Pros and Cons of counting sober time
 

I am curious as to people's experiences counting sober time. Is it helpful? For people who don't do AA, why did you decide to do it?

I don't count the time too much. I just know my anniversary is Christmas Eve, so that's a good landmark to remember by.

I find it motivating. It's hard to imagine not counting time, especially at this early stage. I feel like every day it gives me a little something to celebrate that I made it another day.

I've had long term sobriety (4+ years) before and after a while I just counted months and then years, but I still always knew my sober date and roughly how much time I had.

Counting my sober days has been incredibly helpful in so many ways. I still remember the little burst of pride I'd get early on going from day 3 to day 4 or whatever, logging onto SR every morning and updating my counter in my notes. It's still the very first thing I do when I wake up each morning, I log onto SR and update my number. Knowing that those numbers represent tangible progress on my way to a better me, a better life.

It's not the whole story but it symbolizing a huge part of it, my ever-strengthening commitment to sobriety. I always laugh when people sneer at counting, they're too cool to count or whatever, they operate on a higher plane etc., can't be bothered by knowing their number. Even take pride in not knowing it! I'm too cool to care about not being cool.

I'm a numbers guy at heart, so I do keep track of the time. I'm nearing 10 and a half years, so I don't actually count the days anymore, but I do kinda keep track of the months. BTW, I don't work any "formal" recovery program.

I can see the pros and cons to it. I used to hate it because it would feel AWFUL when I relapsed and had to start from day one multiple times. This time I'm counting the days and keeping myself accountable to myself and SR. Once I passed the "usual" number of days where I'd typically relapse, it started to really boost my motivation to keep going.

Interesting. What do you credit your sobriety to?

I did for about a month then I started counting weeks. Now, at almost 6 months, I dont even know how many days or weeks its been. I never wrote it down so I just started forgetting. Now I count months and google the days when I feel like knowing. I kind of feel like it made me think about it more when for me it was better to forget about quitting and just getting on with my life without drinking. I'm lucky enough now that I dont even think about it daily.

Never actually meant to count the time, but I remember my sobriety date, so I just use a date calculator every now and then to see how much time has passed. Nearing a thousand days now.

I've never taken part in any formal recovery program. For me sobriety is very simple: I'll be fine if I just accept I cannot drink in moderation.

...

I dont know my date even, which is good and bad.

Some would say, if its the rest of your life does it matter when you started?

On the other hand, every day is a victory to be celebrated.

Figured I'd add my sobriety date to my signature to test out the theory!

Edit: but for some reason it's not showing up. Oh well...

I see both the pros and cons.

Im just a few months into recovery but Im not counting the days anymore. I feel like Im doing something Im supposed to be doing anyways, like exercising, so just keep doing it as part of change. I also have met a couple of people who seem to use the length of sobriety as a measuring stick of their superiority over others which I don't buy into because being sober in and of itself doesn't tell me if someone is worth knowing or avoiding at all costs. I know people who have been sober for decades and they are awful people and people struggling with addictions who are really kind hearted so theres that.

I would like to be able to not count the days. I just know it. It is not a choice (not yet).

Early on in recovery I counted days pretty often. First three years or so. Now I don't think about it much until I get close to my sober anniversary. I think counting time kinda helped early on. Now it's just no longer a big deal.

I don't count my time, I don't even tell anyone my sobriety date. If someone asks me I usually tell them "It's toda", because at the end of the day that's all that matters. I've seen people go out after 20'yrs, so other than ego what does sober time really matter?

If counting or not counting contributes to making it difficult for someone to stay sober than obviously that needs addressing, but I don't think it's counting or not counting that makes success or not generally...it's really whether we're drinking or not drinking, using or not using.

My sober date is an important date to me cos thats the day my life changed, but I don't have any idea of what day number it might be.

D

I count automatically.

I remember getting through day 1, then day 2, 3, and so on.

Now I just know that when I wake up, it's one more than yesterday's total was.

I tend to agree, though ego may be a bit general. For some (I think) it's a bit of a lifeline. I only remember, took notice, considered it, as being in the first half of 2004 and mostly then because I become aware of others talking about it. Besides, I've never considered dates as important. I have on occasion been reminded it's my birthday.

My first year sober I counted days and weeks, then started counting years/months. I celebrate my anniversary date each month. :) I don't 'do' anything to celebrate, rather, just note the date means another month sober. :) And I feel tickled pink to be waking up sober and going to bed sober. :) I am grateful for each sober day, and also grateful for the accumulation of days into weeks and months and years. :)

Look what a good friend of mine made for me out of my first year chips. :) Is that not a cool way to mark time? :)

https://i.postimg.cc/02KKKWLv/chip-clock.jpg