I want to feel life today
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,920
I want to feel life today
Today I want to experience life without living in fear. When I was drinking I spent all of my time running from remorse, pain, and difficult realizations. At 28 months sober I am learning how to forgive myself for being imperfect. In my drinking years I wanted everything in the world to arrange itself in a way that would satisfy my desire to feel good all the time.
In recovery I have learned how to experience emotions for the first time in my life. I'm 32 and I still feel and behave like a child, but I know I am beginning to develop into a responsible adult.
Recently I ventured into the dating world and things moved way too fast for me so I ended it. If I had been drinking I would not have stood up for myself and established boundaries.
When I entered recovery I was in school but now I finally feel like I can breathe a little easier. I drank alcoholically from 15-29 and I can really see how self-destructive I was in the past. My drinking buddy from high school recently racked up criminal charges and he invited me out one night on one of his drinking binges. I didn't stay long but it was a violent, sad experience to see someone in the midst of addiction.
It's also bittersweet to accept the fact that everyone from my past still abuses drugs and alcohol. They look at me differently now and it feels awkward but I understand that a sober person might make them feel uncomfortable.
I'm proud of my sobriety and I think people from years ago can see that I am changing. Or, maybe I am just over analyzing things.
What I wanted to say is it is different living life as a somewhat normal person instead of a drunken lunatic. Being normal, rational, and patient is a fine way to live even when bad things happen.
Also, does anyone have any advice for quitting cigarettes? I want to start day one of my quit tomorrow so I could use some advice from veteran quitters.
I think SR is a great resource and I hope to contribute more now that I have rested after a stressful time in my life.
In recovery I have learned how to experience emotions for the first time in my life. I'm 32 and I still feel and behave like a child, but I know I am beginning to develop into a responsible adult.
Recently I ventured into the dating world and things moved way too fast for me so I ended it. If I had been drinking I would not have stood up for myself and established boundaries.
When I entered recovery I was in school but now I finally feel like I can breathe a little easier. I drank alcoholically from 15-29 and I can really see how self-destructive I was in the past. My drinking buddy from high school recently racked up criminal charges and he invited me out one night on one of his drinking binges. I didn't stay long but it was a violent, sad experience to see someone in the midst of addiction.
It's also bittersweet to accept the fact that everyone from my past still abuses drugs and alcohol. They look at me differently now and it feels awkward but I understand that a sober person might make them feel uncomfortable.
I'm proud of my sobriety and I think people from years ago can see that I am changing. Or, maybe I am just over analyzing things.
What I wanted to say is it is different living life as a somewhat normal person instead of a drunken lunatic. Being normal, rational, and patient is a fine way to live even when bad things happen.
Also, does anyone have any advice for quitting cigarettes? I want to start day one of my quit tomorrow so I could use some advice from veteran quitters.
I think SR is a great resource and I hope to contribute more now that I have rested after a stressful time in my life.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 147
Hi Acheleus. Smoking? I quit on the 1st of October 2002, and unlike with the alcohol, stuck it out. Fifteen years now. What did I do? I just quit. Said - no more. The good thing, I think, is that smoking - in my opinion, at least - is a habit. Not an addiction, like booze. It is a filthy habit though, but not so tough to kick, if you've really made up your mind. One thing it does have in common with booze, though, is that you'll feel so much better once you have kicked it. Clearer skin and eyes, fresh breath, no nicotine stains on your fingers and teeth, your food tastes great, you don't cough all the time - especially in the mornings - etc. etc. And girls just looove kissing you. Ha, ha!
The way I did it, was to count down in threes: no cigs for three hours, no cigs for three days, then three weeks, then three months, three years, and on... Once you've gone a week, it gets better/easier. MUCH better. Much easier. Remember: it takes just seven days to get into a habit; the reverse, also is true. Seven days to get over a habit. Or over the worst of it... Once you've gone three months, you've beaten it.
