Good to be back.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 92
Good to be back.
Hi everyone,
Sorry it's been so long but it's for a good reason. My career has once again taken off and I've been quite busy. I'm also closing in on 2 years sober, well 3 months away but close enough! Lol! It's good to be back and I'll be here for anyone who just needs someone to talk to. I am reposting my story of getting sober for anyone who is new. I hope it can help someone but we are all different and cope and heal differently. This is what worked, so far, for me. God bless and strength and positivity to you all!
My sobering up.
I guess that I may be the exception to the rule. I do not attend nor have I ever attended meetings. I've done this on my own. Well not entirely. I developed my own support group. I involved my Parents and immediate Family. I also have a Neighbor 2 doors down who is 30+ years Sober. I haven't talked to him about it in a while but he is there if I need him. What I did to get sober ? I dumped my entire " supply " down the drain for starters and it wasn't easy. It's easy to sit there and keep it around " just in case it doesn't work out " or even " to dump it out would be a waste of money ". Trust me. Get it out of the House. I spent a lot of time talking to my Family about all of the mistakes that I've made as a result of my alcohol abuse. We talk about all of the money that I wasted, and the money that I now save. We have talked at length about how my drinking has affected them and it was depressing and it hurt. I have only been back to my watering hole twice since getting sober although it is a risk I wouldn't recommend. I stopped once to say hi and another time for my Fantasy League meeting. I was received with mixed responses. The ladies were kind and congratulated me on my new life. Most of the men didn't even aknowledge my presence. I was treated like Sobriety was a sickness and that I was contagious so they kept their distance. Sad in a way but a relief mostly as these were the same " friends " that I was worried about not ever seeing again. I will reiterate that putting yourself in a situation where you may easily be swayed back to the bottle is a uneccessary RISK and I seriously advise against it. I only included that part of the story because I didn't relapse and I figured that others could see what they AREN'T missing by not being in their old haunts. I won't lie. The first couple or 3 weeks were tough. I found out just how many things weren't fun anymore without a Beer Bottle in my hand. If I started to feel the urge to grab a Beer was getting too strong I just went to bed. I didn't want a Beer in my sleep. Slowly the urges started to wane and slowly I started to find things were becoming fun again without drinking. Slowly my urges to drink were starting to be replaced with a want to stay sober. It started to feel good not drinking. I found myself talking about it a lot with family and this was and is a constant reminder of how easily I could hurt those around me if I slipped back. My sobriety is no longer just about me. It is about others who are so proud of me and what I've accomplished and I'll be damned if I am letting them down. Nor can I ever let myself down. I know that I'll never be able to drink again. I'm wired differently. This isnt about temperance. Its about abstainance. One of my drinking buddies asked me when I realized that I had a drinking problem. I laughed and said " I don't have a problem drinking. I can drink with the best of them. " My problem isn't the " on " switch. It works fine but my "off " switch is broken. I just can't stop once I start. In summation I guess what I am saying is remove yourself from ALL temptation. Get others whom you love and or trust involved in the process. Find someone who has been through it that you can reach out to. I have my neighbor but maybe a support group would work best for you if you have tried it on your own and relapsed. If the urge to drink or use gets strong try and remind yourself of all of the bad that has come from your giving in to the Monster. I can guarantee that you will feel overwhelming guilt in the morning if you give in. Remember that feeling. I can't even begin to express what you go through when you wake up one day and realize that it is no longer a struggle. I was actually reduced to tears of joy. Once you reach that point you don't ever want to feel that remorse or guilt or shame that comes fom giving in ever again. I am not cured. There is no cure. I consider myself in a form of alcohol remission. I show no signs of the man that I was. I no longer miss my Bar or my drinking buddies. I have officially started moving on with my life and it is a lifetime of vigilance. My Monster hasn't disappeared. He's out in my driveway right now doing pushups and waiting for that day of weakness. You can do this. There is always someone on here 24 / 7 to chat with. Someone like you and me. I also did a lot of Internet searching. I know it sounds crazy but I searched for famous people who are recovering alcoholics. I don't know why but reading their stories gave me strength. I wish you all of the strength and direction that you need to get started on your journey.
