PinnacleOR

Day 20 here and I will be heading home in a week to resume my life out from under the protective wing of my family. I need to do things differently this time, most importantly take action, particularly seeking help and support, and building a network. I also need to develop healthy habits and routines in my life to build physical, mental and spiritual strength. I have to succeed this time, it is a matter of life and death, literally.

I started an earlier thread about examples of recovery plans others have created. Well, I went ahead and created one for myself. I have faith it will work, but I welcome ANY feedback on blind spots, holes, etc. I have pasted it below and would love to hear feedback and reactions. Sorry for the formatting, I tried to attach it as a Word document but I could not get I to upload.


Dave’s Personal 100 Day Recovery Plan

Start: November 25, 2017
End: March 1, 2018 (Revise and continue at that time)

I am an alcoholic. I am 50 years old and have been a heavy drinker ever since college, if not before. In between brief periods of sobriety, the longest lasting 6 months, I drank an average of 1.5 liters of wine a day. During binges, this went up significantly.

My binges have been getting worse, and I have been hospitalized four times in the past 1.5 years. These episodes are threatening my very life – falls, bruising, cuts, stitches, dehydration, malnutrition and more. I must and will stop now and forever to ensure my very life, and to live a full and fulfilling life from here on out. Sobriety will be the number one priority always, every day, and I will go to any length to preserve it.

My Vision:

I am a mentally, physically and spiritually healthy person. I do my best at work to work toward a better future for people and the planet, and I have healthy, loving relationships with a circle of good friends and my family. I am constantly grateful for what I have, and I minimize focus on the self and help others daily. I enjoy life and am physically active through things I love like hiking, kayaking and traveling. I have an active spiritual practice of meditation and Buddhist teachings. I constantly challenge myself mentally through reading regularly. I am content and happy. I am sober.

My Guiding principles:

- Sobriety is #1, always. All decisions are to be made with supporting sobriety in mind. This is a matter of life and death.
- I will not take anything personally. It is not about me. Do not stress about anything at work.
- Do my best at work, in balance.
- Be honest always unless your words may do harm to others. Be impeccable with your word.
- Treat your body well with proper nutrition, hydration and sleep. All day, every day.
- Be grateful for all of the good things in your life daily.
- Take time out once each week to do something fun, something you truly enjoy.
- Be friendly and empathetic to everyone, no matter how they treat you.

My Goals:

Short term:
- Stay sober
- Attend 90 AA meetings in 90 days, get a sponsor
- Lose 30 pounds in 90 days
- Run three miles after 90 days

Long term:
- Remain sober
- Work the 12 steps
- Lose 60 pounds in 6 months
- Run one road race
- Develop a circle of 4-6 good friends

Mental actions:
- Meditate every morning for 15 minutes
- Read for one hour, anything that is of interest.
- Max one hour of TV daily.
- See a therapist once a week.
- Say your gratitude list out loud once per day.
- Commit to helping someone out once day, either online or in person.
- See psychiatrist and check on medications

Social actions:
- Attend one AA meeting a day for 90 days. Introduce yourself to one new person and talk with them. Get a sponsor.
- Call or email a friend every day.
- Call your sister every day.
- Find one social group on Meetup or elsewhere and start regularly attending every week (on the weekend).

Physical actions:
- Exercise at least 30 minutes every day, minimum two miles of walking.
- Eat clean and healthy every day:
o No coffee
o No chips, cookies or candy
o Eat every two hours
o 5 servings of fruits and vegetables
o No processed food
o No red meat, only chicken, turkey, fish
o No soda, diet or otherwise
o Minimize takeout
- Drink at least 64 oz. of water daily
- Stretch 10 minutes a day
- Do yoga once a week
- Brush and floss daily, brush 2x a day, floss 1x a day
- See my GP and get a through wellness exam



Triggers to Watch For

Trigger Solution

Tired and hungry from the day. - Plan food for the day to eat every two hours, stock up your desk with food (nuts, energy bars, fruit, soups)
- Keep a large water bottle at work
- Stock up on emergen-c at work
- Muscle milk in the car and at work
- Bread and turkey at home for a quick sandwich
- Frozen meals at home

Wound up by taking on people’s bad energy and stress during the work day, taking things too personally. - Take a walk after an encounter
- Breathe deeply 10 times
- Repeat mantra: don’t take things personally, it’s not about me

Feeling lonely at home at night and on the weekends. - Make evening plans to meet fellow AA people
- Go to a meeting
- Call a friend
- Call your sister
- Think empathetically about others, not yourself
- Do a brief metta meditation every evening

Too much coffee and blood sugar out of whack. - Give up coffee, switch to tea. No coffee, ever.

