Sixty Days!
! 60 days is awesome, how much better do you feel? What a great way to start of the summer!
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 106
Hey guys! Sorry I didn't respond more promptly (now 65 days!). I feel great.
Right now I can honestly say I am under a set of circumstances that would normally have me hitting the bottle hard to cope. Meeting after meeting with dissatisfied and frustrated coauthors and advisors (not unusual for terminal stage graduate school), trying to finish writing, moving in less than 5 weeks, starting a new job. I would normally be a blitzed up mess, self medicating, and rationalizing it to myself as a coping mechanism.
But I know where that road leads now. And it's a short road. I have no desire to use alcohol to "relieve" my stress. I stick to my PTSD/anx/depression meds religiously, I work very hard to keep myself occupied, and I've delved back into other hobbies I used to love like target shooting, cooking, etc. Once I'm settled into the new job, I'll get back into backpacking and other true loves like that. It's frankly amazing how much money you have to use on things like that without booze.
My larger circle of friends is aware I don't drink anymore, and I don't much care about being stigmatized. There is not a more pointless, stupid, destructive, violence-inducing drug on the planet, from my subjective point of view.
My girlfriend/partner has been incredibly supportive. She tells me every day how proud she is, how glad she is that she believed I could do it, and how much of a difference for the better things are. I have energy to hang out and do things with her.
The bottom line is, there are no downsides. None.
Right now I can honestly say I am under a set of circumstances that would normally have me hitting the bottle hard to cope. Meeting after meeting with dissatisfied and frustrated coauthors and advisors (not unusual for terminal stage graduate school), trying to finish writing, moving in less than 5 weeks, starting a new job. I would normally be a blitzed up mess, self medicating, and rationalizing it to myself as a coping mechanism.
But I know where that road leads now. And it's a short road. I have no desire to use alcohol to "relieve" my stress. I stick to my PTSD/anx/depression meds religiously, I work very hard to keep myself occupied, and I've delved back into other hobbies I used to love like target shooting, cooking, etc. Once I'm settled into the new job, I'll get back into backpacking and other true loves like that. It's frankly amazing how much money you have to use on things like that without booze.
My larger circle of friends is aware I don't drink anymore, and I don't much care about being stigmatized. There is not a more pointless, stupid, destructive, violence-inducing drug on the planet, from my subjective point of view.
My girlfriend/partner has been incredibly supportive. She tells me every day how proud she is, how glad she is that she believed I could do it, and how much of a difference for the better things are. I have energy to hang out and do things with her.
The bottom line is, there are no downsides. None.
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