Class of May 2013 Pt 4
12 May 2013
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Central Mediterranean
Posts: 43
Hi All, reached 12 months on 12th May. Thanks for all your support and thanks to SR without whose help I would not have managed.
I am pleased to say that I rarely feel temptation these days. It seems to grow easier with time. That said, I will not let my guard down or underestimate "the enemy".
I hope to be part of a growing band of survivors who've made it past one year and beyond.
Thanks again
I am pleased to say that I rarely feel temptation these days. It seems to grow easier with time. That said, I will not let my guard down or underestimate "the enemy".
I hope to be part of a growing band of survivors who've made it past one year and beyond.
Thanks again
Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: North Central, Ohio
Posts: 40
Well hello all! I recv'd a birthday wish from SR today (51) so I had to check back in to this board. I am happy to say that it has been over a year clean and sober! Honestly I can't remember the exact date? I do remember that it was a Tuesday last May? Hopefully that is a good thing? Anyhow life is good! Tons of changes. Over a year off booze and 1 1/2 off smokes. 24+ beers, pack and 1/2 of smokes daily could not imagine never having another drink. Now I can't think of a good reason to have the next. The relationships in my life have improved by 50 million % as stated by my 20 yr old daughter. And I have to agree.
It is not without loss, several of my old drinking buddies don't understand the concept. I do believe it's the ones who don't want to look at themselves honestly. If I quit because I drank to much how can they justify all those nights they sat next to me at the same bar?? ;-) But, I have met many new people some who drink and some who don't. Funny when you don't arrange your life around where you can drink, you meet people who don't drink.
So as I celebrate my 51st birthday and a year of sobriety, I wanted to check in with all my old classmates. Thank each and everyone of you for all your posts and support! I honestly believe I would not be celebrating either occasion if it was not for Sober Recovery and this board. So hats off to everyone whether you are on one year or one day. Read, share and believe! You will do it and it's great over here.
Thanks again, Todai (because today i choose not to drink)
It is not without loss, several of my old drinking buddies don't understand the concept. I do believe it's the ones who don't want to look at themselves honestly. If I quit because I drank to much how can they justify all those nights they sat next to me at the same bar?? ;-) But, I have met many new people some who drink and some who don't. Funny when you don't arrange your life around where you can drink, you meet people who don't drink.
So as I celebrate my 51st birthday and a year of sobriety, I wanted to check in with all my old classmates. Thank each and everyone of you for all your posts and support! I honestly believe I would not be celebrating either occasion if it was not for Sober Recovery and this board. So hats off to everyone whether you are on one year or one day. Read, share and believe! You will do it and it's great over here.
Thanks again, Todai (because today i choose not to drink)
Sober date 5/1/13
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Staffordshire UK
Posts: 3,547
Hello to the class of May 2013.
I've never posted on this thread before, missed it some how.
But I saw a load of posts for other classes and came to find this one.
Any one about?
I've never posted on this thread before, missed it some how.
But I saw a load of posts for other classes and came to find this one.
Any one about?
Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: U.S.
Posts: 130
Hi Treerat66 and welcome. Sorry you did not find our class earlier but glad you did! It's a quiet class nowadays.
I am back checking in after a long absence. I hope more of our class will check in from time to time. I enjoy hearing from everyone, both success and struggles, and learnings along the way.
I think I still need some regular check-ins at SR even though I'm still staying sober. There is a lot of good news. A few more people I know socially (in the most drinkingest part of my world) have stopped drinking. I have discovered more sober people in those circles. Also I personally feel that my identity is more of someone who doesn't drink than someone who is trying to quit. Sobriety feels a lot more real to me and like it's who I am, instead of something I'm clinging to by a rope or a thread. All this is good stuff.
But I'm feeling a challenge.
A couple months after I stopped drinking I experienced a serious health issue (injury), followed immediately by a sudden health decline and death of a loved one, and a month after that there was a major health trauma of a sibling that couldn't care for themselves after leaving the hospital. I think I mentioned all or most of that here already. Looking back, I can see I have been in major grief and shock for almost all of my sobriety.
I'm so grateful I was already sober otherwise I don't think I could have gotten through all that. And I'm proud I was able to be strong in my sobriety with all that going on. I think I actually had somewhat of what people would term a mental breakdown, though I was able to keep working, barely.
That brings me to where I am now. Although I have been sober for 17 months, I almost feel like I learned how to be sober while in grief/crisis/breakdown mode and I need a revised game plan for how to do this now that I am starting to feel more "normal".
As hard as it probably was to stay sober during all that, everything that was going on also provided a clearcut reason and focus for me to cling to for remaining sober. I was constantly reinforcing myself by telling myself that I needed to be sober so I could cope with all that emotional trauma and extraordinary stuff that was going on. Now that I am getting some of my resilience back, and I feel a little stronger, and life is a little more settled (externally not internally yet) I feel like a different person and I'm concerned that what worked for me in the last year needs to be updated and refreshed or something.
