View Poll Results: When My Sobriety Started Running Smoothly
in less than 1 week
10
5.95%
2 weeks
6
3.57%
1 month
14
8.33%
6 months
64
38.10%
1 year
22
13.10%
over 1 year
52
30.95%
Voters: 168. You may not vote on this poll
When Did Sobriety Start To Run Smoothly ??
Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: London Uk
Posts: 65
Interesting thread...
I think I just find life hard. Alcohol took away the need to think.
Life just gets in the way. The washing machine broke. Hardly a world crisis, but to me, that is the sort of stuff that I think, wow, I just want to drop out. Just picked up the new one. Huge queue in the store. Lots of normal's walking around coping with life on a Sunday. Me, I just want out. So I am over a year sober, but is my sobriety running smoothly, not today, filled with anger and resentment. Lots of work to be done.
I think I just find life hard. Alcohol took away the need to think.
Life just gets in the way. The washing machine broke. Hardly a world crisis, but to me, that is the sort of stuff that I think, wow, I just want to drop out. Just picked up the new one. Huge queue in the store. Lots of normal's walking around coping with life on a Sunday. Me, I just want out. So I am over a year sober, but is my sobriety running smoothly, not today, filled with anger and resentment. Lots of work to be done.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lakeside, Ca
Posts: 10,208
Originally Posted by pixy 
Interesting thread...
I think I just find life hard. Alcohol took away the need to think.
Life just gets in the way. The washing machine broke. Hardly a world crisis, but to me, that is the sort of stuff that I think, wow, I just want to drop out. Just picked up the new one. Huge queue in the store. Lots of normal's walking around coping with life on a Sunday. Me, I just want out. So I am over a year sober, but is my sobriety running smoothly, not today, filled with anger and resentment. Lots of work to be done.
I think I just find life hard. Alcohol took away the need to think.
Life just gets in the way. The washing machine broke. Hardly a world crisis, but to me, that is the sort of stuff that I think, wow, I just want to drop out. Just picked up the new one. Huge queue in the store. Lots of normal's walking around coping with life on a Sunday. Me, I just want out. So I am over a year sober, but is my sobriety running smoothly, not today, filled with anger and resentment. Lots of work to be done.
MM
Psalm 118:24
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ILLINOIS
Posts: 15,203
I had to read page 449 from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous for me to get peace in my life .
Life is a continual growing process. I try to stay focused today on what's good in my life and not the negatives.
Life is a continual growing process. I try to stay focused today on what's good in my life and not the negatives.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lakeside, Ca
Posts: 10,208
Originally Posted by CAPTAINZING2000
I had to read page 449 from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous for me to get peace in my life .
Life is a continual growing process. I try to stay focused today on what's good in my life and not the negatives.
Life is a continual growing process. I try to stay focused today on what's good in my life and not the negatives.
there have been some ups and downs here lately
my best friend lost his daughter recently
no reason to drink carry on with the grieving process
signed by Bob
Magsie
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 26,687
I've found im just at that place, peace and contentment. It hasn't just happened of course, if I hadn't gone through the first few days, weeks and months of sobriety I couldn't have been here.
Life's no big drama any more, I deal with problems head on which isn't always easy but it's not a train wreck either like it was when I added the drink.
Life's no big drama any more, I deal with problems head on which isn't always easy but it's not a train wreck either like it was when I added the drink.
Recovering ostrich
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Tampa Bay, Florida
Posts: 2,551
I have a different answer for all of those questions....
Not to crawl out of my skin without alcohol was 2 weeks. Not to regularly crave alcohol was 30 days. Happiness came about 1 month later but gets better all the time. And then there are days that aren't. Comfortable in my own skin... eeash. Maybe 6-7 months. I still have days that I'm not, that was why I drank. work my program regularly... oy vey, I forget to do my 10th step all the time.
Alcoholism progresses, so does the recovery.
Not to crawl out of my skin without alcohol was 2 weeks. Not to regularly crave alcohol was 30 days. Happiness came about 1 month later but gets better all the time. And then there are days that aren't. Comfortable in my own skin... eeash. Maybe 6-7 months. I still have days that I'm not, that was why I drank. work my program regularly... oy vey, I forget to do my 10th step all the time.
Alcoholism progresses, so does the recovery.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2
After one month I realized that I didn't need to drink anymore and that I had the will power to not drink. Although I didn't do AA, the AA motto of 'One day at a time' was the biggest single thing that got me though that first month. I'm at about two years now.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lakeside, Ca
Posts: 10,208
When Did Sobriety Start To Run Smoothly ??
It's been a while now for me
but
one thing for sure
life has been going pretty darn good for some time now
I still remember that if I was drinking today
there would be much drama in my karma
MB
but
one thing for sure
life has been going pretty darn good for some time now
I still remember that if I was drinking today
there would be much drama in my karma
MB
Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,183
I guess the answer depends on how one defines "smoothly", but for me it was about 18 months in. That was when I finally felt full confidence that I could negotiate the ups and downs of life without *fear* that a relapse would leap out at me from behind a bush and take over.
