Why relapse after years of sobriety
Welcome amigo, day 1 for me was over eight years ago and the old advice of taking sobriety one day at a time is still valuable. Just don't drink today and focus on today.
I would also say it is hard to quit on your own so I hope you have a sobriety support plan.
Do some research and keep posting; this is a great site and there is a newcomers section.
Dave
I would also say it is hard to quit on your own so I hope you have a sobriety support plan.
Do some research and keep posting; this is a great site and there is a newcomers section.
Dave
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 24
Thanks, Dave. I can't believe that my relapse has lasted almost as long as my sobriety. I hope I can turn this ship around. I am going to start a thread here, and I plan to post something on it everyday. My work will pay for me to see a counselor, at least for a while. So I am going to look into that too. Do some people use this SR community as their main support group?
welp, my experience is only through AA and seeing it there. there have been different reasons i have heard for drinking again after years of sobriety. two things that seem to have been pretty common for those that made it back are
1) i used it as a reason but it was really an excuse because
2) i started playing God.
i have also heard that people had forgotten the misery that drinking brought them.
for me, i was about 3 years or so in and was in full blown relapse mode( IMO, relapse starts with my thinkin and ends with a drink). i had a few poeple tell me i was in relapse mode but would this egomaniac admit it???noooooo!
i went like that for about 3 months. went to meetings about 5 times/week. then one day, when i was having a pretty good bout of anger, i said to myself,"f it! im gonna go get a 12 pack!" in my mind i was beyond a drink.
i thuroughly believe it was devine intervention that had me take a shower before i was off to the store and thats when i saw what was happening. it wasnt only the thought of getting drunk i was seein, it was the 3 months worth of thinkkn that led me to that thought. i was goin to meetings and helping others when i could, but that was it. i was complacent with what i had. i wasnt doing anything to grow more mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.
1) i used it as a reason but it was really an excuse because
2) i started playing God.
i have also heard that people had forgotten the misery that drinking brought them.
for me, i was about 3 years or so in and was in full blown relapse mode( IMO, relapse starts with my thinkin and ends with a drink). i had a few poeple tell me i was in relapse mode but would this egomaniac admit it???noooooo!
i went like that for about 3 months. went to meetings about 5 times/week. then one day, when i was having a pretty good bout of anger, i said to myself,"f it! im gonna go get a 12 pack!" in my mind i was beyond a drink.
i thuroughly believe it was devine intervention that had me take a shower before i was off to the store and thats when i saw what was happening. it wasnt only the thought of getting drunk i was seein, it was the 3 months worth of thinkkn that led me to that thought. i was goin to meetings and helping others when i could, but that was it. i was complacent with what i had. i wasnt doing anything to grow more mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.
To me, this site acts as a supplement. As you know, recovery takes hard work and there are no shortcuts. Sounds like you have access to an EAP through your employer. I was fortunate that my health insurance picked up most of my outpatient therapy. Might be something to check on ...
Dave
Dave
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada. About as far south as you can get
Posts: 4,768
I'm an alcoholic and I'm inclined to get drunk.
I have a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of my spiritual condition.
Let maintenance lapse..... drunkenness will follow.
All the best.
Bob R
I have a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of my spiritual condition.
Let maintenance lapse..... drunkenness will follow.
All the best.
Bob R
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