Starting over again
 

Hi All,

My name is Lou and I am an alcoholic.

For a decade I was a drunk. On 2009 I joined
AA and was sober since. But for about (3) weeks now I started drinking again. I thought it was safe to pick up but I find myself struggling to stop and I am drinking again like the old days.

So here I am starting all over again.

Please help!

Thanks

:welcome to SR! You just have to not drink a day at a time, you already know that. It's so simple but not easy but it is possible.

We are here to listen and support you in your quest to stay sober. :hug:

Hello Lou! :) You found a wonderful place to be. We all understand how you feel.

I had 3 years once and did the same thing - tried controlled drinking. I figured I'd never let it rule me again - but it took me down worse than ever. When I found SR I was so relieved to know there were others who felt the same way I did. You aren't alone, and you can get your sober life back. This time for good.

Did you have a sponsor, were you working the steps, were you going to meetings? For me I have to do all of these things if I have any hope of staying sober

@all thanks I needed that.

@MIRecovery: No I don't have a sponsor. I disconnected from my sponsor and left the rooms about a year ago. I also stop working the 12 steps. Today I download the Big Book and found this website with the hope to start all over again.

Welcome Lou - you'll find a lot of support here :)

D

Dont think those years sober were wasted. You aren't starting again - you are continuing your sobriety. Think of it like that - think on the positive.

Kode - welcome back to the life boat! You know how tobget sober from your past sober time. Just dust yourself off and start rowing again.

It is 100% possible to come back to sober life after relapse - so many here and in the rooms have the same experience. Learn from it and move on. Sober. One day at a time :)

Thanks I am very glad to have found this site.

Thanks for the positive words Sonrisa12.

Yes. IWillWin I have to learn from this mistake. Dust myself off and restart and move on with the help on this site. Thanks

Welcome. I came here eight months ago desperate for anything to help me to stop drinking. It worked when nothing else did. I have not had a drink since I came here. This place is great. Congratulations on your decision to stop drinking.

Glad you are here:)
I'm new too! I'm hoping this place will help!!!
I used quitnet when I quit smoking and the community really helped, hoping to have a similar experience here!

Welcome Viesda and best regards in your recovery. You have made a excellent decision to quit drinking.

I strongly advise you get back to the rooms and commit. It will save your life .. it did mine.

"Half measures availed us nothing" (AA's How It works)

All the best.

Bob R

Will do ASAP along with this website.
Thanks Bob

Welcome!... Any plans yet? AA again etc.? This is a great place to chill for a while and get something together so.... post away and welcome again. Been there do that too (what happened to you) so also know you are in good company with some really good people who get "it".

Thanks ElegantlyWasted;

What happen to me? That is a good question. I was sober and life was good. I met someone
And all of the sudden destruction. She was a nice girl but to many issues. Financial problems, kids problems, and ex problems. Too much stress I should have known better and walk away from it all while there was still time and protect my sobriety. But I pick up instead.

My plans are to get back to meetings at AA and keep this site on my phone to take with me everywhere.

I'm glad your relapse only lasted 3 weeks. Mine was much longer after 13 years of sobriety. You are back on the right path now and clearly you have some insight as to what happened as well as what you need to do. Obviously you learned a lot your first time around. I hope you stick around and share this leg of your journey with us :)

Meant that what happened to you happened to me (sorry should have clarified a little better).. I was doing great for a year then went back and....Duh... It didn't work. I'm definitely rebuilding now too. Anyways... Welcome again and hope to see you around. I know for me taking action keeps the beast at bay. I'm stuck in a living situation that I'm trying to make work with a GF who continues to drink, so I very much get the situation you ummm remedied ;) Onward upward.

This is the horrible thing about alcoholism, we never get over it. "Half measures availed us nothing." Our disease tells us we're okay we don't need AA we don't need sponsors we don't need steps. Slowly but surely we were revert back to our old thinking and the lure of alcohol becomes too much and we relapse.

I honestly believe that working the program of AA is the easier softer way.

Agree this disease tricked me to believing that everything was ok by staying away from my support group. But slowly and surely I reverted backwards. I learned so far from this bad experience that I can't do this alone. I will definitely start working the AA program again.

Thanks

Hi Lou,

Welcome! You will find lots of support here. Sorry about the relapse but I am so happy that you want to get back on the wagon! It sounds like you have a plan in place. Keep checking here- read, post, do whatever it takes. Great to get back to AA. Hugs, PG

Hi Kode,

You kind of told my story...some differences but the same general theme. I had 7 years sober and went back out. I too walked away from AA about 2 years before I relapsed. I guess it took 2 years for a life crisis to come up or it probably would have been sooner.

The good news is that I am sober again (2+ months). I am back in AA and working the steps with a sponsor and I have hope again. When I went back out I stayed out there for eight L-O-N-G years. There are several others here that have gone back out after several years of sobriety and are sober again. You are fortunate that it's only been 3 weeks. I'm glad you found us and also glad you are deciding to get sober again! :)

Thanks Grungehead for sharing.

I am glad that you are sober again and things are going well for you at AA. I am starting to feel better already this place feels like home. I am very fortunate that I found this site.

Everyone has been of great help.

May your higher power guide you on the path sobriety. Your story has given me great strength knowing it is possible to come back after relapse. Thank you. You are a real inspiration

Awesome! The bleeding has stopped. I didn't drink all day yesterday with your help. Just got back from my first meeting in my AA home group in a very long time. I received a nice welcome back. It was nice to be back among my peers. Now to continue my sobriety and heal my wounds I will commit myself to my AA home group and help other alcoholics and freely give what I have freely received. I will also commit myself to this community and help other alcoholics to the best of my ability.

Thanks everyone for picking me up while I was down.