DesertTraveler

Not sure exactly where to start with this post. Just wanted to say that I've been sober almost two months now and a lot has changed. I've still got a lot of the same problems - still have things that I am conscious of, still have the $ problems, still have to make up to my wife for drinking myself stupid every night for years - but at least now I am able to think clearly enough to formulate plans to deal with these issues.

I've already started doing some rebuilding and just wanted to say I've found one critical step in the healing process/sobriety journey is self-reflection. We need to do some really hard thinking and pinpoint what makes us tick, what makes us really want to do the drinking in the first place.

For some, they just like to drink. It makes them feel good, relax. Everyone's got a "reason" to drink.

For me, there are your standard triggers: Anger, stress, depression. For awhile now, I've been told that I was drinking because I was self-medicating. In the past few years, I've been diagnosed with major depression, anxiety, and recently, ADHD. Apparently I've had ADHD my whole life. Looking back retrospectively to the younger years, it makes sense. Just started medication for it a few days ago and it has made life 1,000,000 times easier. Work is better, anxiety is much lower, things are manageable. One very noticeable result of the new medication is a much less desire to drink.

I guess other than just wanting to share another sober milestone and post on SR, my point is that if we really reflect on ourselves and what makes us tick, and highlight those things that really make us want to binge, we can know what to focus our energies on and change for the better. This should make up a good chuck of the plan that we formulate for long-term successful sobriety.