Insanity...doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

[lovingseren]

When I first heard this, I thought..."Yeah Right"!

The longer I am sober, the more it makes complete sense to me.

I discovered that in order to move forward into sobriety and recovery, it was up to me to make the changes.

I changed everything, what time I got up, the route I drove home from work, my nightly routine, the chair I sat in, I stopped watching TV, I found new things to keep me occupied, I ate different foods, and ate small healthy meals of protein and complex carbs throughout the day.

I looked at my recovery as a living thing, that needed to be nurtured, given attention and I learned to become my own best friend....no one would treat their best friend the way I used to treat me when I was drinking.

My thinking and my attitude needed to change, I ceased to think in the negative, I stopped living in victimhood and learned to live in The Now.

I thought I might share this, for those who are new, and cannot yet see the big picture.

Please share what helped you in early sobriety.

Seren

Sobriety and Recovery are the best gifts you can give yourself, they are the gifts that keep on giving.

[51anna]

Hi Seren,

Thanks for the great post!

I totally agree that recovery is about change from inside out and from top to bottom. At least for me, it was. And, I think that the basis of most addiction is poor self-esteem. After all, would we put poisons in our bodies if we loved ourselves?

[Sonny McB]

I really like the way you worded that post. In fact, I should actually consider hanging it beside my bed so I see it each day at wake! I can relate to it 100%. Proper nutrition, exorcise, and positive energy are absolutely key too!

[Paulie]

I stopped living in victimhood and learned to live in The Now.

That is a great line!! Your entire post it great.

And what I didnt understand until I got some recovery is that it is about choice. Life is about choice. When I say that I dont mean to make it sound easy, cause it is not. Making the choice to stop using/drinking is alot easier than it sounds...I get that, I have lived that and I live it on a daily basis. But it is a choice. And until I made the choice to live I did not get clean.

Insanity...yep I actually found a greeting card with that quote on it the other day. I was shocked, but I bought a few LOL

[StayinAlive]

Originally Posted by Paulie

That is a great line!! Your entire post it great.

And what I didnt understand until I got some recovery is that it is about choice. Life is about choice. When I say that I dont mean to make it sound easy, cause it is not. Making the choice to stop using/drinking is alot easier than it sounds...I get that, I have lived that and I live it on a daily basis. But it is a choice. And until I made the choice to live I did not get clean.

Insanity...yep I actually found a greeting card with that quote on it the other day. I was shocked, but I bought a few LOL

My sponsor said i could win an Oscar for the victim role i play.

I totally get what you are saying about choice now. I wanted to strangle people, when i was so depressed and they would say its all in how you look at it, or you could quit if you really wanted to.

But as crazy as it sounds it has truth. The key is recognizing what thought patterns to change and making the "choice" to do it.

In my 5 months of sobriety i have been able to come off of all my meds

[Paulie]

Good for you Stayin!!

And congrats on the 5 months!!!

Choice, I remind myself all the time that having a choice is a gift.