One thing about sobering up...
 

The flood of memories come back before you fell... And remembering who you once were and the respect you once garnished.... Is saddening over the many years of use losing a whole life... I used to have many friends who would do anything... Anything for me and they have... Until they realized I was just using them to feed my addictions.. I was once a proud man.... I want to get there again....

I had a similar history, Djfordz. You can get there again - I just about have. The real you was put on hold for awhile, but it sounds like he's back.

Thanks heavyn... Your very right... I was on hold... Thanks :)

Yes, it's hard. I have much of three years of my life that I lost to drinking and it's hard to know that's simply gone. As Hevyn said, you can get back to being the person you were and that you want to be. Just keep moving forward.

On the other side of the coin, I've accomplished more in 6 years than I did in the 20 drunken years before...

life goes on Djfordz:)

D

Yes it does.. I am looking forward to the future... More so now than I ever have before... Thanks everyone.

It is a miracle, really, but sobriety has made me somewhat fearless. I used to worry about job security, financial stability, fragile relationships, you name it I worked hard to conquer it because I was scared of what would happen if my idea of perfect fell apart. Well, my "perfect" did fall apart, mostly due to my increased drinking, and after I crawled my way to sobriety, and found success, did I start to lose my fear.

I've gained much strength in sobriety - and most of that from the people here at SR - and I no longer fear what will happen in every scenario imaginable. I know now that getting sober was the scariest thing ever, and I've been successful at it for a good almost 8 months, and everything else now seems light in comparison.

I love Dee's signature - something to the effect of it will all be ok. And if its not it is not the end. I truly understand that now and if life gives me lemons (which it has, a LOT since I got sober - natural disaster, death of my father, very turbulent times at my place of work) I look forward to the lemonade I will drink when it passes.

I feel blessed and free - and I know for certain you will too!!!

I think it's one step at a time Djfordz. If you look at your progress after embracing sobriety that will probably be more reassuring than comparing yourself to the past (which may be idealised and rose-tinted). Hang in there are look to the future.

God bless +

Hi DJ...it's exciting...realizing that you can take your life back from addiction. You will be that man again, the man who keeps his word, the man who others respect, the man who holds his head high.

Glad you're here.

You'll get there:) I spent a lot of early recovery being REALLY down on myself. It took me reaching out to a dear family member to realize that she never stopped loving me, none of my family had.

From there, I had just a wee bit of hope. I stayed clean, I made new acquaintances but not really friends (or so I thought).

Now? I'm STILL friends with those in my early days and have made many more. I'm a shining beacon of recovery to my family and though I WAS the only one (on my mom's side of the family) with addiction issues, well, one of my cousins fell in that trap.

My aunt (the first one I reached out to and this cousin's grandmother) calls me because she knows I get it. She wants to know what I think. She told me "I just want her to have what you've found". Let me tell you, that is the ultimate compliment to me:)

I didn't get here overnight...I'm 6+ years in recovery, but have been that beacon of light for a few years. That's not what *I* think of myself, it's what they think of me.

Stay clean/sober, show it by your actions, reach out for support, be there for the people you care about....basically, work recovery.

FWIW, I'm not really the person I used to be - I have a lot of the same traits but I am FAR better than I ever was. I have a new appreciation of life and what is precious.

I've gotta say - a lot of what I've become is because of the great folks here. I was an addict and a codependent. Tackled both recoveries at the same time and darned if it didn't make a huge difference:)

Sorry for the long post, but I remember being where you are. I just want you to know what it looks like when you keep moving forward.

Hugs and prayers,

Amy

Thanks guys it's all very inspirational.