As the title states, as of this morning I've been sober for one year!
Last Halloween, I woke up on the couch at 6am, still drunk, and looking at empty beer cans, wine bottles, and tequila bottles. I called in sick for my job, went back to sleep, and then made a decision...to go back to the bar to get rid of the hangover.
The next day I woke up, went to work, and swore off alcohol. Well, driving home that night, I literally had to fight out loud with myself to stay sober. I was hard...I was in the grocery store, trying to convince myself why I could drink again that night. But I made it through. And did again the next night, and the next...and slowly the cloud cleared.
For newcomers who can't see how they can remain sober, trust me, you can. I Joined here in 2015, but took another full year of sober stints, and the most painful, dark, horrible drunk stints, before I finally accepted sobriety. And it is so much better.
This site has been amazing. But also sober recovery podcasts, and youtube videos, and documentaries. I read several books, the most important (to me) was The Naked Mind: Control Alcohol. That book gave me the tools to approach life with a different mind set. Then also exercise, meditation, a diet overhaul, and new friends.
I'm sober for a year. I've lost 55 pounds. Most importantly, I've begun to see that living a sober life is not boring, but infinitely more exciting, because I'm not chained down by the struggle of alcoholism.
Thanks to SR. This place is truly one of a kind.
