Deep,
I had binged, moderated, drank daily, quit for 2, 3, 4 weeks, over and over for the last 10 years.
I never made it past 27 days. Funny how I knew that....but I still couldn't quit.
I started having moderate physical and mental problems after about 9 days clean, while working out. I nearly collapsed at the gym. I was trying to lose weight, working out on an empty stomach. Rediculous...
I drank the next night...hard for me...about 700 ml of wisky over a 10 hour period.,I napped in the middle of it. Rediculous....
I had a big commitment the next day...across town...with my 11 yo son. I was probably still drunk in the morning. Anxiety through the roof. I could barely drive.
That was my first of now 700+ sober days.
I was still having moderate anxiety at 3 months clean when I stumbled across SR while googling....how long to recover fully from drinking.
I learned...here.... the healing can take years...with relapse looming the whole time. Folks make it a month, 6 months, 2 years, 7 years...and boom...relapse.
So...addiction is for life. There is no going back...once a pickle...no more cucumber.
Sobriety is amazing. Real life is grounding.
Each time I get through a crave, wake up sober, push myself mentally or physically....I revel in my sobriety.
There has never been a time when I woke up wishing I had drank the day before. There were a thousand times I wished I didn't drink. That is addiction.
Addiction is for life.
I have done AA for f2f support. I guess I am not that social. It is there if I start to feel a relapse is looming.
My recovery plan follows a plan similar to what Dee offered. It is a daily list of how to live life sober. I also simply copy my wife and son.
I obviously read and post all the time here. It passes the time and totally keeps me in the right frame of mind to stay content and sober.
Yay.
Thanks.