dedubya chekin in
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Originally Posted by smacked 
Welcome back, what do you have added to your toolbox to keep you stuck on the sober side now? 
dub
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Originally Posted by Gypsy Feet
How could it seem harmless at this point?
d
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hey dub, two months is great. i've NEVER gone two months without drinking in 25 years, so i am impressed i think it's similar to quitting smoking, just gotta keep trying and one day it will "take." i gotta agree, the no-alcohol buzz is a pretty good one, so why do we screw it up? what is it about us addicts that can't stand feeling really good? we know that alcohol is not going to make us feel great. what feeling are we looking for? or are we looking for lack of feeling? i just don't know but maybe i'll find out one day.
i think it's similar to quitting smoking, just gotta keep trying and one day it will "take." i gotta agree, the no-alcohol buzz is a pretty good one, so why do we screw it up? what is it about us addicts that can't stand feeling really good? we know that alcohol is not going to make us feel great. what feeling are we looking for? or are we looking for lack of feeling? i just don't know but maybe i'll find out one day.
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Dub as I was reading this thread & you mentioned drinking again the first thought that popped into my head was "I bet he quit going to meetings.". Glad to hear you are going back to meetings.
Getting sober in reality is the easy part, especially when one goes through detox, I was medically detoxed and it was FAR easier then staying sober.
Driving home from detox it was every thing in my power and a whole lot of prayer just to drive home without grabbing a 12 pack for the ride.
In detox they told me that if I wanted a chance to stay sober I needed to go to at least 90 AA meetings in 90 days and get a sponsor.
The main reasons they suggested at least 90 AA meetings in 90 days is:
1. AA has an excellent track record with people who REALLY want to stay sober and GO to meetings.
2. The reason for the 90 days is because research shows that it takes about 90 days to break one habit and establish another, in this case the habit being broken is drinking and the one being established is going to AA meetings.
In AA people who relapse when they come back in seem to always share the same pattern as to what led to thier relapse.
1. They quit praying.
2. They quit applying the steps in thier daily lifes.
3. They quit calling thier sponsor and others in AA.
4. They cut back on meetings or quit coming entirely.
Of course for #2 to apply one would need to have had a sponsor and have taken the steps and that would also partially apply to #3 as well.
It takes a whole lot more then just not drinking to stay sober and to not feel the tug of a drink as a solution or a way to kill the time. If one is in AA it takes a whole lot more then a few meetings or in most cases a LOT of meetings to stay sober.
Meetings are a part of the fellowship of AA, they are not the program of AA, the program of AA is laid out in the Big Book and spoken of in meetings.
Dub you seem like one heck of a nice guy, please understand that if you are an alcoholic like me, there is far more to staying sober then just not drinking, but then again it sounds as though you do not have the just not drinking part taken care of yet.
Detox does not make one sober, it merely makes them a sober person who would damn sure like a drink.
Getting sober in reality is the easy part, especially when one goes through detox, I was medically detoxed and it was FAR easier then staying sober.
Driving home from detox it was every thing in my power and a whole lot of prayer just to drive home without grabbing a 12 pack for the ride.
In detox they told me that if I wanted a chance to stay sober I needed to go to at least 90 AA meetings in 90 days and get a sponsor.
The main reasons they suggested at least 90 AA meetings in 90 days is:
1. AA has an excellent track record with people who REALLY want to stay sober and GO to meetings.
2. The reason for the 90 days is because research shows that it takes about 90 days to break one habit and establish another, in this case the habit being broken is drinking and the one being established is going to AA meetings.
In AA people who relapse when they come back in seem to always share the same pattern as to what led to thier relapse.
1. They quit praying.
2. They quit applying the steps in thier daily lifes.
3. They quit calling thier sponsor and others in AA.
4. They cut back on meetings or quit coming entirely.
Of course for #2 to apply one would need to have had a sponsor and have taken the steps and that would also partially apply to #3 as well.
It takes a whole lot more then just not drinking to stay sober and to not feel the tug of a drink as a solution or a way to kill the time. If one is in AA it takes a whole lot more then a few meetings or in most cases a LOT of meetings to stay sober.
Meetings are a part of the fellowship of AA, they are not the program of AA, the program of AA is laid out in the Big Book and spoken of in meetings.
Dub you seem like one heck of a nice guy, please understand that if you are an alcoholic like me, there is far more to staying sober then just not drinking, but then again it sounds as though you do not have the just not drinking part taken care of yet.
Detox does not make one sober, it merely makes them a sober person who would damn sure like a drink.
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Originally Posted by dedubya
...to answer your question [what have you added], exercise, and common sense.
Wasn't exercise and common sense what you were doing before? Common sense tells you that you just had the best 2 months you've had in a long time when not drinking. Yet you're drinking again.
I've found that freedom from alcohol required a lot more than exercise and common sense. YMMV.
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Originally Posted by rider
hey dub, two months is great. i've NEVER gone two months without drinking in 25 years, so i am impressed i think it's similar to quitting smoking, just gotta keep trying and one day it will "take." i gotta agree, the no-alcohol buzz is a pretty good one, so why do we screw it up? what is it about us addicts that can't stand feeling really good? we know that alcohol is not going to make us feel great. what feeling are we looking for? or are we looking for lack of feeling? i just don't know but maybe i'll find out one day.
i think it's similar to quitting smoking, just gotta keep trying and one day it will "take." i gotta agree, the no-alcohol buzz is a pretty good one, so why do we screw it up? what is it about us addicts that can't stand feeling really good? we know that alcohol is not going to make us feel great. what feeling are we looking for? or are we looking for lack of feeling? i just don't know but maybe i'll find out one day.hope you all are good-
dub
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Originally Posted by rider
i think it's similar to quitting smoking
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