Hawkeye13

By three months I was also feeling much better but certainly upwards of a year to feel something like "normal" again.

It takes lots of patience and not looking too far ahead sleepie. . .

Lenina

Sleepie, early recovery. I guess it depends on the metrics used. I have been mostly drug and alcohol free for the last 29 years. I've had a few alcohol relapses that were short lived but the true sobriety? The mental/emotional stability over time and situation I think is the best measure.

For me, sobriety is something like a muscle. I have to exercise it for it to stay strong and healthy. I have to stay in the Day and in the Forever at the same time. It's sounds paradoxical but isn't. I wish I had better words to explain it. And wish I could explain when the "grok in fullness" happened! It just did.

Ok, phone call BBL

Xxoo LeeLee

sleepie

Thanks guys. Counting backwards- that's the kind of different perspective I like. Thank you for the suggestion.

Robbyrobot thank you for your input. I don't know how you do it. You wrote somewhere that you wanted things to be ok for a stretch instead of dealing with whatever came up- I think? If I got that right- that's what I'd like as well.

All of your comments have really been helpful to me today, thanks everyone.

Bostonsportsfan

I would consider anything from after the 1st week to 3 months early sobriety. Some feel better after a month or 2 and it takes longer for others.

MelindaFlowers

I think getting through one calendar year with all the holidays and events is a HUGE milestone. I found the Christmas season challenging even with five months of sobriety under my belt. EARLY sobriety, like totally fresh? The first month or 90 days.

Lenina

Well, I lost my train of thought while caught up in "real life" stuff! LOL. I have over seven years sober now. I feel peaceful most of the time. I don't act out. My first thought when the going gets rough isn't going to the bottle. My brain doesn't go "there" on automatic any more. I learned better coping skills in AA and in therapy.

I do work on sobriety every day. Even though in Rational Recovery I know I don't drink again, ever. Not an option. I still work on it. I like getting better every day.

sleepie, I believe some day you will find peace. You've got a hard road with the benzoes, so remember, don't go backwards. Stay the course!

We are open all night here at SR.

Love from Lenina

BackToSquareOne

This thread made me think that the main reason I abused alcohol was a desire to keep the good "First Few Drinks" feelings going forever which of course never worked. If I drank again would I fall back into that same trap? I honestly don't know but it's an experiment I failed at so many times it's just not worth trying again.

strategery

One of the things I did when I was struggling and first got here, was use percentages (x days sober/# of days). It was encouraging to see my percentages increase, so that may be helpful to help keep you moving forward. Eventually you get to a point where you can switch over to days.

I agree with doggonecarl about staying the course. On my very last relapse, I decided to drink after finally getting through the cravings (since I thought I was through that mistakenly) and all it did was restart the 2 week craving battle all over again. Not to say sobriety is easy. Even at 5 months, I have some hard days where I battle it out with AV. However, the battles aren't nearly as often. It does get easier Sleepie! Just keep sticking with it.

thisisme

I'm going for 99999999 years.
Only 99999991 to go.

stargazer016

To me, something changed around the three month mark. It seemed at that point that I didn't necessarily think about sobriety every waking moment. I am approaching six months now, and at times, it's almost a little boring. In a bizarre way, I think alcoholics have learned to live with so much drama in their lives for so many years that not drinking makes life seem dull by comparison. Not that I would ever want that drama back!

Carver

I hate to say it but I think the light at the end of the tunnel will be created by you; the end of the tunnel is when you learn to be happy with the decision to never drink again, and get on with the important business of enjoying life.

You've done it! You're sober. That's amazing

NoelleR

I prefer what Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living."

I've thought on the term 'early sobriety' have changed throughout my sobriety. Mainly I see early sobriety as one day throughout the first year. I tend to trust those with at least two completed years or more. I'm with Gottalife when he said, "...stable recovery...being 5 years continuous abstinence combined with full rehabilitation into the community..."

(o:

SoberCAH

It's hard to peg a good answer for this question, but I agree that 5 years is a good benchmark.

For me, it was learning that I do what I do in recovery, not only due to the fear of drinking (that I never want to forget or lose), but because I want a better life.

For me that involves working the 12 steps, going to meetings, reading the AA literature, working with others, etc.

I admitted myself into treatment ostensibly to save a job and a career.

22 years later, I left that firm (on friendly terms), and I am approaching the sunset of my career (I hope I have a few years left), so my job and my career are not the things that I worry about losing.

I don't want to lose the life that God and sobriety have given me.

I hope that you keep hanging around and trying to get better.