| kittycat3 | 04-16-2017 09:11 PM |
One year sober
Today I have been sober for one full year. One year ago, I woke up with a raging hangover, debilitating anxiety, and crippling depression after a night at a coworkers house where I intended to have just a beer or two. That night ended with an expensive tab, including a locksmith and a hefty tip to my Uber driver. I missed out on a concert I had tickets to for the next night that I had purchased months in advance and had been greatly looking forward to. I was still feeling the physical effects three days later when I looked up an AA meeting on my lunch break at work, knowing that I needed to make a change if I wanted to make sobriety stick. I went to that AA meeting, and I got a sponsor even though I wasn't intending to. I met with her regularly and I continued to go to meetings. I started working the steps. I started to pray. When I felt depressed, I used the phone list and called people I didn't know and asked for help. I regularly took myself out of my usual comfort zone. I resisted the urge to drink. I avoided people and places that were too tempting. Some days were good, and I barely thought about drinking. Some days were hard, and I simply remembered that I had taken drinking as an option completely off the table. In the last year I have met so many sober people from all walks of life. People that have been through much worse than I have and have done it all completely sober with the support of their higher power. People who have years, decades of sobriety. My perspective has drastically changed. There are so many people fighting the same fights that I do with grace and humility and courage. I no longer feel so alone in my life and my self esteem is far better than it was when I started this journey. I can hold my head high when walking down the street, instead of running in shame, fearful of seeing someone I acted a fool in front of when drinking. I am likeable and present and can graciously serve others and give back. I am so eternally grateful. | 