Sober Time Not A Big Deal....
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: London
Posts: 1,384
Originally Posted by lillyknitting 
My husband is a London licensed taxi driver and works nights. Friday and Saturday nights he calls them animal nights because of the dreadful sights he encounters and peeps totally brain dead through drink. Society is totally and utterly alcohol sodden, it's much much worse than it used to be. Some of the behaviours of young women would make your hair curl. Even in so-called controlled drinking circles people are still addicted to their drug. It is the nations drug of choice, one could not possibly conceive for one nano second of having a "good time" without alcohol. It is at the end of every isle in the supermarket, it is perceived on television - even by upper classes and professionals - to drink wine at every possible occasion. A huge money making conglomerate that makes people believe it is "normal" to consume at every possible occasion and there's something peculiarly odd if you don't imbibe.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,180
Originally Posted by lillyknitting
My husband is a London licensed taxi driver and works nights. Friday and Saturday nights he calls them animal nights because of the dreadful sights he encounters and peeps totally brain dead through drink. Society is totally and utterly alcohol sodden, it's much much worse than it used to be. Some of the behaviours of young women would make your hair curl. Even in so-called controlled drinking circles people are still addicted to their drug. It is the nations drug of choice, one could not possibly conceive for one nano second of having a "good time" without alcohol. It is at the end of every isle in the supermarket, it is perceived on television - even by upper classes and professionals - to drink wine at every possible occasion. A huge money making conglomerate that makes people believe it is "normal" to consume at every possible occasion and there's something peculiarly odd if you don't imbibe.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 206
Originally Posted by Justfor1
It is estimated that only 10% of people in the US who drink have a "alcohol problem". College students drink a lot but the overwhelming majority of students when they graduated go back to social drinking.
'most people get away with it'.
It sticks in my mind because I think it about sums up the situation in the UK.
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Bethlehem, PA.
Posts: 1,781
I wonder how many people slip up, have a beer or 2 and figure they screwed up anyhow so might as well go for broke and turn the thing into a major bender. I always used to do that, twisted logic I know but that was my thinking at the time. In that regard the day counting thing always worked against me. I wonder how common that still is or was I just terminally unique?
12-Step Recovered Alkie
Join Date: May 2010
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Posts: 5,797
Originally Posted by Justfor1
I want to be part of normal, working society yet feel like I will never fit in. I want a house, wife and a dog. But I am more comfortable in a psych ward, rehab or even jail than I am in functioning in the world. 
I mean really, didn't most of us (just shush, old-timers - haha) spend more of our lives outside of recovery than inside recovery? Of course it's going to feel odd, like we're not fitting in, like we're not changing fast enough, like we're not progressing fast enough. Keep practicing it and it'll get better.....and better and better. Just like being in sports, we don't "feel natural" at first because what we're doing isn't natural to us, yet. We haven't done it before and we're not accustomed to it.....YET. The more we practice it and the more we work at it, the more natural it starts to feel - the more comfortable we get
Sure, it's going to feel like you're not part-of "normal society" because you're not accustomed to what feeling like you're part of normal society feel LIKE. Keep on goin Just.....stick with it.....it'll come. Promise!
1000 Post Club
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Midwest USA
Posts: 2,284
Originally Posted by BackToSquareOne
I wonder how many people slip up, have a beer or 2 and figure they screwed up anyhow so might as well go for broke and turn the thing into a major bender. I always used to do that, twisted logic I know but that was my thinking at the time. In that regard the day counting thing always worked against me. I wonder how common that still is or was I just terminally unique?
Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: seattle, wa
Posts: 72
Originally Posted by BackToSquareOne
I wonder how many people slip up, have a beer or 2 and figure they screwed up anyhow so might as well go for broke and turn the thing into a major bender. I always used to do that, twisted logic I know but that was my thinking at the time. In that regard the day counting thing always worked against me. I wonder how common that still is or was I just terminally unique?
That's part of the reason I said in my earlier post that I hoped to get to a point of not counting. Not that I want to stop keeping track, but not to the point of an all consuming activity. It's to early for me at this point, I am still at the stage where I need to be conscience daily about the choice I've made to not drink. I just hope it gets to the point where it's not all consuming and more natural. I still know how long ago I stopped smoking, but I don't have to think about it daily. I'm just a non-smoker.
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Midwest USA
Posts: 2,284
Another reason why I'm not impressed with peoples sobriety time is because they could lie. Especially on the internet but at meetings also. Heck, I once picked up a 90 day sobriety chip & was drunk at the meeting. No one really said anything at the meeting to me or asked me to leave so I gotta give those folks some credit. I guess they really did want me to keep coming back & not make a big messy incident out of it.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,180
Originally Posted by Justfor1
Another reason why I'm not impressed with peoples sobriety time is because they could lie. Especially on the internet but at meetings also. Heck, I once picked up a 90 day sobriety chip & was drunk at the meeting. No one really said anything at the meeting to me or asked me to leave so I gotta give those folks some credit. I guess they really did want me to keep coming back & not make a big messy incident out of it.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: San Diego
Posts: 4,451
Justfor1, I'm sorry you're feeling like an outsider. But you have just begun this journey. In the last few weeks, I've been struck by some of your posts. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like you have been doing a lot of thinking about personal responsibility and accountability. It's been pretty cool to hear about that. I think society needs more people who think about such things.
instant
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 5,711
I have had to learn to cope and live well. I have been sober nearly 16 months. It is still new. I am learning it all takes time.
I think it is natural to stop counting, but my sober date is more important to me than my birthday- it was hard earnt
I think it is natural to stop counting, but my sober date is more important to me than my birthday- it was hard earnt
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