slipped

I started drinking again after 6 years. Stupid I know. And I'm having a hard time quitting again. I forgot how hard this is.
Any advice out there? Have you done anything different the second time around? Is it really harder to quit or the same?

SoberLeigh

Welcome back, slipped.

What did you do to stay sober for those six years? Did you have a plan that you followed? What led to the relapse?

You were quite obviously doing something very right for those six sober years.

There is a fantastic thread on the importance of a plan. I will post a link in a minute.

SoberLeigh

As promised:

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...highlight=Psst (Psst...wanna know why I'm always recommending recovery plans?)

SoberLeigh

You may find that making a daily commitment to sobriety helps.

I will post a link to a thread where you can do just that.

slipped

Thank you.

SoberLeigh

As promised:

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...art-325-a.html (24 Hour Recovery Connection Part 325)

Hope to see you there

SoberLeigh

Onward, together.

least

You stop drinking, just stop. If you have any in the house, pour it out and don't get anymore. Yes, it gets harder to quit the more we relapse. And it seems like we end up right where we left off very quickly.

In order to get sober for good, you have to want to be sober more than you want to drink.

Dee74

Hi slipped - welcome

I agree with least - you pick a day and you stop.

Not always easy but simple.

If you can't stay stopped in your own you'll have to consider finding some help -which could be anything from posting and reading here regularly to AA and other recovery groups like SMART or Life Ring and Rational Recovery to counseling or seeing your Dr to inpatient or outpatient rehab.

How did you stay sober last time?

D

Done4today

Welcome back slipped,

Of course it's harder to start over because it's hard now. But you also know that it can be done and worth it. You know what worked so repeat those actions and work on a plan to avoid the stuff that lead to your relapse.

Good luck

slipped

I did it on my own. No programs, no meds, just pure willpower. (This site helped). Like you said. I just picked a day and quit and put up with a lot of anxiety to stay quit. It wasn't easy at times. I just trusted that it would get better. It did. But, I do think I have some underlying anxiety issues because even well after I quit I still had some anxiety. Maybe that's normal and I just expected perfection.
I'll just suck it up and do it all over again. I'll keep telling myself I did it once, I can do it again. I just wondered if people changed their approaches the second time.

slipped

Why did I restart? Not sure. I guess I wanted to be normal/ drink normal again. Moderating just doesn't work.

slipped

Scratch that- Moderating worked for a while, but not long term.

Done4today

Maybe try a program (AA, SMART, RR, etc). I know thats hard to hear but you might need some help. You obviously have strong will power to quit and stay quit for a time. This time you can quit, stay quit, and be happy joyous and free.

I too was able to quit for a year plus relapsed with the ability to moderate once in a while. In the end, I didn't have any control and couldn't stop. I reached my point of desperation and became willing to start AA. Wow what a difference to have relief, recovery is easy in comparison now. I am happier than I ever was drinking.

You can get recovery by choosing a program and doing the action. You're an alcoholic that won't ever go away. Now you just have to learn to live with it in a productive manner. Good luck

waynetheking

You have 44 post since 2014. Perhaps coming here more often and contribute to the group as well as working on a solid plan of action might help this time.
Moderation never works for us. I'm glad your back. Don't drink and don't give the disease what it wants, your life!

Dee74

Acceptance worked a lot better than willpower for me.
Part of my will wanted to drink no matter what.

My addiction whipped my behind...so eventually - finally - I totally accepted my relationship with alcohol was toxic and always would be.

I cut that diseased limb off - never looked back.

D

NYCDoglvr

If you find you can't stay stopped on your own it is worth checking out AA. The support of other drunks carried me through the hardest part. A big hug.

Grungehead

Hi slipped,

I understand how you are feeling as I'm on my third go at long term sobriety (6yrs, 7yrs, coming up on 5yrs). After the 6 year run I relapsed for about a year and then got sober again. After the 7 year run I relapsed for 8 years and I almost didn't make it back. Both of those relapses were caused by complacency. I was not doing anything proactively to treat my alcoholism, and both times a crisis came up in my life and my untreated alcoholism led me back to drinking.

Here is a link to what I did and am doing on an ongoing basis in the thread in this forum titled "What's your plan?"

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ml#post6707234 (What's your plan?)

AAPJ

Well I have not been sober for six years since my childhood in the late 1960s - early 1970s. So count me as impressed.

As a serial relapser I see it this way. You fell of your bike now get off your a** and get back on the bike. You know how to ride it.

Can you do better going forward? Are the programs suggested here good ideas? IMO the answers are Yes and Yes.

But you just need to STOP TODAY. That's your start. You can do it. You have done it before.