DoubleBarrel

A year is a rough estimate. I noticed things lifting around eight months.

It's still getting better at a year and a half. I hear two years is even better.

Jade1224

I hope it doesn't take a year

Nevertheless

Looking forward,a year seams like such a looong time. But once you quit and make it a year,and look back. The day you quit a year ago will seem like yesterday. But that is why we only stay focused on staying sober today,and not a year from now.
I drank everyday for about 30 years. So when I buried my "friend Mr. Booze" obviously I had to figure out new ways to spend my leisure time.
The first 30 to 90 days were like a turbulent hurricane. After that the weather settled down somewhat,with sever thunderstorms and tornadic activity popping up out of nowhere at times.
The addiction was broken for the most part at 90 days with some flair ups after that. But the emotional roller coaster ride did last at least a year.
After drinking every day for 30 years,I didn't know what normal was.
But I do know for a fact,drinking everyday is NOT normal. Therefore,the only way to RETURN to normal is to not drink.
Fred

Randummy

"Recovery is like the wind", that's really insightful, I like that.

TroubledJoe

As said before, focus on the fact that you're getting better every day. It might not feel like it at times, but you are, and that's only going to continue. I think this is massively important to remember.

I'm no expert on recovery, but I have almost 4 months now which is the longest I have gone without drinking since I started (7-8 years ago). I found that the first 6-8 weeks I noticed a huge improvement both physically and mentally. Thankfully, I can still feel myself recovering, albeit at a slower pace. I am looking forward to the coming months and my continued recovery.

Just take it one day at a time. We all drank different and we are all wired differently so of course recovery is different for everyone. You might not feel 'better' now, you might not even feel it next month or the month after, but as long as you don't drink, you WILL feel it. That's a promise.

silentrun

Don't let that scare you. Gradually you start getting back abilities you had forgotten you had. It's not like you are sitting there just waiting to get all better. You get a little better and you think that's pretty cool. It's not until you look back and add it all up that you realize just how far you fell.

alwayssober1

I don't feel good at the minute, more of a neutral state...don't feel good but I don't feel bad either. Because this is the longest I have gone without drinking i sometimes feel like this is it, this is the new normal for me now, but I have to keep reminding myself I will feel better each month.

People would ask me how I'm feeling and I would tell them I still need more time after 2 months, more like 6 plus months and they don't believe me...they think after a week sober its no longer me recovering, just my mood etc...little do they know that's not the case.

alwayssober1

Here's the article I was going to post.

Alcohol Free: What Happens When You Stop Drinking. How Long to Normal?

KateL

I took me a good few months to feel tip-top xxx

Pipping

I am 4 months in and while I feel a lot better mentally and physically I still have a way to go. Please don't let that discourage you. Being sober beats hungover any day of the week. I am still quite tired and I didn't lose any weight which I was really looking forward to but that's just the way it goes. I smoked heavily which definitely added to my poor physical health so I know in my case it will take a bit more than a few weeks to feel tip top.

Mrmellow11

I just pray for the next few months to get even better....I have no cravings whatsoever and definitely going thru this will make never ever want to drink again....anxiety is one go the worst things I've ever experienced....when it first hit me I didn't even know what it Wawa's because I've never experienced it before...stupid me didn't even correlate it to me stopping drinking back then but it started 9 days after I quit drinking but at the time I didn't even know there was an alcohol withdrawal honestly

jaynie04

I'm going to be at 8 months in a few days. I have realized I have to be careful not to use any set notions of where I should be "by xyz" against myself. It occurred to me that I could actually use my sobriety date as a battering ram to tell myself I am not where I should be….

Mountainmanbob

it seems that one should give themselves at least one year
before expecting too much from sobriety
although most see great results much sooner

note
I have even heard that it takes up to 2 years
for body, mind and spiritual recovery
we must remember here (in most cases)
some sad to say never fully recover
some will suffer from brain damage
organ damage
or possibly even a hardened heart - spiritual damage

Mountainman

hollybear

Thanks for the post alwayssober! Reading everyones responses is bit he encouraging and discouraging at the same time... im only nearing two weeks, and its been a hell of a roller coaster... so a year is sounding pretty daunting

matt4x4

Depends hugely on how well you want to get well. Some people never recover, and they go to many meetings, but not work no steps. Some recover quite quickly because they work the 12 steps. I have seen old timers with 10+ years in that have not recovered, I have seen newcomers with 6 months in that have way better sobriety then most oldtimers do.

Quantity means nothing, Quality means everything.

Shamrocks

LOVE this. Thank you so much for sharing.

Mrmellow11

You can do it Holly...some people don't have it nearly as rough and if you take it day by day it seems easier ��

Mrmellow11

Awesome link Alwayssober definitely encouraging

heath480

Physically I felt better almost immediately.

Mentally it took several years to feel better.I deal with things a lot differently now than when first sober.It takes time to be beaten by booze,it takes time to recover.

A leading physciatrist in the UK who deals with Alcoholics,states it takes between 5 and 7 years for an Alcoholic's mind to clear after putting the drink down.

Finnie

Would like some of what your uncles got!!