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Old 08-11-2014, 12:39 PM
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Supermoon

Hi Everyone,

It's been awhile since I've started a thread. I've been here, though - reading and replying where I feel that my insight may be of use. Mostly, though, it is the reading that keeps me thinking straight and on the path to recovery. All of your stories of success, temporary setbacks, motivations for quitting, and philosophical debates have made the difference for me. Thanks to all of SR!

I've reached a milestone recently and I thought I would share.

Today marks 8 weeks (56 days) without a drop of alcohol! My best guess is that this is the longest I have been sober since my early teens. For all of you folks just starting on this journey - If I can, you can.

In the last 8 weeks, I have been faced with some challenges - weddings, family gatherings, even a week long vacation where everyone drinks daily (though none are alcoholics and none drink to excess). I've also had to break a longstanding tradition of drinking a beer with my girlfriends father after a long bike ride - that was perhaps the hardest to let go of.

Here are some things that have helped me get this far:

1. Realizing and admitting to myself and others that I cannot control my drinking/drug use and that I must quit forever in order to live a happy productive life and enrich the lives of those around me. (That forever part is the tricky bit)

2. Coming to SR daily to check in. In this way I can be reminded of the joys of succeeding, cautioned against the pitfalls and setbacks (potential and realized) that will be encountered along the way, and reminded of the reasons that I made this decision. I pay special attention to the stories of people with a lot of time under their belts who relapse. I know that this could be me, could be any of us. We have to stay vigilant. I see a bit of myself in many of the posts that I read. I'm sure it is the same for many of you.

3. Rethinking my emotional state and the state of my interpersonal relationships and recognizing the true impact of my drinking/drug abuse on these things. Much of my addictive behavior has been a misguided attempt to cope with (actually hide from) any emotion I may have encountered. This is still a major challenge for me and I have a LOT more thinking and learning to do on this one. But recognizing the issue and opening my mind and heart to freely experience emotions is a big first step. When I feel the temptation to hide behind the bottle, I now recognize it as just that - an attempt to hide. I'm better than that. I will not hide any longer.

4. Restructuring my daily routine to factor out drugs and alcohol. I've set health and fitness goals which I would not be able to meet if I were to relapse. I wake up at 5 am each morning to ride my bike. Either a 15 or 30 mile ride with approximately 50 ft per mile of climbing, or a 15 mile ride with 140 ft per mile of climbing. Three days a week, I follow the ride with a trip to the gym for strength training and stretching. So far, I've gained muscle and lost fat. I'm in better shape than I have ever been. Why would I trade this for the wreckage and emptiness that drugs and alcohol have brought into my life? (Don't get me wrong, I have an ice cream cone here and there. After all, I did quit drinking...)

Oh yeah, the moon... Today I woke up for my hill climb ride and found that there was a "Supermoon" setting in the west. I had made a mental note of the 8 week mark last night and the supermoon was icing on the cake. I felt so awake, alert, and connected to the physical world around me as I took off on the ride this morning. Feeling inspired, I beat my personal best time on the first of two rated climbs along this ride. I was in the top three of my personal best time for the second hill. I could never feel like this when I was drinking...never.

Thanks for reading.

- Michael
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Old 08-11-2014, 12:45 PM
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Eight weeks sober is fantastic!
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Old 08-11-2014, 12:45 PM
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Great job on 8 weeks Lost!

Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing your story.
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Old 08-11-2014, 12:46 PM
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Congratulations on Eight weeks! That's great.
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Old 08-11-2014, 12:49 PM
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8 weeks is fantastic!!
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Old 08-11-2014, 01:51 PM
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Well done Lost.... Superb 8 weeks!! & the Super Moon was pretty awesome!! Quite big tonight as well!!
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Old 08-11-2014, 02:11 PM
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Fantastic!
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Old 08-11-2014, 03:21 PM
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Well done! Hope I get there!
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Old 08-11-2014, 03:33 PM
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Great post. Congrats, Michael. Continued success to you.

Lisa.
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Old 08-11-2014, 03:37 PM
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Congratulations!
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Old 08-11-2014, 06:00 PM
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Thanks, everyone, for your continued support. Wishing you all well.
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Old 08-11-2014, 07:55 PM
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Congratulations! You sound fantastic. ..keep up the good work!
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