Erik1980

1st Xmas sober ... Bored as all hell... Isolated.... Annoyed .... Spending Christmas alone watching Netflix ... Lame ... Not going to drink, but this sure is making me into a Scrooge... The only upside is that I am optimistic that 2014 will be a better year so long as I maintain sobriety ... Other than that, I can't wait for these damn holidays to be over!

Seabee

You aren't alone in that regard. My wife and kids left me 2 days ago. I have been in the house alone for a few days. I am trying not to drink.

Erik1980

I'm sorry to hear that ... I'm sure both of us are fully aware that drinking will only make things worse ... Doesn't change the fact that it's annoying to feel like we want to get hammered but know that we cannot ... Sigh ...

KateL

I feel a bit like that but for different reasons. I just tell myself I am going to have a bloody good Christmas next year

PurpleKnight

I'm with you guys!! . . . I think it's because I have a usual routine at Xmas, been doing it for years, but it all revolves around bars, hot whiskies and drinking wine.

I now have a disjointed uncomfortable feeling, it's hard to describe, a feeling of not sure what to do with myself, i'm sure that sums up the feeling for most of us, but surely this new routine will become a new "normal" routine the more sober holidays/years we have!

Roll on Jan!!

ScottFromWI

There are several things you could do rather than sit home and feel sorry for yourself because you can't drink. There is most likely a community dinner, food pantry, church, AA meeting going on due to the holidays. Or you could find an unmanned Salvation Army kettle and ring the bell for an hour.

Its all about what you make of it. And for good measure SR is always here of course!

Thepatman

Well we have a club. I'm doing the same tonight, movies and posting here. We got this! Next year I'll be solid enough to go to my family party.

Yeah they party hard, I was one of the worst. LOL!

doggonecarl

And even if you don't want to give of yourself during the season, you are in San Diego, where it is sunny and in the 70s while the bulk of the country is freezing. Take some gratitude from that, if nothing else, and take a walk on the beach while you count your blessings.

Merry Christmas!

PurpleKnight

Haha the Bah Humbug Club!! . . . we even have a mascot!!

Anna

Haha, Carl,

We had a major Ice Storm a couple of days ago and the sun is shining today and the trees look like they're covered with crystal. It's magnificent!

I agree - get out and do something to help someone. Shovel a walk for a neighbor, go to the store for someone who can't get out, help out at a Homeless Shelter. I hope you can find a way to enjoy the holiday.

Erik1980

The bah humbug club, I love it! Ha! Yeah I suppose there are many things I should be thankful for... It is 72 and sunny, I haven't drank in 12 days, I won't be hungover tomorrow, friends, family, ect... In reality this will probably be the best Christmas ever in terms of being good for my life because another day sober is another step in a positive direction for me... Maybe I just have to frame the situation differently ....

DJSid

Yeah Im feeling the same way. Its day three without drinking for me, I didn't go to my families Christmas party because I don't trust myself around alcohol right now. Its depressing but not as depressing as I would feel if I decided to get drunk. Unfortunately its about 5 degrees with the wind chill here so a walk along the lake isn't going to happen. Im going to bundle up and head out to a AA meeting instead!

Leana

Ok, can I join? What movie should be watch?

Time2Focus

I totally feel ya on the boredom. It's after 5 now where I'm at... normally I would have at least a couple of drinks in me.. All day I've been trying to keep myself occupied but get bored so quickly. *sigh* I can't believe how hard this is.

PurpleKnight

We can do this!! . . . i'm thinking on going on a classic film binge! . . . "Christmas Carol", "Snowman", or some Nick Cage in "The Family Man" . . . my favourite from years ago is "Nightmare Before Christmas", epic film!!

Thepatman

I think I might go for something in the brutal horror category. That should change my mind from the wild party I'm missing. LOL!!

Alysheba

I'm thinking of going it alone too. My family is congregating later. I have gone and given (?) myself a migraine and I just don't think I have it in me to deal with the dynamics. I don't want to send the wrong message, but I don't want to upset myself more, especially when I'm not feeling very solid and my family can be really difficult to be around!

I may be joining the ranks of us watching a movie or something and keeping SR close and my family at arm's length!

Merry X-mas all. I'm so grateful for SR!

JaylaaKent

I'm struggling today too - too much pressure from society how things "should be" and then I beat myself up for not being them :P

Thepatman

Well at least we are putting our sobriety first. We are like a sober wolf pack sticking together, not like the one in the hangover movie! LOL!
I wonder what Mike Tyson is doing tonite?

Guess the lessons from the seniors citizen of sobriety on SR sticked!

Itchy

I usually just sat around doing nothing but drinking.

Boredom is wanting to do something, anything, as long as you don’t have to actually do something to do it. Because if you were doing anything, you wouldn't be able to say you're bored.

The single most crazy realization I got from my sobriety was the freedom to get in my car any time of the day or night, and go wherever I want, even just cruising, without fear of an accident or a cop. Just do it now. Go take a drive in the country with a friend, no destination, just to look with sober eyes at what you may have overlooked in the daily shuffle from home to work to alcohol store to home to drink. Lots of flowers went unsmelled.

Maybe it was just me. I felt like I had gotten out of prison. And I was never arrested or even ticketed, let alone locked up, except for when I did it to myself isolating, and again checking into detox voluntarily for a seven day sentence. Staying sober is easy. Working at making my life meaningful to me is a bit tougher.

This is my fourth sober Christmas. I am watching the old Christmas standby movies. Tomorrow having a quiet Christmas dinner with my wife's folks. Our kids are grown and doing well, one just moved to another state yesterday.

I am just glad for all of you here being sober too. Let's all agree to meet back here with a year more of continuous sobriety in the Bah, Humbug! Club.