Feeling frightened about my age, my career, my future. - Repeat gratitude list, commit to helping others, commit to doing your best at work. Pursue goals and check in on progress weekly. Hold myself accountable.

Daily Action Plan:

Morning Routine
- Wake up at 5:30 am
- Shower, shave, brush teeth (15 minutes)
- Meditate for 10 minutes
- Say three gratitudes out loud
- Walk dog for 15-30 minutes (6:30--7)
- Have a banana
- Work out at gym and stretch (hour of cardio or weights, or yoga): 7:15-8:15, drink protein shake
- Dress and head to work by 9am; oatmeal with raisins at work

Daily Reinforcement
- Take a lunch walk for 15 minutes, breathe deeply 10 times and let go of stress
- Eat snacks every two hours: fruit, nuts, energy bar, peanut butter
- Eat a healthy lunch: turkey sandwich, greens
- Drink 64 oz water
- See addiction therapist in Salem once a week

Evening Routine
- Call sister on the way home
- Call or email one friend or AA friend from the car
- Eat a healthy dinner
- Walk the dog
- Read and post on Sober Recovery
- Attend AA meeting (local)
- Read for one hour before bed, no electronics allowed
- In bed by 10pm.

Local AA meetings:
Step into the Promises (W,H) 2.3 miles
Meridian United Church of Christ 6750 SW BOECKMAN RD Wilsonville, OR 97070
Directions Meets each Monday at 7pm

CARE Group (Frog Pond) (H) 2.3 miles
Meridian United Church of Christ 6750 SW BOECKMAN RD Wilsonville, OR 97070-6728
Directions Meets each Sunday at 7:30pm and each Friday at 8:00pm.

Wilsonville at Noon (H) 2.3 miles
Meridian United Church of Christ 6750 Boeckman Rd Wilsonville, OR 97070 United States
Directions Meetings Monday through Friday at 12noon.

I Am 2.3 miles
Saint Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church 8818 SW Miley Road Wilsonville, OR 97070
Directions Meets Monday and Wednesday at 7:30pm.

Dive Into It 1.3 miles
St. Cyril Catholic Church 9205 SW 5th St Wilsonville, OR 97070
Directions Meets each Saturday at 9:30am and each Tuesday at 7:30pm