Sorry it's been so long but it's for a good reason. My career has once again taken off and I've been quite busy. I'm also closing in on 2 years sober, well 3 months away but close enough! Lol! It's good to be back and I'll be here for anyone who just needs someone to talk to. I am reposting my story of getting sober for anyone who is new. I hope it can help someone but we are all different and cope and heal differently. This is what worked, so far, for me. God bless and strength and positivity to you all!
My sobering up.
I guess that I may be the exception to the rule. I do not attend nor have I ever attended meetings. I've done this on my own. Well not entirely. I developed my own support group. I involved my Parents and immediate Family. I also have a Neighbor 2 doors down who is 30+ years Sober. I haven't talked to him about it in a while but he is there if I need him. What I did to get sober ? I dumped my entire " supply " down the drain for starters and it wasn't easy. It's easy to sit there and keep it around " just in case it doesn't work out " or even " to dump it out would be a waste of money ". Trust me. Get it out of the House. I spent a lot of time talking to my Family about all of the mistakes that I've made as a result of my alcohol abuse. We talk about all of the money that I wasted, and the money that I now save. We have talked at length about how my drinking has affected them and it was depressing and it hurt. I have only been back to my watering hole twice since getting sober although it is a risk I wouldn't recommend. I stopped once to say hi and another time for my Fantasy League meeting. I was received with mixed responses. The ladies were kind and congratulated me on my new life. Most of the men didn't even aknowledge my presence. I was treated like Sobriety was a sickness and that I was contagious so they kept their distance. Sad in a way but a relief mostly as these were the same " friends " that I was worried about not ever seeing again. I will reiterate that putting yourself in a situation where you may easily be swayed back to the bottle is a uneccessary RISK and I seriously advise against it. I only included that part of the story because I didn't relapse and I figured that others could see what they AREN'T missing by not being in their old haunts. I won't lie. The first couple or 3 weeks were tough. I found out just how many things weren't fun anymore without a Beer Bottle in my hand. If I started to feel the urge to grab a Beer was getting too strong I just went to bed. I didn't want a Beer in my sleep. Slowly the urges started to wane and slowly I started to find things were becoming fun again without drinking. Slowly my urges to drink were starting to be replaced with a want to stay sober. It started to feel good not drinking. I found myself talking about it a lot with family and this was and is a constant reminder of how easily I could hurt those around me if I slipped back. My sobriety is no longer just about me. It is about others who are so proud of me and what I've accomplished and I'll be damned if I am letting them down. Nor can I ever let myself down. I know that I'll never be able to drink again. I'm wired differently. This isnt about temperance. Its about abstainance. One of my drinking buddies asked me when I realized that I had a drinking problem. I laughed and said " I don't have a problem drinking. I can drink with the best of them. " My problem isn't the " on " switch. It works fine but my "off " switch is broken. I just can't stop once I start. In summation I guess what I am saying is remove yourself from ALL temptation. Get others whom you love and or trust involved in the process. Find someone who has been through it that you can reach out to. I have my neighbor but maybe a support group would work best for you if you have tried it on your own and relapsed. If the urge to drink or use gets strong try and remind yourself of all of the bad that has come from your giving in to the Monster. I can guarantee that you will feel overwhelming guilt in the morning if you give in. Remember that feeling. I can't even begin to express what you go through when you wake up one day and realize that it is no longer a struggle. I was actually reduced to tears of joy. Once you reach that point you don't ever want to feel that remorse or guilt or shame that comes fom giving in ever again. I am not cured. There is no cure. I consider myself in a form of alcohol remission. I show no signs of the man that I was. I no longer miss my Bar or my drinking buddies. I have officially started moving on with my life and it is a lifetime of vigilance. My Monster hasn't disappeared. He's out in my driveway right now doing pushups and waiting for that day of weakness. You can do this. There is always someone on here 24 / 7 to chat with. Someone like you and me. I also did a lot of Internet searching. I know it sounds crazy but I searched for famous people who are recovering alcoholics. I don't know why but reading their stories gave me strength. I wish you all of the strength and direction that you need to get started on your journey.
Welcome back! Way to go!
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: C.C. Ma.
Posts: 3,697
VG post Hefner. You covered many of the basics and those are so important. My only concern is that most of us have a lot of trouble doing it alone and handling lifes bumps without outside support.
BE WELL
BE WELL
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