Sara23

Happy Monday SR friends. So I was wonder what were some perks you all first experienced when you stopped drinking? What things did you notice a change in? It's easy to read professional articles say that this will change or you will notice that, but I want to hear it from real people who are actually experiencing it. It's what is driving me to stay sober. The perks. Maybe that's the wrong reason but I can't wait for the day I feel "rested" or "anxiety free". It will be a dream come true for me. A healthy life. Anyway feel free to share your experiences if you like. I can't wait to be able to share mine!

Erik1980

Significantly less anxiety and steady hands!!! And happier mood!

alphaomega

These are a few of my favorite things

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-alcohell.html

360shoes

I'm never ashamed.

Oh I goof up and make mistakes but that's just being human. I love love love how I actually like myself. I think I'm a nice well rounded person. I actually just say thank you when I get a compliment. I see my good qualities and see things to work on as opportunities to be a better person.

I don't beat myself up anymore. In fact, I'm my own best friend.

I have everything I need. I'm grateful for what I have. What the heck more could I ask for??

Dee74

There was an immediate sense of relief for me...more money in my wallet too...I was emotionally available to everyone again too...

but I have to be honest it was a while before I saw much in the way of perks Sara.

We can used to immediate gratification as drinkers...early recovery is not geared like that.

There may be hard days and difficulties - it's those days you'll need to lean on your support and your faith that you're doing the right thing and things will get better.

I don't want to dissuade you at all tho - I got my life and my soul back - I've never regretted not drinking...it just takes a little time, that's all

D

360shoes

Dee has a point Sara23.

That's how I feel now. There were a lot of my 1,170 posts where I certainly didn't sound all as perky as I can now. Dee was there. He talked me off the ledge many o times.

Put in the work, find your support, and don't ever give up. ((Hug))

Itchy

I second that Dee. Sara, you could be perky and feeling 100% in a few weeks, or be feeling like spit on a sidewalk for three months. It all depends on how long and how much you drank. My first immediate gratification was no paranoia about driving anywhere, any time, day or night. Freedom!

Like2Hike

Mornings and sunrises....I'd forgotten how much I love them.

KateL

I can be naughty and get away with it because I do it soberly

veryready

Pride and Self Respect.

LiaAc

I'm at day 19, and within a few days of quitting the pills I was already noticing the perks. My body was withdrawing and that was bad enough, but I had clarity of mind like never before. I could think and concentrate. I wasn't withdrawn in public as I was before. I noticed the little things around me. I came here and began making friends who understand what this is like.

I could go on and on, but I will keep it simple and share this last one- the biggest perk is the energy I have to put to other things in life. This energy and time went to the chase of my substance. No more. Suddenly I have the desire to do other things in life.

Sara23

Such great feed back thank you everyone. Reading some of y'all's perks like having more energy or not feeling guilty are things I didn't even think of until now and realize how alcohol has in a way taken those perks of life away for quite some time. Thank you for your words Dee I know it's going to take some time to truly experience and appreciate these perks and that there are going to be days where no perks Are in sight. I like thinking about them though and use them as motivation to stay commited to a better life.

Eddiebuckle

Serenity. I no longer need to take the bait when things get difficult and either work myself into a frenzy, get frustrated or angry, or even respond as the case may be. It might sound crazy, but now I understand it's almost never about me, so I no longer feel compelled to respond as though it were. Life is a whole lot simpler and easier to live now.

Coldfusion

The AA Promises

1. If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through.
2. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
3. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
4. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.
5. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experiencecan benefit others.
6. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
7. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
8. Self-seeking will slip away.
9. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
10. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.
11. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
12. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

________________
Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 83-84.

EndGameNYC

Not waking up half-naked on my neighbor's lawn. Not vomiting on the sidewalk. Not falling in the middle of the street without being able to pick myself up. Not dreading every single day at work because I couldn't function properly, or because someone might smell the 1.5 liters of vodka (they did) that I only finished drinking a couple of hours ago. Losing the intense and chronic anxiety around lying and worrying over how and when I'd be caught in my latest lie. Not disappointing and worrying everyone dear to me. Not getting fired for drinking. Not being kicked out of the house, for good, by the woman I loved. Not being unable to live in my own skin.

I don't have the time or the bandwidth to list all the positive things that came with working hard to achieve sobriety. Life is good.

Inca

Do I have to just pick a couple?

This is what I have gained from a little under 3 months sober. Can't wait for what else is to come!

Less anxiety
Don't think of everything before I speak
More assertive in a good way
Less OCD about everything
Notice the beauty in everyday things
Aware of people and things around me
More gratitude
Sleep is 100 percent better
Don't hate myself
Can't wait to live life
More patience
Genuine laughter
Self confidence and self worth
No dread of waking up and checking to see what I did and who I contacted
No more hiding my cell phone from my drunk self
Real relationships
Caring conversation
True to my values
Clearer sense of purpose

GracieLou

What surprised me the most were the things that I now see as perks that I never would have considered a perk when I drank.

Less anxiety. I never realized it was my drinking that caused my anxiety. It took a month or so but it faded away. I thought I drank to ease the stress, never dawned it me that is caused it.

The physical perks are the first ones I saw. Weight loss, clear eyes, more energy, acid reflux cough disappeared, stopped snoring, bladder control issues gone and arthritis pain is almost non-existent. I think my teeth may have suffered though. I now have a sweet tooth and I must, I mean MUST have chocolate at least once a day but I think that falls in the perk category

Soberella66

I think sometimes they find you, before you find them. For example, I was cleaning house today and was amazed by my stamina, I could keep going with the next task instead of feeling wiped out or procrastinating as how it's usually ends.
And later I found myself talking in full sentences to someone and genuinely smiling and laughing and meaning it. There was no paranoia, avoiding, and negativity on my end as how it usually goes.
I wondered how it happened and then I realized it. It will happen to you too.
Everything will fall into place.

Nonsensical

Increased blood flow south of the border.

Notmyrealname

Drinking took up so much time, energy and funding, I was mostly half-assing everything else in my life. The opportunity costs were very high. Now I feel I can commit to goals that are more demanding without fear of being ashamed of my performance at the end of the day. I don't have these moments where I look at what I've done and just feel like a loser for having done a crap job when I know I'm capable of doing it well. (Home improvement jobs were a big one .. seeing some of my slipshod work from when I was drinking, it's enough to make you cry out loud..)

What to call this? A return to general competence, maybe.

So not that dissimilar from the previous point, in some ways.