keepfinding2

Just kind of want to get some input for what you all think is the appropriate sobriety date.

On a certain day of a certain month I got really drunk.
A. ---- 8th - Had my last drink late at night.
B. ---- 9th - Don't really remember this day, but I'm sure there was alcohol in my system for a good portion of this day, but did not take a drink.
C. ---- 10th - Alcohol metabolized and my first day without drinking or having it in my system.
D. ---- I should just pick a date and stick with it.


Which one is my sobriety date?
What do you guys think?

Sapling

The first midnight to midnight you didn't drink...I'll take door number B.

Scolova

I used the first evening that I did not drink (+ no drink since waking), I was an evening binge drunker, so that's what mattered to me & something in me really did change that day....
Hope you can stay sober.

MemphisBlues

When I decided to walk into the rooms of AA, I had been sober for three months or so.

I realized that most placed a great emphasis on their sobriety date. Well, I had to think about that. I decided to get sober on Sept. 15, 2010. I ended up in the hospital in severe acute withdrawal from alcohol and benzos on Sept. 28, 2010 and released from the hospital 10 days later.

I was so whacked out I couldn't walk, think, eat, use the bathroom.

I read the book, Alcoholics Anonymous. The phrase "rigorous honesty" kept leaping off the page. So Ii piked a date one week from the day I was released from the hospital, October 15, 2010, and use that as my "sobriety" date.

As far as I know, I was still on a low dosage of Valium for a few days after being discharged, so I am confident I was sober from then on. That was 512 days ago.

Sapling

Hey MB...Those benzos in detox don't count against your sobriety...No more than painkillers would for a broken back...The day after you put down your last drink works for me.

PS..I see you were already addicted to benzos and alcohol...What did they give you in detox??

eJoshua

Whatever date sits well with your conscience, other peoples opinions are irrelevant.

DaveO

This

Lily

The first morning I awakened and did drink or drug.

Charon

Thugh AA puts great stock in the number of days sober, I've heard so many times in meetings that no matter how much time you have it's irrelevant because your arms are still the same length. In other words, you can still pick up. Many, many people with huge amounts of time have. So my sobriety date is "8:30 am" (for today). That's when I got out of bed. The alcoholic who got up earliest is the one with the longest sobriety. And it only counts for today. One day at a time, keep it in the day, etc. etc. etc. There are a lot of contradictory things in AA. Drives me nuts but keeps me thinking.

RobbyRobot

Well, it really is a matter of personal experience, yeah?

How much time I have is not irrelevant. And I have more then just today. I have yesterday and tommorrow as well.

Sure, I LIVE in today, same as everyone else on the planet earth, lol. Alcoholic or not, we do live in the moment but lets not trash our memories and past experiences nor be ignorant to our intuitions and hopes for the future.

FWIW, I have more then 10,000 mornings waking up sober and likewise 10,000 nights going to sleep sober now in my experience TODAY. And you know what, I started with only 1 morning and 1 night. And I have many more coming my way from the future too.

Yeah, what I had when I started is less then what I have today. The comparable differences between day 1 and day 10,000 are remarkable

Time in recovery is an essential satisfying experience.

RobbyRobot

keepfinding,

Choice A or B works for me. Good journey with staying quit.

nonblondechef

8 weeks today :-)

keepfinding2

I agree with you Sapling. I was on Valium since then, but I don't have a drug problem and it was medically prescribed.

Sapling

That's how my Homegroup looks at it....I'm sure many others do too....Pot....That's a different story...Precribed meds...Taken as directed...No problem...

NoTears

Mine was sometime last October. Someday I'll forget that too. I didn't keep track because I had so very many "day 1"s that I didn't know how to keep counting...

flutter

I didn't read your poll questions closely enough I personally chose the first day I didn't drink, I didn't think about whether or not there was still residual alcohol in my system from the day before. I misunderstood how you meant that option! Delete a vote for C, add a vote for B. It's totally up to you, but that's how I did it. I haven't counted days for years now, but I do recognize December 18 of every year as the first day of my recovery journey, my last drink was on the 17th.

Mo S

I used my first day sober as my anniversary date. So; when i celebrated one year - I had in fact been sober 365 days. Besides- its what my sponsor told me to do and she scared the s*it out of me!

DayTrader

AA's "birthday" is on the day Dr Bob took his last drink. He used his Last Drink Date when he talked.....so that's what I use.

FlyerFan

I used the first day that I had no alcohol in my system and did not drink. I wanted my system to be free for 24 hours before I started counting.

Taking5

Om June 10th 1935 Bill W was nursing Dr Bob through the tail end of a spree. Bill gave him 2 beers to calm his nerves because of an upcoming surgery Doc had to perform. Dr. Bob never drank again, and althoug there are a few arguments, June 10, 1935 is widely accepted as the birthdate of AA - even though Dr. Bob drank that day.

So that's why I put my sobriety date on the last day I had a drink.