Two Years
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Upper Midwest
Posts: 1,730
Two Years
I am 2 years sober today. I came to SR hung over, ashamed and hopeless. Today, I am healthier, happier, less anxious and more optimistic about the future.
I have fought the urge to drink 1000 times in the last two years. At first the urge was almost all-consuming. It screamed at me. More recently, it has been more like an occasional itch. An itch that I still want to scratch. But an itch that I know will pass. Until the next one arrives.
I am resigned to the fact that the occasional urge to drink will be there, and it will be there for many more years - maybe forever.
I don't care about that. I am stronger than my urges now. And, if I have any words of advice or encouragement to give, it would be that. You are stronger than your urges. Your urges don't define you. How you respond to those urges is what defines you.
Physical addictions, especially in the early stages, may require drastic, inpatient treatment. For me, I was fortunate that the support I received from SR was enough to keep me from giving in to those early cravings. But, as the weeks went by, for me anyway, it all came down to those urges, and how I dealt with them. The more often I had to deal with the urge to drink, and the more times that I resisted that urge to drink, the more clear it became to me. I am stronger than my urges. Even my urge to drink. And you, too, are stronger than your urges. You really are. I mean it. You are.
I have gained so much strength from the kind, supportive, understanding people here. And I am profoundly grateful for all of you.
So, forward I go. With all of you. I can't wait for what lies ahead.
I have fought the urge to drink 1000 times in the last two years. At first the urge was almost all-consuming. It screamed at me. More recently, it has been more like an occasional itch. An itch that I still want to scratch. But an itch that I know will pass. Until the next one arrives.
I am resigned to the fact that the occasional urge to drink will be there, and it will be there for many more years - maybe forever.
I don't care about that. I am stronger than my urges now. And, if I have any words of advice or encouragement to give, it would be that. You are stronger than your urges. Your urges don't define you. How you respond to those urges is what defines you.
Physical addictions, especially in the early stages, may require drastic, inpatient treatment. For me, I was fortunate that the support I received from SR was enough to keep me from giving in to those early cravings. But, as the weeks went by, for me anyway, it all came down to those urges, and how I dealt with them. The more often I had to deal with the urge to drink, and the more times that I resisted that urge to drink, the more clear it became to me. I am stronger than my urges. Even my urge to drink. And you, too, are stronger than your urges. You really are. I mean it. You are.
I have gained so much strength from the kind, supportive, understanding people here. And I am profoundly grateful for all of you.
So, forward I go. With all of you. I can't wait for what lies ahead.
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,469
Originally Posted by firstymer 
I am stronger than my urges now. And, if I have any words of advice or encouragement to give, it would be that. You are stronger than your urges. Your urges don't define you. How you respond to those urges is what defines you.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
Originally Posted by firstymer
I am 2 years sober today. I came to SR hung over, ashamed and hopeless. Today, I am healthier, happier, less anxious and more optimistic about the future.
I have fought the urge to drink 1000 times in the last two years. At first the urge was almost all-consuming. It screamed at me. More recently, it has been more like an occasional itch. An itch that I still want to scratch. But an itch that I know will pass. Until the next one arrives.
I am resigned to the fact that the occasional urge to drink will be there, and it will be there for many more years - maybe forever.
I don't care about that. I am stronger than my urges now. And, if I have any words of advice or encouragement to give, it would be that. You are stronger than your urges. Your urges don't define you. How you respond to those urges is what defines you.
Physical addictions, especially in the early stages, may require drastic, inpatient treatment. For me, I was fortunate that the support I received from SR was enough to keep me from giving in to those early cravings. But, as the weeks went by, for me anyway, it all came down to those urges, and how I dealt with them. The more often I had to deal with the urge to drink, and the more times that I resisted that urge to drink, the more clear it became to me. I am stronger than my urges. Even my urge to drink. And you, too, are stronger than your urges. You really are. I mean it. You are.
I have gained so much strength from the kind, supportive, understanding people here. And I am profoundly grateful for all of you.
So, forward I go. With all of you. I can't wait for what lies ahead.
I have fought the urge to drink 1000 times in the last two years. At first the urge was almost all-consuming. It screamed at me. More recently, it has been more like an occasional itch. An itch that I still want to scratch. But an itch that I know will pass. Until the next one arrives.
I am resigned to the fact that the occasional urge to drink will be there, and it will be there for many more years - maybe forever.
I don't care about that. I am stronger than my urges now. And, if I have any words of advice or encouragement to give, it would be that. You are stronger than your urges. Your urges don't define you. How you respond to those urges is what defines you.
Physical addictions, especially in the early stages, may require drastic, inpatient treatment. For me, I was fortunate that the support I received from SR was enough to keep me from giving in to those early cravings. But, as the weeks went by, for me anyway, it all came down to those urges, and how I dealt with them. The more often I had to deal with the urge to drink, and the more times that I resisted that urge to drink, the more clear it became to me. I am stronger than my urges. Even my urge to drink. And you, too, are stronger than your urges. You really are. I mean it. You are.
I have gained so much strength from the kind, supportive, understanding people here. And I am profoundly grateful for all of you.
So, forward I go. With all of you. I can't wait for what lies ahead.
Nowadays, I pretty much just use SR. I feel strong and actually quite proud of my sobriety now. I will still maintain ties to AA and I know it's just a short drive away to 2-3-times-daily meetings should I need them. I will still go volunteer and speak as well... because more and more I feel a responsibility and a motivation to help others the way I've been helped.
But - the really encouraging thing for me and hopefully for others out there is that it doesn't have to feel like a struggle forever. Changing our reaction to those itches and cravings, adjusting our thinking about alcohol and drugs, adjusting our lives in support of far richer, sober lives - really DOES bring about change and it really does get a lot easier.
Congratulations firstymer.... you've been an inspiration and a comrade to me... I'm proud of you and grateful to you.
Big congrats on two years sober! 
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