Motivation and rewards
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 666
Motivation and rewards
When cravings hit, or wistful memories of how lovely it was to be able to drink alcohol .. tell yourself the perceived benefits of that glass in your hand are incredibly fleeting. In my experience, the true pleasure really only lasted that first few sips. After that, you are in auto mode, pouring more and more down your throat, and the costs are disproportionately high: sickness, weakness, poor sleep, embarrassment, shame, regret, poor health, declining looks, suffering relationships, lack of energy, worsening anxiety and depression, bloating, bad skin... it goes on and on. How could a glass of anything be worth all that?
Yesterday I was at a medical appointment in a place where older people tend to go. A fellow patient asked why I was there. He said, "You look too young for ----. What are you, about 40?" I am in my late 50s. When my blood pressure was taken, it was 109/70. In the height of my drinking it was getting dangerously high.
I feel so much better in every way. I look younger. I feel younger. I am exercising, swimming, getting fit. Look great in clothes. I wake up feeling fantastic. I sleep soundly. Life throws all kinds of things at you -- we are facing medical situations in our family (non drinking related) and I am so much better equipped to deal with all of it.
Don't delude yourself: We do incredible damage to ourselves by drinking the way that we did. Since I've stopped, absolutely everything in my life is better. I STILL have these flashes of wishing I could drink, despite all the positives, which shows how tenacious this addiction is. But every month that goes by, there are fewer and fewer, and it is easier and easier to ignore. It's like a pitiful monster rearing its head, still trying to scare me, intimidate me.. Just stare it down, laugh in its face and it loses power each time.
This is rambling and straight off the top of my head, but I haven't been here in a while to post, though I read frequently. This place is what made the difference for me. If I could do it, all of you reading here can.
Today marks 444 days for me.. Two summers now.
I don't ever want to go back. There is no way that it is worth it. It's just a beverage. Don't give it more power. Replace it, get stronger, walk away. You don't need it.
Life is so good and worth it.
Yesterday I was at a medical appointment in a place where older people tend to go. A fellow patient asked why I was there. He said, "You look too young for ----. What are you, about 40?" I am in my late 50s. When my blood pressure was taken, it was 109/70. In the height of my drinking it was getting dangerously high.
I feel so much better in every way. I look younger. I feel younger. I am exercising, swimming, getting fit. Look great in clothes. I wake up feeling fantastic. I sleep soundly. Life throws all kinds of things at you -- we are facing medical situations in our family (non drinking related) and I am so much better equipped to deal with all of it.
Don't delude yourself: We do incredible damage to ourselves by drinking the way that we did. Since I've stopped, absolutely everything in my life is better. I STILL have these flashes of wishing I could drink, despite all the positives, which shows how tenacious this addiction is. But every month that goes by, there are fewer and fewer, and it is easier and easier to ignore. It's like a pitiful monster rearing its head, still trying to scare me, intimidate me.. Just stare it down, laugh in its face and it loses power each time.
This is rambling and straight off the top of my head, but I haven't been here in a while to post, though I read frequently. This place is what made the difference for me. If I could do it, all of you reading here can.
Today marks 444 days for me.. Two summers now.
I don't ever want to go back. There is no way that it is worth it. It's just a beverage. Don't give it more power. Replace it, get stronger, walk away. You don't need it.
Life is so good and worth it.
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