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From novelty to real life

Old 10-20-2020, 10:08 AM
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From novelty to real life

To those of you who are achieving long term sobriety, how did you achieve the transition from the "pink cloud" novelty of early sobriety to the ongoing, everyday reality of just being?

I do not buy into this ******** that alot of recovering addicts push that sobriety is some kind of constant high, that it is like some kind of perpetual spirituality. That's what early recovery is like, sure. But how do you get along in life once that euphoria has passed?

X
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Old 10-20-2020, 10:18 AM
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Originally Posted by Flowing View Post
To those of you who are achieving long term sobriety, how did you achieve the transition from the "pink cloud" novelty of early sobriety to the ongoing, everyday reality of just being?

I do not buy into this ******** that alot of recovering addicts push that sobriety is some kind of constant high, that it is like some kind of perpetual spirituality. That's what early recovery is like, sure. But how do you get along in life once that euphoria has passed?

X
Very good question; thank you for this Flowing. I am definitely on some sort of pink cloud just now and I'm worried about what is coming later x
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Old 10-20-2020, 10:19 AM
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Its just life. Good days, bad days.

I had no pink cloud. But I knew that this was the only way forward.

Finding a way to cope with whatever we are running from, that can be tricky. But compared to the alternative, a piece of cake.

You got this.
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Old 10-20-2020, 10:23 AM
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For myself, recovery is definitely better than addiction. For example, I no longer black out and yell at my wife. All the little things add up to a great improvement in life. There are still challenges, and it isn't a "constant high," but it is constantly superior to how it used to be.

Regarding long-term sobriety, we all just have one day. I haven't had a drink for eight years, but I heard a speaker Sunday night who had eight years twice over the past thirty years, and now has two years.

One thing that helps me get along in life is at least one AA meeting a day (now that they are all online). It is good to hear how others are doing in these difficult times.
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Old 10-20-2020, 10:49 AM
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Long term recovery is not the pink cloud for sure. I suppose it's all relative, probably influenced by lots of issues not all of which are related to alcohol. My pink cloud hit me early and then dwindled over a period of maybe 6 months, which is far longer than it is for most.

I'm probably more of a Pollyanna about recovery than many, and sometimes I worry that I might be creating the expectation of a rose garden. I still have to deal with problems. At the risk of sounding like I'm exaggerating, I love my sobriety, and I'm every bit as grateful for it now as I was 24 years ago. I'm not grateful for everything that happens in my life. Somethings really suck, but when it comes to sobriety by itself, I will never ever stop being grateful for that.

Three years into sobriety, I had the worst year of my career, so not everything gets better, but I can't imagine how ugly that third year would have been had I still been drinking.
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Old 10-20-2020, 11:17 AM
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I never had the pink cloud at all, no euphoria. I had too much stuff to deal with, so for me, recovery was a slow, steady improvement. Some days were good, some weren't, just as it is now.
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Old 10-20-2020, 11:54 AM
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The biggest thing I do to strengthen my sobriety and improve my life overall is to practice gratitude every day. It makes my attitude much more positive and gives me hope to see me thru the tough times. It also makes me a lot happier.
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Old 10-20-2020, 12:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Anna View Post
I never had the pink cloud at all, no euphoria. I had too much stuff to deal with, so for me, recovery was a slow, steady improvement. Some days were good, some weren't, just as it is now.
I would day that is extremely fortunate. For me sobriety is always prefixed with a period of extreme elation. This makes the transition into "normality" very turbulent. Hence my post.
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Old 10-20-2020, 12:29 PM
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No pink cloud for me either. But I did get to say goodbye to the anxiety, shame, panic, fear, depression, nausea, duplicity and the life of lies that I lived as a drunk.

Life is not easy, happiness, ease and success is not guaranteed, random tragedy waits for everyone. But but but I can deal with all of that and try and become the best version of myself now that I sober.
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Old 10-20-2020, 12:39 PM
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I do not buy into any ********. I just let life happen and life returns the favor. If I expect the worst, I will find a way to make sure that is exactly happens. If I expect things to work out. I generally find out that is exactly what happens. Life happens with or without my permission...participation or not on my part is whole nother matter. Serenity is not the absence of storms, it is peace in the midst of storms.
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Old 10-20-2020, 12:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Flowing View Post
I would day that is extremely fortunate. For me sobriety is always prefixed with a period of extreme elation. This makes the transition into "normality" very turbulent. Hence my post.
I agree completely. At the time, it was a brutal few months to get through, but I did feel like I was getting somewhere. I tried to find small goals for each day so I felt like I was accomplishing something. Can you find a routine for your day/week/weekend that feels comfortable and enjoyable? Don't let this transition period throw you off.
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Old 10-20-2020, 01:08 PM
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I can sympathize with your situation Flowing. In the early days of my sobriety I can remember going to AA meetings and seeing all the smiling faces, thinking they were all a bunch of con artists. How could they possibly be happy not drinking?

