How Recovery Effects You
 

OK...Mark did a poll last week and I love polls...and this question is one that has been rattling around in my brain for a bit so I thought I'd see what others think.

And I voted for #2...I view recovery as the process of unearthing my authentic self as opposed to transforming who I am into someone new.

I kind of view the period when I drank as a time when I was possessed by a demon.

Hi LaFemme!
Hard to put in words!! I feel re born again!! I have such a lust for life now,I look forward to the future and all the possibilites that are there, for the first time in my life....Each day is such a gift I guess its like walking through the fire...I might be a bit burned...but not crispy!! :) Great post!!! thankyou!! :)

I could have voted both 1 and 2, but choose 2..... I understand the demon thing....oh very well....I shudder..

Singed a little? I like that analogy:) And Congrats on your soon to be 1 year sober!! Yeah!

#2

I came late to alcoholism. I just want to get back to where I was at in my 30's... not perfect, but enjoying life...

i was once a naturally happy fun person with a self-confident personality...gradually, the booze took all of that away from me, coupled with relationship that i could not save (not from my drinking, but his gambling~which made me feel like drinking more)...my depression grew like a monster too.

i no longer try to save others, i am saving myself first.

I feel like a Whole New Person!:) Without a lot of the fears and problems and old attitudes I used to have.

#1

I keep changing, little by little, into a new person each day. I replace old ways of thinking and behaving with new living skills. Thus giving me a new perspective on life as well. I think the person I was before recovery, made it necessary for me to be eventually in recovery ;).

#1 and #2

Now that I'm not frozen in time by drink, I am rediscovering who I was both good and bad. I think I have new and improved skills and tools today that I didn't then.

Recycle referred to recovery as "Radical Transformation" last week, that's why I posted the query. The thing is the person I am becoming is the person I always was, inside, hiding behind a rock scared to come out as the demon laid waste to my life. The longer that demon remains in his cell, the more bricks I add to locking him away forever, the happier, healthier and stronger the real me becomes:)

I think 2... I am definitely the person I was when I quit drinking for 7 years before that being before I relapsed and went on a 2 year runaway... BUT, this time around I am doing things differently in my recovery. This means, that I am seeking ways to be happier... don't get my wrong I am VERY happy in my world, BUT, I do believe that little changes in my world will make me even happier. So, I am trying to reach for more happiness.

WOW, did that make sense... don't know, but it does make sense to me. :-)

Voted 1 - I'm certainly remembering the great time that I used to have with myself and remembering who I was, but I'm putting work into knocking down all of the walls that held me for so long.

Facing my addiction has shattered my previous self-limiting belief system and has propelled me into a new state of thinking, behaving, and being; I wake up excited about my life now.

#1. I've been drinking since I was a teenager (I'm 35, now) and combined with my odd childhood, I feel like I never grew up. So I guess I think I'm becoming the person I should have always been.

Like some have mentioned, I could go with 1 and 2. I chose 2 however, because I do remember the brief time as an adult when I didn't drink, and I liked who I was then. I still have fleeting memories of how wonderful it was to not have clouds and self imposed obstacles in my way when I tackled life's many problems and issues. Character traits that eroded away inside my many bottles have been showing up again since my last drink, and I thank God for that - because I truly thought I had lost any semblance of my former self long ago.

Funny, that. :)

None of the above.

I've never really known who I am...and I can't exactly say that I'm becoming a new person.

I'm me...whatever and whoever that is. I consider sobriety one part of this strange journey called life.

Where is the "it changes from day to day" option? Or even.. hour to hour...sometimes minute to minute.

I'm

LOL!

I went with 3. I still do all the same dumb stuff as before cept now I'm sober (most of the time) while doing it and I find I've got a few extra bucks in my pocket.

#2 is true, but I'm learning stuff too and growing (I hope) so #1

D