Compass1

I feel miserable today. I'm questioning if this is worth it. I've been involved in various stressful situations in my personal life, my job is stressing me out, I've been eating too much and not working out enough. Its been a very long winter. I know alcohol won't fix anything, but the idea of that temporary relief is drawing me in. I do not have plans to carry it out right now. I just feel weak. I hope that a good rest can clear this feeling.

Has anyone hit this type of plateau in early recovery?

MnEman

I would hazard a guess that everyone who has quit has felt this way at some point! It's perfectly normal, just stick to your program and keep checking back! Try to remember how temporary that relief really is, and how it just isn't worth all the pain that goes with it.

Dee74

Try and play that tape right through to the end Compass - will it really bring relief?

will you stop if you achieve relief?

are there other more healthy ways to get relief that you're not considering?

Think about what bought you here - do you really expect that to have changed in 43 days?

Is 43 days really long enough to evaluate 'sobriety' anyway?

I'd suggest it's not

we have good days and bad days sober too - but the difference is they're just days, we don't turn them into bad weeks and months like we used to.

It gets better - keep the faith and stay strong

D

Odelle

Compass1, yes I have had days like what you are going through. The good news is they don't last long. The doom and gloom comes and goes but the longer you're sober, the less often it hits and the intensity lessens. I'll hit 3 months in a few days and the difference between now and 43 days is amazing. Hang in there, it is sooooo worth it!

Compass1

43 days isn't long enough to evaluate. I want to get involved in a sober community (AA) but I'm afraid because I guess in the back on my mind I am not 100% committed to this. I know I have to take it one day at a time, which is what I have been doing. But I fear going to AA meetings only to back pedal, as I have done so many times in the past. This last rough patch made me wonder if I need a better plan.

doggonecarl

Perhaps more involvement with Sober Recovery will help.

Low

I would ask myself what is it I miss about drinking? Those awesome hangovers, that sick to face the day feeling, that dread of doing something horrible the night before... And then finding out that yes you did do something horrible... Maybe I'd miss how I look in the morning- those horrible bloodshot eyes-kindof haggard looking, or all the things I missed or cancel because I feel like crap because that one drink seems like it was going to be worth it to go through all of that again and again.... Alcohol is such a lie.... I can get busy living or I can get busy dying.... Drinking's just a slow death for me...very very slow -I'll take rough days in sobriety any day over that... Please don't drink.

Anna

I would suggest that you give sobriety a little more time before you make a judgement.

Have you tried to come up with new and healthy ways to deal with life's stresses? A Yoga class, for example, might help.

Compass1

I plan to join a gym close to where I live now. I haven't been in a gym since I moved a few months ago, just using a treadmill that I purchased. I intend to do group fitness classes again. I miss being in yoga. I tried a new studio and it didn't resonate with me like my old one. I hope I can find a good class somewhere. I feel a bit better today. Thank you for all the words of advice and support.

FeenixxRising

First of all, well done on 43 days, that's great. I suggest regrouping and recommitting. Take some time to reflect on the consequences of your drinking, and then take some time to reflect on the rewards of sobriety. Most of all, remember you are stronger than you think you are, and you are able to turn your thoughts away from drinking:

Rewards of Sobriety

1. Faith instead of despair.
2. Courage instead of fear.
3. Hope instead of desperation.
4. Peace of mind instead of confusion.
5. Real friendships instead of loneliness.
6. Self-respect instead of self-contempt.
7. Self-confidence instead of helplessness.
8. A clean conscience instead of a sense of guilt.
9. The respect of others instead of their pity and contempt.
10. A clean pattern of living instead of a hopeless existence.
11. The love and understanding of our families instead of their doubts and fears.
12. The freedom of a happy life instead of the bondage of an alcoholic obsession.

seeks

Congratulations on 43 days! I'm on day 44 and have questioned if its worth it many times. But I've used the "play the tape through to the end" tool and it reminds me that the hangover, disappointment, and depression are not worth a few hours of drinking.

I use exercise as a tool as well and if im in a real pinch and need a workout I'll go for a walk, do some push ups, stretch, whatever but even a little bit seems to help for me.

Can't hurt to keep trying could hurt to stop...