jwolf

Hello all. I have popped in and out of these boards for a while. I love coming on here and reading posts. So inspiring and gives me hope.

Last night I read about a friend who's family member died with liver failure at 42 yrs old. That hit home with me because she was so young. For some reason it bothers me enough to be considered a wake up call.

What was your one thing that woke you up into sobriety?

Day one~today is the first day of the rest of my life.

MycoolFitz

I called 911 and was evacted to Er and then treatment for a month that was kind of a wakeup.

WantToHeal

Great topic! I had wanted to quit for a long time, but could never put together the right combination of things and was reluctant to seek outside help. I didn't want to admit failure.

But when my wife said to get treatment or she was leaving, I listened. I will always be grateful for that. I want to clarify that I am doing this for myself as well as her. I want to be the person I am capable of being, for a lot of reasons.

When I had a slip while in outpatient treatment, it was me and me alone who first walked into the rooms of AA. Adding that to my recovery program has made all the difference.

I wish you well in your journey! Let me know if I can ever be of any assistance, or if you just need someone to talk with.

fallingtogether

The past few years I have been drinking to escape. Knowing it was a problem, but chose to drink through it. Played the victim all the time. And a little over a month ago, my grandad passed away. I kept hearing how strong I was for everyone.... But I wasn't. The day of the wake came and I had a couple drinks before and during, a family member asked me to leave. So I did. I woke up the next morning and kept drinking the shame away. My husband busted me around noon and made arrangements for the kids to go to grandmas while he was out of town working. I drank my last drink at noon that day. And my whole life flashed before me that night. If I kept doing what I was doing, I would live a lonelier life, without my kids. And that was my bottom. I didn't have dui's or tickets, or family gone for good, I didn't go to treatment, or try to commit suicide, although I'm sure those things were waiting for me right around the corner. I found my bottom, and I stopped digging. A decision I couldn't be happier about!

Happier

Two things I think.

The very real fear of life threatening health problems and also my wife saying that my amount and frequency of drinking "was not ok"! She made this clear.

Like wanttoheal said, i too am doing this for myself but it is good to have some accountability as well.

MrsKing

After drinking 5 bottles of wine in one night & doing things that I am still to this day ashamed of. I did the very thing I was upset with my alcoholic aunt for doing and it made me see my problem for what it was. That day/night and how I felt after was my wake up call, for sure. I knew that if I continued in that same way I would lose everything and then my life.

Congrats on making the decision to be sober. This is the first day of the rest of your life. Wishing you all the best x

PhiBetaLeta

I am just coming back after 8 months completely sober. I was doing AA regularly: attending 3-4 meetings a week, doing the steps with my sponsor, reading the literature etc. Then it just hit me... very strong mouth watering cravings and feeling overpowered. I actually drank at work for the first time. That's my wake up call.

I am committed to doing 90 in 90 and calling a fellow AA every day. The phone calls are very important. They keep me in touch, force me to be honest, and give me a way out when a craving hits. I want to do the Big 5 each day: Pray, read, call, go to a meeting, pray. My life depends on it.

I have a lot to lose. I know that being powerless over alcohol will bring me down.

Collingwood20

Wilson titled "Bottom" as "deflation". The "bottom" concept was still maturing in 1935.

Me. I woke up in a cemetery with my head on a tombstone after drinking for five days I could not remember. I was "deflated".

But you can not be really done, until you realize you can RECOVER. That is when you are finished. Wilson's bright light had little to do with him figuring out he was an alcoholic. he certainly already knew that.

It was his new found spiritual access to a vision that he could recover. I get chills thinking about it. We can all live and pull ourselves out of this mess. Wilson just wanted to share this gift of life with every alcoholic in despair. Look at this miracle! He said! WOW! When you have made this realization. And, then when you get it, share it.

Love you all,

IndaMiricale

I didnt really re-act to my wake up calls..

I drank daily for over 20 years. And the last ten where very heavy. I had these things happen...

Loss of jobs
Lost my car
Hostpialized with pancrease problems
Jail
10's of thousand in fines
3 dui's
Loss of love
ICU for withdrawl and korsakoff syndrom
ect....

None of those made me quit. It was just one day I finally said enough is enough. I am tried of vomitting and shaking so uncontrolable. And the life I was living...

