coming up on my 6 months
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Posts: 5
coming up on my 6 months
Hey, everyone. On January 16, 2010 I woke up with an awful hangover when I needed to go to work. Then I was miserable all day at work. I had had enough. I decided I was done with alcohol. That crap was no longer going to control me. I've only been to one AA meeting and have not done 12 steps or gotten a sponsor. I did get an unofficial sponsor, a friend in AA who counsels me. I also have other friends, also ex-drinkers, who say I can call any time I feel I want to drink.
I'm enjoying improved health. Far, far fewer migraines, and I've lost weight. I'm not 100 percent certain that I'm an alcoholic, but I am certain I don't want to drink anymore. I don't want to turn to that crap to deal with stuff. I want to find other ways to feel good, and I want to live with life and deal and lick my problems.
Okay, so July 16th will be my 6 months sober date. I'm thinking of celebrating. The question is how? Should I go to a meeting? It would only be my second one. Or should I go out with friends? I'm able to go out to bars and not touch a drop with no problem. I never drank in bars before because I was always really cautious about DUIs. I always did all my drinking at home while watching TV or movies.
A friend from work, also an ex-drinker, suggested non-alcoholic wine. He says there are some good ones.
My good friend, the one who helped me get sober, and my unofficial sponsor, lives in another state. It's a neighbor state and about a 550 mile drive from here. I would LOVE to see her, but that's probably not going to happen.
I'm open to ideas on how I should celebrate my 6 months.
I'm enjoying improved health. Far, far fewer migraines, and I've lost weight. I'm not 100 percent certain that I'm an alcoholic, but I am certain I don't want to drink anymore. I don't want to turn to that crap to deal with stuff. I want to find other ways to feel good, and I want to live with life and deal and lick my problems.
Okay, so July 16th will be my 6 months sober date. I'm thinking of celebrating. The question is how? Should I go to a meeting? It would only be my second one. Or should I go out with friends? I'm able to go out to bars and not touch a drop with no problem. I never drank in bars before because I was always really cautious about DUIs. I always did all my drinking at home while watching TV or movies.
A friend from work, also an ex-drinker, suggested non-alcoholic wine. He says there are some good ones.
My good friend, the one who helped me get sober, and my unofficial sponsor, lives in another state. It's a neighbor state and about a 550 mile drive from here. I would LOVE to see her, but that's probably not going to happen.
I'm open to ideas on how I should celebrate my 6 months.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,443
Welcome Luke 
Congratulations on your 6 months.
I have no suggestions, It hasn't really occurred to me to celebrate any of my sobriety milestones.
Whatever you do, have a good sober time with it
D
Congratulations on your 6 months.
I have no suggestions, It hasn't really occurred to me to celebrate any of my sobriety milestones.
Whatever you do, have a good sober time with it
D
Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Buzz-free Zone
Posts: 1,372
Hey Luke,
Good for you and congrats on taking your life back and your sober time!
My suggestion about your 6 months sobriety date:
Remember how you used to celebrate momentous occasions?
Do the opposite.
Seriously.
To consider going to a bar and "refrain" from drinking...to do what?...why torture yourself? Non-alcoholic wines or beer? Why do you think it's called "near-beer"? They contain alcohol (so does the wine).
Again, why torture yourself?
Rather than dangle those carrots in front of you as a test of your resolve, why don't you just decide to resolve? Period.
I never liked the taste of alcohol more than I liked the affect it had on me and that's where the problem was; there was never enough of it.
There is too much of a stigma associated with boredom and sobriety; the re-adjustment of living a life without alcohol is so much more than just not drinking.
According to my calendar, July 16th is a Friday, but it might as well be a Monday...it makes no difference when you've decided that enough is enough.
6 months sobriety is a major accomplishment!
Please realize that whatever you choose to do on your special day, at least it'll be you doing the choosing, as opposed to alcohol or a drunken stupor or massive hangover to follow choosing it for you.
And best of all.....................you'll remember it!!
Good for you and congrats on taking your life back and your sober time!
My suggestion about your 6 months sobriety date:
Remember how you used to celebrate momentous occasions?
Do the opposite.
Seriously.
To consider going to a bar and "refrain" from drinking...to do what?...why torture yourself? Non-alcoholic wines or beer? Why do you think it's called "near-beer"? They contain alcohol (so does the wine).
Again, why torture yourself?
Rather than dangle those carrots in front of you as a test of your resolve, why don't you just decide to resolve? Period.
I never liked the taste of alcohol more than I liked the affect it had on me and that's where the problem was; there was never enough of it.
There is too much of a stigma associated with boredom and sobriety; the re-adjustment of living a life without alcohol is so much more than just not drinking.
