Originally Posted by
rubbersoul 
44 days. Been finding the feelings of loss really hard to cope with lately. I have moments where I forget about my new sober life and when I remember that I can't have alcohol ever again I get this horrid sinking, almost nauseating, feeling in my stomach and I feel like life is pointless. When did these grief like feelings start to abate for you, or do you still get them?
Maybe a bit of perspective is in order? When I start feeling sorry for myself, I think about everything I have to be grateful for - family, friends, health, job, home, sobriety, etc. I also think about the serious challenges other people are dealing with. For example, my father-in-law is battling cancer; my mother-in-law recently had a heart attack that nearly killed her. And my life is pointless because I can't have a beer?
It also helps to view sobriety as a gift & a blessing rather than think about what I have lost by quitting drinking. My sober life isn’t perfect but it is so much better than those days of active alcoholism.
I think one of the bigger challenges of sobriety is finding ways to live life on life’s terms without alcohol. I can’t drink away my stress, anger, or sadness. I can’t drink to relieve boredom or have fun. In fact, alcohol stopped doing this for me years before I finally quit.
In a way, quitting drinking is just a start. It does get better.