7 months follow up
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Bay Area, California
Posts: 314
7 months follow up
Since I posted a couple days ago, I've been reading a lot of other peoples posts, in particular those still in the early days and weeks of quiiting. It struck me that there are big positive changes in store for them, and thought I might share (my experience) so they feel inspired:
1. No more daily cravings. At most once a month, and sometimes a pang when others are drinking around me. I am however quite prepared for them because I had so many in the first few months. When I do have them, I just think it through to the end, and see myself with the worst hangover in history and an ocean of regrets that I have to start over. I have learned to not trust these cravings, that they are not coming from my higher self, and that they will pass.
2. My need for immediate gratification is no longer tied to drinking! Now it's a nice meal, a juice, run, workout, movie, long drive, lazy evening on the couch, etc. There are infinite ways to change our state of mind, and I am able to take responsibility for being creative about this, and definitely still adding to my list.
3. For the first few months, I felt like I was running a marathon with a 60 lb backpack. Every day all I wanted to do was stop, or be at the finish line. Now that I've been training my sober muscles for 7 months, it's gotten much easier, and I'm definitely not inclined to throw away all this hard work, only to have to start at the beginning again! The early days were brutal, so don't give up before it gets better!
4. In summary, the challenge has shifted from daily to monthly. I no longer feel the need to congratulate myself for making it through an evening or weekend (though obviously I am very proud of myself for every day sober). But I do definitely feel a real sense of accomplishment and improvement as the months pass. My hope is that this will shift into even larger time frames as I go on, and someday will just feel like the wonderful life of someone who just happens not to drink.
1. No more daily cravings. At most once a month, and sometimes a pang when others are drinking around me. I am however quite prepared for them because I had so many in the first few months. When I do have them, I just think it through to the end, and see myself with the worst hangover in history and an ocean of regrets that I have to start over. I have learned to not trust these cravings, that they are not coming from my higher self, and that they will pass.
2. My need for immediate gratification is no longer tied to drinking! Now it's a nice meal, a juice, run, workout, movie, long drive, lazy evening on the couch, etc. There are infinite ways to change our state of mind, and I am able to take responsibility for being creative about this, and definitely still adding to my list.
3. For the first few months, I felt like I was running a marathon with a 60 lb backpack. Every day all I wanted to do was stop, or be at the finish line. Now that I've been training my sober muscles for 7 months, it's gotten much easier, and I'm definitely not inclined to throw away all this hard work, only to have to start at the beginning again! The early days were brutal, so don't give up before it gets better!
4. In summary, the challenge has shifted from daily to monthly. I no longer feel the need to congratulate myself for making it through an evening or weekend (though obviously I am very proud of myself for every day sober). But I do definitely feel a real sense of accomplishment and improvement as the months pass. My hope is that this will shift into even larger time frames as I go on, and someday will just feel like the wonderful life of someone who just happens not to drink.
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,506
Originally Posted by SonomaGal 
Since I posted a couple days ago, I've been reading a lot of other peoples posts, in particular those still in the early days and weeks of quiiting. It struck me that there are big positive changes in store for them, and thought I might share (my experience) so they feel inspired:
1. No more daily cravings. At most once a month, and sometimes a pang when others are drinking around me. I am however quite prepared for them because I had so many in the first few months. When I do have them, I just think it through to the end, and see myself with the worst hangover in history and an ocean of regrets that I have to start over. I have learned to not trust these cravings, that they are not coming from my higher self, and that they will pass.
2. My need for immediate gratification is no longer tied to drinking! Now it's a nice meal, a juice, run, workout, movie, long drive, lazy evening on the couch, etc. There are infinite ways to change our state of mind, and I am able to take responsibility for being creative about this, and definitely still adding to my list.
3. For the first few months, I felt like I was running a marathon with a 60 lb backpack. Every day all I wanted to do was stop, or be at the finish line. Now that I've been training my sober muscles for 7 months, it's gotten much easier, and I'm definitely not inclined to throw away all this hard work, only to have to start at the beginning again! The early days were brutal, so don't give up before it gets better!
4. In summary, the challenge has shifted from daily to monthly. I no longer feel the need to congratulate myself for making it through an evening or weekend (though obviously I am very proud of myself for every day sober). But I do definitely feel a real sense of accomplishment and improvement as the months pass. My hope is that this will shift into even larger time frames as I go on, and someday will just feel like the wonderful life of someone who just happens not to drink.
1. No more daily cravings. At most once a month, and sometimes a pang when others are drinking around me. I am however quite prepared for them because I had so many in the first few months. When I do have them, I just think it through to the end, and see myself with the worst hangover in history and an ocean of regrets that I have to start over. I have learned to not trust these cravings, that they are not coming from my higher self, and that they will pass.
2. My need for immediate gratification is no longer tied to drinking! Now it's a nice meal, a juice, run, workout, movie, long drive, lazy evening on the couch, etc. There are infinite ways to change our state of mind, and I am able to take responsibility for being creative about this, and definitely still adding to my list.
3. For the first few months, I felt like I was running a marathon with a 60 lb backpack. Every day all I wanted to do was stop, or be at the finish line. Now that I've been training my sober muscles for 7 months, it's gotten much easier, and I'm definitely not inclined to throw away all this hard work, only to have to start at the beginning again! The early days were brutal, so don't give up before it gets better!
4. In summary, the challenge has shifted from daily to monthly. I no longer feel the need to congratulate myself for making it through an evening or weekend (though obviously I am very proud of myself for every day sober). But I do definitely feel a real sense of accomplishment and improvement as the months pass. My hope is that this will shift into even larger time frames as I go on, and someday will just feel like the wonderful life of someone who just happens not to drink.
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