Originally Posted by
ccam1973 
MC, good question. I have the same one... Congrats on getting through your tough past!
I'm only 70 days sober today and relapsed last year after 9 months clean. I got complacent and thought I could moderate. Same old story... once a week turned back into heavy drinking daily; morning to night on the weekends and noon to night on many week days.
I've got a different mind set this time. I don't want to drink anymore, ever. I remember how horrible I felt last holiday season when I was drinking all of the time.
I'm interested to hear how others with longer success respond to your question. It is hard to keep our guard up when the "newness" of sobriety wears off.
Best of luck!
I do feel that this time I am approaching it with a much more positive attitude. Not something I HAVE to do. I mean I can function with the levels of drinking I was recently doing. My career is going pretty well etc. But now I am looking at it as towards all the benefits.
My liver probably isn't totally wrecked yet. But it will be if I carry on this way. So a good dose of fear of again having to live with some dread disease so soon after I survived one is certainly one motivating factor. Here's what else I've decided to do :
1) Take up running and getting fit/slimming down. Getting rid of the booze bloat. Vanity as a motivating aspect I'd sum this one up as.
2) Trying to find ways to spend my weekends entirely away from alcohol. Taking up fishing and camping and things that keep me away from bars.
3) Writing a blog (cliche alert) as a dialogue pretty much to myself. Analytically recording all aspects within of my progress. Charting and mapping out where I am going as a way of rationalizing why I'm better off without the poison.
4) Coming here and trying to learn from the experiences of others...
Thanks again for your response. And well done on the 70 days. Is it getting any easier ?