Originally Posted by Corri

jme:

Another thing you might want to consider is: the best seven days of your life, followed by the worst seven days of you life... and guess what? You didn't drink. You made it. It may not have been fun, but the PROGRESS is that you were able to identify that those seven days were tough, and you were able to make other decisions besides picking up a bottle.

That IS leveling out. There ARE different choices and you made them. Of course they are not easy, but you are not now living with the shame, guilt and remorse of a relapse. So on balance, your worst days sober are still better than your best days drunk. Can you see it?

There is a tiny little miracle going on inside you. Your body is healing itself. If we could heal ourselves overnight, there would be no alcoholics or drug addicts or AA. Yes? Whatever it is that is keeping you strong and moving forward... THAT is the miracle. That is the power greater than the desire to take the first drink. I don't know that it needs to be defined and labeled. Maybe just experience it for awhile and see how it reveals itself to you.

I believe instant gratification is a misnomer. It goes against the laws of the universe, particularly the third law of physics: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Instant gratification, then, supposes there is no equal and opposite reaction. All you have to do is turn around and consider the residual effects of your drinking to see that there is no truth in instant gratification. Keep that in mind the next time the Committee To Return to Drinking starts meeting in your head.

Pull back, keep it simple, and move one day at a time. The confidence you are gaining, day by day in yourself that you can do this, is well worth moving forward in spite of crappy days. When your brain begins to consider yesterday and tomorrow, pull yourself back to the moment. "Right now, I'm okay. I may not be doing back flips, but I'm sober."

That's all you need to do.

Hugs honey.