Old 09-16-2011, 05:09 PM
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Probably a result of trying to stay more in the present rather than dwell on the past or project so much into the future.
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Old 09-16-2011, 05:14 PM
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Originally Posted by choublak View Post
So why do some alcoholics not feel the need to count their number of days sober?
Well, I believe it's because for those trying to recover from addiction 'X amount of days sober/clean' isn't so much the prize or goal but a better way of life is. You could be 5 years sober and be miserable about it or you could be happy and free in a way that you never were because of active addiction. That's the way I feel about it, at least.

P.S. It's a good question, choublak, by the way)
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Old 09-16-2011, 05:14 PM
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Its a huge deal a sobriety date. If I ever make 1 year of sobriety I will expect the city to shut down for the day and give me a parade for my accomplishment!! Of course that won't happen but if I do get a year it will be a near miracle. CHoublak, do you count days of being not addicted to the drama the alcoholic causes??
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Old 09-16-2011, 05:17 PM
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So why do some alcoholics not feel the need to count their number of days sober?
Some people have quit, view themselves as non-drinkers, and don't find it necessary to count time or feel a sense of accomplishment. Some people find it can cause them to drink again if they become "overly confident" by having a lot of sober time. Some people just don't even believe in time in general at all other than the present moment. There's millions of reasons...each individual. Kind of an unanswerable question, one that each of us can answer only for ourselves.
Why your curiosity?
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