SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

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-   -   Day one, I suppose. (https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/newcomers-recovery/196388-day-one-i-suppose.html)

RVic54 03-09-2010 07:59 AM

Day one, I suppose.
 
I've always been a problem drinker; in high school drinking was a daily routine. Though, I eventually found my way into a long-term relationship that lasted several years. During that time I was able to control it, drinking once or twice a month at most, though usually drinking far more than I should when I did. The relationships over now and my high school days have seemed to return - drinking 6 or 7 days a week now for the last few months, usually with the intent of getting drunk. Fortunately, with the job that I was in, showing up hungover wasn't a major issue, but I'm moving up in the career world and I need to stop now before it does become a major issue. How have you guys handled the problem? How do you spend time with friends that drink? How do you keep your life going sober?

Anna 03-09-2010 09:26 AM

Hi and Welcome!

I'm glad you recognize that you have a problem and are seeking support.

I stayed away from people who were drinking for a long time. I couldn't handle the stress of being around alcohol for a long time when I stopped drinking. Now, we never keep alcohol in the house and it's great.

My life sober is a million times better than when I was drinking. When I was drinking I became focused on drinking and let everything else slip away.

You will find lots of support here!

Horselover 03-09-2010 10:34 AM

Congratulations on wanting to become sober. I would say a good start for you is to make a list of the reasons why you want to give up drinking. Its best to make it at the start of your sobriety then wait. This is just a technique I had used and it helped me a lot in the beginning.

Now to answer your questions -

How have you guys handled the problem? I handled the quitting by coming to SR every day and pledging not to drink for the next 24 hours no matter what. I took that promise very seriously and I still do the same thing. It helped me to get sober enough that I could begin to deal with the whys of the alcoholism and how I got there issues.

How do you spend time with friends that drink? In the first months of not drinking I would just opt out of situations where there would be alcohol. I eventually came to a point where I could then put myself in those situations without a problem, but at first I either asked them not to drink around me and if that wasn't possible I would just meet them for coffee at another time. Movies are also things I did with a friend of mine and that did not lead to a night that would revolve around alcohol either. I tried to find activities that we could do sober and it would require that you NOT drink. This was in the beginning and now if the party doesn't center on the drinking I will attend. If its all about getting trashed then I stay home.

How do you keep your life going sober? I keep my life sober by remembering where I came from. I don't embellish the past, but I try to remember it the way it was. I sometimes ask my husband to help me out here or my mom. I have a journal that I kept while I was drinking and man does that journal show how out of the scene of life I was. It is something I'll read if I start thinking addictly - not so bad, under control, blah blah blah.

I come to SR or try to come every day and read and try my hardest to post. I like to post my gratitude every day and that no quit pledge I told you about. I also love to come to this section because I gain so much from EVERYone and I try to give back as much as I can.

I volunteer when I can at my son's school. I also help my friend out that runs a rescue. I try to stay busy and outside of my ego for the most part. My ego gets me into trouble.

Any ways, I hoped that helped in someway and that is how just one SR member is going about it. Day to day and a promise not to drink no matter what happens. :)

Luckyv2 03-09-2010 10:58 AM

First off welcome to SR (Sober Recovery) and you are the most important person here! You have quite a situation with alcohol as do most of us.

You asked how to be around people that are drinking...I don't hang around people that are not on the same journey as I am intending to do. The reason for that is because I've been down this road so many times my friend, and if I start hanging around the people that I used to use with, I will be drinking before I even know it and than me, a junkie that I am, will be slamming dope and probably wouldn't even realize what I was doing. See the what we have is a situation, disease, whatever you want to establish it as, will continue to get worse even when we are not using.

I let go of over 25 months of sobriety, and it has been heck getting back. It only took that one beer, I even took a picture of it, I don't remember much but I even taped a video that is on youtube asking some girls a few questions just playing with a new camera and I don't remember doing that, behind there are 4 Budweiser beer bottles stacked up in a pyramid



so as you can see it never gets better. I don't have a lot of support in my journey anymore I have pretty much screwed all of that up also on my years since I joined here. But just hang in there my friend! It can be done.

least 03-10-2010 05:01 AM

I wake up every morning and make a promise to myself that I'm not going to drink today. Then at bedtime I give thanks for staying sober. As to old drinking friends, I always drank at home alone so I don't have that problem. Just have to keep a sharp memory of how bad my last detox was and how I don't ever want to put myself thru that hell again.

Living sober makes life so much simpler, not easier, but simpler. No hiding, lying ,regrets, and no more waking up sick as a dog. :scoregood


Welcome to SR! I'm glad you're here!:)


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