LGBTQ Meetings
Time Meeting Location Address Region Types
Sunday 1:00 pm Lunch Bunch
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender
Sunday 5:30 pm Extended Family
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender
Sunday 7:30 pm Rose City Men's Men
Lutheran Church NW Irving St & NW 18th Ave NW Portland Gay, Men
Monday Noon Lunch Bunch
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender
Monday 5:30 pm Extended Family
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender
Tuesday Noon Lunch Bunch
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender
Tuesday 5:30 pm Extended Family
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender
Tuesday 6:30 pm Young People's Sexual Diversity Round Table
Q Center 4115 North Mississippi Avenue N Portland Gay, LGBTQ, Lesbian, Transgender, Young People
Tuesday 7:00 pm Nova Men's Men
Cascadia 2415 SE 43rd Ave SE Portland Closed, Gay, Men, Wheelchair Accessible
Wednesday Noon Lunch Bunch
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender
Wednesday 5:30 pm Extended Family
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender
Thursday Noon Lunch Bunch
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender
Thursday 5:30 pm Extended Family
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender
Thursday 6:30 pm Queer
4th Dimension Recovery Center 3801 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender, Wheelchair Accessible
Friday Noon Lunch Bunch
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender
Friday 5:30 pm Extended Family
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender
Friday 7:30 pm Tightrope Men's Group Men
Portland Alano Club 909 NW 24th Ave NW Portland Gay, Men
Saturday Noon Lunch Bunch
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland Gay, Lesbian, Open, Transgender
Saturday 4:00 pm Fruits of Recovery
Project Quest 2740 NE Flanders St NE Portland Gay
Saturday 5:30 pm Extended Family
Metropolitan Community Church 2400 Northeast Broadway Street NE Portland
Salem Area Meetings
Nov 2017 Sunday
Salem 8:30 am Second Chance Group, Salem Heights Community Hall, 3505 Liberty Rd.
Salem 9:30 am New Pair Of Glasses, Welcomaaa Club, 3825 D St. NE
Salem 12:10 pm Snack Pack (D), Welcomaaa Club, 3825 D St. NE
Salem 7:00 pm We Are Not Saints Big Book Study (CF), Woodland Chapel, 582 High St. SE
Silverton 7:00 pm Sunday Night Step Study (C ) Coffee Club, Third & High St.
Silverton 12:00 pm Recovery At Noon ( MS ) , Third & High St.
Nov 2017 Monday
Salem 6:00 am Primary Purpose, Salem Alliance Church Annex,1305 5th ST NE (*** NOTE THE TIME CHANGE: FROM 6:30 ***)
Salem 7:00 am Downtown Group (C,MS,Y), St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE
Salem 10:00 am Spiritual Reprieve "As Bill Sees It" open meeting, Welcomaaa Club, 3825 D St. NE
Salem 12:00 pm Conscious Contact Steps & Traditions (O, MS), Salem Alliance Church Annex, 1305 5th St. NE
Salem 12:00 pm Daily Reprieve (O,B,H), 1st United Methodist Church, 600 State St.
Salem 12:00 pm Monday Noon Study: Steps, Traditions, Meditation (O), 1st United Methodist Church, 600 State St (Rm 222)
Salem 12:10 pm Snack Pack (D) Welcomaaa Club, 3825 D St. NE
Salem 5:30 pm Three Legacies Group, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE
Salem 5:30 pm Way Home Group (B) 1st Christian Church, 685 Marion St. NE
Salem 6:00 pm Salem Big Book Group, Welcomaaa Club, 3825 D St. NE
Salem 6:30 pm True Colors (G/L,H), Morningside United Methodist Church,3674 12th St. SE
Salem 6:30 pm ABC Group, 1st Congregational Church, 700 Marion St NE. Ring doorbell.
Salem 7:00 pm Good To Be Here Women’s Group (C,W) Piano Room, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE
Salem 7:00pm The Way Out, First Methodist Church, 600 State St.
Salem 7:30 pm Living Free 12x12 (C) Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3737 Liberty Rd S
Nov 2017 Tuesday
Dallas 7:30 pm AA Topic Discussion Meeting (H), St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 1486 SW Levens St. & Cherry
Salem 6:00 am Primary Purpose, Salem Alliance Church Annex,1305 5th ST NE (*** NOTE THE TIME CHANGE: FROM 6:30 ***)
Salem 7:00 am Downtown Group (C,MS,Y), St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE
