Fifth year of sobriety
Hello SR! I hit my five year sobriety anniversary recently. My sobriety date is 6-15-15. I remember coming to SR when I initially attempted to get sober and I look back with gratitude toward the people like Dee and least and Hawkeye13 who took time out of their day to respond to my posts and help me stay sober. It means a lot to me that SR is such an open and supportive community for people who often feel so alone, frightened, and ill.
I had never purchased my own car before and I did that last year. I moved thousands of miles away from my family of origin. I’ve been in a relationship with a woman I love for 9 months. Right now I have three employers and I am training to run my first marathon in September. I’ve still got a lot to learn and do but none of these positive things in my life would exist if I had not devoted myself to recovering from alcoholism. Although I will always be in recovery I think I can say that I have become more focused on helping others and less focused on satisfying my own selfish needs.
Recovery is transformative and I think it is important for us to give ourselves credit for wanting to live healthy, positive lives. I’ve been thinking about the Spanish I have been studying lately and I really appreciate having a clear mind today.
If someone who is struggling is reading this please remember to focus on positive actions you can take to improve your mental, emotional, and physical health. I had to use AA, counseling, SR, and spiritual practices to get started on the journey toward a sober life. My slips and falls scared me but I always reminded myself that I cared about myself enough to get back up and try again. Sometimes I felt completely hopeless and alone but I still tried to believe in myself. SR helped me connect with others who showed me how to begin living a healthy life.