One Year and Under Club Part 51
Living and Loving Life at Last
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: gods own country
Posts: 12,164
Well done on getting right back on the recovery pony Thumpa. You are right that sobriety takes backbone and commitment, and not one of us here hasn't decided to stop and then decided..." Well not quite yet..." The fact you were here in the first place means you know you have a problem, the fact you came back after a slip means you want help to manage it.
WWS sobriety in and of itself won't make everything in our lives right. It just allows us to see clearer the road ahead. It can take time to summon up the energy to make the effort to walk that road. I went through a grieving period in recovery and a 'well... I'm here, what now?..." period. Fact is life is just life,happy, sad, exciting dull, exhausting, exasperating, fulfilling. Learning to manage these mood and our expectations sober takes time. At least as you say, drinking is not an option. So take a minute to realise what you wrote there and excuse me but WOW that is a pretty huge forward stride in your thinking and coping. Be proud.
BeFree, we are here for you.
Be Safe Undies
WWS sobriety in and of itself won't make everything in our lives right. It just allows us to see clearer the road ahead. It can take time to summon up the energy to make the effort to walk that road. I went through a grieving period in recovery and a 'well... I'm here, what now?..." period. Fact is life is just life,happy, sad, exciting dull, exhausting, exasperating, fulfilling. Learning to manage these mood and our expectations sober takes time. At least as you say, drinking is not an option. So take a minute to realise what you wrote there and excuse me but WOW that is a pretty huge forward stride in your thinking and coping. Be proud.
BeFree, we are here for you.
Be Safe Undies
Guest
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Botswana
Posts: 384
OK - It is 34 C ( about 92 F in dollars ) here and I am going for a long run.
This is either deliberate self-harm or a good way to shake this depression. Who knows ?
Either way, it beats sitting in my office failing to be inspired and continually checking the bank account.
Go to do something to change this mood.
Fradley x
This is either deliberate self-harm or a good way to shake this depression. Who knows ?
Either way, it beats sitting in my office failing to be inspired and continually checking the bank account.
Go to do something to change this mood.
Fradley x
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: US East Coast
Posts: 14,285
Fradley - good that you are taking action! I take 5-10 minutes every morning to check in with my favorite threads here. That sets my intention for the day, keeps my recovery front and center, and is a strong reminder that no matter what happens, a drink will only make it worse.
BlueFairy, I like your thinking. IMHO, depression and drinking can sometimes be like the chicken and egg question. I had severe depression and suicide attempts years before I started drinking but drinking sure didn't do anything to help!
Thumpa, the next weeks could potentially be tough for you but just remember that you can do this! Please don't hesitate to get other help if you need to in order to stay sober. You are worth it! It took me 2 1/2 years after joining SR to stay reliably sober. I had to do many things to help me along the way. I wish I had realized earlier that I needed to do that. I am grateful that I am sober today :-)
BlueFairy, I like your thinking. IMHO, depression and drinking can sometimes be like the chicken and egg question. I had severe depression and suicide attempts years before I started drinking but drinking sure didn't do anything to help!
Thumpa, the next weeks could potentially be tough for you but just remember that you can do this! Please don't hesitate to get other help if you need to in order to stay sober. You are worth it! It took me 2 1/2 years after joining SR to stay reliably sober. I had to do many things to help me along the way. I wish I had realized earlier that I needed to do that. I am grateful that I am sober today :-)
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,501
Good morning everyone!
Bluefairy- Awesome post! Your perspective on alcohol and recovery is spot on and inspiring. Thanks.
Thanks Toots- Right now just staying sober is my main focus. You are right that being sober does allow us to see things more clearly.
Thumpalumpacus - That Friday morning ugh really sucks doesn't it. Much better waking up with a clear head!
Good for you Fradley!
Bluefairy- Awesome post! Your perspective on alcohol and recovery is spot on and inspiring. Thanks.
Thanks Toots- Right now just staying sober is my main focus. You are right that being sober does allow us to see things more clearly.
Thumpalumpacus - That Friday morning ugh really sucks doesn't it. Much better waking up with a clear head!
Good for you Fradley!
Quit 4/17/15
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Pa
Posts: 15,160
Originally Posted by BlueFairy 
Welcome back!
