What good things are you noticing after some time sober? - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

Pilgrim · 03-02-2007, 12:05 AM

I have noticed that I have more time for people. I am more interested in their lives and what they are telling me. I care more about them. I am not going through the motions and wishing I was somewhere getting drunk.

Also, I feel less judgmental. The little things don't seem to matter so much when you are fighting to survive.

And I am starting (slowly) to learn how to laugh at the ridiculous things we do and the terrible situations we get into when we are trying to stop. That's when I am not getting into some sort of hysterical panic.

ANGELINA243 · 03-02-2007, 12:29 AM

Well, before I relapsed and had a little bit of time behind me--I noticed that I wasn't constantly living in fear/worry/anxiety. I was learning how to trust others and to let my guard down--and actually allow others to love me. Now, I'm a little suspicious of people--even those who are in recovery. My mind is back at the beginning (once again)--but I know how to get back. I can't beat myself up with my past mistakes. I must press forward & move on.

c'est la vie · 03-02-2007, 12:39 AM

Those are all really good things to be feeling. It is nice to be able to look back and laugh rather than feel so miserable that we were stuck in such a rut.

Something that I like is being able to recognize my emotions as being on a pendulum rather than static. I feel good sometimes and I feel bad sometimes and it's OK. When I'm sad or angry I don't need to force myself into feeling better and I don't wallow in the misery. I just let it be, ride it out, and move on when the feeling passes. Sometimes it takes more time than others, but it does pass (btw, I always hated the phrase "this too shall pass" but gosh darnit it's true)

When I'm feeling good I cherish it. It actually took me some time to recognize low level happiness as even being happy. I thought it was a sign of depression because I couldn't feel anything. My therapist helped me see that it's OK to not be jumping for joy. My moods aren't nearly as dramatic as they were and I'm so grateful. It wore me out to go from really happy to really sad all the time.

GlassPrisoner · 03-02-2007, 12:49 AM

Solid Poops

Pilgrim · 03-02-2007, 01:17 AM

OMG Glass!

Pilgrim · 03-02-2007, 02:56 AM

O and I tucked my childen into bed soberly and made sure they felt cosy and loved for the first time in ages cos I had the energy and I wasn't drinking. O and I played the piano tonight.

nogard · 03-02-2007, 03:14 AM

clarity on so many levels

BBQBOY · 03-02-2007, 04:40 AM

Better outlook into the future......Actually just having a future to look into.........

Work Hard and Enjoy Life.....NED

lrvp99 · 03-02-2007, 06:15 AM

Sleeping thru the night. When I drink, I ALWAYS wake up between 2-3 AM and cannot get back to sleep. I also lose a lot of weight, even though I crave sweets. Also, my stomach problems begin to go away.

aasharon90 · 03-02-2007, 06:39 AM

Even when life throws u a curve ball
and things are questionable...just
by following the principles handed
down to us thru recovery, we will
intuitively know every thing will be ok.

lostmdboy · 03-02-2007, 06:46 AM

One of the very first things I noticed was my relationship with my famally. I was always so isolated that I never saw the love they were trying to give. Once I got sober though there it was. Just thank my higher power that they stuck around long enough for me to get sober.

lovecat · 03-02-2007, 06:49 AM

im looking forward to all the benifits of long term sobriety .... only 2 1/2 days so far ..... but that IS an acheivement for me as i could only seem to go one day ...... my principle number one is juststay away from 1 drink ... its working so far but still early days .... but have been to the gym for fitness assesment & swim it was fab .... couldent do that a couple of days ago .... I know it dosent sound much but my smile cant be wide enough & my eyes are brighter ..

Sammer · 03-02-2007, 07:28 AM

I am going on a hundred days and i have noticed how much my anxiety level has decreased. Still have ups and downs but am not looking for the glass of wine at the end of the day or rewarding myself at the end of the week. One of my biggest fears when I started was the weekends and what I was going to do because everyone drank and I certainly did. I now love the weekends...they stretch out like a great dessert. I am busy around my house; my wife and I plan things together; I laugh with my kids. I sleep so much better now; no more waking up at 4:00 in the morning and laying there, dreading getting up to feel like s***. Food tastes great and i really enjoy it instead of forcing it down or skipping altogether.

One thing I have learned and keep telling myself...maybe I'll drink again; I hope not and don't think I will but I do know, today I will not. Not much comes of thinking too far out.

UncleEarl · 03-02-2007, 08:49 AM

All of the above!

Just to add to the list: I stand taller, I'm better rested, I've saved THOUSANDS of dollars in less than two months, I smell better, I eat better, I follow through with day to day plans for myself rather than procrastinate...

In all, not one aspect of my life has deteriorated in sobriety. Quite the opposite!

Earl

requiredfield · 03-02-2007, 09:28 AM

Everything the big book promises....

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through.

We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.

We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.

We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.

No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.

That feeling of uselessness and self pity will disappear.

