1 Year ago!!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 25,826
1 Year ago!!
It was a Saturday morning in November, nothing special, hungover as usual, promised myself the previous day on the way to work that I wasn’t going to drink that night, but when did that ever happen? Good intentions that always ended at the liquor store, right?
A quick stop off at the store before heading home, it was Friday, isn’t that what everyone does? Aren’t I entitled to enjoy myself? I’d been working hard that week, it was time to relax with a few drinks.
That morning, as I sat watching the football results, I decided to log into SR, I had disappeared for over a year, again great intentions but as usual I thought I could control things, this time will be different, right? I’ll only have a few drinks, only drink at weekends, stick only to beer, no spirits this time, but this time turned into a year of drinking myself into oblivion each night.
So there I was, knocking on the door of SR once again, gripped with all the fear my hungover mind could muster, what was I doing? Maybe this isn’t such a great idea? Maybe I don’t really need to be this drastic? Am I really an alcoholic?
The journey began from there, the welcoming hand was stretched out to me in true SR fashion, by a few of the same regulars who are here to this day, but then the hard work came down to myself, I sat in that Saturday night, time felt like an age, but eventually I woke up after only a few hours sleep on Sunday morning hangover free, when did that last happen?
From there I began to rebuild my life, the life alcohol stole from me, for years I was simply surviving and living below my potential as a human, and I was determined to take ownership of my life back, achieve what I once set out to do, find happiness in something other than a bottle, discover a new life as a non drinker, meet new people that didn’t view a bar as the centre of their social lives, a whole new world was revealed that I had never realised even existed, this quote springs to mind:
"The definition of Hell: The last day you have on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.”
As I celebrate over 1 year of Sobriety, I want to thank SR for being there, I don’t create many threads, but I read and I post, I think of all the fears I once had, the things that prevented me from making Sobriety a reality and do my best to respond to threads with what I think will help, this giving back to others has evolved into an important part of my own recovery.
Alcoholism? It is what it is, acceptance that we cannot change who we are has been crucial to me, the fact that I am incompatible with alcohol will always be the case, I need to accept that reality and keep moving forward with a solution, there’s no point in resentment or getting angry, what will that change?
We have to work with what we have, and for me parting ways with alcohol on a permanent basis was the best decision I ever made, no more compromises, no more good intentions, real proactive actions to make it happen.
If there has been one positive of having to address my relationship with alcohol, it has been the opportunity to meet some fantastic people here on this Forum, I wouldn’t be on this Forum had I not a drink problem, and for that I truly would have missed out on having some amazing people in my life, you are all fantastic, thank you.
Sobriety is our choice to make, alcohol does not get to write the ending to our story, we can either accept things as they have always been, or we can take a stand and say no more, I am going to build a life to be proud of, a life that after all this time, I deserve to have, and we all deserve to have!!
It is there for the taking for all of us, let's make it happen!!
PK
A quick stop off at the store before heading home, it was Friday, isn’t that what everyone does? Aren’t I entitled to enjoy myself? I’d been working hard that week, it was time to relax with a few drinks.
That morning, as I sat watching the football results, I decided to log into SR, I had disappeared for over a year, again great intentions but as usual I thought I could control things, this time will be different, right? I’ll only have a few drinks, only drink at weekends, stick only to beer, no spirits this time, but this time turned into a year of drinking myself into oblivion each night.
So there I was, knocking on the door of SR once again, gripped with all the fear my hungover mind could muster, what was I doing? Maybe this isn’t such a great idea? Maybe I don’t really need to be this drastic? Am I really an alcoholic?
The journey began from there, the welcoming hand was stretched out to me in true SR fashion, by a few of the same regulars who are here to this day, but then the hard work came down to myself, I sat in that Saturday night, time felt like an age, but eventually I woke up after only a few hours sleep on Sunday morning hangover free, when did that last happen?
From there I began to rebuild my life, the life alcohol stole from me, for years I was simply surviving and living below my potential as a human, and I was determined to take ownership of my life back, achieve what I once set out to do, find happiness in something other than a bottle, discover a new life as a non drinker, meet new people that didn’t view a bar as the centre of their social lives, a whole new world was revealed that I had never realised even existed, this quote springs to mind:
"The definition of Hell: The last day you have on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.”
As I celebrate over 1 year of Sobriety, I want to thank SR for being there, I don’t create many threads, but I read and I post, I think of all the fears I once had, the things that prevented me from making Sobriety a reality and do my best to respond to threads with what I think will help, this giving back to others has evolved into an important part of my own recovery.
Alcoholism? It is what it is, acceptance that we cannot change who we are has been crucial to me, the fact that I am incompatible with alcohol will always be the case, I need to accept that reality and keep moving forward with a solution, there’s no point in resentment or getting angry, what will that change?
We have to work with what we have, and for me parting ways with alcohol on a permanent basis was the best decision I ever made, no more compromises, no more good intentions, real proactive actions to make it happen.
If there has been one positive of having to address my relationship with alcohol, it has been the opportunity to meet some fantastic people here on this Forum, I wouldn’t be on this Forum had I not a drink problem, and for that I truly would have missed out on having some amazing people in my life, you are all fantastic, thank you.
Sobriety is our choice to make, alcohol does not get to write the ending to our story, we can either accept things as they have always been, or we can take a stand and say no more, I am going to build a life to be proud of, a life that after all this time, I deserve to have, and we all deserve to have!!
It is there for the taking for all of us, let's make it happen!!
PK
Your posts never fail to resonate with me. Thanks for being here, and for being you 
Well done on a year sober PK awesome achievement bud 
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,505
Originally Posted by Purpleknight 
If there has been one positive of having to address my relationship with alcohol, it has been the opportunity to meet some fantastic people here on this Forum, I wouldn’t be on this Forum had I not a drink problem, and for that I truly would have missed out on having some amazing people in my life, you are all fantastic, thank you.PK
I'm so happy for you PK, and thanks for all you give to our members.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,222
Hi PK, a lot of what you write resonates with me. Really well done on your sober year and great attitude. I can really sense your liberation and positivity for the future. It's only day 13 for me but this time next year I look forward to seeing you here when I will have a year under my belt and you will have two.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 6,831
Originally Posted by Purpleknight
Sobriety is our choice to make, alcohol does not get to write the ending to our story, we can either accept things as they have always been, or we can take a stand and say no more, I am going to build a life to be proud of, a life that after all this time, I deserve to have, and we all deserve to have!!
PK
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