I'm at 38 weeks. Recovery is different for everyone even if we have a lot of the same symptoms. I still tire easy it seems although that's improved mightily. From what I know the tiredness is a lot to do with actual body and mind repair... that is how godawful the stuff really is. It's a real good reason for me personally to not start ever again. I've always been very health oriented so pouring the crap that wrecked me down my throat again doesn't seem like a great idea after you realize-- what a number it actually did on you. Including the debilitating depression that almost ended my life. It's interesting since I've been going to AA how many shares involve their former suicide attempts or descriptions of extreme depression while drinking. Here's proof it's a depressant. I guess I'm a little angry at how it is pushed on us constantly by the industry and socially, etc. Not all of my problems have been solved by quitting but so many things have improved. I went from a job I was starting to hate to a job I love, most of my relationships have improved and things previously neglected are starting to get some attention. Not everything! Most people say the first year of recovery is the hardest and I know I have a ways to go and a lot of work to do every day of my life for my goal of never returning to an addiction that rules my life ever again. I think that's why so many people get so gung ho with recovery because it is so easy to slip back in to old habits-- let stuff go. It's better to really focus on recovery and living your life right. I know I'm still pretty vulnerable--if I get stressed out I can have a night of insomnia still--just had one but I think that had more to do with caffeine too late and the discovery I'm out of valerian--
Anyway long story short-- hang in there. :-)
I'm at 38 weeks. Recovery is different for everyone even if we have a lot of the same symptoms. I still tire easy it seems although that's improved mightily. From what I know the tiredness is a lot to do with actual body and mind repair... that is how godawful the stuff really is. It's a real good reason for me personally to not start ever again. I've always been very health oriented so pouring the crap that wrecked me down my throat again doesn't seem like a great idea after you realize-- what a number it actually did on you. Including the debilitating depression that almost ended my life. It's interesting since I've been going to AA how many shares involve their former suicide attempts or descriptions of extreme depression while drinking. Here's proof it's a depressant. I guess I'm a little angry at how it is pushed on us constantly by the industry and socially, etc. Not all of my problems have been solved by quitting but so many things have improved. I went from a job I was starting to hate to a job I love, most of my relationships have improved and things previously neglected are starting to get some attention. Not everything! Most people say the first year of recovery is the hardest and I know I have a ways to go and a lot of work to do every day of my life for my goal of never returning to an addiction that rules my life ever again. I think that's why so many people get so gung ho with recovery because it is so easy to slip back in to old habits-- let stuff go. It's better to really focus on recovery and living your life right. I know I'm still pretty vulnerable--if I get stressed out I can have a night of insomnia still--just had one but I think that had more to do with caffeine too late and the discovery I'm out of valerian--
Anyway long story short-- hang in there. :-)
The biggest gain for me is the absence of the crushing depression that afflicted me six months of the year during the cloudy winter season here. Not living through that darkness every day is a God spend! Alcohol is truly a depressant of the highest degree!
Recovery is a very slow process, especially since I drank daily for thirty plus years. Sometimes I get so impatient. I thought that when I quit drinking, I would have boundless energy and all my problems would disappear. No, the problems are still there, that's just life. However, it is far better trying to deal with them sober.
Alive in the Superunknown
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: 30.47ºN, 98.15ºW
Posts: 1,460
Originally Posted by Saskia
Thumpa, the next weeks could potentially be tough for you but just remember that you can do this! Please don't hesitate to get other help if you need to in order to stay sober. You are worth it! It took me 2 1/2 years after joining SR to stay reliably sober. I had to do many things to help me along the way. I wish I had realized earlier that I needed to do that. I am grateful that I am sober today :-)
Groups aren't readily available around here with my work schedule being what it is, so SR is my stand-in at times. I'd like to get more support IRL. I'm looking into personal therapy, too.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: US East Coast
Posts: 14,285
I found that it was more than groups though they helped a lot. Sometimes a bunch of "little" things can help to keep us on track. I fought against trying a gratitude list because it seemed so obvious and limited. I did it anyway and kept an ongoing list for the first months. My goal was to add at least one thing every day. It was one of many things that helped me - the more I did it the more things I discovered i was grateful for :-)
Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Southern California
Posts: 690
Welcome Caramel.
Happy Sober Sunday Undies!
I just got home from a 3 hour eat/drink fest with some gf's. I passed on the mimosa's and got zero pressure! That was so nice not to have to justify. Pellegrino and a splash of OJ was the drink of the day !
The food was amazing!
Smiles
Happy Sober Sunday Undies!
I just got home from a 3 hour eat/drink fest with some gf's. I passed on the mimosa's and got zero pressure! That was so nice not to have to justify. Pellegrino and a splash of OJ was the drink of the day !
The food was amazing!
Smiles
Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Scotland
Posts: 77
I hope you are all well, haven't been online for a while.
I find I am thinking about alcohol maybe only once or twice a day now, I instantly remind myself I can't drink and continue with my sober life.
Love it!
Wishing you all the best!
I find I am thinking about alcohol maybe only once or twice a day now, I instantly remind myself I can't drink and continue with my sober life.
Love it!
Wishing you all the best!