Salem 12:00 pm Conscious Contact (MS), Salem Alliance Church Annex, 1305 5th St. NE
Salem 12:00 pm Daily Reprieve (B), 1st United Methodist Church, 600 State St.
Salem 12:10 pm Snack Pack (D), Welcomaaa Club, 3825 D St. NE
Salem 3:00 pm No Reservations, Welcomaaa Club, 3825 D St. NE
Salem 5:30 pm Three Legacies Group, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE
Salem 5:30 pm Way Home Group (B), 1st Christian Church, 685 Marion St. NE
Salem 7:00 pm Action Group, Salem Alliance Church Annex, 1305 5th St NE
Salem 7:00 pm Men’s Stag (C,M), Welcomaaa Club, 3825 D St. NE
Salem 7:00 pm Tuesday Night Step Study (C), St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE
Salem 7:10 pm Kaiser Recovery, 2400 Lancaster Dr. NE
Nov 2017 Wednesday
Salem 6:00 am Fresh Brewed (C,H), Salem Hospital Bldg D, CHEC Support Group Room. Note: Handicap Access, open holidays
Salem 6:00 am Primary Purpose, Salem Alliance Church Annex,1305 5th ST NE (*** NOTE THE TIME CHANGE: FROM 6:30 ***)
Salem 7:00 am Downtown Group (C,MS,Y), St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE
Salem 12:00 pm Conscious Contact (MS), Salem Alliance Church Annex, 1305 5th St. NE
Salem 12:00 pm Daily Reprieve (Big Book Study) (B,H), 1st United Methodist Church, 600 State St., Rm 108
Salem 12:00 pm Promises (C ), 1st Methodist Church, 600 State St., 2nd floor
Salem 12:10 pm Snack Pack (D), Welcomaaa Club, 3825 D St. NE
Salem 5:30 pm Three Legacies Group, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE
Salem 5:30 pm Way Home Group (B,CF), 1st Christian Church, 685 Marion St. NE
Salem 7:00 pm Newcomers & Winners, 3737 Portland Rd. NE (enter at West side door)
Salem 7:15 pm Lancaster Living Sober (C ), 2400 Lancaster Drive NE
Salem 7:15 pm Pioneer Group (C,SI), Pioneer Village, 375 Taybin Rd. NW, (1st & 3th Wednesdays ASL interpreted)
Salem 7:30 pm Group “1” Podium Meeting (C,H), SOS Club, 1797 Center St.
Salem 7:30 pm Unity Group, Unity Church, 1777 Fabry Rd. SE
Nov 2017 Thursday
Salem 6:00 am Primary Purpose, Salem Alliance Church Annex,1305 5th ST NE (*** NOTE THE TIME CHANGE: FROM 6:30 ***)
Salem 7:00 am Downtown Group (C,MS,Y), St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE
Salem 12:00 pm Conscious Contact Big Book Study (MS), Salem Alliance Church Annex, 1305 5th St. NE
Salem 12:00 pm Daily Reprieve (B), 1st United Methodist Church, 600 State St.
Salem 12:10 pm Snack Pack (D), Welcomaaa Club, 3825 D St. NE
Salem 5:30 pm New Frontier Group Emotional Sobriety, First Congregational Church, 700 Marion St.
Salem 5:30 pm Three Legacies Group, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE
Salem 5:30 pm Way Home Group (B,CF), 1st Christian Church, 685 Marion St. NE
Salem 6:30 pm True Colors (G/L,H), Morningside United Methodist Church,3674 12th St. SE
Salem 12 & 12 Step Study Meeting (H), SOS Club, 1797 Center St. NE
Salem 7:00 pm Children of Chaos (SAYPAA) (Y), Woodland Chapel, 582 High St. SE
Salem 7:00 pm Men's Stag Meeting (S,M), Welcomaaa Club, 3825 D St. NE.
Salem 7:30 pm Capitol Discussion Group (C, Open mtng on last Thursday), Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1998 Lansing Ave. NE
Nov 2017 Friday
Salem 6:00 am Primary Purpose, Salem Alliance Church Annex,1305 5th ST NE (*** NOTE THE TIME CHANGE: FROM 6:30 ***)
Salem 7:00 am Downtown Group (C,MS,Y), St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE
Salem 10:30 am Veterans In Recovery, [C], Welcomaaa Club, 3825 D. St. NE – Tues and Friday
Salem 12:00 pm Conscious Contact (MS), Salem Alliance Church Annex, 1305 5th St. NE
Salem 12:00 pm Daily Reprieve (B), 1st United Methodist Church, 600 State St., Rm 108
Salem 12:10 pm Snack Pack (D), Welcomaaa Club, 3825 D St. NE
Salem 5:30 pm Three Legacies Group, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE
Salem 5:30 pm Way Home Group (B), 1st Christian Church, 685 Marion St. NE
Salem 7:30 pm Group “1” Podium Meeting (H), SOS Club, 1797 Center St. ===>NOTE: THIS MEETING IS OPEN ACCESS
Salem 7:30 pm Living Sober Beginners Meeting, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE
Salem 10:00 pm The Tenth Hour Candlelight Meeting, Salem Alliance Church Annex, 1305 5th St. NE



