What is alcohol taking away from you?
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: dayton, oh
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What is alcohol taking away from you?
I am going to a SMART meeting I used to frequent in my early days of sobriety. The moderator asked this question a lot. I hope to see some people I know and some new people too.
People say you have to hit bottom but everybody's bottom is different. I would suggest Asking yourself, what is alcohol taking away from you? and say this is your bottom. Don't wait for another bottom because whatever you have lost already is too much.
SH
People say you have to hit bottom but everybody's bottom is different. I would suggest Asking yourself, what is alcohol taking away from you? and say this is your bottom. Don't wait for another bottom because whatever you have lost already is too much.
SH
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New England
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I like this way of thinking of it. Its better than thinking of hitting bottom which implies being destitute. Alcohol is no longer taking anything from me and wont ever take anything from me again:-) thanks for the reminder:-)
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Location: PA and Florida
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What a great question stanleyhouse. I have written the bad things that drinking has caused in my life down, and i carry that with me...as well as all that i have to be thankful for...but i will add this spin, as well as what i can regain and beyond by not drinking.
I wish that i had the confidence that LaFemme has by saying alcohol will never interfere in her life again. I did at one time, for many years, when i was sober for 11 years. I guess i took my sober and wonderful life for granted....a mistake i hope to not repeat again when living sober gets easy again...and it will.
Carlos
I wish that i had the confidence that LaFemme has by saying alcohol will never interfere in her life again. I did at one time, for many years, when i was sober for 11 years. I guess i took my sober and wonderful life for granted....a mistake i hope to not repeat again when living sober gets easy again...and it will.
Carlos
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Another good point is...Rock bottom refers to an emotional and spiritual (e.g. the way you are living) bottom...it does not imply destitution or any materialistic loss whatsoever...i know plenty of very rich recovered alcoholics...if you make 250,000 a year how much of that can you drink anyway?! Also ive never, yet, met an unemployed alcoholic even ones that drink a litre bottle of spirits a day...so the park bench and brown paper bag are a "myth" too, there are alcoholics who end up living like that butive never met any...yet:-)
Its time for bed
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It took my trust, respect, confidence, motivation, health, looks (not picture perfect by any means but it certainly made me older and bloated). Somehow my marriage and finances survived!
Why risk it?
Why risk it?
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It doesn't take anything away from me anymore, but in a different way it still takes something away because there are always consequences.
That last word is very important and one that too many of us forget about. It would be great if when the time comes and we stop that we suddenly live in a world of rainbows, marshmellows, and unicorns prancing around.
The consequenses, to me, are what makes recovery sometimes difficult. Now that we stop and begin to recover - to see things clearly - we not only have to make the efforts to keep our side of the street clean at all times, but also engage and accept all the consequenses from our past drinking.
Hitting the bottom is one thing, digging yourself out and overcoming is quite another. It's when those feelings of things just won't get better and losing hope hits that we are tempted to turn back to the bottle and numb the pain. Losing sight of reality - hiding from the consequenses and then creating more garbage.
It took what it could from me - I was robbed blind.
That last word is very important and one that too many of us forget about. It would be great if when the time comes and we stop that we suddenly live in a world of rainbows, marshmellows, and unicorns prancing around.
The consequenses, to me, are what makes recovery sometimes difficult. Now that we stop and begin to recover - to see things clearly - we not only have to make the efforts to keep our side of the street clean at all times, but also engage and accept all the consequenses from our past drinking.
Hitting the bottom is one thing, digging yourself out and overcoming is quite another. It's when those feelings of things just won't get better and losing hope hits that we are tempted to turn back to the bottle and numb the pain. Losing sight of reality - hiding from the consequenses and then creating more garbage.
It took what it could from me - I was robbed blind.
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Join Date: Oct 2010
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I like this question a lot. I think in my recovery I've been focusing too much on what my alcoholism and recovery are taking away from me - I'll always have the disease, but I don't always have to have the alcohol. I keep focusing on all the time I'm putting into recovery. The thing is in sobriety I'm giving up a lot- but alcohol has taken so much more from me. In recovery you gain back the control alcohol took away. You gain back your self worth.
I can't let myself forget everything it took from me. It took away my confidence and ability to function like a healthy human being. It took away my ability to feel all the emotions. It took me away from my friends and family and made me want to suffer alone. I've read that a lot of people said they didn't have good times in the end of their drinking and it was all bad. I've been thinking it wasn't that way for me, that it wasn't progressively going to only bad times but it was. I kept thinking that the only time alcohol affected me was when I was drinking - but my drinking affected me even when I wasn't drinking. It changed the way I thought all the time, even when I wasn't actually drunk. It made situations seem much more impossible to get through than they were. I couldn't even deal with small everyday inconveniences. I wouldn't call someone back for days because I couldn't handle talking on the phone. I had no idea that was because I am an alcoholic, I thought I was just antisocial. I avoided taking responsibility for my actions all the time. If I was late to school or work it was something that happened to me - it couldn't have possibly been because I left late and didn't plan enough time.
Thanks for this question.
I can't let myself forget everything it took from me. It took away my confidence and ability to function like a healthy human being. It took away my ability to feel all the emotions. It took me away from my friends and family and made me want to suffer alone. I've read that a lot of people said they didn't have good times in the end of their drinking and it was all bad. I've been thinking it wasn't that way for me, that it wasn't progressively going to only bad times but it was. I kept thinking that the only time alcohol affected me was when I was drinking - but my drinking affected me even when I wasn't drinking. It changed the way I thought all the time, even when I wasn't actually drunk. It made situations seem much more impossible to get through than they were. I couldn't even deal with small everyday inconveniences. I wouldn't call someone back for days because I couldn't handle talking on the phone. I had no idea that was because I am an alcoholic, I thought I was just antisocial. I avoided taking responsibility for my actions all the time. If I was late to school or work it was something that happened to me - it couldn't have possibly been because I left late and didn't plan enough time.
Thanks for this question.
Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Oxnard (The Nard), CA, USA.
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Alcohol took away my ability to direct my life in a manner that would bring me serenity. With alcohol in the drivers seat my life was run ragged. Today I can be free to choose the direction I want my life to go in. And I like the road that I'm on.
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Join Date: Jul 2010
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Hmm, this is not the best question for me. I can't afford to look back at this stage. It might have taken everything and very nearly did.
Alcohol will not take anything from me today as I will not touch a drop. Tomorrow will be the same. This simple approach will do for now and for that I am grateful.
Alcohol will not take anything from me today as I will not touch a drop. Tomorrow will be the same. This simple approach will do for now and for that I am grateful.
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Minnesota
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51 days ago alcohol was controlling my thoughts, my actions, my personality, my friendships, my marriage, my life.. All of which were failing miserably, alcohol was controlling every aspect of my life. Thank god, alcohol is NO longer in the drivers seat
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: dayton, oh
Posts: 487
Before recovery the list was written according to my ego. I couldn't leave the house or sometimes the bed. I was so ashamed of the way I smelled and spoke I couldn't get close to people. My family didn't speak to me. My brain didn't function enough to read or watch television.
Recovery has taught me that what alcohol had taken away from me was my soul. I can sit in silence and it's not dark when I talk to God. I have found my true self.
Thank you for replying to my thread. Stories of hope and stories of truth help everyone.
SH
Recovery has taught me that what alcohol had taken away from me was my soul. I can sit in silence and it's not dark when I talk to God. I have found my true self.
Thank you for replying to my thread. Stories of hope and stories of truth help everyone.
SH
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