Sobriety = Lifestyle Choice
 

There can be many theories/programmes/philosophies about getting and staying sober but what it boils down to fundamentally is that sobriety has to be thought of as a lifestyle choice. Just like getting f*cked up is a lifestyle choice.

For me this is why staying sober is a very difficult task at any age. There will never be the 'right' time to get sober. You have to take hold of the reins and choose the path and absolutely stick to it like glue.

This means that very difficult decisions will have to be made and sacricfices will have to be made. There are sacrifices to be made regardless of what people already with sobriety will tell you. You can only gain the clarity of seeing the choices as not being sacrifices once you have some decent length of sobriety under your belt.

The point of this post is that if you want to stand any chance of staying sober then you have to embrace the sober lifestyle as a way of life. This goes so much deeper than merely the act of not drinking. This means changing who you can hang around with, this may well mean much more time spent alone with yourself to keep away from slippery people/characters.

This means staying out of places where you used to drink and drug and where others are participating in this behaviour. This also means making sure that you don't romanticise drinking/drugs when talking to non-alcoholics/addicts as they simply are not like you.

This means total acceptance that you're an alcoholic/addict so drinking/drugging is not even an option 'just for today'. It means changing your recreational behaviours and downtime activities to accomodate total sobriety away from any temptations or triggers.

So it is not an easy task and I guess it's why so many people fail. But it is absolutely worth it and the peace, serenity and sense of clarity gained from knowing with absolute certainty that you have chosen and are living the right lifestyle choice for yourself, is priceless.

Grateful to be a recovering alcoholic.

Peace x

Good Post Neo.. Strange That it Got Be Normal To Drink 1 and a Half Fifths of Whiskey on a Average Drinking Day.. i Look Back Now and i Can Hardly Believe That i Drank Like That!

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I find this to be so true. In early sobriety I looked at it as sacrificing my ability to numb my feelings, now I see it as being able to live life as it's given to me, without having the need to dull my feelings.

At this point I'd see drinking as sacrificing my wonderful new sober life - and for what? A few hours of being numb and then feeling sick and full of regret the next day.:( I'm enjoying my sober life too much to throw it away for the temporary 'relief' of drinking. I don't always like how I'm feeling, but recognize that they are just feelings and will pass.

Sobriety is teaching me patience, among other things, and I'm glad to be a student of Life once again.;)

Neo! You have come so far. It has truly been inspiring to watch you grow into your sobriety. Awesome thread for a Sunday Morning!

Thank-you for the wonderful post!!!! so true!!!

Great post
I really relate to, and agree with, what you said.
I was going to quote the same line that Least quoted but she beat me to it and did a fine job on it too. Least, I love what you said about looking at drinking as the sacrifice. That is so true and that does take some sober time to get to that realization.

So let me take this one....
I do have to catch myself sometimes on that one when people are talking about having a drink. They are different from me if they can have a drink and that's all it is - just a drink, or two. What I don't romanticize about is people getting drunk or people living the alcoholic lifestyle. I don't romanticize that any more than I would romanticize being homeless. Instead I feel sympathy and a level of understanding for them. Addiction and homelessness are similar beyond the obvious connection of how often the former lead to the later. They're similar in that you can help a person in those conditions largely only to the extent that they want to be helped and that they embrace the help.

Wow! Awesome post. Yes, sobriety is a new way of living -- but it is so great. Thanks!