Class of September 2010 Part 2
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Class of September 2010 Part 2
Canine Welfare Advocate
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 10,962
This morning will be my 250th sober morning. I wish I had something profound to say. But I don't. The profundity tank is running low. "Don't drink, Carl!" That's about as deep as it gets these days. Going through a rough patch. As I've stated to other forum members in previous posts, getting sober solves the problems caused by drinking. Facing the problems that caused us to drink--that's recovery. Solving those problems--sometimes that's out of our hands. That's where I'm at now, looking to my higher power for the strength to accept that some things can't be fixed.
...is awesome!
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 107
Ive looked and searched a few times for a September 2010 thread...well here you are lol
28th of September is my first day of sobriety, no idea what day it is now but its 7 months plus. I miss it sometimes, but then I remember im alive and it aint so bad
Look forward to getting to know you fellow Septemberers!
28th of September is my first day of sobriety, no idea what day it is now but its 7 months plus. I miss it sometimes, but then I remember im alive and it aint so bad
Look forward to getting to know you fellow Septemberers!
Re-Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 7,583
Great weekend and weather!
But not so much for some in the floods and weather of the season. It is all about where we are at at any given time. Speaking of which, I am currently in a very good place. I don't think of drinking alcohol at all much anymore. Nor smoking. Yet my wife continues to smoke but not in the house or under the range vent hood, and she continues to have her scotch in the evening times two. Yes there is a bottle of scotch in the house, and a carton of smokes. Right now I am alone at home and could very easily sneak one of each. I don't know what is different with me from those who struggle. I just decided that once I detoxed and made it past one week without either, I would embrace that victory forever.
All I needed was a head start and I got that with a week in the hospital in detox. I thought that it would be impossible for me to detox even 24 hours and I could not do it myself. So, with a little help from my friends in hospital and my friends and family at home, I am a non drinker, and a recovered alcoholic, who previously could not make it past a drink in the morning with my first coffee, and then all day. I felt so bad physically, and so disgusted with myself emotionally, that I decided that once I was over the hump, I would never go back again. Ever. I regret not being able to sip a snifter of brandy, but I would soon be back to alcoholism. Given that set of alternatives, I am firmly in the non-drinker non-smoker camp. I can be around drinking and drink with them just my drink won't have any alcohol. I am around smokers too sometimes and it does not bother me one bit. They choose to smoke and I no longer choose that for myself.
I wish the same for the many that just like me wanted to be free of the illness, the Dis-ease, the cost, the embarassment when caught by a hired worker drinking at 8 AM, and the horrible swollen and painful mornings curable only by the hair of the dog.
Since we are all on the downhill side of a year sober now, I wish us all continued success. Next week I will be at 8 months sober, and smoke free. I am just now getting my stride back and accomplishing many of the things I put off before, or did half heartedly, and now am setting right. I even quit the mint candy I got hooked on right after quitting as a substitute. Now I go to work on getting back in shape and losing the 20 pounds left from my overeating after quitting.
We are sober and it is wonderful!
All I needed was a head start and I got that with a week in the hospital in detox. I thought that it would be impossible for me to detox even 24 hours and I could not do it myself. So, with a little help from my friends in hospital and my friends and family at home, I am a non drinker, and a recovered alcoholic, who previously could not make it past a drink in the morning with my first coffee, and then all day. I felt so bad physically, and so disgusted with myself emotionally, that I decided that once I was over the hump, I would never go back again. Ever. I regret not being able to sip a snifter of brandy, but I would soon be back to alcoholism. Given that set of alternatives, I am firmly in the non-drinker non-smoker camp. I can be around drinking and drink with them just my drink won't have any alcohol. I am around smokers too sometimes and it does not bother me one bit. They choose to smoke and I no longer choose that for myself.
I wish the same for the many that just like me wanted to be free of the illness, the Dis-ease, the cost, the embarassment when caught by a hired worker drinking at 8 AM, and the horrible swollen and painful mornings curable only by the hair of the dog.
Since we are all on the downhill side of a year sober now, I wish us all continued success. Next week I will be at 8 months sober, and smoke free. I am just now getting my stride back and accomplishing many of the things I put off before, or did half heartedly, and now am setting right. I even quit the mint candy I got hooked on right after quitting as a substitute. Now I go to work on getting back in shape and losing the 20 pounds left from my overeating after quitting.
We are sober and it is wonderful!
Canine Welfare Advocate
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 10,962
Originally Posted by Itchy 
Since we are all on the downhill side of a year sober now, I wish us all continued success.
[QUOTE=Itchy;2970177]We are sober and it is wonderful!QUOTE]
I second that, Itchy.
...is awesome!
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 107
Originally Posted by Itchy
Congrats on the nine months Liz!! Heckuva trip no?
Its certainly been alot different than any other time for me to have reached this length in sobriety. I truely feel that sense of loss for something I know is part of me but that I can never entertain again, where as before it just sucked and I didnt bother coming to terms with it so I drank again. Guess im going through the stages of grief! I wish it was different but its not. I accept that. It is definately not easy to though :-)
How are you going?
Canine Welfare Advocate
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 10,962
Originally Posted by lizisme
Guess im going through the stages of grief! I wish it was different but its not. I accept that. It is definately not easy to though :-)
Not drinking is great, but I'd like to see you enjoying your sobriety.
...is awesome!
