SOBER is POWER
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Stoke on Trent, England
Posts: 15
SOBER is POWER
It really doesn't matter what other people do or don't do with their alcoholism, the only thing that should matter to you, is YOU. Some people may help you, some organisations may help, some medicines may help but only if YOU have the power to be sober. For maybe the first time in a long time you have to be honest with YOURSELF and about everything that is your life now. Only you can decide enough is enough and when you do decide, understand, it is a very hard road to travel and many people never make it.
But probably the hardest thing to do, (which is why so many fail to stop drinking), is you MUST change the way you think about yourself and your life. For maybe the first time since drink took hold, you will have to think, what am I really doing, what do I gain from all this and think hard, is alcohol really my friend, my savior, my sole mate? You must stop this madness no matter what I have to do, no matter what it costs, sober is your number one priority above anything else.
Cravings are part of the journey, something you must accept and be prepared to live with for the rest of your life. Your life will have to change 100%, things you have always done will certainly have to stop now, even be prepared to lose most of your friends, close and casual. You must look for NEW friends, hobbies, interests, places to hangout, even somewhere to live.
Ok, ok, enough of the bad news.
The rewards to stopping the madness, can be awesome, you may never be rich with money, but you will be the rich beyond anything you can imagine at this moment. When the cravings come, accept them as reminders of your past ugly life and why sober is the most beautiful thing you can feel now, eventually you will accept cravings as being good and positive friends. Sober, you can become human again, in charge of your own life with a chance for a new beginning to build a new wonderful life yourself. Like many others saved from death, you will begin to see all the beauty in life while accepting the lesser things as just part of living. And like me, you may even learn to love yourself again.
SOBER is POWER - the power of life
Pete
But probably the hardest thing to do, (which is why so many fail to stop drinking), is you MUST change the way you think about yourself and your life. For maybe the first time since drink took hold, you will have to think, what am I really doing, what do I gain from all this and think hard, is alcohol really my friend, my savior, my sole mate? You must stop this madness no matter what I have to do, no matter what it costs, sober is your number one priority above anything else.
Cravings are part of the journey, something you must accept and be prepared to live with for the rest of your life. Your life will have to change 100%, things you have always done will certainly have to stop now, even be prepared to lose most of your friends, close and casual. You must look for NEW friends, hobbies, interests, places to hangout, even somewhere to live.
Ok, ok, enough of the bad news.
The rewards to stopping the madness, can be awesome, you may never be rich with money, but you will be the rich beyond anything you can imagine at this moment. When the cravings come, accept them as reminders of your past ugly life and why sober is the most beautiful thing you can feel now, eventually you will accept cravings as being good and positive friends. Sober, you can become human again, in charge of your own life with a chance for a new beginning to build a new wonderful life yourself. Like many others saved from death, you will begin to see all the beauty in life while accepting the lesser things as just part of living. And like me, you may even learn to love yourself again.
SOBER is POWER - the power of life
Pete
Member
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 4
Thank you for this well-written, spot-on post. Sobriety is indeed power! So much of your post is really about acceptance. Cravings (possibly for the rest of our lives...), the curve-balls life will keep throwing at each of us, challenges, unpleasant people/places/things, etc.... I try to ask myself, when something isn't going my way, "Can I do something about this?". If I honestly can't do anything about it, can't change it, can't somehow control it...I must let it go. Accept that, for now at least, I have no power over "it" (whatever that may be).
When I am mindful, and truly practice this foreign way of looking at things, I am left with a sense of peace. Basically, try to fix and control what I can; and let go of the rest. Serenity prayer reworded to suit me. It works.
When I am mindful, and truly practice this foreign way of looking at things, I am left with a sense of peace. Basically, try to fix and control what I can; and let go of the rest. Serenity prayer reworded to suit me. It works.
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 7,097
Great post Pete thank you. I've been drinking on and if for over 2 years after a 3.5 years sober period. You're right in that I have to really want to get sober in order to do it. It doesn't matter what methods I use. Ultimately I have to want it 100 per cent first and foremost.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 252
Great post! Sobriety is indeed power. Each further day I am removed from my last drink I am better able to think and make good decisions. And yes, I have to be rigorously honest with myself and everyone else, that is key. I am slowly learning to like myself again and to be who I actually am, in a better version, and to not just try and project an image that I think others will want to see. Follow through, in all aspects of my life, is also key for me.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Stoke on Trent, England
Posts: 15
I have been asked on several occasions about letting "friends" go. Well, many of them will be drinking friends and when you stop drinking they will probably think about their own drinking. The chances are they won't be ready or willing to change and will probably resent your will power and for making them feel bad about their own drinking.
Ultimately, they are no longer your "friends", so for your own sake, it's best to let these friends go before they drag you back. If they are really solid friends they will be 100% behind you but most will turn their back on you. IT'S THEIR LOSS NOT YOURS, you now have a beautiful life to look forward to, believe this and stay sober. I have made more friends in the last two years sober than in the previous 60 years and they are REAL friends. As I said SOBER is POWER
Ultimately, they are no longer your "friends", so for your own sake, it's best to let these friends go before they drag you back. If they are really solid friends they will be 100% behind you but most will turn their back on you. IT'S THEIR LOSS NOT YOURS, you now have a beautiful life to look forward to, believe this and stay sober. I have made more friends in the last two years sober than in the previous 60 years and they are REAL friends. As I said SOBER is POWER
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