changes one can expect between one month and two months sober
 

anyone have any personal stories they wish to share.

im on day 30 now and wondering what to expect going forward

Hi kevin!

I think everyone is different on the timing thing.

I thought as soon as I got sober everything would magically change for the better in my life...what really happened was that by getting sober I was able to see where the problems lay and begin fixing them.

My body was also healing...and so I was constantly sick...ironic but true.

My second month I started to feel a lot steadier on my feet. Not drinking started to feel a little normal...and I started remembering who I was again, and what I enjoyed doing without booze again.

Good luck...let us know what you learn!

LaFemme

Hi Kev-

Congrats on 30 days!

That's a tough question to answer b/c there are too many variables (like how bad off were you, how much are you putting into your recovery, your health, etc...).

I can't even begin to tell you how I felt or where I was at 30 days b/c I was in such a brain fog. I literally put one foot in front of the other for the first few months and went to outpatient therapy for 4 months and did 90 AA meetings in 90 days.

It was like I was in a early recovery blackout :)

Best of luck.

Kjell

Hmmm.....
I was doing many things to protect my new sobreity.

I changed my circle of friends..stayed away from drinkers
I went to AA before work and on weekends.
Changed my bad eating habits...walked often and long.

By the end of 2 months...I was back in mental and physical balance.
:yup:
Hope you will stay in focus...we can and do recover
30 days is a good beginning.Well done...:funjump:
.

I'm with Carol and Kjell both on this one. From 30 days to around 60, I was still hyper aware to change up routines, stay clear of my haunts, let go of my drunk buddies, trying to pay close attention to being healthy. And I also took very long walks, learning meditation to try and quiet my mind.

Having said that, I did all of the above while feeling just like Kjell lol! Was still in a complete fog and didn't trust myself at all. Milestones for me, in the beginning, were something I tried not to think about much at all because when I would hit targets and goals in years past, they were always perfect reasons for getting torn up drunk. So when I hit 30 days I just smiled a bit and then ignored it and kept putting one foot in front of the other. Also did outpatient therapy.

Somewhere between 30 and 60 days I started to truly understand that I was finally on the right track, and that epiphany was something I can't even describe.

Hadn't found AA at that point though, wish I had. Having toughed it out until December (from April) I finally broke down and read the Big Book front to back, and it literally changed the game for me. The program of AA has become a main focus for me since reading the book, and so far the journey has been amazing.

Thirty days is wonderful. Sixty will be even better.

I recall feeling good physically. There were a lot of things I was suffering through that I didn't think were related to my drinking, but went away when I stopped.

Emotionally I was still going through a lot of ups and downs. In the 30-to-60-day range I got a whole different perspective on my drinking...like just how bad it was. So there was a lot of guilt to deal with. But being honest with myself opened me up to recovery.

I also recall being plagued by the mental obession to drink. All the time! This didn't go away at 60 days, at least not for me, though my ability to handle it improved. As I look back now, I was a lot closer to relapse than I realized at the time.

And as I look back over posts I wrote during that time, another thing stands out about my second month sober--I thought I knew SO MUCH. Hah! So don't be too prideful about your progress; it's just starting.

Good luck on the next 30.

Congrats on your 30 days!!
For me the first few months were about rediscovery....Discovering who I was without alcohol.....trying new things, reading alot...walking and thinking...writing....I was tired, both mentally and physically and craved sugary things..especially coke! I put on about 10 pounds but I started eating again!! actually enjoying my food!! working on getting that off though! I was a little fuzzy in the head sometimes....but that cleared up...and my sleep pattern was off...still struggle with that..but it's all been worth it!! I'm a year sober and don't regret a single moment of it!!
I'm so excited for you and your new life!! :)

Hi Kevin

I think it's true we're all different...the first 30 days were rough for me - I was wiped out physically and mentally - like Carol I was still working hard at protecting myself.

the second 30 days I learned that acceptance was the key - accepting I was an alcoholic and that I couldn't drink anymore, not if I wanted my life to be different.

I stopped seeing the process as a battle.
There's no need for battle if no one fights.

That seemed to make my second month a little easier for me than the first...and I went from there :)
D

I think there could be good information on what to expect in the sticky thread found here: http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html

As for me, I can briefly say that around that time (between 30 and 60), I was experiencing a bit of elation over the fact I had made it that far, since I had never gone without drinking longer than a couple of weeks or days for years and years. I literally checked my bank records to make sure I was not dreaming (it's rare that I pay in cash for anything, and as a card swiper I would have seen transactions online as per usual). In the offing, however, were confusion, loss of confidence, and inertia. I don't really know what "nervous breakdown" means, but that's how I think of it. I shut down and hardly did anything for a long time; stopped looking for work, etc. That was going on a year ago. While that was specific to me, I think what that might have in common with other people is a general state of uncertainty, emotional fragility and whatever else comes with the Post-Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) for some time after quitting.

Hey Kevin,
You and I are on about the same time line. Tonight is day 31 sober for me after making a new years resolution to stay sober. I can say that right now I am kind of an emotional rollercoaster. At times I feel really hopeful about my life and the future of sobriety. I see myself feeling and looking good and being a good father and husband. Other times I am filled with a kind of an anxiety because I worry about going back to my old ways and kind of a hopeless feeling... even though I am in control, it is hard to explain.

Maybe someone else can help me understand what I am feeling?

I don;t know if it's the same thing mynewway but however long it took me to feel 'good again, it took longer for me to actually trust that feeling....

I simply wasn't used to feeling good - or being sober in any long term way.

Its understandable to feel uncomfortable and nervous, but relapse is far from inevitable, in my opinion.