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 107
I didn't mean to come across the way I have been taken. Can't seem to be able to explain what I meant but anyway. I appreciate you're concern, reading my post back does sound concerning but I certainly didnt mean it to sound so depressing. Im happy :-)
Re-Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 7,583
Glad to hear that you are doing well Liz. And very glad to hear that this time feels different.
I had to use the sobertime calculator at the top left of the page several times already but now just count months and when I get to the 21st day that is my new total. I am not very good at counting my time either.
BTW getting sober has some withdrawal symtoms and Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms that we all share. So we all have in common our drinking/addiction, and the results, physically, of stopping.
After that we are all vastly different. ( Of course I am only half vast!
) I have read posts that all but said that they hated sobriety and could not wait for an excuse to get back to drinking, for whom a relapse is relief. I haven't lost drinking, I have gained sobriety.
So there are basically two main divisions of alcoholics in recovery. Those that feel that they will need support just to stay sober forever, and those that don't. I feel a lot of that pressure to keep coming to meetings from my dear friends in my small home group. Most of them have over 5 years sobriety, two have more than 10 years. The longest sober say that they keep cominmg to help others who then help them by succeeding. That makes sense, but is not for me. I did double the time I needed so as not to have been a taker, and still drop in every couple of months or when called for a special occasion.
When I drank I disliked drama and the people that made drama and tried to bring it into my life. Before I drank too much I despised what I called Drama Kings and Queens.
Now that I have been through it I recognize the Drama people and can separate them from the folks trying to get free of the drama of being an alcoholic. I have peace and serenity just from letting myself be. That not a religion, nor philosophy nor a statement of transcendence. At this point in my sobriety I am into cheering others and enjoying my friends here. Many of whom are in the newly created "One Year and Over" group. It seems that there is no precedence for a group of friends from here to stay and post after one year. So after one year it seems that only one out of a thousand or less stays around. I will be one too. But not because I need it from a sobriety perspective. Instead of a badge of shame I look at it now as a badge of honor. Sort of like belonging to a professional group. We all have something in common and provide each other a mirror view that is distorted to the likes and personalities of each. Just remember that distortion and your own and remember that a person's negative and positive comments about others is really a dialog about themselves. Most don't listen to learn that, instead just waiting for their turn to speak. When they hold up their morror to us, we see them clearly.
Work your way through your grief, and when you are over it there is a lot more to discover and do. I can't believe what I have rediscovered. And what I decided to let go. You are getting there too. Pretty strange when you think about it.
So let yours shine Liz. Grieve if that floats yer boat.
I had to use the sobertime calculator at the top left of the page several times already but now just count months and when I get to the 21st day that is my new total. I am not very good at counting my time either.
BTW getting sober has some withdrawal symtoms and Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms that we all share. So we all have in common our drinking/addiction, and the results, physically, of stopping.
After that we are all vastly different. ( Of course I am only half vast!
) I have read posts that all but said that they hated sobriety and could not wait for an excuse to get back to drinking, for whom a relapse is relief. I haven't lost drinking, I have gained sobriety. So there are basically two main divisions of alcoholics in recovery. Those that feel that they will need support just to stay sober forever, and those that don't. I feel a lot of that pressure to keep coming to meetings from my dear friends in my small home group. Most of them have over 5 years sobriety, two have more than 10 years. The longest sober say that they keep cominmg to help others who then help them by succeeding. That makes sense, but is not for me. I did double the time I needed so as not to have been a taker, and still drop in every couple of months or when called for a special occasion.
When I drank I disliked drama and the people that made drama and tried to bring it into my life. Before I drank too much I despised what I called Drama Kings and Queens.
Now that I have been through it I recognize the Drama people and can separate them from the folks trying to get free of the drama of being an alcoholic. I have peace and serenity just from letting myself be. That not a religion, nor philosophy nor a statement of transcendence. At this point in my sobriety I am into cheering others and enjoying my friends here. Many of whom are in the newly created "One Year and Over" group. It seems that there is no precedence for a group of friends from here to stay and post after one year. So after one year it seems that only one out of a thousand or less stays around. I will be one too. But not because I need it from a sobriety perspective. Instead of a badge of shame I look at it now as a badge of honor. Sort of like belonging to a professional group. We all have something in common and provide each other a mirror view that is distorted to the likes and personalities of each. Just remember that distortion and your own and remember that a person's negative and positive comments about others is really a dialog about themselves. Most don't listen to learn that, instead just waiting for their turn to speak. When they hold up their morror to us, we see them clearly.
Work your way through your grief, and when you are over it there is a lot more to discover and do. I can't believe what I have rediscovered. And what I decided to let go. You are getting there too. Pretty strange when you think about it.
So let yours shine Liz. Grieve if that floats yer boat.
...is awesome!
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 107
I withdraw the word 'grief' from my previous post. Please also disregard my entire post a few days back. I will re-write what I really meant to come across when I have more time :-)
I like reading what you guys write and hope to write a reply to your thoughts also when I get back on here.
Keep smiling
I like reading what you guys write and hope to write a reply to your thoughts also when I get back on here.
Keep smiling
...is awesome!
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 107
well im back. lost my mind there...literally lol. anyways im still sober. cant believe its almost been a year, gone so fast. Miss getting off my face (the first hour or so then the other 23hours are not pretty) but not willing to try thats for sure, been there done that too many times. Happy birthday to everyone that is celebrating this month. We rock...alot yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeah
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