RobbyRobot

Powerful recovery process in motion in those early posts, Dee. You clearly reached deep into your resources and worked recovery like your life depended on it. Beautiful to see the fluidity of your purpose in early recovery. Thanks for that, mate. Inspirational.

zombiegirl

Just proves we can all do it xxxx
Well done dee xxx

wehav2day

Wow dee, thank you for letting us in. That's an amazing post. I bet a lot of us see ourselves in your old post, I sure do. The best thing I ever did for myself here was stop editing. Content, spelling, grammar... Well sorry it isn't so great for you all to read, but it helps keep me sober!

Thank you dee. This gives us hope and reassurance.

tootsl1

Thank you Dee, that was a great snapshot of your past, a reminder if any was needed of how well you truly understand all our struggles. Your words have helped me stay on the path more than you know. I'm glad you were helped in your need to do the right thing.

MythOfSisyphus

Well said, Dee! Change can be scary and often we put it off until we're out of options. But I agree, sobriety doesn't so much make a new person of us as give us back the person we used to be.

EndGameNYC

A powerful and touching "before and after."

The only thing we need to do to change everything is change everything.

myheartaches

Dee, I joined over a year and a half ago and I tried to reach out because at the time I had left a man who had had me evicted and almost homeless due to his heroin addiction. I thought I still loved him, I thought I wanted us to be together, I believed he could get well and all the while all this belief in him was tearing me apart.

Well you were the first person to respond to my first post, and very shortly after, like within a month, I decided to let the past be the past and move on from him. Since then my life has progressed, except I kept drinking, and it is only as of 3 weeks that I have stopped that. And it's amazing. My life has never been better and I owe you and other friends on SR a huge hug for helping me get to where I want to be.

You inspire me!

Dee74

Thank you for those kind words myheartaches.
They mean a lot

I'm really glad you're here with us

D

gleefan

I'm really struggling with this right now. Thank you.

Dee74

I probably should add...I never felt like I've lost out on the deal...sure some old friends and I parted company but many supported me too, and I made new friends and I reconnected with a lot of old ones.

My life's nothing like it was in 2007. It's a lot quieter but I really like that.

I really feel now I have a life that I fit, not one that I have to fit into

D

Tang

I used to travel with a bluegrass band (amongst others). Would compensate stage fright with alcohol and drugs. That's why I stopped playing. Too many musicians (even my friend who plays professionally for a major city symphony) use substances. Funny the drinking didn't stop even when I stopped being a musician. Silly addiction.

Leshar

Thank you, Dee!

I really love this:

This is now beginning to make so much sense to me!
Thank you for all the wisdom and guidance you bring to so many.

Jus

Dee! What a great post. But I have to say, it's rattled me to the core. I had 2 older brothers, one a musician, and a good one. Strokes, heart attacks, and years of suffering until they passed on, they never got a grip with their drinking. I wait now for another older brother to pass on, same story. All to stubborn to ask for help. At one time, I did try to help one of them, but he struggled terribly with a higher power.

So PROUD of you.

Big hugs.

LadyinBC

So inspiring Dee, thanks for sharing that with us!

And yes, change really is our friend, not the enemy.

myheartaches

I have thought to myself about a few of the people that I have met at the bar, but also had a few get-togethers and things without the bar. I haven't gone to them yet, and sometimes I feel a little guilty that I haven't attempted to make contact..

Other times I think, why should I? They never call me either.

I guess only time will tell.

LadyBlue0527

Dee, thank you for this. It's testimony to the fact that we all have to start somewhere and we all go through the same issues.

I love this!:

I'm so glad that you're here

toddle118

Inspiration for us all, you tackled it and made it the other side, however hard it was you did it! Its not impossible, that is what you prove to us.

I know its something that never truly goes away but you fought that voice and put it back in its box

Dee74

Actually Toddle I think it does go away, if you work at it

I love being sober and I haven't been troubled by thoughts or desires to drink for a very long time

D

mecanix

I think my drinking, or the drinking me isolated myself so much that the friends, even the drinking/alcoholic friends fell away eventually . Too many days spent at home not answering the telephone, curtains still drawn, not answering knocks at the door. Drunk in bed or wherever i happened to be .

My point being , if you're worried you'll loose your drinking friends , for me the sure fire way of loosing them all, drinker's or non-drinker's ( not that i ever had non-drinking friends far to challenging to my view of the world and myself at the time ) would be to carry on drinking.

Thanks Dee it's great to have you around ,

Bestwishes , m

alphaomega

My life's nothing like it was in 2007. It's a lot quieter but I really like that.

How true. I was thinking this exact same thing last night. DH and DD were both out. It was a Friday night, st. Patricks day weekend, and I did what I wanted to do. Read, light the fire, snuggle with my puppy and a long bath with candles and nature music.

Quiet and gentle.

And perfect.