We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.

Self-seeking will slip away.

Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.

Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.

We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.

We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.

Astro · 03-02-2007, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlassPrisoner

Solid Poops

Well heck that's all the benefit I'd need to stay sober! ;-) Lol!!

My answer to this is: what isn't good? It's all good, and the best part is I'm experiencing life sober and I can remember it the next day, and the next, and the next, and the next..............

I've been blessed with a life beyond my wildest dreams and expectations, and I'm living the dream!!

Debaucher · 03-02-2007, 11:47 AM

29 days...

my kids... I notice so many more things they do... I notice more what they say... I even have played with them on the weekend past noon...

HOLY COW... my eyes have spots now that are actually white... can't waite for all the yellow to go away...

My eczema is going away...

Not waking up in the middle of the night with the shakes...

I sometimes actually sleep all the way through the night...

My wife seams happy to see me when i come home...

When she sends me an email... I am no longer afraid to read it... (because I know what the heck I did yesterday)...

Finzup · 03-02-2007, 12:58 PM

I'm 10 days in and I feel fanfreakintastic...not waking up tired and hungover is nice...I'm eating a little better...and I'm NOT worried about getting a DWI!
So far, it's ALL GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pilgrim · 03-02-2007, 01:55 PM

I have everything that everyone wrote and especially the sleeping. I used to wake up at the alcoholic's dawn too and not be able to get back to sleep. Also, I am not so worried about getting work done in a hurry. I do things by plodding through them, knowing I can do more later because I will have time. It's just so cool. I used to do everything so fast - like a whirlwind - so that I could stop and drink. Life has slowed down and become more peaceful.

chrisj728 · 03-02-2007, 02:06 PM

I now go through day & night guilt free.
I now understand others needs.
I now give without expecting a return.
I now know freedom at last.
I now know all this, just for today.

03-02-2007, 12:05 AM	#1 (permalink)
Pilgrim Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,541	What good things are you noticing after some time sober? I have noticed that I have more time for people. I am more interested in their lives and what they are telling me. I care more about them. I am not going through the motions and wishing I was somewhere getting drunk. Also, I feel less judgmental. The little things don't seem to matter so much when you are fighting to survive. And I am starting (slowly) to learn how to laugh at the ridiculous things we do and the terrible situations we get into when we are trying to stop. That's when I am not getting into some sort of hysterical panic.

03-02-2007, 12:49 AM	#4 (permalink)
GlassPrisoner Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Murrieta, Ca Posts: 2,685	Solid Poops __________________ Life Happens

03-02-2007, 03:14 AM	#7 (permalink)
nogard Connected at last Join Date: May 2005 Location: Melbourne Victoria Australia Posts: 11,631 Blog Entries: 3	clarity on so many levels __________________ ...And like a bird that's on the wing and is flying free He can hear the song of home endlessly

03-02-2007, 06:39 AM	#10 (permalink)
aasharon90 Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Baton Rouge, La. Posts: 2,726	Even when life throws u a curve ball and things are questionable...just by following the principles handed down to us thru recovery, we will intuitively know every thing will be ok. __________________ "A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED" SHARON M. Baton Rouge, La. 8-11-90 "Made A Decision To Turn My Will And Life Over To The Care Of God As I Understand Him."

03-02-2007, 06:46 AM	#11 (permalink)
lostmdboy Lurker Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Western NC Posts: 781	One of the very first things I noticed was my relationship with my famally. I was always so isolated that I never saw the love they were trying to give. Once I got sober though there it was. Just thank my higher power that they stuck around long enough for me to get sober. __________________ John, It works if you work it

03-02-2007, 12:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
ANGELINA243 We Do Recover Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 1,176 Blog Entries: 18	Well, before I relapsed and had a little bit of time behind me--I noticed that I wasn't constantly living in fear/worry/anxiety. I was learning how to trust others and to let my guard down--and actually allow others to love me. Now, I'm a little suspicious of people--even those who are in recovery. My mind is back at the beginning (once again)--but I know how to get back. I can't beat myself up with my past mistakes. I must press forward & move on.

03-02-2007, 12:39 AM	#3 (permalink)
c'est la vie Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: in a better place Posts: 1,397	Those are all really good things to be feeling. It is nice to be able to look back and laugh rather than feel so miserable that we were stuck in such a rut. Something that I like is being able to recognize my emotions as being on a pendulum rather than static. I feel good sometimes and I feel bad sometimes and it's OK. When I'm sad or angry I don't need to force myself into feeling better and I don't wallow in the misery. I just let it be, ride it out, and move on when the feeling passes. Sometimes it takes more time than others, but it does pass (btw, I always hated the phrase "this too shall pass" but gosh darnit it's true) When I'm feeling good I cherish it. It actually took me some time to recognize low level happiness as even being happy. I thought it was a sign of depression because I couldn't feel anything. My therapist helped me see that it's OK to not be jumping for joy. My moods aren't nearly as dramatic as they were and I'm so grateful. It wore me out to go from really happy to really sad all the time.

