Thanks for this year
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Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 1,283
Thanks for this year
Happy new year and thank you all for supporting me on this sober journey. Today is 239 days. So eight months. Or, as I like to think of it, two days behind SoberRican who is leading the way. SoberRican, your enthusiasm and confidence have been inspiring. Thank you particularly.
Every day I seem to learn something new. Every day. I read on here someone the other day that answered the question about ‘what they do at night’ that they just now go to bed at 8:30/9 because they have a very full day ahead. That was eye-opening to me. Of course. Why the heck do I need to be up until midnight?? I had felt like I was cheating by going to bed supposedly early. Now I just happily think of it as “on time”. Such a small thing, but someone’s words helped positively reframe this for me.
I’ve saved a ton of money, bought a home, got a dog, lost weight, and accomplished countless more since I’ve gotten sober. I won’t say life is perfect. Sure, sometime I miss cocktail hour. But, it was NEVER an hour for me. I feel like the main struggle of my life is over. A struggle I hadn’t realized it was so overwhelming. I’m so grateful. Life might not be perfect right now, but it is real. And filled with hope. If I started drinking again, nothing would happen for the next year but me sitting on my couch drinking and perhaps losing my job and perhaps something much much worse. Now, I don’t know what’s ahead in 2020. It’s exciting.
Every day I seem to learn something new. Every day. I read on here someone the other day that answered the question about ‘what they do at night’ that they just now go to bed at 8:30/9 because they have a very full day ahead. That was eye-opening to me. Of course. Why the heck do I need to be up until midnight?? I had felt like I was cheating by going to bed supposedly early. Now I just happily think of it as “on time”. Such a small thing, but someone’s words helped positively reframe this for me.
I’ve saved a ton of money, bought a home, got a dog, lost weight, and accomplished countless more since I’ve gotten sober. I won’t say life is perfect. Sure, sometime I miss cocktail hour. But, it was NEVER an hour for me. I feel like the main struggle of my life is over. A struggle I hadn’t realized it was so overwhelming. I’m so grateful. Life might not be perfect right now, but it is real. And filled with hope. If I started drinking again, nothing would happen for the next year but me sitting on my couch drinking and perhaps losing my job and perhaps something much much worse. Now, I don’t know what’s ahead in 2020. It’s exciting.
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Congrats on 239 days Sohard, and thank you for your contributions here on SR as well - you have come a long way since you have joined here. May your 2020 be filled with learning and peace.
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Originally Posted by ScottFromWI 
Congrats on 239 days Sohard, and thank you for your contributions here on SR as well - you have come a long way since you have joined here. May your 2020 be filled with learning and peace.
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Thank you 🙏 all for the support! Got up this morning and had a coffee, read the paper, and walked my pup. Thinking of all the people hung over this morning and so glad I’m not one of them. Today would’ve been wasted for me (like 1000s of other days I’ve spent sleeping off the previous night’s drinking). I don’t plan to actually DO anything today (I’m just starting a Netflix show a co worker has been harassing me to watch , going to the grocery store, and finally unpacking from my holiday trip). So, I’m just unwinding and living. But it feels so damn good. And productive in its own way.
, going to the grocery store, and finally unpacking from my holiday trip). So, I’m just unwinding and living. But it feels so damn good. And productive in its own way. Member
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Originally Posted by Reid82
Congrats on the sober time, I'm just behind you at 237 days now.
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Originally Posted by Sohard
FANTASTIC! You should be so proud of yourself. 👏👏👏👏I read someone say that getting sober is like turning around a huge steam ship. I felt the same way. It was, and it would be WAY too hard to turn it back and in the wrong direction. So, we got this!
Thanks, I had many months in the past previously (on a few occasions) But I suppose the big thing this time is I actually want to stay stopped now....
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Originally Posted by Reid82
Thanks, I had many months in the past previously (on a few occasions) But I suppose the big thing this time is I actually want to stay stopped now....
I was reading your other thread. I know you can do this. And yes, it’s all about the wanting to stay stopped. I tried quite a few times to quit because I knew I had to. It wasn’t until I wanted to that things actually changed.
I’m so proud of my 242 days but I know I’ll feel a great sense of relief at 365. So silly, I should feel all that relief now - since I know I’m DONE - but the mind works the way it works.
A drink sounds like a horrible idea to me right now, bc the second I think of one I also play the tape forward. The next day (or even weeks or years!) would be hell.
I read everything on SR all the time. People’s different ways of thinking about addiction really helped me to focus. Someone explained that quitting drinking is like learning a new language. It is so complex, but it’s better not to ever use your first language (drinking!) or it’s harder to adapt to the second one (sobriety!). That made sense to me and helped motivate me through some tricky moments of the getting-sober-obstacle-course (yet ANOTHER metaphor
). They worked and are working for me, though. 
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Originally Posted by SunnyCoastK
Congratulations!!! That is an amazing achievement!!! :-)
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