Thanks all for your support.

doggonecarl

I'm impressed. Good luck.

DreamCatcher17

Looks great!

soberandhonest

That's an awesome plan Dave! Great job.

My only comment is that I recommend that you review it and make sure your plan is not so demanding that it is unreasonable for you to comply with it fully. This depends on you but there are parts of this that would be too much for me to do. You might want to scale back parts of this a little so that you are still holding yourself accountable, but you can realistically meet the demands of your plan. For example, your plan requires exercise every day. That's fantastic, but is it realistic? Would it be better if it required exercise 5 days per week? And no coffee, ever? These are questions that only you can answer. You just don't want to put yourself in position where you feel like a failure because you cannot meet the demands of your plan while balancing everything else that you have going on in your life. But, again, really awesome plan! Nice job and congrats on 20 days!

Anna

Dave, that is a very impressive recovery plan. You have obviously put a lot of thought and work into it. I'm sure you will do well.

Mac4711

Pinnacle,
This is one hell of a recovery plan, hats off to you! If I have one critique, then that it is almost too perfect.
I would recommend one task in the evening: As you review your day, forgive yourself for any ‘failures’, like if you had that cup of coffee or that cookie after all. Take a deep breath and move on. After all, we’re all human. There’s only one line in the sand: you don’t pick up a drink, no matter what!

Oh, and your weight loss targets seem very aggressive. Shoot for losing one pound a week and you’ll be much happier.

Opivotal

I can see you've put your heart and soul into this plan, PinnacleOR.

Very impressive!

Berrybean

That's a very comprehensive recovory plan.

I would agree that some of the stricter details maybe could be part of a general wellness plan instead of on your sobriety plan though. That might seem a strange and unnecessary suggestion, but the reason I suggest it is that it would be very easy to slip into all-or-nothing, black-and-white thinking, and feel like because you've 'failed' on one of those details that it's all spoiled and give the AV avoidable ammunition for convincing you to press that old eff it button.

Up to you though, obviously. Some fantastic stuff on there though. I'm impressed.

Just remember - it's progress not perfection. And first things first. And the first this is DO NOT DRINK!

BB

MindfulMan

Very impressive!

In my cognitive group we evaluated everyone's sobriety plan as they graduated, plus our own.

A few very small comments:

1) You've covered all of your bases, which is good, but trying to do all of this may prove to be a burden. Is this ALL attainable? You're 20 days in, I found for me just staying sober was enough of a job for the first 90 days (I'm now just over 6 months).

2) Kudos that you've dealt with HALT driggers (Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired), particularly going to a meeting in the evening if you need human connection!

3) I think your weight loss goal is far too aggressive. I didn't set a formal goal as far as loss, but rather the inputs to loss. You've started this with exercise, which is great. I'd add diet goals as well. If you stick to them, inches will melt off (which is far more important than weight). 30 pounds in 90 days is 2 1/2 pounds a week. If you lose that much, you will probably lose a fair amount of lean muscle mass along with some fat, slowing your metabolism at rest, and making increasing weight loss harder and harder. I would incorporate resistance training into your routine to combat this at the very least. Remember that fat loss occurs with a calorie deficit, so this needs to be part of your plan. Keto diet has worked wonders for me, but doesn't work for everyone. Whatever diet plan you choose, add it, add exercise goals, and let the weight loss take care of itself. I've lost 30 pounds in 180 days and my bodyfat composition has gone from 30% to 24%. My goal is 12-15% bodyfat by my May sobriety date.

4) You mentioned therapy. What sort? What worked for me was a course of cognitive group therapy, followed by individual psychotherapy to process the emotional basis underlying the addiction, as well as helping me deal with relationships and life stress in a more effective way. So far this has made a huge difference. I think AA helps attain and maintain sobriety, deeper emotional processing of guilt, shame and depression through therapy makes life even more worth living, and accentuates the process I've made in 12 Step. My therapist is gay and in recovery, and has been a sponsor, and I very much supplement my step work there. He's really helping me through Step 4, for example. I noticed that you have a number of LGBTA meetings listed, I found these to be more effective than "general" meetings. Growing up gay introduces all sorts of guilt and shame that most straight people don't understand, however sympathetic and well-meaning. Part of my therapy is also dealing with processing the self-loathing and shame that I picked up by being raised in the Catholic church by a homophobic and abusive father. For me, part of my healing in sobriety was learning how to be completely OK with my sexuality, starting in rehab. You may have already done this work already. For me, it was essential, and I'm now exploring meaningful relationship options.

Just some thoughts! Great job! Good luck on your journey!

oakleaf82

Wow, that is a very impressive and thorough plan. I agree with the others to maybe scale it back a bit with some of the finer details about diet restrictions and such. It could be very easy to slip on one of those things and decide to throw the whole thing out the window because of it. The most important thing is NOT DRINK, and I think the 90 meetings is great.

hellrzr

That is an impressive list. Out of all those items I see three that will save your life:
1)Attend AA meetings.
2) Get a sponsor.
3) Work the steps.

