Wehav Has 7 Months!
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: ohio
Posts: 3,615
Wehav Has 7 Months!
Hi SR peeps!
I was "schooled" in my home thread for trying to be humble and not make a big deal of 7 months of sobriety. I mean, so many wonderful people here have one year, two years, twenty years. They/you are the REAL successes! It's true, they/you ARE the real successes. Then I realized, we all are.
Holy moley, if I can get to 7 months after this many tries, ANYBODY can!!!
Why was 7 months a big deal for me? Because like a lot of people here, I've had a LOT of "Day 1's" Three times in 4 years, I even made it to 6 months. Felt great. Was in a wonderful mood, I think AA folks call this "the Pink Cloud." I thought I was "cured." How cool would that be, right? CURED!
But for some reason, I always relapsed. Someone who didn't know I had a problem offered me a drink and I thought I had to accept. I was afraid of hurting someone's feelings. I was sick and tired of being vigilant. I just wanted to be a "normal" person. Life sucks anyway, might as well drink. You name the reason, I used it.
Almost lost my relationship. Almost lost my driving license. If job had found out about that second one, I would have lost my job. Any of this look familiar? Each time I went back to drinking, it started off okay but within weeks was right back where I started, minus a few shreds of self-worth and likely minus more healthy liver cells.
Quitting drinking is so BIG and SCARY, isn't it? We fear the known, we fear the unknown! Why? In my case, it was because I had NO idea who sober wehav really was. how will I react to things, now that I have to feel them, REALLY feel them, now that I don't have that liquid that takes away the need to think about stuff?
But if you are an alcoholic, if any of this rambling makes sense to you and mirrors your thinking, you probably know it's time to quit and stay quit. It's a time in our life when quitting at something (drinking ourselves to death) is the smartest, most grown-up thing to do.
This forum on SR is WONDERFUL support. None of us are supposed to promote any single method of recovery, and we shouldn't because what works for one of us might be awful for another. But I will promote this: listen to your gut. If you are alcoholic, your brain will find ways to convince you to drink. Your gut isn't so easily fooled. If your gut says phone 20 friends, stand on your head, go to aa, go to a counselor, go to rehab, stand on your head, whatever, listen to what your gut says will get or keep you sober.
if I edit, I won't push send, so apologies if this is too rambly. But really, trust your gut and know that there are a LOT of kind people here who want you to be sober, happy and free. Smiles, wehav2day
I was "schooled" in my home thread for trying to be humble and not make a big deal of 7 months of sobriety. I mean, so many wonderful people here have one year, two years, twenty years. They/you are the REAL successes! It's true, they/you ARE the real successes. Then I realized, we all are.
Holy moley, if I can get to 7 months after this many tries, ANYBODY can!!!
Why was 7 months a big deal for me? Because like a lot of people here, I've had a LOT of "Day 1's" Three times in 4 years, I even made it to 6 months. Felt great. Was in a wonderful mood, I think AA folks call this "the Pink Cloud." I thought I was "cured." How cool would that be, right? CURED!
But for some reason, I always relapsed. Someone who didn't know I had a problem offered me a drink and I thought I had to accept. I was afraid of hurting someone's feelings. I was sick and tired of being vigilant. I just wanted to be a "normal" person. Life sucks anyway, might as well drink. You name the reason, I used it.
Almost lost my relationship. Almost lost my driving license. If job had found out about that second one, I would have lost my job. Any of this look familiar? Each time I went back to drinking, it started off okay but within weeks was right back where I started, minus a few shreds of self-worth and likely minus more healthy liver cells.
Quitting drinking is so BIG and SCARY, isn't it? We fear the known, we fear the unknown! Why? In my case, it was because I had NO idea who sober wehav really was. how will I react to things, now that I have to feel them, REALLY feel them, now that I don't have that liquid that takes away the need to think about stuff?
But if you are an alcoholic, if any of this rambling makes sense to you and mirrors your thinking, you probably know it's time to quit and stay quit. It's a time in our life when quitting at something (drinking ourselves to death) is the smartest, most grown-up thing to do.
This forum on SR is WONDERFUL support. None of us are supposed to promote any single method of recovery, and we shouldn't because what works for one of us might be awful for another. But I will promote this: listen to your gut. If you are alcoholic, your brain will find ways to convince you to drink. Your gut isn't so easily fooled. If your gut says phone 20 friends, stand on your head, go to aa, go to a counselor, go to rehab, stand on your head, whatever, listen to what your gut says will get or keep you sober.
if I edit, I won't push send, so apologies if this is too rambly. But really, trust your gut and know that there are a LOT of kind people here who want you to be sober, happy and free. Smiles, wehav2day
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: State of Acceptance
Posts: 756
Thanks, Wehav. I really appreciate you sharing. I also appreciate hearing stories from other people who relapse after several months, or even years, of sobriety. I admit I still hold that dream of having one glass of wine some day without negative consequences. But, I am so highly aware and sensitive to the potential consequences of that just one. I am so scared to have one. I just don't trust myself.
This is the longest I have gone since I have been 15 yo. I have tried to give it up here and there but never really seriously. I always caved after 5 days max. This time, I really have no desire to have one, at least not anytime soon.
Reading stories from other people who have relapsed after months/years of sobriety is so extremely helpful for me.
Thanks so much for posting and congratulations on 7 months. That is great!!!
This is the longest I have gone since I have been 15 yo. I have tried to give it up here and there but never really seriously. I always caved after 5 days max. This time, I really have no desire to have one, at least not anytime soon.
Reading stories from other people who have relapsed after months/years of sobriety is so extremely helpful for me.
Thanks so much for posting and congratulations on 7 months. That is great!!!
Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 31,179
WeHav - Congratulations!! I really love your post. My "recovery program" is a little of this, a little of that, and a LOT of SR.
I think that when we truly want help? We find what we need to help us, and it can be different for all of us. I'm just grateful to SR peeps for sharing their ES&H in various ways that I could learn and try new ways.
Seven months is awesome!!
Hugs and prayers,
Amy
I think that when we truly want help? We find what we need to help us, and it can be different for all of us. I'm just grateful to SR peeps for sharing their ES&H in various ways that I could learn and try new ways.
Seven months is awesome!!
Hugs and prayers,
Amy
Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: southern Oregon
Posts: 365
That is very cool, wehav! Great job, congrats.....
I'm right behind ya at 6 months, and feeling pretty good. I too have quit for a year, or six months, then said, Oh what the heck, I'll just take it easy on the drinking now.
But this time's different, and I have found this SR site that has changed my mind about the whole thing. So, what the heck, maybe I'll just never drink again, why not?!
So, see ya over at the 24 hr. club thread, and thanks for being an inspiration!
~Heartfan
I'm right behind ya at 6 months, and feeling pretty good. I too have quit for a year, or six months, then said, Oh what the heck, I'll just take it easy on the drinking now.
But this time's different, and I have found this SR site that has changed my mind about the whole thing. So, what the heck, maybe I'll just never drink again, why not?!
So, see ya over at the 24 hr. club thread, and thanks for being an inspiration!
~Heartfan
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