Biggest thing Alcohol has taken from you?
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Singapore
Posts: 737
*my son (nasty divorce stuff)
*my father (died from alcoholism)
*professional reputation and career
*high paying job
*heaps and heaps of money
*my health in general, thus all hope to continue/restart sports that I've always loved.
*my left shoulder (it's been replaced with steel)
*countless friends, countless colleagues
*integrity
*dignity
I could go on for quite a while, perhaps a better question for me would be "what has alcohol NOT taken from you".
*my ability to breathe, stand opposed, and recover in spite of it all.
Unfortunately the verdict is still out on which list I should put my wife.
*my father (died from alcoholism)
*professional reputation and career
*high paying job
*heaps and heaps of money
*my health in general, thus all hope to continue/restart sports that I've always loved.
*my left shoulder (it's been replaced with steel)
*countless friends, countless colleagues
*integrity
*dignity
I could go on for quite a while, perhaps a better question for me would be "what has alcohol NOT taken from you".
*my ability to breathe, stand opposed, and recover in spite of it all.
Unfortunately the verdict is still out on which list I should put my wife.
where the light is
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2,763
After 3 years of sobriety, I have come to accept my past as the path to get me to where I am today. Everything is good!
What I do regret are those things I can't get back - time, and any unknown (to this point) health effects. Everything else - confidence, self-esteem, relationships, career, material things - can all be regained.
The irony is that the things I spent all those years trying to get through drinking (happiness, confidence, relationships, respect, fun & excitement, etc.) are now present in my life. Should have got help sooner.
What I do regret are those things I can't get back - time, and any unknown (to this point) health effects. Everything else - confidence, self-esteem, relationships, career, material things - can all be regained.
The irony is that the things I spent all those years trying to get through drinking (happiness, confidence, relationships, respect, fun & excitement, etc.) are now present in my life. Should have got help sooner.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 46
I dont think we need to focus on what alcohol has taken from us, we should really think about what alcohol has taught us and how our struggles with alcoholism has helped us become stronger people.
Do you think you would be as strong today had you not of gone through all the hardships, mental, relationship problems that alcohol brings? Alcoholism is a horrible thing, but it teaches us to become to people we are capable of being in life.
Do you think you would be as strong today had you not of gone through all the hardships, mental, relationship problems that alcohol brings? Alcoholism is a horrible thing, but it teaches us to become to people we are capable of being in life.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 5,285
I agree with Batman.
I choose to see what I have learned from my experience with alcohol as a gift...yes I paid dearly but it is what it is. My life coach said to me when I was talking about regretting time wasted that we are exactly where we are supposed to be.
If I hadn't lived through that mess I would not be the Tina I am today and I gotta say I kinda like myself today
I choose to see what I have learned from my experience with alcohol as a gift...yes I paid dearly but it is what it is. My life coach said to me when I was talking about regretting time wasted that we are exactly where we are supposed to be.
If I hadn't lived through that mess I would not be the Tina I am today and I gotta say I kinda like myself today
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Baghdad
Posts: 2,822
Originally Posted by yeahgr8 
Was going to post the same almost word for word:-)
Great minds, Cliff, great minds.......
Seriously though, word association, that was the first thing I thought when I read the title of the thread.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 957
Originally Posted by LaFemme
I choose to see what I have learned from my experience with alcohol as a gift...yes I paid dearly but it is what it is. My life coach said to me when I was talking about regretting time wasted that we are exactly where we are supposed to be.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: AA Rooms
Posts: 268
Well....
A good relatioship with my 18 year old son who saw me lose too much in 8 years of crazy drinking and partying.
A home I had no mortgage on.
A crazy amount of money.
I walked away from countless jobs, the last one a very coveted job with all the benefits and lovely colleagues.
Two close friends.
My self-respect but that comes back thank God.
To quote Mark Twain - I've lost many things, but the thing I regret losing the most is my mind!
Drink took my sanity twice - I got it back but my doctor said I was very lucky, he said most people wouldn't have come back from the last one.
As they say, alcohol, takes your freedom, sanity or life.
Prayers for those who could not find a way out of the hell that is active alcoholism.
A good relatioship with my 18 year old son who saw me lose too much in 8 years of crazy drinking and partying.
A home I had no mortgage on.
A crazy amount of money.
I walked away from countless jobs, the last one a very coveted job with all the benefits and lovely colleagues.
Two close friends.
My self-respect but that comes back thank God.
To quote Mark Twain - I've lost many things, but the thing I regret losing the most is my mind!
Drink took my sanity twice - I got it back but my doctor said I was very lucky, he said most people wouldn't have come back from the last one.
As they say, alcohol, takes your freedom, sanity or life.
Prayers for those who could not find a way out of the hell that is active alcoholism.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ohio
Posts: 24
Self esteem, self respect, and as previously mentioned, TIME. I have been sober for over a year now, but still struggle with the idea of how I basically wasted away the last 12yrs of my life. To think of all the productive things I could have done, and experiences I could have shared in! I have done more living in the past year sober than I did in the 12 years total before it. I know you are not supposed to look back, but boy it would be nice to get those years back! For those that are reading, and wondering if they should quit drink, today could be the first day of the new rest of your life. You will not regret it!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: scotland
Posts: 260
1- It took away my twin sister..
2- It took away my best friend, my soul mate
Though these 2 people are still walking around this earth, to me it feels like they are dead. I feel like I am grieving for both of them
2- It took away my best friend, my soul mate
Though these 2 people are still walking around this earth, to me it feels like they are dead. I feel like I am grieving for both of them
Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 92
TIME ... so much time in solitary having my own little party getting drunk, senseless time figuring out when I would do my running around with my kids so that it didn't interfere with my drinking and so much time feeling physically horrible with killer hangovers.
Proud Neonephalist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: North Coast BC Canada
Posts: 1,141
It took away my "way of seeing" as an artist, the drive or necessity to create art, and the motivation to have my work shown in good galleries.
I used to be what people call a happy drunk, but as the years passed I became surly. In the end I couldn't laugh while sober either. I'm six months sober now, and laugh hard enough sometimes that my stomach muscles hurt
Murray
I used to be what people call a happy drunk, but as the years passed I became surly. In the end I couldn't laugh while sober either. I'm six months sober now, and laugh hard enough sometimes that my stomach muscles hurt
Murray
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: AA Rooms
Posts: 268
I was reading the lastest posts on this thread and then I thought do I regret the wasted .... insert word......the only wasted things that really hurt are the lost friendships and irrepairably (sp?) damaged relationships.
Although I do not regret the life I had. It made me who I am now, a work in progress. The BigBook says we shall not regret the past nor wish to close the door on it....
Have to understand that one to maintain sobriety.
Although I do not regret the life I had. It made me who I am now, a work in progress. The BigBook says we shall not regret the past nor wish to close the door on it....
Have to understand that one to maintain sobriety.
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