endlesspatience

So, yesterday marked a month of continuous abstinence since my last drink.

One month ago, I took several drinks in a pub one night and smoked some cigarettes. I didn’t really enjoy it.

The next day I got back into recovery and started going to meetings, meeting my sponsor once a week, sharing here etc. Before that I had three months abstinent.

In terms of the coming Christmas and New Year, I’m feeling fairly solid. Christmas is with my family and they know I’m in recovery so alcohol won’t be served so it’s not an issue. New Year’s Eve I am working in an environment where alcohol isn’t served.

The thing is in the past two years, after the holidays, I’ve gone out and drunk again.

This year (2014), I started smoking on January 19th. I was drunk 26, 27,28, 29 and 30th of January. By mid- February I was in a mess, smoking heavily, drinking and I completely ran out of money.

My commitment to my recovery programme didn’t really start again until after a few more relapses.

I can identify a pattern of relapsing in the new year and I don’t want it to happen again.

SuePee

The fact you've come here and talked so 'precisely' about your pattern shows how much thought you have out in to it. Maybe by being so aware/honest about it, that will help you break the cycle x

mfanch

So you have a pattern.

Do you have a plan? I needed a plan to "not drink" or I drank. Every time.

Thepatman

It's good to be prepared ahead if you have a pattern. But sometimes looking too far ahead can be problematic. Be sober today, live for the now moment.

sprout50

Now that you have identified your pattern,make a plan for it. It is not a definate that you will fall back to your old ways.

Nowsthetime

Hello:

Don't let your words set you up for disaster.

You are aware of the pattern so you can break it. How about "last year I did this... This year I'm doing this (insert plan).

The past DOES NOT dictate what we do today. You have a month and that is a good base to keep going. Use all the tools you have and let's break this pattern.

Fly N Buy

Glad you're here and posting!

So, what the plan now that you know the pattern? Suffering (as you have in the past) can indeed lead to strength. But, a plan of how to is important.

What's yours?

peace
FlyN

Nonsensical

You have identified a potential obstacle to your sober life. What will you do about it?

tomsteve

See the problem?? It's right here in black and white.

endlesspatience

Thanks for all these very helpful replies. The guidance I am taking from them is as follows:
1. Identifying a potential high risk situation and sharing about it honestly is a sensible way of dealing with it.
2. Just because I have seen a future date as a potential problem doesn't mean that I am creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom.
3. With commitment to my recovery programme I've stayed sober for most of the second half of 2014 and plan to stay sober over Christmas.
4. Identifying how I will exercise my recovery programme up to and including the high risk period in January.

JanieJ

I think knowing and accepting your pattern is half the battle.

Would staying accountable in January here on SR help you ?

PurpleKnight

Keep it simple, focus on TODAY, that's the plan, preempting what's gonna happen in January is not helpful, one day at a time and go from there!!

Why is a day in January any different from a a day in mid December? Commit to the task at hand and keep pushing through, one day at a time!!

You can do this!!

Dee74

Then make this a really New Year EP.

You have several weeks to work up a really foolproof no holds barred recovery plan for after the holidays.

That Herculean effort we used to put into drinking? channel it into recovery
You can do this!

D

endlesspatience

Thanks for your support. Was it easy to stay sober yesterday? Yes, it was frankly. But that was because I was working a programme, spoke to my sponsor and posted here. I think it could be easy in January too, provided I do that sort of thing.

Soberwolf

Just keep working at it EP like you said it could be easier if you keep building sober muscles

Well done bud