The Most Dangerous Part of Sobriety
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 50
The Most Dangerous Part of Sobriety
I have learned through trial and error is not when your craving alcohol thats the most difficult. Its when you feel great and think you're finally over it and your brain tells you you're cured... go on... "just have one and i'll prove us right....."
You are sooo right. I quit for 17 days last June. Then my sister and her husband came down for a concert that we all had tickets to attend. They went straight to the wine stand to buy some wine. My husband and I looked at each other and I said, "you know, a drink or two won't hurt us...we have done so well!" 4 glasses of wine and 3 beers later, I could barely make it to the car. I don't want a glass of wine. I want a whole bottle (ok, two bottles). Fast forward to today, I am on Day 6. I haven't even attempted quitting since that time last year. The alcohol got such a strong hold on me after that night. I don't want to do this again!
Complacency is a great weapon of addiction, when I was curled up on my sofa, hungover, head pounding and hating myself and my life, Sobriety was a tad easier, I wasn't touching another drop even if you paid me.
But as the days went on and I felt better, the memories of that morning faded and things felt great, the thoughts of "1 won't hurt", "you deserve a drink", "things will be different this time" were harder to resist.
I see a trend of people who come to SR when they are just after a relapse or a complete binge and feeling rough, but what about when things are going alright? they then disappear only to return after another binge.
We need support in both the good times and the bad times!!
But as the days went on and I felt better, the memories of that morning faded and things felt great, the thoughts of "1 won't hurt", "you deserve a drink", "things will be different this time" were harder to resist.
I see a trend of people who come to SR when they are just after a relapse or a complete binge and feeling rough, but what about when things are going alright? they then disappear only to return after another binge.
We need support in both the good times and the bad times!!
Absolutely ... All of it. Im on day 7 and the fog has lifted, I feel great. The problem is I want to feel THIS good AND drink which, of course is an impossibility. I think that there was a time, years ago when I could feel this good and drink. But those days are long gone. As much as part of me wants to pick up a 6 pack of beer right now, the smart, sober me knows where it will lead. Another week or two or more of daily drinking until I've finally had enough of feeling like garbage and I'll have to suffer through that first week all over again.
I really agree with this. Every time I fell off the wagon is because I forgot or thought I could control it. Who wants to control misery? Not me.
We've got to keep reminding ourselves what we've done to change our lives and way it's so important to keep going
We've got to keep reminding ourselves what we've done to change our lives and way it's so important to keep going
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 137
I learned the hard way that I cannot use alcohol and prescription stimulants any more. I have attend NA meetings on a regular basis (the majority of my meetings are NA) to remind myself that I cannot use prescription stimulants. And I have to attend AA to remind myself that I am an alcoholic to the core. I will drink and use if I go out again and I will probably no reservations about getting the hard drugs so I can keep my buzz long with the cheap wine that I love to drink. That is why I have to work both programs.
When I just did AA, I always thought that I use prescription stimulants because there were prescribed by my doctor for ADHD. But I abused them rampantly and my last relapse was strictly caused by my desire to take prescription stimulants for pleasure. Going to NA reminds me that I cannot use the prescription stimulants and going to AA reminds me that I cannot drink again because what happens when I drink causes me to take a visit to the county jail and possibly kill somebody.
When I just did AA, I always thought that I use prescription stimulants because there were prescribed by my doctor for ADHD. But I abused them rampantly and my last relapse was strictly caused by my desire to take prescription stimulants for pleasure. Going to NA reminds me that I cannot use the prescription stimulants and going to AA reminds me that I cannot drink again because what happens when I drink causes me to take a visit to the county jail and possibly kill somebody.
I have found time and time again that today is the most dangerous day. I never know what challenges lie ahead. I never know when the whisperings of alcohol will seem to make sense. I never know when my resolve will weaken. That is why I suit up and show up with my tool kit and sober army every day of my life.
So so many fail because they underestimate our enemy
So so many fail because they underestimate our enemy
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Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 34
This is so true for me. I have a friend who has 5 years that describes it like having amnesia. This is actually something I'm kind of scared of because in the past this contributed to the collapse of my sobriety. For some reason when we feel good it's easy to forget that the reason we feel good is because we are not drinking.
This is so true for me. I have a friend who has 5 years that describes it like having amnesia. This is actually something I'm kind of scared of because in the past this contributed to the collapse of my sobriety. For some reason when we feel good it's easy to forget that the reason we feel good is because we are not drinking.
I have a program of recovery that keeps me well back from that edge because I never want to be so close thst it only takes one step and over the edge I go to certain death
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 4,225
I have found time and time again that today is the most dangerous day. I never know what challenges lie ahead. I never know when the whisperings of alcohol will seem to make sense. I never know when my resolve will weaken. That is why I suit up and show up with my tool kit and sober army every day of my life.
So so many fail because they underestimate our enemy
So so many fail because they underestimate our enemy
What have I read somewhere here before? Something like, "Abstinence does not cure alcoholism."
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