According to my calendar, July 16th is a Friday, but it might as well be a Monday...it makes no difference when you've decided that enough is enough.
6 months sobriety is a major accomplishment!
Please realize that whatever you choose to do on your special day, at least it'll be you doing the choosing, as opposed to alcohol or a drunken stupor or massive hangover to follow choosing it for you.
And best of all.....................you'll remember it!!
Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Buzz-free Zone
Posts: 1,372
P.S. since 6 months is such a milestone and you've got alot of brain cells back, what haven't you done in a long time or never done at all that you wished you could do?
If a weekend night-time is a trigger, do anything but put yourself in a vulnerable situation.
Time for creativity. The possibilites are endless and being a drill-head means you're capable of some precision thinking...
If a weekend night-time is a trigger, do anything but put yourself in a vulnerable situation.
Time for creativity. The possibilites are endless and being a drill-head means you're capable of some precision thinking...
Last edited by HumbleBee; 07-01-2010 at 12:38 AM. Reason: SR posted orig twice so I took advantage of a P.S. oppty
dopeless hope fiend
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Here. Now.
Posts: 1,021
congrats my friend! I would definitely go to a meeting. I don't think i've ever been more excited about a meeting than the day i went to pick up six months. It was great for me and for the newcomer to see that people really can do this.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NY, NY
Posts: 64
yeah i think going to a meeting where people will celebrate and support your milestone is a great idea. i agree with humblebee about doing the opposite of what you would have done to celebrate when you were drinking. what about going out for dinner, going on a hike, taking a mini road trip to someplace you've never been, going to a movie or a show with friends, buying yourself something that you've been wanting but putting off...i dont know what kinds of things you like to do...
12-Step Recovered Alkie
Join Date: May 2010
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Posts: 5,797
I alllllllllllllllllllllllways celebrate my AA birthdays at a meeting. I mean, why wouldn't I want to share a great day of my own with the ppl, without whom, I wouldn't have a sobriety date to celebrate?
There's plenty of time to hang with buddies. Get out of "self" and go say thanks to the folks who helped you get where you are.
There's plenty of time to hang with buddies. Get out of "self" and go say thanks to the folks who helped you get where you are.
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
Well done on becoming a non drinker....
I don't recommend drinking anything with alcohol in it
and thoese N/A wines I saw do have a trace.
Have not checked the lables in years tho....
maybe the new ones do not?
I don't recommend drinking anything with alcohol in it
and thoese N/A wines I saw do have a trace.
Have not checked the lables in years tho....
maybe the new ones do not?
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Singapore
Posts: 737
No advice here - really. Just wanted to pipe in and say I can't wait until I can start a thread saying "Almost Six Months". 
Congrats to ya Luke.
Oh, I can tell you that I do everything differently now ... on my 6 month anniversary I don't want to see a bar even in a pair of binoculars - with friends or not. Not to mention that going to pubs is about as much fun for me now as banging my head with a large metal pipe.
Congrats to ya Luke.
Oh, I can tell you that I do everything differently now ... on my 6 month anniversary I don't want to see a bar even in a pair of binoculars - with friends or not. Not to mention that going to pubs is about as much fun for me now as banging my head with a large metal pipe.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Toronto, ON
Posts: 1,591
Luke, congrats. Maybe you shouldn't overthink the celebration.
If you do go to a meeting, you might get a huge jolt out of the accomplishment. If it were me, I wouldn't want the non-alc wine because it is too close to the real thing - or acting out the real thing. I don't mean so much the traces of alcohol that might be in it, I mean just the idea of having a special drink to mark an event. At a small party sevearl weeks ago, a friend prepared me an icy/fruity drink (a fake margarita, I guess) in a martini glass, and I didn't feel great about it, even though I knew it was not really drinking alcohol. You might not have the same mindset as I do though.
If I wanted to indulge in something, I would probably make food the special ingredient to the day - in other words, one of my favorite dishes, or going to a favorite restaurant. Unless you already do this, maybe you could splurge on a phone call with the unofficial sponsor-friend.
If you do go to a meeting, you might get a huge jolt out of the accomplishment. If it were me, I wouldn't want the non-alc wine because it is too close to the real thing - or acting out the real thing. I don't mean so much the traces of alcohol that might be in it, I mean just the idea of having a special drink to mark an event. At a small party sevearl weeks ago, a friend prepared me an icy/fruity drink (a fake margarita, I guess) in a martini glass, and I didn't feel great about it, even though I knew it was not really drinking alcohol. You might not have the same mindset as I do though.
If I wanted to indulge in something, I would probably make food the special ingredient to the day - in other words, one of my favorite dishes, or going to a favorite restaurant. Unless you already do this, maybe you could splurge on a phone call with the unofficial sponsor-friend.
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