With commitment, work, and support we can and do build new sober lives :)

There's hundreds of people doing it right here.
I know you can do it too :)

D

You rock Dee :thanks

welcome Kevin and congratulations on 30 days,

at 30 days l was an absolute emotional mess, l don't know your situation but my drinking had caused a lot of damage to my family. l felt ashamed and did everything l could to make home life as "normal" as possible. But having said that l also attended AA meetings x3 a week and attended outpatient groups because my recovery had to come first. lf l was not sober l was no good to anybody, especially myself.
Looking forward to reading update posts.

Though no-one can go back and make a new start,
anyone can start from today and make a new ending.
Carl Bard.

I went through a rough period of being very despondent from about 40 days sober up to to 90 days sober, at which point I started feeling dramatically better.

I understand this period is sometimes called "the wall" and is not unusual. Apparently this is a symptom of the long-term healing going on in your brain.

Everyone told me it would get better if I kept taking it one day at a time, and they were right.

Great posts here. Physically, I started feeling better almost immediately after getting past that initial stage of withdrawals and insomnia. There indeed was a feeling of elation after getting past the first few weeks without alcohol. But as others have touched on, I also felt very self-conscious - not only about my past (to be frank I felt very ashamed of past behavior), but also about my present and future.

I guess you could call it a lot of trepidation about how to deal with and adjust to new-found sobriety. A lot of this trepidation had to do with social situations. I quickly realized that I REALLY needed to work on that social piece because I had been in a state of arrested social development for sooo long when I drank. So yes, those first few months were really tough in odd ways.

Anyway, hang in there and congrats on making it to 30!

I am on day 31, anxiety is at a high, is it normal to snap at eve.ts scream and yell? I had a rough week with workers, I blew up on them, I keep thinking that having a drink would ease my mind, im holding on day by day

Somewhere between day 30 and 60 I reached a pont where:
I could be alone at perfect peace and ease.
I could look the world in the eye
The feeling that the drink problem had been solved came strongly.

I don't know if that would be of any interest.

Yes, it's normal (maybe not so normal for the co-workers :-) , though). Early days can be an emotional roller coaster. Hang tough, usetobebrave; emotions will stabilize, in time.

Great thread! Very relevant to how I am feeling!

Thanks for bumping this to the top usedtobe.

Remember it like yesterday still. Got my 30-day chip accompanied by bunches of hugs, smiles and clapping. Cried alone in my car on the way home and had to pull over sobbing. Was still sobbing trying to go to sleep. Scared the crap out of me: Did this mean I was going to drink again? Called my sponsor who explained how I was crying from JOY!!! 48 years old and never experienced that before! The following month I spent crying at just about everything from happiness to sadness. I cried in my boss's office one day because I was moved by what befell a coworker. He acted like crying was perfectly normal... who knew? Congratulations on feeling instead of medicating. :)

Congrats on 30 days Lead!

I'm working my way to 60 days now. I have been leveling off more but still get A LOT of ups and downs. The sugar cravings have gone down a little but I'm still gaining weight like crazy(not all bad as I lost way too much drinking). Mental obsession is still hanging in there but the big cravings/urges have gone down(some) The cockiness that got me through the first 30 disappeared as I realized that thisis a life long choice and I got scared. I have felt more feelings all together. Actual pride in doing this has started to seep in. As for the "mental clarity" I think I'm just starting to see what that is.

All in all I'd say it gets a little bit better but shows that there is still a long path ahead of us.

Hang tough buddy, I'm rooting for you

Lead may not answer - this is a 2011 thread :)

D

I have seen people do a complete 180 degree turn in a month.
I have also seen people not change one bit, but they stopped the drink problem, and nothing else changed!

I like this thread alot. After a few weeks (month) so many believe they are cured and go back. Alot goes on in month 2. More confidence, less cravings, for me the mental obsession was gone.

First off, Congratulations on the 30 days!! I remember getting to that point myself and being shocked yet satisfied that I had made it ...that was only about a month and a half ago today..
I am noticing, that as I transition into month 3 of sobriety, that I truly like being off booze- I never thought I could live a satisfied life w/o it but it's happening. This also involved getting my mental health straight w/a doctor and taking proper medical measures, and with credit to my Higher Power most of all, promises are being fulfilled already..

I truly believe now, even as a newcomer, that life really does almost magically get better the longer we stay off alcohol-
Whether you want to attribute it to God, or improved karma, it's all one in the same really- You have essentially opened yourself up to the floodgates of blessings rather than stifling it ... Maybe this is just where I'm finding myself at this point in time

to the op and other respondents i would just like to share: my experience is that the dirty-30 is the hardest, but after that your body can begin healing and your mind sorting things out via the help of god's will.

thank you, and thank god you are all here.

i have just done another 30 in a remote place and was feeling quite alone.

i feel much less alone with all of you now and no, i ain't in longwood, at the moment. lols.

love you all.

take care.

f.

I came across this post purely by chance on my 31st day sober. I feel exactly the same way about all aspects mentioned. I am finding the emotional aspects that have come with my first month sober to be the most challenging. Also I have eaten so much sugary food this month that I feel the accomplishment of staying sober has been lessened by being so unhealthy. Hoping that this will get better and that I can find the willpower for my diet too.

Welcome. As someone who is just days away from five years without a drink, I can assure you, it will get better, amazingly better, if you embrace the sober life.

Welcome aboard petem :)

Like Carl said - you won't believe how much better things get :)

D

Day 46 47 not sure, but month one was rough, month 2 is rough so far but im learning everyday and slowly getting better