30 days sober!
 

I've hit the 30 day mark for the first time in years! I'm feeling wonderful, and have had no desire to drink at all. In this last month, I've taken control of my life and I wouldn't trade it for a drunk night ever again. I'm eating healthy, sleeping through the night, practicing yoga/meditation, spending quality time with my family and friends, and brainstorming ways to start a business. I know it all sounds pretty ambitious and probably like insanity for month #1, but I'm just really excited. I think it's also a reaction to how much time has been lost to drinking and wasting my life away, that I want to make up for it as quickly as possible. Everyday, I start my day with fresh juice from my juicer, and positive affirmations. When negative thoughts come, I quickly observe them as negative and not helpful, and I cast them off with a visualization of them flowing down a river, being boxed up and shipped out at the post office, or breathed out with every exhale. Visualizing/meditating is helping very much. I can't do this alone, but I don't feel drawn to AA groups or the Big Book, personally. I know that many would frown on this, but I honestly feel like I am my biggest supporter and giver of love and compassion. So much so that I don't feel like I need others, although I will never turn down a word of encouragement or someone's input. Always with a grain of salt though. Some well intentioned people are just nutsy to me! And we all think that because we've been problem drinkers that we have it all figured out, and we can then tell everyone how to quit and stay quit. It's just not that way. I have a system that is working for me, and I'm working it all on my own. At the end of the day, I'm left with me anyway...... :-)

Much love to you all. I hope those struggling will find some hope in this post. Anything's possible! Give yourself the time and patience, and I can tell you... it's SO worth it!! <3

:usa2: Happy Memorial Day Weekend to my American friends!

Congratulations!!! You are an inspiration to those who struggle that it will work if we keep trying!!! :)

Love back to you, thats very encouraging to hear :thanks

I'm sober 18 days, started meditating a week ago (have used it earlier), it just brings a wonderful peace of mind. So I agree it is very valuable. I stumbled upon this list of 100 benefits of meditation, but in fact I'm sure there are many more we just haven't found yet: 100 Benefits of Meditation.

Doing guided meditations, and have added some 5km walking most days where I try to focus on the breath and feet. Love it, never tried it before, and the walking alone is very beneficial too I believe. Nice to hit two birds with one stone.

And got the juicer up running too, using all kinds of fruit and vegetables, much of which I would normally throw out like the middle of a broccoli.

Plan is to go paleo soon, tried it before and the result is lots of constant energy throughout the day.

So, I dig your living style - keep going :bounce

Nice! Keep it up.

Congratulations! It is great to read of people on a new path that is going in the right direction.

I have gotten some positive things from aa, but there are many alternative viewpoints on recovery and like myself, you just have to search. SOS (Secular Organizations for Sobriety) has helped me greatly. For women, there is Women For Sobriety as well. Safe Recovery on blog talk radio by Massive as some interesting info too. And the infamous Orange Papers! I am sharing this becuase it is good to have reinforcement when life gets a little too good or a little too tough! No matter what you can live sober, just beware of the ones who say there way is the only way.
Best,
ShawnM
Sober since 12-21-08

Congratulations! I need to try the visualization technique for negative thoughts. I got my ambition and energy back this week too.

Knudsen: I started working paleo into my diet last week. Not pursuing it 100%, but better than nothing. Mostly trying to stop eating so much sugar since getting sober. Last night I ate too much cake and got a sugar "hangover."

Congrats TR; a couple day ahead of you and hope to always be. I so get the entrepreneurial thing; I'm working on a business plan this weekend too.

:You_Rock_

The most important thing I did was to eat real food in the morning - for example eggs, some meat, an avocado. It was a big difference in energy. When I occasionally had bread or similar, I would get really tired in and hour or two.

Besides, when I went paleo, I suddenly got the worst hangovers. Almost couldnt drink anything (redwine/vodka was my choice). I believe alcohol is broken down into sugars, and for some reason when I didnt eat sugars/corn something went wrong. Of course I experimented a bit, and found that there was no problems with white rum...

Based on my experiences I would say many people are dependent on sugar/carbohydrates, I know I was. But after a couple of weeks without them you no longer crave them all the time, it feels great! And energy levels get much more constant. My goal is to get rid of this dependency too :-)

I'm thinking about trying a whole30 - a month on very restrictive paleo, after which you reintroduce the often problematic stuff, and see exactly what it does to the body, and what YOU should avoid. People have fantastic results with it. Takes some time planning and cooking, but hey I got lots of it now :-)

Edit: sorry for derailing a bit...

Thanks to all for the awesome, positive feedback! Keep up the great work!

:You_Rock_

Congratulations TR :)

D

Congratulations on your 30 days TR- Thanks for sharing your positive story. Whatever works for you in your recovery is great so just keep doing what your doing :You_Rock_