The defining event was a trip I took to Bath England for a concert, and involved all the hassles and stress of 8 times zones as well as many potential triggers including lots of drinking at Bath Pavillion, and whiskey stores or pubs seemingly on every block. I brought my laptop to check in to sobriety support sites, but otherwise I made no specific plans, I wasn't worried about relapsing, and it all turned out fine.
That was the last bit for me, losing the fear. Day to day life had been pretty smooth after 6-10 months, but before that trip I still kept a pocket of fear and dread about new (to sobriety) situations.
The defining event was a trip I took to Bath England for a concert, and involved all the hassles and stress of 8 times zones as well as many potential triggers including lots of drinking at Bath Pavillion, and whiskey stores or pubs seemingly on every block. I brought my laptop to check in to sobriety support sites, but otherwise I made no specific plans, I wasn't worried about relapsing, and it all turned out fine.
That was the last bit for me, losing the fear. Day to day life had been pretty smooth after 6-10 months, but before that trip I still kept a pocket of fear and dread about new (to sobriety) situations.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 22
I noticed the benefits after about 8 months but even 27 months later I still have my moments. Not sure if it's because I'm constantly trying to fill the void alcohol left but I still down sometimes.
I know one thing though, it would be a million times worse if I was still drinking!
I know one thing though, it would be a million times worse if I was still drinking!
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 4,860
I'd say around four to five months in, sobriety started to feel like the new -- and welcome -- normal.
Three months was tricky for me. I had come to realize that this was, in the long run, a life or death decision. And yet there was that little voice telling me that if you can go 90 days without, you must not have had a problem.
Conniving little thing, that AV.
Three months was tricky for me. I had come to realize that this was, in the long run, a life or death decision. And yet there was that little voice telling me that if you can go 90 days without, you must not have had a problem.
Conniving little thing, that AV.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lakeside, Ca
Posts: 10,208
When Did Sobriety Start To Run Smoothly ??
Well actually,
When the MountainLady was pretty sure I would no longer drink.
plus
When I had finished my 18 month DUI class.
plus
When I got my license back -- 2 years no license.
plus
When I finally felt up to doing a few home projects.
Didn't even want to walk to the mailbox for several months.
plus
When my parents finally thought their son would no longer drink.
plus
When I no longer had terrible nightmares (in early sobriety, I would wake up screaming at times).
plus
Man, I could go on and on here !
Mountainman
When the MountainLady was pretty sure I would no longer drink.
plus
When I had finished my 18 month DUI class.
plus
When I got my license back -- 2 years no license.
plus
When I finally felt up to doing a few home projects.
Didn't even want to walk to the mailbox for several months.
plus
When my parents finally thought their son would no longer drink.
plus
When I no longer had terrible nightmares (in early sobriety, I would wake up screaming at times).
plus
Man, I could go on and on here !
Mountainman
Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Vashon WA
Posts: 1,035
I guess three months, depending on the meaning of "smoothly". There was so much more to deal with than just the physical drinking. I was starting to slip at the end there. Some loose ends needed to be picked up.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 6,902
I ticked 6 months, but it was probably more like 7 - 8 to be honest.
I'm not entirely sure that time was the biggest factor for me though - I think it was more pertinent that this was the time that I finally accepted that I needed to do more work on my recovery, and I got a sponsor, started working the Steps, and started attending different AA meetings that would teach me more about the programme.
I'm not entirely sure that time was the biggest factor for me though - I think it was more pertinent that this was the time that I finally accepted that I needed to do more work on my recovery, and I got a sponsor, started working the Steps, and started attending different AA meetings that would teach me more about the programme.
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
Rethinking the question, life never runs smoothly, trials and low spots are a certainty, so rather than running smoothly I thought about when did sobriety become reliable.
That was very early on looking back. It didn' take me very long to get into some tough scrapes, getting fired on my first day back, getting onto a crazy relationship and being thrown out of it etc big emotional ups and downs, steep learning curves, lotsa pain, yet it never occured to me to drink.
Yet it never occured to me to drink. That is quite different to saying I decided not to drink. It just never occured to me. I was commited to the steps, the drink problem had been removed, and sobriety had become reliable no matter what life threw at me.
That was only a few weeks in.
That was very early on looking back. It didn' take me very long to get into some tough scrapes, getting fired on my first day back, getting onto a crazy relationship and being thrown out of it etc big emotional ups and downs, steep learning curves, lotsa pain, yet it never occured to me to drink.
Yet it never occured to me to drink. That is quite different to saying I decided not to drink. It just never occured to me. I was commited to the steps, the drink problem had been removed, and sobriety had become reliable no matter what life threw at me.
That was only a few weeks in.
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