Staying sober = worth it...
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 2,013
Staying sober = worth it...
‘Social’ drinkers always did and continue to baffle me! I have never and will never see the point in drinking a glass of wine or a couple of beers. What's the point? I drank to get wasted and I crave more booze once it's in my system. Once it's out of my system I crave the feeling/experience that taking alcohol into my system gave me -whether I had a good or bad experience, it makes no difference. That's how I'm made plain and simple; I'm an alcoholic and I'm grateful I accept that fact.
Sure there are many who drink to excess, but they can also choose to stop drinking after a meal or leave the pub after 4 pints. They aren't emotionally attached to alcohol the way that I was. They aren't obsessed by it the way that I was. It doesn't become the only thing that can bring 'happiness' for them, the way it was for me. They don't crave it after they drink it the way I did. It's very interesting watching how other's drink and it is clear as daylight that I'm very different when it came to alcohol, the effect it had on me, and my relationship with it.
It's fantastic that it is possible to live a life where there is no desire for alcohol and where the thing that dominates my thoughts nowadays is happiness. I got sober to be happy and not miserable. I always said that if I'm sober and happy about it then I'm doing something right! Sure, there are day's where I'm feeling not quite right but I can recognise that and address it. Staying sober is hard work and I guess everything has to change, especially the way that you think about yourslef, other people and life.
I love the feelings I experience in my recovery and its allowed me to experience true happiness again. I have experienced so many wonderful positive experiences, feelings, memories.
Staying sober is more than worth it and though it takes time and some inevitable rough patches, the benefits are more than worth it and the happiness that can be gained is fantastic, so much better than the misery of going back to drink.
Peace
Sure there are many who drink to excess, but they can also choose to stop drinking after a meal or leave the pub after 4 pints. They aren't emotionally attached to alcohol the way that I was. They aren't obsessed by it the way that I was. It doesn't become the only thing that can bring 'happiness' for them, the way it was for me. They don't crave it after they drink it the way I did. It's very interesting watching how other's drink and it is clear as daylight that I'm very different when it came to alcohol, the effect it had on me, and my relationship with it.
It's fantastic that it is possible to live a life where there is no desire for alcohol and where the thing that dominates my thoughts nowadays is happiness. I got sober to be happy and not miserable. I always said that if I'm sober and happy about it then I'm doing something right! Sure, there are day's where I'm feeling not quite right but I can recognise that and address it. Staying sober is hard work and I guess everything has to change, especially the way that you think about yourslef, other people and life.
I love the feelings I experience in my recovery and its allowed me to experience true happiness again. I have experienced so many wonderful positive experiences, feelings, memories.
Staying sober is more than worth it and though it takes time and some inevitable rough patches, the benefits are more than worth it and the happiness that can be gained is fantastic, so much better than the misery of going back to drink.
Peace
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 5,678
I never noticed 'social drinkers' when I was drinking, I always just concentrated on who was keeping up with me. It is very odd watching them now though, casually sipping drinks with no seeming desperation to move on to the next one. Interesting. It took me a lot of effort to try and appear that way but I am not sure I ever pulled it off.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 87
Thank you, I'm in the middle of a home detox and even after six day I'm feeling better and more positive but reading your post has reinforced everything I'm hoping to achieve. There is a better life without drink and I'm looking to being a part of it.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 6
"I have never and will never see the point in drinking a glass of wine or a couple of beers. What's the point? I drank to get wasted and I crave more booze once it's in my system." That was My way of thinking.. I've decided to quit. Just got out of jail yesterday for my 2nd DUI, can you provide tips on what you're doing to stay sober. Thx
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 2,013
K37 - I gained the spiritual awakening/psychic change that it talks about in the book Alcoholics Anonymous as being a requirement to recover from alcoholism. I used AA, SR, counselling to achieve this. I believe that it was my thinking that ultimately would take me back to a drink, so that had to change. This startegy provided that changed thinking for me.
Life for me isn't about staying sober now, apart from on this forum I never really talk/think about drinking per se, rather I merely live to keep a feeling of peace of mind/serenity/happiness, as I enjoy it. If I lose this temporarily I look at ways of regaining it again and this is related to what I learned in my recovery and I can use the tools.
Ultimately if you're alcoholic then do what you have to do not to take that first drink, then work on recovering so that you don't need/want to drink anymore. It takes time and work but it's worth it.
Peace
Life for me isn't about staying sober now, apart from on this forum I never really talk/think about drinking per se, rather I merely live to keep a feeling of peace of mind/serenity/happiness, as I enjoy it. If I lose this temporarily I look at ways of regaining it again and this is related to what I learned in my recovery and I can use the tools.
Ultimately if you're alcoholic then do what you have to do not to take that first drink, then work on recovering so that you don't need/want to drink anymore. It takes time and work but it's worth it.
Peace
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Between Meetings
Posts: 8,997
Originally Posted by DFU 
Just think how baffling it must have been for the social drinker to try to figure out why we couldn't quit after one drink 
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