Originally Posted by kenton

Hi Steve, I'm in the UK too. I will have 4 years sobriety in just over a month and I have this site and the marvellous people on this site to thank for that. I check in every day on the 24 hour thread which means I spend a couple of moments every day pledging to stay sober for the next 24 hours. Sounds so simple when I write it down.... But for me, it works! The support here is incredible and it's wonderful being able to connect instantly with people who just get it. Before I joined this site I used to project all my anger and resentment onto other people in my real life. I blamed them for my alcoholism.... Why could they drink moderately and I couldn't? Why was I always the one wandering around in black out at the end of every night out? I felt like life was so unfair. Over the last few years, I've come to realize that my alcoholism is my property. I own it. It's got nothing to do with anyone else. I don't project my issues on other people anymore because I've learnt and I'm still learning how to deal with my stuff. So now I get to enjoy fantastic relationships in my real life and whenever I need to talk about an alcoholism-related issue, I come here. I don't expect the moderate drinkers in my life to understand my alcoholism any more than I can understand their mysterious powers of moderation. How do they do it, seriously? I can't do anything in moderation. I bought a packet of extra strong mints earlier .... Ate the whole packet so quickly, my mouth was burning. I can't even eat mints in moderation. Good thing is, I never have to try and fail to moderate my drinking ever again. Being sober is so much better than stressing about moderating. And it is infinitely better than being drunk. And when I think about it, that's my three states when it comes to drinking.... I'm either sober. Or I'm stressing about moderating. Or I'm drunk. That's it. Two of those states are horrible whereas sobriety has brought me the kind of happiness I used to see other people enjoy.... I never thought that happiness could be mine. Stay connected to us Steve. I look forward to not drinking with you