Checking in....
 

Hey all....I've been out of pocket as of late. Going on 60 days since my last drink. I think about drinking from time to time...and wonder how I'm going to be when I return home from deployment. Scary when I think about it...anyone else ever been in this kind of situation?

Welcome to SR .Congratulations on your sober time.Keep going and you will soon be in pocket.

Congratulations on your 60 days.

When you return home, try to have a plan in place. Do you have a support system at home? Do you have activities that will help you to fill your days with peace? Are you prepared to stay away from certain people and places in your life? You have a great start and I know you can continue to recover.

Yes, do have a plan in place to fill your time. You can always come here to talk if you feel tempted. We're here to support you.:)

I would venture to guess most everyone has been in that situation. I have always found that prior planning prevents getting "pisssed" as the English would put it. I still have situations today that bring the drinking thinking on even though rationally drinking is an asinine choice for me. My wife and son are leaving town for the weekend and that brought on some background thinking. I had some very old "Antabuse" that I took for a short time years ago and took one of those the last couple of days just for some insurance and to nip it in the bud. Course there are lots of things other that I could have done, but I just did not want to leave an option open. The reality for me is that as long as I fill my time with productive activities drinking is never an issue. Some use AA and it offers great support, but the important thing is to just plan on doing "something" other than drinking. If all you do is make a plan not to drink, then there is nothing else to do, but drink. Make a plan for something else to do.

Congrats on 60 days DB :)

I agree with everyone else - have a plan in place - find as much support as you can, make the lifestyle changes you need to make :)

D

Thanks...yea by the time I leave here it will be close to 6 months sober...don't get me wrong it counts...but there is no alcohol or temptation around me..other than my thoughts. So yea plans have to be in order and all that...I just wonder how it's going to be when I'm home...

Glad to see a post from you as was hoping you were doing well and you are at 60 days!! Reaching out for support when you get back home and try to stay positive; you create your future.

Life at home will be whatever you make it. There will be temptation around, and you will encounter it for sure. Nothing can happen if you don't let it happen. Having good solid sober time under your belt will help you immensely. Right here, right now you are sober. That is what matters. Congrats!

day 143 since I've had my last drink.

Looking at the finish line of this deployment... A lot of people I work with constantly talk about how much they are going to drink and party it up when they get back...I'll be honest I was thinking about drinking and partying when I first got out here...but for the last 2 months it really hasn't crossed my mind...and I've managed to stay away from partaking in the "drinking talk" as far as "I'm going to do this when I get back"....

My first real test I should say will be in a country called Kyrgyzstan...this is the US transit back to the states. Here is where they give everyone the opportunity to have (2) beers if they so choose. I've thought many times how I'm going to approach this...and I still do.

I've accepted the fact that:

A. It's going to be there
B. I don't want to partake in it

I know I must face this reality and stay true to myself and my goals I set out here. I'm in a way looking forward to the test in a bizarre weird way...still have a few weeks till....

Gotta get back to studying...:lmao

After reading some posts I've been thinking and doing a lot of soul searching. I just had a talk with a real good friend of mine...he said "well maybe if you do it only once a month...(going out and partying)...you would be good..." Funny how that sounds....

I lied when I told myself I was strong enough to resist. Fooled myself into thinking I could just be sober some days and be good to drink on others. I compared myself to my friends who drank and thought..."hey they can do it...so can I"...

I forgot about my family so many times during those benders...man I've reflected on that a lot since being out here...some sleepless nights to be honest.

I'm thankful that on this day I'm sober and have been for quite some time....but only because I've been giving a blessing. This deployment is a dry deployment...meaning alcohol is forbidden....so the Gods gave me a blessing and took care of me for the last several months.

I know that my return to the states...it will be the proving grounds...and I'm freaking scared..! lol...But it's true. I'm scared of failing and I'm scared of repeating the vicious cycle over again.

I'm rambling on because this was on my mind...and I don't really have another outlet to express these thoughts.

Take care everyone.

Hey deltabravo

I'm a few weeks in to my sobriety, and I get what you're saying about being scared. That's what I use to back away from that first drink. I am no longer a drinker, no apologies, no excuses. Tho my sobriety wasn't enforced and I have had to face it and deal with it, I used the fear, reflected on the reasons why I had to stop and took a deep breath, you can use the fear too.
Think strategy, something I imagine you'd be able to understand given your job. Imagine what you may face and how you can overcome it.

You can do this....

What the others have said about a plan for when you get home is really important. There is a wealth of info here to help you re. recovery methods use one or use them all, remember whatever it takes to maintain your sobriety is the no. 1 concern.

wishing you well......happyface: