Words of Encouragement for Newcomers
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Sask
Posts: 117
Words of Encouragement for Newcomers
Everyone, today is day 100 without drinking for me, and I felt the need again to give back.
Here's is what I DON"T miss:
Feeling sick all day, every day.
Feeling depressed, all day, every day.
Watching the clock, for the liquor store to open, then being the first one there.
Being in trouble at work.
Losing relationships with family and friends.
Having an overwhelming sense of worthlessness and guilt, and shame.
Ulcers
Headaches
Empty bank account.
Losing the respect of everyone around me.
...........well, you all know the rest, no point in belabouring it.
HERE IS my life now!
Happy.
Always feel good.
Lifting weights and getting in shape.
Bursting with energy.
OVERWHELMING sense of pride, self-worth and confidence.
LOOKING JACKED!
Off anti-depressants
No more stomach problems
The future looks so bright for me, it is beyond belief.
Feel like I can do or be anything I want, now that I have beat the Demon.
Honestly, I just can't belive how good life is for me now. Alcohol hardly ever crosses my mind anymore. I live alone, so my only "policeman?regulator" of behaviour is ME. Yet, when I DO think of alcohol, I think off all IT CAUSED ME TO LOSE and what I have now and am gaining back. They shouldn't call it alcohol, they should call it "MISERY"
This can be yours. Each and everyone of you. Join AA. If it isn't for you, try something else, but don't give up!! I did it on my own, through education, exercise and nutrition, and THIS BOARD!!
Get the first week out of the way, and it gets much easier. After the first three months, your whole lifestyle has changed (IF you change it) and alcohol won't be a priority. I PROMISE you................life can be soooooo good for you.........you have just forgotten how good it can be. Get that back! You DESERVE it.
I wish you all the best.
Stay Strong.
Your friend,
Seeking
Here's is what I DON"T miss:
Feeling sick all day, every day.
Feeling depressed, all day, every day.
Watching the clock, for the liquor store to open, then being the first one there.
Being in trouble at work.
Losing relationships with family and friends.
Having an overwhelming sense of worthlessness and guilt, and shame.
Ulcers
Headaches
Empty bank account.
Losing the respect of everyone around me.
...........well, you all know the rest, no point in belabouring it.
HERE IS my life now!
Happy.
Always feel good.
Lifting weights and getting in shape.
Bursting with energy.
OVERWHELMING sense of pride, self-worth and confidence.
LOOKING JACKED!
Off anti-depressants
No more stomach problems
The future looks so bright for me, it is beyond belief.
Feel like I can do or be anything I want, now that I have beat the Demon.
Honestly, I just can't belive how good life is for me now. Alcohol hardly ever crosses my mind anymore. I live alone, so my only "policeman?regulator" of behaviour is ME. Yet, when I DO think of alcohol, I think off all IT CAUSED ME TO LOSE and what I have now and am gaining back. They shouldn't call it alcohol, they should call it "MISERY"
This can be yours. Each and everyone of you. Join AA. If it isn't for you, try something else, but don't give up!! I did it on my own, through education, exercise and nutrition, and THIS BOARD!!
Get the first week out of the way, and it gets much easier. After the first three months, your whole lifestyle has changed (IF you change it) and alcohol won't be a priority. I PROMISE you................life can be soooooo good for you.........you have just forgotten how good it can be. Get that back! You DESERVE it.
I wish you all the best.
Stay Strong.
Your friend,
Seeking
7 - and thanks for the inspiration! 
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Sask
Posts: 117
Thanks guys................I just want SOOOO badly for others to see how great their life can be without alcohol. Make that first week, everyone, and it gets easier. You feel better. You look better. And most importantly........there begins to be hope. You realize......I made it a week! I've never made it a week before! Optimism, and hope blooms and that is a powerful motivator. It is hard to get excited about the future when you are in "the trap". But man, once you are out?? The whole world opens up to you.
Stay strong.
Stay strong.
Owner of a strange glitch.