03-02-2007, 01:17 AM	#5 (permalink)
Pilgrim Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,541	OMG Glass!

03-02-2007, 02:56 AM	#6 (permalink)
Pilgrim Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,541	O and I tucked my childen into bed soberly and made sure they felt cosy and loved for the first time in ages cos I had the energy and I wasn't drinking. O and I played the piano tonight.

03-02-2007, 04:40 AM	#8 (permalink)
BBQBOY Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: baltimore, maryland Posts: 127	Better outlook into the future......Actually just having a future to look into......... Work Hard and Enjoy Life.....NED

03-02-2007, 06:15 AM	#9 (permalink)
lrvp99 Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 25	Sleeping thru the night. When I drink, I ALWAYS wake up between 2-3 AM and cannot get back to sleep. I also lose a lot of weight, even though I crave sweets. Also, my stomach problems begin to go away.

03-02-2007, 06:49 AM	#12 (permalink)
lovecat lets kill the beast Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: uk Posts: 62	im looking forward to all the benifits of long term sobriety .... only 2 1/2 days so far ..... but that IS an acheivement for me as i could only seem to go one day ...... my principle number one is juststay away from 1 drink ... its working so far but still early days .... but have been to the gym for fitness assesment & swim it was fab .... couldent do that a couple of days ago .... I know it dosent sound much but my smile cant be wide enough & my eyes are brighter ..

03-02-2007, 07:28 AM	#13 (permalink)
Sammer Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New England Posts: 21	Getting soberer I am going on a hundred days and i have noticed how much my anxiety level has decreased. Still have ups and downs but am not looking for the glass of wine at the end of the day or rewarding myself at the end of the week. One of my biggest fears when I started was the weekends and what I was going to do because everyone drank and I certainly did. I now love the weekends...they stretch out like a great dessert. I am busy around my house; my wife and I plan things together; I laugh with my kids. I sleep so much better now; no more waking up at 4:00 in the morning and laying there, dreading getting up to feel like s***. Food tastes great and i really enjoy it instead of forcing it down or skipping altogether. One thing I have learned and keep telling myself...maybe I'll drink again; I hope not and don't think I will but I do know, today I will not. Not much comes of thinking too far out.

03-02-2007, 08:49 AM	#14 (permalink)
UncleEarl Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: British Columbia Posts: 98	All of the above! Just to add to the list: I stand taller, I'm better rested, I've saved THOUSANDS of dollars in less than two months, I smell better, I eat better, I follow through with day to day plans for myself rather than procrastinate... In all, not one aspect of my life has deteriorated in sobriety. Quite the opposite! Earl __________________ Freedom is not debauchery

03-02-2007, 09:28 AM	#15 (permalink)
requiredfield Peace begins with a smile Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 173	Everything the big book promises.... If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them. __________________ Don't count the days, make the day count!

03-02-2007, 11:47 AM	#17 (permalink)
Debaucher Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cleveland Ohio Posts: 274	29 days... my kids... I notice so many more things they do... I notice more what they say... I even have played with them on the weekend past noon... HOLY COW... my eyes have spots now that are actually white... can't waite for all the yellow to go away... My eczema is going away... Not waking up in the middle of the night with the shakes... I sometimes actually sleep all the way through the night... My wife seams happy to see me when i come home... When she sends me an email... I am no longer afraid to read it... (because I know what the heck I did yesterday)... __________________ --- I pray that I don't forget what it was like to be newly sober. ---

03-02-2007, 12:58 PM	#18 (permalink)
Finzup Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Little Rock, AR Posts: 4	I'm 10 days in and I feel fanfreakintastic...not waking up tired and hungover is nice...I'm eating a little better...and I'm NOT worried about getting a DWI! So far, it's ALL GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

03-02-2007, 01:55 PM	#19 (permalink)
Pilgrim Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,541	I have everything that everyone wrote and especially the sleeping. I used to wake up at the alcoholic's dawn too and not be able to get back to sleep. Also, I am not so worried about getting work done in a hurry. I do things by plodding through them, knowing I can do more later because I will have time. It's just so cool. I used to do everything so fast - like a whirlwind - so that I could stop and drink. Life has slowed down and become more peaceful.

03-02-2007, 02:06 PM	#20 (permalink)
chrisj728 Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: ENGLAND Posts: 557	I now go through day & night guilt free. I now understand others needs. I now give without expecting a return. I now know freedom at last. I now know all this, just for today. __________________ To be someone would be a wonderful thing ( paul weller)

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
5 things to look forward to when sober..	guywithpie	Newcomers to Recovery	26	08-13-2007 01:54 AM
Things i get to do sober	Nuno	Newcomers to Recovery	5	05-14-2007 06:25 AM
Things I am noticing and Enjoying	nogard	Newcomers to Recovery	19	06-04-2005 03:25 PM