minimizer

I am new here, new at "quitting and getting sober" and new at admitting that I have a problem.

I have had a problem for about 2 years. Long enough to have gone through enough. I am losing friends, family and everything else important to me.

I no longer know who I am when I am not drinking. That scares me.

minimizer

Dee74

Hi Minimizer
I think it's great you're dealing with this now
You'll find a lot of support here - and ideas on where to get face to face support too

welcome!
D

Anna

Hi and Welcome,

Alcohol robs us of everything that is important to us.

I'm glad you're here seeking support.

Isaiah

Hey,

Welcome to SR. And welcome to the start of a new life.

The first period of sobriety is confusing. My heavy, alcoholic drinking lasted just a little over six months and even that was enough to make me completely unsure of who I was. The good thing is that in sobriety you start to have a choice again. I still don't know what sobriety has in store for me. But at least I'm coming to believe there's hope to be anything.

-Isa

Zebra1275

Welcome!

6yearsold

Day 2 for me... we can do this! Seriously, we can.

minimizer

Thank you all for the warm welcomes. I feel fortunate to have found this place.

Good morning DAY 2!

bettterlife4me

Good morning! I too am in very early stage of sobriety. As in day 1. Again. One day at a time. We can do this!

BobGT

Welcome minimizer,

You have found a good place for help and inspiration. Check out all of the interesting threads if you have not already, and post if you have any questions or comments.

minimizer

I woke up this morning and wanted a drink to just calm my nerves. I recently started a new high-profile job that is nerve-wrecking and I feel like I have to force myself to be social, cheerful and focused.
Normally I would just reach for the bottle, to get through these little things. It is scary. I don't know how to act "normal" anymore.
Nevertheless.....I am playing things safe, not going out for dinner with cohorts. I need to avoid all temptations right now.

phytoman

Welcome minimizer! Positive changes are good!

6yearsold

I work in a stressful field also(the restaurant business.. ahhhh! people and their food!). I know all about temptation and having to change your life. I have learned that doing small changes help alot over a short period of time. For instance, I see I have changed in one way and realize I can change in another way. It is possible. Its hard for me to get away from temptation but we can do it! This message board is something I look forward to after work. Sounds silly, I know but it has helped me alot.

MsCooterBrown

Welcome Minimizer! This board is a life saver. I think it is all about changing up your routine..that helps keep me on track. There is so much to read here. Everyone that posts helps me. So many different angles of thinking. Hope to hear from you often!!

Isaiah

Minimizer, it's sort of obvious to the point of ridiculous, but the best thing to stay sober is whatever you do that keeps you sober.

If what you've got is carrying you through then work it, feed it, build on it. If you're staying clean and avoiding the things that lead you to drink then my hat's off to you.

Keep it up, keep coming, keep doing the next right thing. It's awesome to hear.

pattyspaw

I am also new at trying to be sober, new day one coming to a close; I have found so much on SR that helps me to look at life in a new way; slowly I am finding the courage to move forward; we can do this;

minimizer

I did not make it through the evening. I could not avoid dinner with cohorts, as it we needed to discuss many important things. Having dinner out should not be an excuse, but when a bottle of wine was ordered for the table I lost focus.

I only had a small glass, even though I wanted to chug the entire bottle. I want to pat myself on the back and commend myself for having control and only having one glass, but that is only what I want to do. Why was having any wine necessary. Why can't I be stronger?

What makes things worse is that even that small glass of wine felt so good. I felt like I could just relax.

Back to Day 1.

Anna

I know, for me, I had to let go of all my old beliefs about myself.

I knew for certain that I could not be around alcohol for quite a long time. Is it possible that you could consider a different kind of job? I had to change what I had been doing in my life.

Dee74

Hi Minimizer
It's hard to change a life - many of us fell a time or two.

For me it's about priorities.

After 20 years, I finally worked out that if anything is more important to me than staying sober - fitting in, worries about being different or odd, whatever - I make a very hard road for myself. I'm putting the cart before the horse.

All the good things in my life since I gave up in 2007 come from me being sober. If I'm not sober I put everything I value at risk.

Alcoholism is a progression...and things do get worse, and I did lose things of value - by the end I didn't have to worry about business dinners with my cohorts.

Being sober is the best possible choice for me - I think if we put anything before that, we're not doing the best for ourselves.

D

ViciousCycle

I think it's all still new to you. (and me, again.) I think once you have given up for awhile, all that will shake out, things will calm down, you will become stronger and will be able to pass on that glass.......but the first few days to a week, depending.....can be very anxious. I am sitting on day 2 but I feel much less anxious than yesterday. I even put Christmas stuff up today. Had I still been drinking it never would have happened.
Tomorrow should be even better.
Hang in there....remember, it's all for YOU.

minimizer

Here I am again, some 3 years later.
That great job I had just started when I posted last time. I was fired because of my drinking.
My BF of 12 years left me the same year.
I crashed 3 cars, had my 2nd DUI and still didn't stop.

I am amazed I am still alive.

I want to live again. I want to remember what it is like to be sober and truly alive.

I will start a new life NOW.