One thing you can be sure off - if you want to smoke, you won't need to buy cigarettes for the next month or two. Your stinky-with-smoke friends will offer you all can handle, jealous and not wanting you to succeed...
I smoked a pack of thirty a day for 22 years, and it's a lot easier to kick than drink. The best advice I can give you is this. Don't TRY to stop. Don't throw away the cigs you have left. Finish them, throw away your last but, and say: There we are. That's it. I'm finished. Shrug, kick that "yeah, well, we'll see..." little voice in the nuts, and tell yourself that it is NOT an adiction; just a stinky-stupid-expensive habit which is making you sick. And then STOP. Easy as that.
Good luck.
The way I did it, was to count down in threes: no cigs for three hours, no cigs for three days, then three weeks, then three months, three years, and on... Once you've gone a week, it gets better/easier. MUCH better. Much easier. Remember: it takes just seven days to get into a habit; the reverse, also is true. Seven days to get over a habit. Or over the worst of it... Once you've gone three months, you've beaten it.
One thing you can be sure off - if you want to smoke, you won't need to buy cigarettes for the next month or two. Your stinky-with-smoke friends will offer you all can handle, jealous and not wanting you to succeed...
I smoked a pack of thirty a day for 22 years, and it's a lot easier to kick than drink. The best advice I can give you is this. Don't TRY to stop. Don't throw away the cigs you have left. Finish them, throw away your last but, and say: There we are. That's it. I'm finished. Shrug, kick that "yeah, well, we'll see..." little voice in the nuts, and tell yourself that it is NOT an adiction; just a stinky-stupid-expensive habit which is making you sick. And then STOP. Easy as that.
Good luck.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 5,229
i love your post cause i can relate to it!
I read the book the easy way to quit smoking by alan carr it hink it is. I have it on pdf. I read it once and quit so easily. but then started up again months later. then i read it again and quit easily then started up again lol.
But after i quit drinking i quit smoking and didnt pick up again. I quit because i jsut wanted to feel better and i new it was one more thing in my way. I used what i learned quiting booze and that book to help me do it once and for all.
I wont lie I LOVE cigarretttes and would love to have another one. But i dont ever wanna be addicted to them again and i know if i had just one i would be.
I tapered my cigarettes. I'd get down to like 1 a day light it take a few puffs put it out make it last all day if i could lol. then I just gave it up.
The nice thign about quiting cigarettes is its fairly cut and dry or well was for me. after 2 weeks i felt about normal again and was ok. Unlike booze where here i am 6 years sober still having some quirks lol.
Anyhow for what its worth I feel quiting smokes is a heck of a lot easier then quiting booze. I think if you can quit booze you wont have any problem quiting smokes.
But i've heard it said that if you quit and you pick up agian dont stop tyring to quit tho casue sooner or later it will stick and you will be smoke free.
I read the book the easy way to quit smoking by alan carr it hink it is. I have it on pdf. I read it once and quit so easily. but then started up again months later. then i read it again and quit easily then started up again lol.
But after i quit drinking i quit smoking and didnt pick up again. I quit because i jsut wanted to feel better and i new it was one more thing in my way. I used what i learned quiting booze and that book to help me do it once and for all.
I wont lie I LOVE cigarretttes and would love to have another one. But i dont ever wanna be addicted to them again and i know if i had just one i would be.
I tapered my cigarettes. I'd get down to like 1 a day light it take a few puffs put it out make it last all day if i could lol. then I just gave it up.
The nice thign about quiting cigarettes is its fairly cut and dry or well was for me. after 2 weeks i felt about normal again and was ok. Unlike booze where here i am 6 years sober still having some quirks lol.
Anyhow for what its worth I feel quiting smokes is a heck of a lot easier then quiting booze. I think if you can quit booze you wont have any problem quiting smokes.
But i've heard it said that if you quit and you pick up agian dont stop tyring to quit tho casue sooner or later it will stick and you will be smoke free.
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