Hardest Day
 

What do people think was the hardest day or days for them in their sobriety?

The first weeks were the hardest.

I never had the 'pink cloud' thing. I had been running from myself for so long, it was SO hard to stop, look, and accept myself.

Probably those early day? Don't know.

And that is so hard to tell a newbie, that it IS hard.....but if you hang in there, it CAN and WILL get better. But when you're going through the hell of detox, it's hard to think straight....let alone think at all.

I just realized I didn't even come close to answering the original question.

Detox by far was the worst. The first 5 days sucked.

Detox for me too.

D

Day 1 is always the hardest for me :(

For me, day 1 was by far the most difficult because I was very hungover and I had to deal with it on my own rather than start drinking to get rid of the headache. I had to count the minutes until sleep came.

Day 1 was also extremely difficult because that voice in your head tells you that you have nothing to lose. Why should today be day 1 when tomorrow can be day 1 just as easily? Or the day after that?

Any day can be a day 1 but day 2 felt like a rare treasure. Not that day 2, 3, and beyond were not difficult, but they felt like they had some substance, like I had already accomplished something .

Good question!

Detox and the first 11 months were the absolute hardest for me. After that being dry drunk at different times throughout the later years as life dished up challenges that i dishonestly faced because my deeper alcoholism fogged life issues and so for me those times became very tough, not about drinking alcohol but about changing and living sober in those times. None are so blind as those who will not see, as the saying goes, and that was the selfish deluded alcoholic me. Just not drinking is not enough to live a sober life, as we know, and being dry drunk is a horrible place to find ourselves at anytime, at least for me. Those years have now passed. Progression and not perfection one day at a time. :)

RR

The hardest part for me was admitting to myself that sobriety wasn't an option. I couldn't keep living that way. Admitting to myself and my family that my drinking was out of control was definitely the hardest part for me. Don't know if that counts, but it was definitely the hardest thing to deal with thus far.

I actually had an easy detox last year - last detox for me!

ANXIETY, which got me into that mess, during the first week(s) was a struggle.

Detox anxiety and the shakes.

The first few weeks were horrible, I had the shakes so bad I would go to meetings get a cup of coffee and spill half of the cup on the floor.

TB

Never went to a formal Detox, probably should have a whole lot of times. Haven't cared much about my life for quite a while which is probably why I'm trying to kill myself slowly with Alcohol even though I didn't know it. Would have been WAY easier if I was dead 20 years ago... but a voice inside me and a higher power kept me alive I guess. I now have a 5 year old son... if I didn't, I'd surely be dead. Now I have to find a way to live, sover, I need to live but this addiction to alcohol has got a hold on me big time. A BIG struggle, I am trying but am not optomistic. The stats just straightup suck. Sorry, just trying to keep it Real.

What is the "pink cloud" you refer to, if it's what I think it means, I think I had that for the first 15 days, and now it's turning a little grey.

For me I think the first couple of months were the hardest...being back in my own skin...sober felt strange the first while!!!

Physically/Mentally: Days 123, the shakies, the sweats and most of all the ANXIETY :c020:

Ugggh. No fun. After detox, I would say about day 7...the weekend.

Day 33: Can't complain *today anyway!*

We'll see what happens from now on.

The hardest days for me have been having friends die
needlessly because they kept drnking.....:sad:

28 lost their lives to alcoholism related causes
since I found recovery.

Day 2. Day 1 was easier as I was massively hungover and having panic attacks - and thought best to stop anyway. Day 2 I was feeling better and faced with no end-of-day drink.

Thanks for all of your experiences.

Today is Day 7 and for me I think Day 2 has been the worst–Day 1, I felt like s*** physically but when I'm hungover I tend to be a bit "whatever" about things so I think it didn't really sink in until Day 2.

It's the start of a holiday weekend here. I'll be doing social things but not with heavy drinkers or anything. Going to see my parents tomorrow (both are normal drinkers–never had a problem but will have a bottle of wine with dinner) I don't think they have ever seen me turn down a drink! I'm not going to get into details with them but I've asked my BF not to drink when we visit them either. I just don't think I can deal with my parents and BF all having wine while I stick to water. Eventually, sure but not yet.

Hope everyone's "today" is going well :)

When I think of what was rough after quitting, I don't remember so much the first couple of weeks of detoxing or self-debate in the head. I didn't have a very difficult mental or physical experience, so I was fortunate. What comes to mind is more the idea of lacking mental acuity or the sensitivity (self-doubt, inertia, repeated questions about depression, etc), which came over me a good couple of months after quitting. From what I have learned about PAWS, I assume it has been a case of that. If I fit into the profile of those who experience it strongest in the 3 to 6 months post-drinking, then that would make sense. I still feel it, but I am getting closer to 8 months, so hopefully I am still heading upward from it. I think maintaining habits I formed for a sense of pride and activeness has been a necessity for me. That includes everything from to-do lists to cleaning, exercise, journaling, and so on. It helps with a positive outlook. Another thing that helps is saying to myself that this is with me for life, and it's a condition to live with, like other manageable health problems. When I get through yet another day of it, that reminds me I can do it. Being an alcoholic that no longer drinks is for me all about understanding the right to live and wanting to do.

The first three days so far have felt like three months. I can't wait till I go to bed so I can wake up sober.