Trickcyclist

......tbh even though I've read tons of great advice on here, I didn't believe you. .....

Tomorrow will be 3 months since my last drink and after a rather disturbing initial detox ( and some lingering symptoms tbh), I'm finally beginning to see what I've been missing!

After 30 years binge drinking, my ( new) life is beginning to take shape.

I'm starting to exercise regularly and to actually feel HAPPY!!!! Real joy! Not, everyday obviously, but in the initial period of sobriety I REALLY believed that my happiness was dependent on alcohol......

It AIN'T!

Thanks for helping me to stick with it so far - and for those just starting out in sobriety, keep at it, it's truly worth it.

Take care,
TC x

least

Congrats on three months sober! Yes, getting sober is like waking up from a bad dream.

Seep9871

Thank you for the encouragement! I'm feeling similarly to how you had been - "is this REALLY worth it??" I want instant gratification, which I know is not possible. I wish I could speed up time and reach where you're at. I'm worried once I reach the month milestone, I'll feel so in control and celebratory that I'll allow myself "one slip, to celebrate" and that anniversary will put me back at square one, and I'll lose all interest in sobriety until my life, once again, spirals to a point of being out of control. Honestly, it's the big milestones that I'm most worried about. How have you handled them?

SillyHuman

That is great, Trick! Congrats on 3 months and finding joy.

Ruby2

Congratulations TC on 3 months. That's terrific. I had a hard time believing that I'd ever be happy without alcohol but it's amazing the difference when I'm not pouring a depressant down my throat on a daily basis.

Keep up the good work!

Trickcyclist

Thanks for the support everyone!

Seep! The thing is, as alcoholics / addictive personalities/ those who like to drink ( I'm all 3 BTW!), we're SO used to instant gratification that actually denying ourselves is REALLY tough isn't it?

I tried everything, including not drinking during the week ( and making up for it at the weekend!!!!), or changing my tipple, but nothing worked.

The worrying time came when I was waking up unable to remember how I got to bed or, more embarrassingly, what I said to people prior to that :-/

I suddenly decided I'd had enough. I didn't think " I'll do this for x amount of time", cos I knew I'd just go back to it. I was also getting physical symptoms which worried me so......

I decided I'd replace the alcohol consumption with exercise..... a tough call after 30 yrs BUT..... I'm under no illusions and I know a slip is a heartbeat away! I figure the longer I manage sobriety and find " satisfaction " in other things, the pull may not be as strong.

In short, it's about being in the " right place" to give up psychologically.

Take care
TC x

Anna

Thanks for the uplifting post and congratulations on your 3 months of recovery.

JohnQPublic

Congratulations, keep coming back. Don't let your success lull you into complacency. That's what happened to me anyway. Best wishes John

zlhzlh

Fantastic, I'm a month behind and I feel the same, each morning I look in the mirror I feel like I have shed yet another skin to reveal a purer cleaner person. It's such a great feeling!!

PurpleKnight

3 Months is fantastic!!

Soberwolf

Congratulations

ccam1973

Great job on 3 months Trick! Feels great to be sober. Keep up the good work.

DesertDawg

That's a great point, Ruby. For so long, I was depressed, so I drank to dull those feelings. Then when I would sober up, I'd be even more depressed from having overindulged in a depressant. That would require even more alcohol to dull those feelings, and so the cycle would perpetuate itself. Such madness. So good to have broken that cycle.

loulou1981

TC we're in the same boat, almost 3 months for me & im just starting to feel like my life is improving!!! I'm actually.....dare i say it.......HAPPY WITHOUT BOOZE!!!!! i never thought id get to here, we can do this, we've done the hard part. Congratulations!!!!

Trickcyclist

Thanks again to everyone for your encouragement!!!

Loulou I'm so glad you posted as I think we both had the epiphany on the same date and I wondered how you were doing!!!

Congratulations to you too! Can't believe I've actually had a sober Christmas and New Year......Woo hoo!
Take care

TC x

Dee74

Thats really great TC - congrats on 3 months

D

Sean30

Goo on you Trick! 3 months is awesome

Sean30

That's *good* on you!
You definitely don't deserve goo on you for your efforts

Hevyn

Three months - how fabulous is that....proud of you, Trick. It'll continue to get even better.

bblackbirdflyy

Congrats! :-) sobriety really is worth the wait it, isn't it?