Nikkle

Almost 7 months the first time I really tried, but turned out I was just abstaining. Now I have 78 days of real recovery and it is soooo much better this time! Congrats on your sobriety!

Roadr440

Next week on the 25th will be 2 years. My daughter e-mail me yesterday at my work and remember my date and is going to take me out to dinner to celebrate, I had tears in my eyes when I read this.

How? it all started with putting down the drink, getting honest and reaching out for help, rehab/AA/SR.

Congrat tigerlover on 2 weeks , and remember recovery takes time like it or not there's no way to rush it. Stay Focus.

ZZworldontheweb

Twenty months, still on my first try at being sober. Really comes from changing my whole way of looking at life and understanding I can't control everything. And God, of course.

Dee74

congratulations on 2 weeks Tiger.

I simply couldn't live that way any more. I changed my life - SR was a major part of that - coming here regularly reenergises me

1416 days sober apparently LOL

D

isotopicparody

In 9 days I'll be at 1 year completely sober!

Longest before this was 8 months.

marni

almost 23 months after going into a 28 day programe,
l really think l had just had enough of feeling sick and tired every single day.
l surrendered and sought help and listened to what l was told. l do whatever l need to do every day to stay sober.
My life today is better than l could ever have hoped for but it has taken dedication and committment.

AW2486

as of a few weeks ago .. 25 years

God's Grace working through You saved my Life !

Thank You

AWOL

Congrats on two weeks Tiger.

Thirteen months in a week. As there is no future and the past is gone
I am sober in the present moment. Which is not very long

WritingFromLife

After an AA meeting once, a woman said to John in admiration, "It must be wonderful to be sober so long."
John smiled and said to her, ""You have been sober longer than I have, Elizabeth."
"How can you say that?" Elizabeth said. "I've only been sober two years, and you've been sober nearly forty years."
"What time did you get up today?" John Asked.
"Well, I have to be to work at seven, so I got up at five thirty."
"And I didn't get up until 8, so today, you have been sober longer than I have," John said.

From ADDICTIVE THINKING by Abraham J. Twerski, MD

Just thought this was an interesting take on "one day at at time"! Certainly not meaning to take anything away from ANYONE'S time, whether it's one day or forty years!

Learn2Live

This time, about two years. How? Every day, I apply the things I have learned over 13 years of working toward sobriety. I remind myself where I came from and how much better my life is now. Every morning when I get up, I decide what I am going to allow into my life today. I choose not to allow the people, places and things that make me want to drink. One day at a time.

Bamboozle

Pre-drinking was the longest I stayed sober.

Post drinking 690 days and counting.

pattenat

Never tried to quit before. On 32 days here. I just knew I couldn't live like I was living any longer.

In 2010, I thought about suicide more than I ever have in my life. It was my own desperation to stop the vicious cycle and the only way I could think to get out. (talk about alcohol ruling the brain eh!)

I had a knock on my door New Year's Eve. A friend from years ago who just got out of prison August 2010 after a 10 year sentence. It was odd that he show up on my doorstep at my time of need and desperation. I'm sure he was a Godsend to show me the light and a way out of my addiction by seeking out AA instead of ending my life.

I thank God for him and I thank God for placing HIS hand on me and nudging me toward real help and real recovery.

I have to admit some of the cravings have been overwhelming at times. But I know that my addiction is stronger than my control so I just WON'T pick up that first drink. I know exactly where I will end up and I cannot have that as a part of my life any longer.

IndyOG

Same here Marni, I'll have 2 years March 18. Getting kicked out of my home and with no money for two weeks until I got a paycheck, I lived at a rescue mission and went to meetings. That got me sobered up and continuing meetings, service work and gratitude has kept me sober.

onlythetruth

12.5 years, no relapses.

How did I do it? September 2, 1998: made a decision never to drink again, no matter what. It hasn't been easy and I needed to do a lot of work at the start to get my head on straight, but giving up was never an option.

OTT

thisisme

From June 2, 2006 until the day I die.
I live daily based on one fact;
Alcohol does nothing and takes all.
Best.

Mark75

About 30 months or two and a half years... Just doing one day at a time... and the program of AA.

north

Two years.

I keep two "calendars" in my head.

The first is a straight chronological account which I occasionally refer to when asked like in this situation. However, when it comes to anniversary dates, I allow them to pass quietly; I don't want to make a big deal out it slightly out of fear I might jinx it and/or let my guard drop and relapse.

The second is the one I usually refer to on a daily or weekly basis - whenever I think of it... fortunately, it's not all the time, and many times, rarely. Still it's always out there. The most important point of reference in this case is the "now" - as in "I'm not drinking now". Kind of like that adage about deals --- "you're only as good as your last deal".... "it doesn't matter how long you've been sober - it's whether you're sober now..."

Kmber2010

Turned to drinking in the end of 2000 so since then my longest period of sobriety is actually now which is 10 months.

Longest time before was a few months and that was when I first joined SR in Jan. of last year.

SereniTee

9 months this Saturday.
SR, AA, NA, CoDA, Al-Anon, Weekly counselling, Buddhism, excersise, getting a puppy, ditching stoner boyfriend, seeing old friends only for things like Sunday lunch or birthdays ( I tried sitting around in pubs with them getting sloppy but to be honest I would rather stay in with puppy and a movie or go to a meeting than be shouted the same story 4 times over!!), made new friends from the meetings, go for coffee/movies/pizza/walks/camping with new friends, spend more time with family, actively avoid old friends that are unhealthy themselves or put me down, pray, meditate, write lists of things I am thankful for, read LOTS of literature about recovery, addiction, spirituality, go to meditation classes, put on 15lbs, eat good food, sleep more, enjoy life

jamdls

3 yrs 6 mths this week. I accepted the fact that alcohol almost killed me and could kill me if I drank again so I made a decision not 1 drop ever again; I also read a lot of AA literature, practised my own modified version of the 12 steps, and prayed a LOT.