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: midsouth
Posts: 2,331
Yes! That's what I needed to hear.
More specifics. I know, I shouldn't be like this, but I can't help but skip over a lot of the same words I keep hearing. "It gets better"--but how? Is it physical, mental, emotional, what changes. I know each person is different, and the outcome is going to be different, but sometimes I think a lot of the "better" applies to others... can't help it, it was the way I was raised. I try not to think of others as being entitled to happiness, but I notice it a lot in my thoughts as I read through some of these, especially since a lot of them are very broadly worded.
So specifics, and ones that could apply to me, is VERY useful. Thank you, thank you, and thank you, and congrats on the 100 days. And you're so right about the week...
More specifics. I know, I shouldn't be like this, but I can't help but skip over a lot of the same words I keep hearing. "It gets better"--but how? Is it physical, mental, emotional, what changes. I know each person is different, and the outcome is going to be different, but sometimes I think a lot of the "better" applies to others... can't help it, it was the way I was raised. I try not to think of others as being entitled to happiness, but I notice it a lot in my thoughts as I read through some of these, especially since a lot of them are very broadly worded.
So specifics, and ones that could apply to me, is VERY useful. Thank you, thank you, and thank you, and congrats on the 100 days. And you're so right about the week...
Good going! Follow Directions!
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Fredericksburg, Va.
Posts: 9,730
thirtybubbba seeking said:
Thirtybubba you ask:
I can not answer for Seeking, but since seeking and I are on the same basic sobriety path AA, if you and of course seeking do not mind I will answer you with my experience as to what changed for me.
Phsyically just by not drinking long enough my eyes cleared up, my liver quit hurting, the swelling of my liver went down, my liver enzymes returned to normal, my skin returned to a normal color and became far healthier looking, my bowel movements changed for the better, I actually had color to my urine and I did not urinate all the time.
Mentally my thinking kept improving for over a year, as I took the steps & applied them daily, I felt better and better about myself and who I was slowly becoming, I became more in tune with a Power greater then myself, I have become spiritual, not like a monk per say, but in tune with the world around me. Thanks to taking the steps and applying them the obsession to drink has been lifted. I am comfortable in my own skin, I like myself for who I am today knowing that I still have much to work on yet.
Emotionally...... well my emotions have leveled out dramatically, taking and applying the steps have allowed me to be far less emotinal because I no longer let things build up inside of me, when a problem arises I have tools now that aide me in workiing through problems rather then worrying about problems I deal with problems, I also have a great deal of support and experience to draw upon for other people in the fellowship, people who have dealt with far more problems sober and are more then happy to help where they can.
It does get better, everything gets better!
It takes work for things to get better, it is far more then just a simple matter of not drinking one day at a time, it takes working daily on me becoming a better person, on doing the next right thing, maintaining a connection with a HP that helps to guide me through tough stuff, many times that is passed on to me at meetings by folks who have walked through the same type of problem and stayed sober.
For me it did not get better alone, we got better and being part of we I get better.
For me the key to long term happy sobriety had to do with me finding another solution to life that did not involve drinking, I have found that solution in the program & fellowship of AA.
This can be yours. Each and everyone of you. Join AA. If it isn't for you, try something else, but don't give up!! I did it on my own, through education, exercise and nutrition, and THIS BOARD!!
"It gets better"--but how? Is it physical, mental, emotional, what changes.
Phsyically just by not drinking long enough my eyes cleared up, my liver quit hurting, the swelling of my liver went down, my liver enzymes returned to normal, my skin returned to a normal color and became far healthier looking, my bowel movements changed for the better, I actually had color to my urine and I did not urinate all the time.
Mentally my thinking kept improving for over a year, as I took the steps & applied them daily, I felt better and better about myself and who I was slowly becoming, I became more in tune with a Power greater then myself, I have become spiritual, not like a monk per say, but in tune with the world around me. Thanks to taking the steps and applying them the obsession to drink has been lifted. I am comfortable in my own skin, I like myself for who I am today knowing that I still have much to work on yet.
