Five days is quite an accomplishment. I remember when I went five days...I couldn't even recall the last time I had been sober five days. So well done!
Originally Posted by
effortjoy 
How do you deal with life on its own terms without trying to run away through drinking? How did you do it?
One of the things that helped me was the recognition, finally, that drinking wasn't was "normal" people did to deal with life. Do you have someone in your life who has been dealt with life's harsh blows without drinking?
I did. My sister. When our mom died, she suffered terrible depression, but didn't jump in the bottle like I did. She's had relationships go sour, but never took refuge in alcohol, no matter how bad she felt. And that was it...she never ran from the bad feelings like I always tried to do.
Being sober doesn't mean things will never be bad. It means we accept that things are bad, that they are bound to get better, and sticking our heads in a bottle isn't going to make the bad go away. In fact, it only makes things worse.
Stay strong. You WILL see changes if you don't drink.