MIRecovery

People are looking for the secret of sobriety. Well here is the secret.

Willingness to do absolutely whatever you have to do to get and stay sober. The reason so many fail is because very very few people are willing to make this level of commitment. "We thought we could find an easier softer way but we could not."

I had to dump friends, family members, get professional help, go to AA for the rest of my life, get out of a horrible marriage, Get honest with myself and others, not go to wet places, go to church, find new friends, develop new activities, educate myself on addiction, pray daily and the list goes on.

I'm not saying my way is the only way or even the right way. What I am saying is the reason I am sober is because I was willing to make systemic changes in my life through acton not words.

The secret of sobriety is doing what you have to and never taking the first drink

Justincredible

Exactly! For me, getting sober was the challenge that I repeatedly faced and many times accomplished. Now, staying sober is the challenge that in the past I have failed so many times. I have had to do a lot of these things to stay sober and find serenity in life. It's a daily challenge but the rewards are so many!

PurpleKnight

For me I was always looking fora way to continue drinking but without the same consequences or destructive behaviour, some kinda middle ground, well folks it doesn't exist, I'd have surely found it during all my attempts to moderate or control my drinking over many years.

It's all or nothing . . . great post MIR!!

CaseyW

I haven't been putting my recovery first lately and it almost bit me in the posterior this weekend. Thanks for the reminder, MI.

Soberwolf

Excellent Post Mir well said

MythOfSisyphus

Fantastic post, MIR! You have captured so much of what I've often struggled to put into words. Occasionally I will cheat on diets, slack off at the gym, drive 5 MPH over when I know I won't get caught, etc. But I know none of that applies to drinking. I could no more have just one drink than I could take one step off a high wire. One will be enough to utterly ruin me.

So like you, my commitment is absolute. If sobriety required it I would quit any job, cut any tie to any person or give up anything that I had to. There just isn't an option.

DaSilverSurfer

Great post, straight to the point and you are right alot of us, myself included at times, are not ready to make that kind of commitment to sobriety. What you suggest is what is very necessary for success in sobriety. Very well said.

mns1

This is something I needed to hear today. My life has turned around in amazing ways over the past year and alcohol is the only thing that is really keeping me from being 100% the best person that I can be. I need to do whatever it takes to keep it from bringing me down.

Thanks MIR

NestWasEmpty

Excellent post MIR thanks for sharing . That's how to work your sobriety journey .. Let go off the Old - Bring in the New ! Changes in life are hard for most . Being scared of getting out of their usual patterns . Not wanting to let go , but to me that was the Only way I made it this far . Almost a complete make over of what you were .
It Feels Great

MIRecovery

The thing that is so unfair about alcoholism is that a 50% effort gets 0% results