Today I am joyous , happy, and free from that bondage.

hypochondriac

I don't think anything really woke me up to sobriety... but there were scary moments which brought me closer to quitting. One was when I noticed I couldn't lift my foot up from the heel. I had nerve damage in my arms and had noticed my foot dragging a bit and going numb sometimes, but actually limiting my movement was a bit more real. My neurologist still hadn't made the connection with my drinking but I was pretty sure that all my health problems were alcohol related... it still took me another year or so to quit.

mecanix

Alcohol was making my life worse not better .

Purplecatlover

I had so many things that "should" have been wake up calls....backing into a tree, passing out while giving my 6 yr old a bath...who thought I was dead, passing out & doing a face plant in gravel, waking up face down in a puddle of vomit, etc.

I had a moment of clarity while watching TV with 1 eye closed. I had a buzz but it was not enough.... I wanted to be p!ss faced drunk. It was never enough. IT WAS NEVER ENOUGH. I was so fed up with myself, with alcohol controlling me. That night I FINALLY decided I was done forever.

noquickfix41

Just plain SICK AND TIRED of trying to fight the shame and guilt!!! Got fed up with letting myself and my kids down over and over again!

Zee

Liver disease... Liver function test results very raised, extremely high blood pressure, blocked retinal vein, edema, ascites, massive weight loss, pain all over body, hair falling out, hair loosing pigment (all my body hair/eyebrows disappeared) inability to walk 2 steps without being out of breath, not being able to stand up straight. Resulting in a month long hospital stay, with feeding tube for 3 weeks. 2 months after release from hospital, my LFT levels were normal and have been ever since... I was officially scared straight!!! BTW, I'm doing good now

tallcactus

Almost losing my career as a nurse.
Took everything for granted.
Been sober now for over 3 years!
Do not miss all that alcohol entails.
Grateful today!!

escapist

Which time? I have had a few. This time it was a culmination of shame and a valid fear that I wont be here in a couple of years if I keep drinking.

DoubleBarrel

I really felt like I was going to die.
I cannot stop anymore without going through horrible withdrawals.

Sadly, it reached the point where the withdrawals and anxiety scared me more than the drinking motivated me.

Waking up in jail didn't do it.
Almost losing my marriage didn't stop me from going back.
Losing the respect of my kids didn't do it.
Being physically violent with people didn't stop me.
Even doing things I don't feel comfortable mentioning here didn't do it.
I guess even up to the point of stopping, I was still just a selfish *******.
Im now coming to terms with all that.

healthylife87

This weekend, as I once again convinced my boyfriend to "split" a pitcher of beer with me (yea right, I drank all but 1 glass myself), the waiter said "WOW! That's a first! I've never seen a girl have to convince her boyfriend to drink beer with her!" I never noticed how unusual it was. And it's something I do all the time. I got to thinking about whether or not I really can quit drinking. I've never tried...I just always assumed I could if I wanted to. It's time to get serious and find out! And then of course, later that night I drunkenly started a fight with my bf yet again. I am not going to live like this anymore!

FreeFall

Over the years I had things that could have been wake up calls but could also be attributed to other things besides booze too so I just kept up the partying lifestyle. I've known it was a problem pretty much since I started drinking as a teenager. I tried SR about a year ago too, but I think it was more to see if I could quit drinking for a month or two. When I did that fairly easily I figured I wasn't as bad as I thought...

I had a two part wake up call. My best friend and drinking buddy had/has some serious health issues and had two unexpected hospitalizations. I'm not sure she would have survived if her family hadn't checked on her. I found out her drinking had progressed to drinking in the daytime, on the job, and hiding it. I figured I was on the same track. Second one I was sitting in the bar and had this moment of clarity where it was one of the first times I was there ONLY because of drinking. I didn't particularly want to talk to anyone there yet there I was ordering another. It had always been a social thing for me and I saw that as a huge warning sign.

sugarbear1

10 days of a continuous drunk, ran out of weed and money.....then it just didn't work any more....I was 50 years old....25 years after my first AA meeting....

Today I have almost 17 1/2 months of continuous sobriety! For someone who couldn't get one day of sobriety and who fought the AA-god-thing for years, those steps of AA saved my life!