Islandboy32

It's only been 20 days since I realized alcohol was a problem for me and stopped drinking. But by dropping it I feel more responsible.. Like somehow I've "matured" in a way.. Like I've put to rest a childish, clownish, irresponsible, apathetic part of myself. I feel like I can focus now on accomplishing goals. Any one else feel more "grown up" so to speak? After quitting?

Dee74

It took me a little longer than that but yes - absolutely.
It was a slap in the face, to be honest, to see how much of a kid I still was a 40.

I spent years running away from being an adult...now, I really want to be one & stay this way

D

RobC420

I have for sure. I felt that way and feel like I'm finally taking some responsibility in my life and moving forward. I also felt like I could handle real responsibilities when I got sober as opposed to when I was still using and I was to busy drinking be responsible for anything.

awuh1

I agree about the maturity thing. Sobriety allowed me to get over myself (somewhat lol). Now I try to focus on what I can “contribute to” rather than “get from”. It’s a more genuine way to live aloha.

BTW I first got sober on the north shore. Good kine AA in Haleiwa, though there is lots in town as well!

trikuza

I feel the exact same way. As if in a matter of days, ive soaked up years of wisdom that my drinking was holding back!

MrsKing

Absolutely. Sometimes I switch between feeling like an 18 year old (the age I started drinking) and feeling like my true age and more matured. Between the age of 18 and when I stopped drinking, I don't think I matured much at all... I used alcohol to escape any worries and due to that and depression and anxiety fuelled by alcohol I was always in a state where I felt as though I needed others to help me... and as though I wanted to hide away from the world. A few months after getting sober I realised that I was taking responsibility... aiming to achieve goals... making decisions that an adult should take and not running at full speed away from any problem... I feel as though I have definitely matured and it is a wonderful feeling. I do sometimes have freak out moments where I'm like oh c**p! How am I going to cope with this? Because for 6 years I didn't cope with anything... but for the most part, yes, I have definitely 'grown up'.

MythOfSisyphus

I think you hit the nail on the head! At age 43 I finally feel like a grownup! I'm too old to be getting f*cked up and sleeping til 2:00 pm every day.

ricmcc

I recall being told by an addictions consellor that during periods of actively using emotional growth essentially stops, which makes sense if you view getting drunk as being, among other things, a way of avoiding problems rather than facing them and dealing with them in a mature manner. I know that in my many periods of active drinking I dealt with life in an immature manner, one of many examples being the seeking of instant gratification, as in 'Why save for something when I can put it on a card now'? So what you describe makes perfect sense to me. I will admit that it is a little humbling to be learning things at 55 that I should have learned at about 12 years of age, but that I find very minor when compared to the fact that I seem to finally be learning As to why this learning seems to happen so fast once drinking is stopped I have no idea, nor do I really seek to understand it fully; I simply enjoy it as a rather pleasant side effect of getting sober Rick btw, while this is likely best put in a PM, I must say that I find the screen name 'MythOfSyphysis' a most excellent handle,and since I am here
now anyway, will say it now (economy, not laziness, lol) and when I say that the posts under that name are always very interesting and well written, I get the bonus of giving a public rather than private compliment--hope you don't find that embarressing, if so, put it down to my having always been a big fan of Camus, and of reading good posts-rick

hypochondriac

Not yet... x

ricmcc

btw, Syphusis is my preferred pre six AM spelling of Sisyphus, although I guess i can think of worse typos