I haven't relapsed or anything. I am just noticing and trying to be preventative. I don't know if this is just me or it's something common after the first year. I think I'll post over in the 1+ year thread but I also wanted to share with you all here since we're on the same timeframe.
I am back checking in after a long absence. I hope more of our class will check in from time to time. I enjoy hearing from everyone, both success and struggles, and learnings along the way.
I think I still need some regular check-ins at SR even though I'm still staying sober. There is a lot of good news. A few more people I know socially (in the most drinkingest part of my world) have stopped drinking. I have discovered more sober people in those circles. Also I personally feel that my identity is more of someone who doesn't drink than someone who is trying to quit. Sobriety feels a lot more real to me and like it's who I am, instead of something I'm clinging to by a rope or a thread. All this is good stuff.
But I'm feeling a challenge.
A couple months after I stopped drinking I experienced a serious health issue (injury), followed immediately by a sudden health decline and death of a loved one, and a month after that there was a major health trauma of a sibling that couldn't care for themselves after leaving the hospital. I think I mentioned all or most of that here already. Looking back, I can see I have been in major grief and shock for almost all of my sobriety.
I'm so grateful I was already sober otherwise I don't think I could have gotten through all that. And I'm proud I was able to be strong in my sobriety with all that going on. I think I actually had somewhat of what people would term a mental breakdown, though I was able to keep working, barely.
That brings me to where I am now. Although I have been sober for 17 months, I almost feel like I learned how to be sober while in grief/crisis/breakdown mode and I need a revised game plan for how to do this now that I am starting to feel more "normal".
As hard as it probably was to stay sober during all that, everything that was going on also provided a clearcut reason and focus for me to cling to for remaining sober. I was constantly reinforcing myself by telling myself that I needed to be sober so I could cope with all that emotional trauma and extraordinary stuff that was going on. Now that I am getting some of my resilience back, and I feel a little stronger, and life is a little more settled (externally not internally yet) I feel like a different person and I'm concerned that what worked for me in the last year needs to be updated and refreshed or something.
I haven't relapsed or anything. I am just noticing and trying to be preventative. I don't know if this is just me or it's something common after the first year. I think I'll post over in the 1+ year thread but I also wanted to share with you all here since we're on the same timeframe.
Guest
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Ashburn, VA
Posts: 30,196
Hi, Pinkgate! It's good to see somebody back. I quit for the second time in May--but I relapsed for two days in November, so I've actually got just under a year under my belt.
I'm sorry for all the difficulty and pain you've experienced so far. By this time, though, hopefully just by habit alone it will be much easier for you to abstain than to drink. Do you have activities to keep you active now that you're no longer in a state of crisis?
If you start teetering on the brink of temptation, definitely reach out and grab onto support. Post here, or go to a face-to face meeting like AA.
Because you're alert and proactive, though, I'm sure you'll be fine. Have a good day.
I'm sorry for all the difficulty and pain you've experienced so far. By this time, though, hopefully just by habit alone it will be much easier for you to abstain than to drink. Do you have activities to keep you active now that you're no longer in a state of crisis?
If you start teetering on the brink of temptation, definitely reach out and grab onto support. Post here, or go to a face-to face meeting like AA.
Because you're alert and proactive, though, I'm sure you'll be fine. Have a good day.
Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 93
RIP sobriety May 15 2013 - December 7 2014.
I don't know what happened... Sunday I just picked up right where I left off, pack of cigarettes and 12 pack of beer a day. Youd think my body wouldn't warm up to so much alcohol so quickly, but it just feels so natural. I cancelled my weekend birthday plans so I could stay home and drink alone. Argh
I don't know what happened... Sunday I just picked up right where I left off, pack of cigarettes and 12 pack of beer a day. Youd think my body wouldn't warm up to so much alcohol so quickly, but it just feels so natural. I cancelled my weekend birthday plans so I could stay home and drink alone. Argh
Guest
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Ashburn, VA
Posts: 30,196
I'm so sorry, GreenEggs!
I'm glad you posted here. We will offer you a lifeline! Be sober again. Life is so much more straightforward when you're sober.
Dump the beer out and go experience your original birthday plans! I'm sure the others would be delighted to celebrate with you! Don't waste it wallowing drunk!
I'm glad you posted here. We will offer you a lifeline! Be sober again. Life is so much more straightforward when you're sober.
Dump the beer out and go experience your original birthday plans! I'm sure the others would be delighted to celebrate with you! Don't waste it wallowing drunk!
Administrator
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,378
You can stop the slide anytime you want GEAH.
The only way you'll lose all you've learned and accomplished in your sober time is if you through it away.
whatever you need to do to stop, do it. Dump out the rest, call some friends and ask for help, post here...whatever...
D
We're here for you
The only way you'll lose all you've learned and accomplished in your sober time is if you through it away.
whatever you need to do to stop, do it. Dump out the rest, call some friends and ask for help, post here...whatever...
D
We're here for you
Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: U.S.
Posts: 130
GEAH, happy birthday. Consider giving yourself another short at sobriety for your birthday present maybe? It's good you came here. I think it shows you caught yourself and know you can stop the slide...like Dee said.
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