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: US East Coast
Posts: 14,285
I'm noticing that it's rather typical for there to be a much longer than expected return to feelings of well-being. The good news is that our patience is rewarded eventually. Although I still commit to 24 hours at a time, I do feel strongly that I never want to go back to drinking.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: CA
Posts: 2,977
Hi undies.
Just checking in really quick. Tomorrow is my big test that I've been studying for for awhile. It's the same test that I didn't pass the first time around back in end of 2013. There's so much to know. Hopefully I'll pass but I'm not counting on it. Still been wanting to drink pretty bad.
I'll try and catch up on posts layer. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.
Just checking in really quick. Tomorrow is my big test that I've been studying for for awhile. It's the same test that I didn't pass the first time around back in end of 2013. There's so much to know. Hopefully I'll pass but I'm not counting on it. Still been wanting to drink pretty bad.
I'll try and catch up on posts layer. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Spain
Posts: 2,004
Hi guys! I haven't been able to check in this weekend. Just rushed off my feet.
Ñ Just taken 10mins to get up to speed.
I, like a lot of people here, am looking for answers and sometimes get frustrated when I don't get them fast enough. I guess that doesn't have that much to do with drinking though. I'm just in a better place to sort the wood from the trees.
Strange weekend. I'm normally OK in social situations these days but this weekend has been a little up hill. I missed enjoying a beer everyone else. It wasn't hard to say no but it was there. I met a guy from my old band and a lot of memories came up. Maybe that's why.
Anyway, glad to see some new faces and a couple of old face coming back. Nice to hear about a few interesting new projects and ideas. So glad I can come here.
Take care all!
A
Ñ Just taken 10mins to get up to speed.
I, like a lot of people here, am looking for answers and sometimes get frustrated when I don't get them fast enough. I guess that doesn't have that much to do with drinking though. I'm just in a better place to sort the wood from the trees.
Strange weekend. I'm normally OK in social situations these days but this weekend has been a little up hill. I missed enjoying a beer everyone else. It wasn't hard to say no but it was there. I met a guy from my old band and a lot of memories came up. Maybe that's why.
Anyway, glad to see some new faces and a couple of old face coming back. Nice to hear about a few interesting new projects and ideas. So glad I can come here.
Take care all!
A
Living and Loving Life at Last
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: gods own country
Posts: 12,164
Good luck for today BeFree X
Amp, yeah, most of my old memories, even if they didn't centre on alcohol certainly involved it. It takes time for newer sober memories with the same people to overlay the drinking ones. It does happen. That said even in completely different situations AV can ambush us. ( let's face it the wee booger is just waiting to trip us face fist into a puddle of *
(* insert past favourite alcoholic beverage here!)
I guess like so many of you I thought that drinking was my problem. Nope. Drinking was my 30 year solution to all of my problems. So when I stopped I expected life to be great. Nope. My pre-existing problems just became clearer and suddenly I had to learn new ways of dealing with them.
Life is life. We have waded through it without making too much effort to make it what we want, we have just looked at it through beer goggles.
Now, sobering up, we need to pick and chose what aspects of our lives we like and what we want to change. It take time in recovery to decide what we want, time to figure what changes we want to make, and longer still to make those changes. We need patience and determination if we are to life life on our own terms.
You all have already made the biggest change, confronting head on that which has held you back for so long.
Oh Caramel, you had to join us when I am trying to cut back on candy??? Haha good to see a new face.
Take a moment to be proud of where you are, a day a week a month or a year into sobriety is an achievement for an alcoholic, so pat yourself on the back, smile at yourself in the mirror and say "I can do anything I want."
Have a good, safe, sober week all
Amp, yeah, most of my old memories, even if they didn't centre on alcohol certainly involved it. It takes time for newer sober memories with the same people to overlay the drinking ones. It does happen. That said even in completely different situations AV can ambush us. ( let's face it the wee booger is just waiting to trip us face fist into a puddle of *
(* insert past favourite alcoholic beverage here!)
I guess like so many of you I thought that drinking was my problem. Nope. Drinking was my 30 year solution to all of my problems. So when I stopped I expected life to be great. Nope. My pre-existing problems just became clearer and suddenly I had to learn new ways of dealing with them.
Life is life. We have waded through it without making too much effort to make it what we want, we have just looked at it through beer goggles.
Now, sobering up, we need to pick and chose what aspects of our lives we like and what we want to change. It take time in recovery to decide what we want, time to figure what changes we want to make, and longer still to make those changes. We need patience and determination if we are to life life on our own terms.
You all have already made the biggest change, confronting head on that which has held you back for so long.
Oh Caramel, you had to join us when I am trying to cut back on candy??? Haha good to see a new face.
Take a moment to be proud of where you are, a day a week a month or a year into sobriety is an achievement for an alcoholic, so pat yourself on the back, smile at yourself in the mirror and say "I can do anything I want."
Have a good, safe, sober week all
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