Susiesmiles

For those who have been sober awhile, tell me what the best thing about it was. Tell "us" what we have to look forward to because the main thing that's on my mind is cravings, irritability, boredom, new wrinkles under my eyes (probably because my face isn't as puffy), extreme tiredness. I nap every single day after work and sleep at night.

neferkamichael

The accomplishment of it, I was a drunk for 40 years. The cravings went away after about a year and I might be more irritable now. If you are bored get up and do sometime and if you find a way to get rid of wrinkles please let me know. In these 7 years I figure I have saved 15 grand or more. Rootin for ya.

Susiesmiles

ty for the reply!

Silverback4

Best thing(s) for me are

The way my partner looks at me now compared to before
Not feeling ashamed
Feeling stronger day by day
Having accepted and made peace with the fact that I will never drink again.
Experienced a few moments of real happiness maybe even serenity - only moments as I am only early days but I will take a lot more of that please!

Maudcat

Being able to go out in the evening.
Go for a walk or a festival. Movie.
I was always drunk by 7, and I didn’t want to go anywhere.

Susiesmiles

Ty silverback! I hate the shame!

Susiesmiles

Oh so true... I hated doing anything in the evening because it didn't involve drinking! Ty !

Dee74

Leaving behind the fear of what I might have done last night was a big one for me in the early days

D

SportsFan15

I'm at 5 months and the biggest thing I've enjoyed is finally loving myself again. Self respect, self love, self care....losing the heavy weight of shame.

Avra

For me, the cravings, the irritability, boredom , all faded with time. My cravings are infrequent now. The biggest benefits were that i have regained my self respect and my life. I feel like i am rediscovering life. Sobriety is not boring, i have way more things in my life now. Things list i have regained. I have never regretted this choice- even with the occasional hard or difficult moments.

LoveForMe

The best thing for me is that I know I will never have to be the person I was when I was drinking ever agian. I am finally getting to know the real me😁

Delilah1

I will be sober two years on January 1st and some of the best things are:

- Being actively present for my kids
- Being able to drive anytime day or night
-Being actively present at work, which allows all decisions to be made with clarity, rather than a fuzzy head
-Weight loss

There are so many other things, but I think the best thing is each morning waking up and feeling clear headed. Waking up without a hangover or fuzzy head never gets old.

incognition

Being able to get out of the house any time and just....be a normal person in public. It used to be that even when I wasn't drunk, I'd be too anxious to function in public due to the perpetual hangover. Even the trips to the liquor store were nerve-wracking. Now I'm no longer confined like a prisoner in my home to either alcohol or anxiety.

Berrybean

Not having to be constantly inwardly grouaning about me being an idiot, or a bitch, or behaving inappropriately.

Getting my integrity back so I could be the person that I wanted to be and do and say what I believe are the right things so I could start to like myself.

Being comfortable with solitude and silence and my own head.

Wishing you all the best for your sobriety and recovery.
BB

rainyengland

Life ..you get it back,that one thing wraps up 100s of best things :-)

PeacefulWater12

Thank you for starting this thread, Susie. Fills my heart to overflowing when I read threads like this.

For me there are endless wonderful benefits to my quitting.

Self respect is a particularly nice one.

MissPerfumado

Feeling like a whole human being again, not someone who presented one face to the world and had this other secret shameful side. I felt like a phoney and a fraud all the time.

And my health... my body is so grateful I've stopped poisoning it.

goose333

I could not believe how well I felt physically. It kept improving for many weeks.
Depression quickly vanished.
No longer having the stress of hiding it and trying so hard to remember what was said when I was drunk.

JJ991

Great thread susie. I really needed these reminders.

August252015

Great thread and lots of answers are true for me as well!!

I will say that the one phrase that popped into my head right away when I read your post was from the Big Book: "...and we will come to know a new freedom and a new peace." So. True. IME. Worth more than anything I could imagine.

My life now is: calm, happy, strong, productive, loving, fulfilled...I could go on and the adjectives would be positive - and the problems and angst and agitation I do get? I can break down and handle, much more quickly, and without a roller coaster like I had, and that feels awesome. Growing in confidence in myself and CLARITY - immeasurably gratifying.

Best to you for a continued recovery!