Chamabama

I know this is a little silly but really I'm just curious as to what the norm is, or if there even is a norm...

How do people count their days/weeks sober? Do you count the day you're on? Or the days you've completed?

I've only counted the days that are completed. For example, when I said I had 2 weeks, I was on day 15. Like 14 FULL days sober, working on my 15th. Does that make sense?

Another example, Freeport said he had one month (CONGRATS) and everyone assumed that meant 30 days. I didn't know to assume that. For me, it could have been 28 days, or 27 full days, or s/he could have quit on May 11th or May 10th...

Is there a norm? Since it seems that the majority of the people here are in AA, I would guess that the norm is probably AA driven. Could someone explain it to us non-AA newbies?

Thanks

smacked

When I counted, I guess I would say "this is my X day sober".. day 1 was my first full day sober.. etc.

I found however, that counting only kept reminding me aout how far I was from the last drink, and never told me much about how close the next one could be.

I remember the date of the last drink, and that was 8/31/08.. as long as I remember that, I'm good. Counting was conterproductive to me.. I also found that once I decided it wasn't a "break", and that it was permanent, it didn't matter how many days I had, I am a non-drinker, those days will naturally add up, and I just go about my life.

Wolfchild

Before i close my eyes to go to sleep, i thank God that He helped me to live another day clean.

Whatever works for you, the God of your understanding, and your sponsor should be fine.

jamdls

The last time I had a drink was something like August 27, 2007 but I never could remember the actual day so when I went to AA I said my sobriety date was Sept. 1, 2007 then on the first of each month that was another month. I think it's entirely up to you as to how you count. Congratulations on your sober time.

Chamabama

Thanks everyone.

I feel the same way Smacked and Jamdls, my sober date is the most important thing to me. That's why it's in my signature. I'll never drink again and I'm good with that. I don't harbor any illusions that someday I'll be ok to drink. That ship has sailed.

Thank you Wolfchild. As I mentioned, I'm not in AA and so I don't have a sponsor. My therapist, however, knows.

I don't think about my sobriety before I go to bed. However, I do wake up in the morning happy as a clam to not feel like crap. So, if there is no norm, I'll continue to do it my way. Days, weeks, months, years don't count for me until I wake up the next day sober.

least

I used to keep track of my days/weeks/months sober but now I just remember my sober date and if I want to know how many days it's been I just use the sobertime calculator at the top left of the page.

Chamabama

Love it! Thanks! It counts the same way I do! I am 19 days, 12 hours and 46 minutes sober! LOL

FizzyWater

I stopped drinking on the 9th May 2008, I then claimed to have completed a year on the 9 th May 2009, perhaps I really should have waited until the 10 th, ooops, I apologise, perhaps the last year has been a sham !!!!!!!!

Seriously - I wouldn't get too hung up on it, I think counting days can be important in the early days of sobriety, long term though its about finding a new way of living and accepting you now live a life free of alcohol.

Chamabama

Thank you. I'm really not that worried about it. There was some question about it in our "Class of June" group and I was really just wondering if there was a norm. It doesn't really matter if I say I have a day or a year. I still have only been sober for as long as I've been sober.

NoelleR

Hey Chamabama ----

Welcome to the June Anniversary month; totally a very kewl month; I also am a June Anniversary person .... (o:

When I first got clean/sober I counted days, however I did not count my first day; yes, it was my first day, and the day I made the decision to get C&S, but......an example........: let's say I decided to enter recovery on June 1st this year, and got my desire chip (24-hr chip; whatever y'all call it) at a meeting that day; in my counting, today I would have 10 days (11-1=10).

I do remember how a bunch of us felt when the 18-month chip came out......grrrrrr (the 'resentment' chip, we called it). Ya see, at the time, we had.....: the 24-hr chip; the 30 day (one month); the 60 day (two months); the 90 day (three months); the six months; the nine months; and then the year chips.....So, a person got used to getting a chip every one month; then every three months; and then they had to wait a year (????)! grrrrrr So, out came the 18 month chip (of course, by then, we all had more than 18 months.........NOT fair!!!!! LOLOL

You just keep chuggin along, Chamabama. Oh, and by the way, as of today, I have 8389 days, and the ONLY reason I know this is because I went to the Sobriety Calculator on this site.....LOLOL


NoelleR
DOS: 6/23/86

flutter

I think I counted until around 20 or 30 days, and now I just notice the same time of month each month.. I didn't find it helpful to count, as I never plan to drink again, and I don't consider it a 'break' or any type of record tracking.

louis

I dont count at the moment.... jut for the fact i have never been this far in recovery... i dont take the chips though at AA meetings....

I think it is a personal chioce.... the days slip away from me now.... so it can be weeks and i will sunddenly think.... how many days is that....

But realistically each new day... is day one to me..... if i take it a day at a time... there is no pressure to me to be making time limits like i did to begin with....

I renember i said... i just wanted to mak it to 90 days.... and i did.... but i also worried about what would happen at 90 days.... would that be it.... would i drink since i acheived my goal.... as it was.... what happened after 90 days was i had 91 days and so on....

Not sure i made any sense with that.... but i dont put that pressure on myself anymore which is good for me..... all i know is i am 3 1/2 months give or take a few days....
But at the end of the day.... my day one/today is the only one that counts...

Nice to meet you also

be well
louis

Tazman53

One of the neatest things about AA is there are no rules, some folks count days, some don't, some count the day of thier last drink, some (Me) count thier first day without a drink. The one thing I think most people in & out of AA have in common is they can tell you at least the month & year of thier last drink or first day with out.

I have a sobriety counter on my desktop PC and it says I have 998 days. But every one of them is simply one day.

joedris

I don't think it really matters. Count days however you want to. I personally don't count them, I've been sober for 17 hours today. At midnight I'll start over again. One day at a time.