Honestly, were you drinking when you found this site?
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 158
I drank the day before I found the site and drank the same day. It was about 6 days before I quit for good. I was looking for personal stories on sobriety and found a URL link to a thread on this site. Needless to say, I was ecstatic to find the limitless number of stories with which to derive inspiration to stop.
Nearly 5 months later, I mostly lurk rather than post. I don't drink at all. So, I'd say it was a positive discovery.
Nearly 5 months later, I mostly lurk rather than post. I don't drink at all. So, I'd say it was a positive discovery.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Mid-Atlantic
Posts: 551
Found this site the first time while sober, yet hungover, several years ago. I was too scared to register, couldn't admit to myself that I had a problem . . .
Rediscovered SR this past summer, a few weeks after making the decision to stop drinking.
Rediscovered SR this past summer, a few weeks after making the decision to stop drinking.
Sober since 10th April 2012
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 6,047
I'd just given up and was googling for information about alcoholism. I wasn't about to relapse, but I don't think I would have gone on as long as I have if I hadn't come across SR.
RIP Sweet Suki
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: In my sanctuary, my home
Posts: 39,905
No, I had just gotten through a medical detox and six weeks of IOP. My daughter turned me onto this site through someone she met online at a different site. Joining SR is about the best decision I ever made. I had one small relapse, then climbed back on board and celebrated 5 years sober in July. I owe most of that success to the people here on SR. I will be forever grateful.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 4,860
The "how did you come to join SR" question just came up in my class. Here's a somewhat edited version. Apologies in advance ... brevity is not my strong suit.
I've been keenly aware for a long time that my drinking was out of control -- that moderation is impossible for me. At some point, probably May or June, I googled a few key words and up popped SR. I spent some time on the site reading entries. At the time, what I found seemed so much worse than me. No blackouts. No drinking in the morning. No physical manifestations such as the ones I saw described on SR.
In retrospect, was it possible that I only found entries written by those with experiences to which I could not relate? Well, maybe. I think the likelier explanation was I chose to cherry-pick those entries and, in a state of denial, decide I could not be "as bad as those people."
Right.
In late July/early August, I started having a pain in my right calf and it wasn't going away. I didn't think much of it until a little googling and finding that the symptoms were consistent with deep-vein thrombosis. That got me to urgent care, where I was sent to a local hospital for a leg ultrasound. It was, indeed, a pulled muscle, thank heavens.
But as I talked with the NP, she mentioned that my BP was moving toward the high normal side and she noticed I was overdue for a mammo. Her words to me: "I think the universe might be calling. Are you listening?"
I'll never know if she was just being a good NP or if she might have picked up on something. Regardless, I went cold turkey on Aug. 15.
And cold turkey worked this time. The universe was calling.
By early October, though, it was getting harder. Mick Jagger was in my house, an increasingly sinister presence. (Note: I call my AV "Mick Jagger." Long story.) One night was unbearable and I was so close to driving to a liquor store. I googled AA and found that there was a meeting within a mile of me, starting in less than an hour.
But I couldn't bring myself to go, though I recognize AA has saved countless people. Then I remembered "that web site with the people who are all so much worse than me." I lurked for about a week, finding that my story was indeed very similar to so many of those here on SR. Then I joined. Then I found my classmates.
I am absolutely sure I would not have made it without SR. I'll also put in a plug for the Tuesday and Friday night meetings. The people could not be nicer. So kind and welcoming. I also feel like making a commitment to our online meetings has been a way to build accountability with myself. It's also a way to give back.
I am grateful beyond words.
I've been keenly aware for a long time that my drinking was out of control -- that moderation is impossible for me. At some point, probably May or June, I googled a few key words and up popped SR. I spent some time on the site reading entries. At the time, what I found seemed so much worse than me. No blackouts. No drinking in the morning. No physical manifestations such as the ones I saw described on SR.
In retrospect, was it possible that I only found entries written by those with experiences to which I could not relate? Well, maybe. I think the likelier explanation was I chose to cherry-pick those entries and, in a state of denial, decide I could not be "as bad as those people."
Right.
In late July/early August, I started having a pain in my right calf and it wasn't going away. I didn't think much of it until a little googling and finding that the symptoms were consistent with deep-vein thrombosis. That got me to urgent care, where I was sent to a local hospital for a leg ultrasound. It was, indeed, a pulled muscle, thank heavens.
But as I talked with the NP, she mentioned that my BP was moving toward the high normal side and she noticed I was overdue for a mammo. Her words to me: "I think the universe might be calling. Are you listening?"
I'll never know if she was just being a good NP or if she might have picked up on something. Regardless, I went cold turkey on Aug. 15.
And cold turkey worked this time. The universe was calling.
By early October, though, it was getting harder. Mick Jagger was in my house, an increasingly sinister presence. (Note: I call my AV "Mick Jagger." Long story.) One night was unbearable and I was so close to driving to a liquor store. I googled AA and found that there was a meeting within a mile of me, starting in less than an hour.
But I couldn't bring myself to go, though I recognize AA has saved countless people. Then I remembered "that web site with the people who are all so much worse than me." I lurked for about a week, finding that my story was indeed very similar to so many of those here on SR. Then I joined. Then I found my classmates.
I am absolutely sure I would not have made it without SR. I'll also put in a plug for the Tuesday and Friday night meetings. The people could not be nicer. So kind and welcoming. I also feel like making a commitment to our online meetings has been a way to build accountability with myself. It's also a way to give back.
I am grateful beyond words.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: California
Posts: 101
I found this site a couple days after I quit drinking. At the time, I was spending a lot time reading all sorts of stuff regarding sobriety. One of my searches was I believe "quitting drinking in your 20s" and a link to a thread here in SR appeared. I remember how well I connected to a lot of the responses and just knew this site would be an excellent resource for me during my sobriety.
Grateful
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NC
Posts: 1,763
I was about 3 weeks sober when I found SR. I had just come off of an 8 year relapse after being sober for 7 years and was looking for some support in addition to going to AA. SR has turned out to be an invaluable tool for me, and specifically the 12 step forum has had a huge impact on my continued sobriety.
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