For me life is a constant high. Of course life throws challenges at me (I found out recently I'm being laid off) but I never expected life to stop throwing me curveballs after I got sober.

The reason life is a constant high is because I've learned to truly love myself and take care of myself. In active addiction I would be the life of the party and yet still feel lonely in a room full of people. In sobriety I can be quarantined from society for months and still be happy everyday.

This didn't happen overnight obviously, it took many months of discipling myself, unlearning bad habits, and embracing better habits.

I'll repeat myself again and I say this without a trace of irony: life is a constant high for me.
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Old 10-20-2020, 01:22 PM
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I only had the briefest of pink clouds but from time to time I experience a tiny shard of self respect that comes from not reaching for the bottle because life isn't perfect. That's worth something I think.
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Old 10-20-2020, 02:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Flowing View Post
But how do you get along in life once that euphoria has passed?

X
Hi,

You show up. You open the door to it and address it. You interact with and in it. You quit overthinking each and every thing that passes the space behind your eyeballs. Get up, make the bed, grab some coffee, get dressed, brush your teeth, feed the cats, and GO.
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Old 10-20-2020, 04:45 PM
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I'm not walking around with a blissful smile handing out daffodils
I am at peace though - the peace that comes from not poisoning my brain at regular intervals.

Its like maintaining a car - do it regularly and you can trust it not breaking down.
Recovery is very much the same kind of deal - it takes work.

D.
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Old 10-20-2020, 05:42 PM
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After a few months sobriety gets to be normal. Sure the obsession lingers from time to time but its going to take work to actually pick up that drink. We recoil from it as from at hot flame as it says in the big book.

A good hard workout brings that ease and comfort that those first few drinks use to bring.

Daily prayer and meditation which starts with gratitude. For me its first thing in the morning and I really enjoy this time of the day. I have a long commute to work but its still worth it to me to try and devote a good 20 or 30 minutes.
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Old 10-20-2020, 05:52 PM
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I make the best of what is left of me. I suffered hell on earth getting this clean. I will never give it up.

I got adrenaline, endorphins, dopamine, and melatonin when I quit drinking. This is the high that I get. It took a while to get used to the level I got. But, those were my natural high.

I am high right now because I ran for 1.5 miles then walked another 1.5. I will stay high for about 24 or so hours from this exercise.

This whole feeling good for no reason is something that left as my drinking days counted up. Ever see a 4 year old running around like a happy camper for no reason. That is a mind that is not damaged from booze.

When I was actively addicted I used to push myself to physical levels that caused adrenaline etc. When I quit drinking that exercise became my new high.

Exercise is my main therapy today. In the future, I will eventually have to find other ways to develop a natural high (endorphins etc).

Hope this answers your question.

Thanks.
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Old 10-20-2020, 09:14 PM
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I'm only two years in and never really had the pink cloud. Also I didn't go very far down the drinking road. I had read enough here as a codependent that I knew I didn't want to go further after one night of blacking out. Consequently, quiting drinnking didn't change my life that much. I do believe it will change my future.

Flowing, you address a super important issue. So many folks get really excited and happy about getting sober. I loved my class; there was great energy; however after a year there were only two of us posting anymore and finally just me. I like that you brought this up. In a way having that early pink-cloud euphoria can make long term sobriety harder . . . I'm kind of guessing here on that.
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Old 10-20-2020, 10:26 PM
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I never had that pink cloud either. Recovery for me has been learning to feel all of the emotions life brings, the great joys, and the awful lows. I have had to find ways to deal with them sober. I have found exercise, nature, mindfulness, humor, and gratitude are the most important pieces of my recovery other than posting here daily.
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Old 10-21-2020, 03:11 AM
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I was sick and tired of drinking and all the drama that I brought with it. When I wake up sober, I'm good and almost everything else is added bonus. Life isn't perfect but it a hell of a lot better being sober then drunk.

YMMV
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