Emotionally...... well my emotions have leveled out dramatically, taking and applying the steps have allowed me to be far less emotinal because I no longer let things build up inside of me, when a problem arises I have tools now that aide me in workiing through problems rather then worrying about problems I deal with problems, I also have a great deal of support and experience to draw upon for other people in the fellowship, people who have dealt with far more problems sober and are more then happy to help where they can.
It does get better, everything gets better!
It takes work for things to get better, it is far more then just a simple matter of not drinking one day at a time, it takes working daily on me becoming a better person, on doing the next right thing, maintaining a connection with a HP that helps to guide me through tough stuff, many times that is passed on to me at meetings by folks who have walked through the same type of problem and stayed sober.
For me it did not get better alone, we got better and being part of we I get better.
For me the key to long term happy sobriety had to do with me finding another solution to life that did not involve drinking, I have found that solution in the program & fellowship of AA.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 22
Great post! Thank you so much! I just counted and it'll be Jan. 6th for day 100. I can't wait! Can't wait for liver to totally lose its swelling. Can't wait for it all. Everything is improving each day right now, but I can't wait to be "normal" again and for this to just be a horrible memory that I will probably write about to help others.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 4,682
Originally Posted by thirtybubba 
Yes! That's what I needed to hear.
More specifics. I know, I shouldn't be like this, but I can't help but skip over a lot of the same words I keep hearing. "It gets better"--but how? Is it physical, mental, emotional, what changes. I know each person is different, and the outcome is going to be different, but sometimes I think a lot of the "better" applies to others... can't help it, it was the way I was raised. I try not to think of others as being entitled to happiness, but I notice it a lot in my thoughts as I read through some of these, especially since a lot of them are very broadly worded.
So specifics, and ones that could apply to me, is VERY useful. Thank you, thank you, and thank you, and congrats on the 100 days. And you're so right about the week...
More specifics. I know, I shouldn't be like this, but I can't help but skip over a lot of the same words I keep hearing. "It gets better"--but how? Is it physical, mental, emotional, what changes. I know each person is different, and the outcome is going to be different, but sometimes I think a lot of the "better" applies to others... can't help it, it was the way I was raised. I try not to think of others as being entitled to happiness, but I notice it a lot in my thoughts as I read through some of these, especially since a lot of them are very broadly worded.
So specifics, and ones that could apply to me, is VERY useful. Thank you, thank you, and thank you, and congrats on the 100 days. And you're so right about the week...
If you go to AA, get a sponsor and work the steps to the best of your ability and continue to work them on a daily basis you will literally become much less insane...this means that you will look back at the way you are thinking and the decisions you are making at the moment and realise how insane you were because you will know yourself better and you will be able to start a new life with a blank sheet of papaer instead of carrying around all the **** from the past. This means that you will stop making the same mistakes as before and actually start learning from the past instead of going round and round in circles for the next 10 years with the only difference, potentially, being people, places and things.
It will also mean that the following will come true for you:
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience will benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic security will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations that used to baffle us. We will suddenly realise that God (HP) is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves - from Big Book 4th edition. (spelling mistakes added by me, if any;-))
Some people do what is called 2 stepping, 1 and 12, some people get to step 4ish in rehab and then stop and just attend meetings...some people just attend meetings...that is down to them but if you want the best life for yourself you will do what i highlighted above.
There are a lot of other things that seem to happen, e.g. you start losing the 'i have to do this' way of thinking about your life and start replacing it with 'i want to do this' as you start to learn to trust yourself again...loads more other stuff but that's the jist of it, as specific as i can be:-)
live to ride ride to live
Join Date: May 2007
Location: New England
Posts: 1,390
I think the hard part is choosing to stay sober and get healthy...life is much better for me almost a year after I choose to work at being and living healthy...I still have lots to work on but I couldn't do that while I was using...Now I can choose to be and have a good life...
great job on 100 days
keep it in the moment
and
have some fun
great job on 100 days
keep it in the moment
and
have some fun
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