Stages of recovery ?

[atalose]

I am wondering if anyone can share with me the stages of recovery. I hear the terms early, middle, late recovery. I know everyone recovers in many different ways and time. I am wondering if say after 30 days, 60 days, 90 days the recovery process usualy is at? Can progress be monitored like that? Like say when the term early recovery is used, is that months or years or days? And I do know everyone recovers differently.

[deedee]

I've never really thought about it Atalose, though I would think early recovery would include the first year. What I do know is that each day clean is a miracle and all we really have is today.

hugs,

deedee

[temlin3]

Hi atalose,

I definitely think there is an initial period for us all. One that is very dangerous, when we've gone only inches away from where we were when addiction controlled us, when at any given moment we know and fear that we'll give in because it's just too hard. That happens a lot in recovery, but I think there's a definite first period, varying in length for each individual, where we accept our addiction and begin this journey. This time period sucks. It's the toughest.

As far as time periods and stages of recovery after that, I'm not sure. I would think it depends on the drug abused, personality of the addict, environmental influences, motivation of the addict, and probably a thousand more. What's important is finding out where you are going and doing what needs to be done to get there. Time doesn't matter... YOU matter. Take each day for what it is and enjoy it the most you can without struggle. One day, maybe you won't even think about it... it will just be another day, where you go about your life and enjoy what you have. At least I am hoping that one day I can live without so much fear and confusion about addiction. We've got to believe that.

Stay positive,
Jennifer

[aasharon90]

Hi, im Sharon and Im an Alcoholic.

Early, middle or late recovery. Hmmmm....Good sobriety or bad sobriety. Quality or quanity of sobriety.

Your right about everyone having different kinds of sobriety. Altho we need everyones sobriety to grow and learn on.

Lets just use my own sobriety.....15 yrs total. That's a many one days at a time collected together.

I feel like im reaching my middle stages of sobriety. Im passed those first yrs of ADMITTING I have a problem with alcohol. Then ACCEPTING MY PROBLEM.
Then I Came to believe in a Power greater than myself to help me stay sober.

Those r u first important steps taken in recovery. The rest eventaully follow and as a result of all those steps taken over a period of time and uve lived them in ur everyday life....late sobriety in merely maintanance work on those steps done on a daily bases.

Quantity of sobriety for me doesnt mean squat....so to speak...the number of yrs i have is just a number that'a ll. the quality of my sobriety is whats reflected on my ESH shared with others. Thru my actions in the eyes and hearts of others.

Everyones sobriety is different and only u r in charge of how u rank in sobriety.

Someone with 25 yrs may seem like hes an oldtimer....just because he hasnt drank all those yrs...but is he a dry drunk or a content and happy alcoholic in recovery? Dont let yrs fool u. We are all subject to failing if we lose practice of our program. For me, I am just one day away from a drunk. But for today, i remain teachable and continue to have the desire and willingness to go to any lengths to stay sober one day at a time.

Thanks for letting me share.

[gypsyrose]

Thank you all for your ESH. I'm having a hard time watching my AH right now. He is having a hard time getting sober... or even going five days without vodka once in a while... and I'm having a hard time understanding/being understanding. Mostly, we're just keeping our distance from each other right now and it hurts. One of the most helpful things to me is learning from all your experiences. So, thank you again.

[Baritone]

In "The Recovery Book" by A.J. Mooney they talk about 3 stages of recovery, which i found fit my own experience pretty well. If i can remember correctly, the first stage lasts several months at least, or more often a year, when we're just getting the alcohol out of our system and retraining ourselves for a new way of life. Then the second phase, for another year at least, is when we're learning to apply sobriety to the other parts of our lives. And the third phase comes when sobriety has become a way of life for us and what we are dealing with from then on is living our lives long term.

Hope that helps,
- Jim