AlcoholicOrNot

Yes, alcohol is everywhere! Trying to abstain makes us more aware of it's presence in the media, conversations, billboards, and on coffee tables.

When I was a child and wanted to do what my friends were doing, my mom used to say, "Just because everyone is doing it, does that mean you have to?"

It's very difficult to abstain but I no longer look at it as, "Why can't I?", or "Why me?."

Unquestionably, life is better without so the question becomes, "Why should I?".

TheEnd

After pondering some of these statements, while I realize where they are coming from and how they are intended to give the OP perspective as to how things could be worse, I really don't see them as helpful.............Letting people know things can be worse in comparison doesn't make what they're going through any better, because in reality no matter how bad things are they can always be worse.

I also think it's important to keep in mind that we are all in different stages of our sobriety, and some people have a much firmer grasp on the situation and someone may experience something that you do not experience or it doesn't resonate with you, that does not invalidate those feelings the other person may be feeling.

Just something to think about IMO...

Mark75

I was in rehab... Did not want to be there, I was in trouble at work, at home, some legal issues... despair. It was my bottom... lots of self pity, by the truckload... Lower than low, it was the worst I had ever felt in my life...

We had TV privileges from 10:30 to 11:30 PM... sh1tty reception, two snow filled channels... but I got to watch the news. One night they covered a tragic accident where the father of three young children was killed in a motor vehicle accident... Watching that news story was a turning point for me in my very early recovery... WTF!!!... WTF was I sitting on my ass feeling sorry for myself??? Really!!!.... yeah I ef'd things up a good bit and I knew my life was gonna change (jeez, if I had known how much!!!)... but I was going home, back to my family and job. I still think of that moment often... that now nameless man and his surviving family, that I saw on that news program... I won't forget it and the change that subsequently came over me.

Yea, things can get much worse.... But, we create our own problems, with alcohol, drugs and most of all, our insane thinking... And all we have to do is change! How incredibly fortunate we are.

So, TheEnd... I get what your saying and it is valid... Our bottoms are felt most acutely relative only to our own experience... Mine was no less painful, to me. than other's bottoms on this board, recovered alkies who once lived in doorways on the street... But we ALL have a second chance... and a choice.... It helps me to remember that.

Victims don't get to recover, I heard that once... it means more to me, than I first thought.

Thanks for your post, TheEnd, I needed to remember.

loveon2legs

I went threw the "why me" phase but I asked myself "why not me" what makes me so special as to not have to be challenged in some way......it changes the perspective on things if you look outside yourself... and try looking at the bigger picture....I know it's hard but trust that things will improve....day by day!!

meditation

I remember college days and all the partying that went with it. Living in a football party town being in school is hard to not think that everyone lives to party but it's just not so. I graduated got on with my career and found that most people go home after work and take care of their kids, work on their house, clean it, garden, exercise, fill it with activities, the real world is busy doing stuff not partying. It's just where you find yourself at these days and the age group you're stuck with.

I know for me life felt very unfair... I did the why me thing but really it's all overrated that party life. Enjoy the things you can about being alive and don't worry about the if's and what if's you'll accept it sooner, and be happier. I don't miss being sick from a drink, having a splitting headache, feeling dehydrated, having my date puke on me, or try to kill me driving to a party. Yeah what's to miss?