If you do those three things your life will greatly improve and everything else will fall in place in due time. Don't get caught up in an elaborate plan because as soon as you make a plan life will happen and throw it all out the window!

wiseheart

Hi Pinnacle, I am only on Day 10 so I have no words of wisdom for you, but I just wanted to thank you for your post and for sharing your plan. It is so thoughtful and well laid out. I really like the suggestion above by Mac4711 about ending each day with self compassion and kindness. Your post really inspired me and I wish you all the best. Thank you and I look forward to reading future updates.

Gottalife

Good plan, and no shortage of meetings available, so there is no reason you should not succeed. I have a couple of suggestions.

Firstly I would move taking the steps into your short term goals. That is how we recover, so by having them in your long term list, you are making recovery a long term goal. I did 90 meetings, give or take, and 9 steps in the first 90 days and recovered. Staying recovered in steps 10 - 12 was the long term goal.

I see on your list you have a primary purpose group. My home group is a ppg. We study the big book and try and put what we learn into effect in our lives. It is probably a very good place to look for a sponsor who will show you the real deal of what aa has to offer. Some folks don’t like our ppg because we are so focussed on the work of recovery, there is no opportunity for their drama to take the stage. It is probably true to say that the only ones who stay are those who seriously want to recover. I can think of only one guy relapsing from our group in the last year.

MythOfSisyphus

Great plan! I think you should give yourself a little wiggly room if not every element goes on schedule but it's good to keep yourself accountable. Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good but it looks like you're on the right track.

August252015

Impressive!

I do strongly agree with Berrybean and the others who talk about a little "room" - you are early days and it can be exciting to mapoutaplanmakeitworknoexcuses....

But that kind of things needs room for self care- rest, alone time, whatever you need to work on your mind, emotions, and body. I was very sick when I quit so the very basics (eat 2x, go to a meeting, make the bed) were the type of to-do lists I started with.

Exhaustion (and your program is jam packed, to me!) is still a big watch out for me here at almost 21 months. My exercise routine,for example grew slowly to the very robust one I have now: a 5K a month with a weekly run in between (my fiance and I did the races together every month this year) and I just registered for a 15K in Feb; hot yoga for an hour to 90 min 6x a week...my recovery comes before everything so all the healthy and engaged things I do like running a recovery group for the restaurant industry, comes after my program.

Also - I'd give myself permission to adjust my plan as I went along- I learned to trust what I could handle that would be enough and not overwhelming as I strengthened my recovery.

Hope to see you with us!

JKPK

I agree with many of the replies to this post. Your goals are impressive, and you should stick to them as much as possible. Number one rule...NO ALCOHOL! One of the things that I've noticed since quitting is that I have moments of extreme anxiety, followed by episodes of serenity. I think that your expectations would be a little high for me, but everyone has to fight this battle with weapons of their choice, and a lot of support. Good luck on your journey and stay close to S.R. they are always here if you need them!

PinnacleOR

Thanks Doggonecarl, the trick is committing to implementing it!

PinnacleOR

Thanks, I do tend to send really high goals for myself and get hard on myself when I don't make them. I need to remind myself that not drinking today (any day) is the BIG goal, the I can forgive myself for little things here and there, as long as I don't start slipping too much. That's why I felt the need to get so specific and be diligent with it. I have a tendency to make excuses and slip in good habits, which for me is a slippery slope back to drinking.

PinnacleOR

For therapy, I contacted an addiction counselor through my health care plan, and they set me up with weekly meetings with an addiction counselor after work.I don't know if she deals with LGBTQ issues, but for now helping with my sobriety is #1. I know they also have a group that meets weekly (not AA, but some sort of group therapy) that I will be attending. I think the combination of these and the fellowship of AA will be a great help. I also have gay"issues" I know, but at this point I don't envision being in or pursuing any sort of relationship, and I am out to friends and family so feel that that in itself is not a trigger for me, moreso just general lonliness and lack of connection. If I can make it to some of the LGBTQ AA meetings on the weekends and build a support network there I think it will be very helpful. Thanks for the comments!

PinnacleOR

Great comments everyone, thank you so much! I feel I have the pieces in place, now it's execution time. I can tend to be hard on myself, so I will be sure to be compassionate and understanding of myself, AND focus on progress, not perfection! You're all awesome, keep doing what you do.