philly76

Okay, the title sums it up. I grew up in the 80s/90s and I guess I try to look at my life in a Seinfeld kind of way: nothing is free from parody.

Being a drunk was fun, it had a lot of funny moments, and there is a lot to poke fun at. I want to be done with it, but what it was is what it is.

Being sober, on the other hand, I'm struggling to find the silly lining. I can not drink when I really try. But when I talk to other people in recovery, it tends to be pretty heavy. I mean in some respects, it should be serious. It is a problem.

But if we're trying to recover, shouldn't we also embrace the entertaining aspects of ourselves that are devoid of alcohol? Getting sober isn't just about losing friends and giving up booze.

I posted an article from a recovering alcoholic who wrote for Cracked.com and it got removed. That article gets me through my day, but it upset some people.

I have a very hard time maintaining sobriety in a community that can't laugh. In fact, the seriousness of it all makes me want to drink.

I want to be able to laugh about the disgusting BO emanating from my body when I detox, as well as the endless array of things my body does to get rid of this ****. If I can't laugh about myself, I see no reason to bother getting sober.

Is anyone else in the same place? Just curious.

LBrain

I laugh all the time. I've been laughing. I try to get others to laugh. But we all don't find the same things funny. I think Adam Sandler is not funny at all. But some people actually think he's funny. There you go.

And I do understand your point.

helpimalive

I didn't see the article you posted, but, I bet I already know what it was. John Cheese, 5 Things Nobody Tells You About Quitting Drinking? If it's that one, that's a classic in my book.

(You kinda have to twist on the seat.)

If it's not that one, who's the author? Cracked and I go way back man.

OnMyWay7

I laugh but about things that are funny. I think with alcohol I laughed when things weren't funny and I didn't really "live" - don't know a better way to put it but maybe it's beacuse I'm "more mature" (old). So I think things are funny and I laugh but more appropriately I think. I'll look up the 5 things because I'm sure I can find humor in it.

immri

Agreed!! I hate the seriousness sometimes, it actually feels a bit ridiculous to me but that might be the Aussie in me. I'm lucky I live in a pretty laid back city in Australia, my AA meetings people are constantly laughing even through the heavy stuff. It suits me just fine.
Some people think that's not taking it seriously but agh I mean how can you NOT laugh at some of the stupid things we've done or the absolute bizarreness of it all. I think the sense of humour keeps me talking about it and actually keeps me sober so far
You gotta be able to laugh at yourself

Fluffer

Yeah, I pretty much make fun of everything all day long, including myself. But sometimes you don't want to come off as too flippant on these forums because a lot of people are hurting pretty bad.

LBrain

Hey, anybody who uses Fluffer as their screen name has got to have a sense of humor. Or is looking for work.

Fluffer

My screen name is kind of a test. I can tell that anyone who gets the joke is a degenerate.

Mikie9

There's nothing funny about being addicted.

There's nothing funny about what we did while being addicted.

At all.

I'm a funny bastard to be honest, but little of it comes out on these forums. This isn't the place. There are too many people in the midst of serious issues that it either comes off as being condescending, judgmental, or not serious to the problem we talk about here. At best it is making light of the stupid **** we did while addicted, and most of us choose to not think of it that way.

I dont remember an episode of Seinfeld where getting drunk as hell and laughing at the outcome was aired. Life isn't a tv show. TV shows are made up realities to distract us, and sell us commercials.

My life hasn't been funny, even with it's funny moments. I am not here to talk about that, I am here to talk about recovery.

Having said that, my main personality trait is humor, but not here man, at least not on this or the other forums here.

just my opinion, laugh away

doggonecarl

No it isn't. But I imagine anyone who feels deprived in recovery would have a hard time seeing any humor, anywhere, much less in their sobriety. Maybe it's not the seriousness of sobriety that you struggle with, but with the lack of joy, the failure to see blessings of recovery. And humor is your defense.

LonelyShadow

I see your point, but I think considering how gravely serious some of these issues are it's not a place for knee-slappers, there is humour on the boards though here and there.

I used to try and laugh-off my antics when I was actively addicted, trying to make light of the fact I was an out of control drunk. Now I'm sober I try to remember that all of those times wern't really much to be laughing about, somebody could of been hurt. If you make light of it you might start to forget the pain.

The seriousness of it all doesn't make you want to drink, your AV wants you to drink, and will find any excuse it can.

ArtFriend

Two guys walk into a bar... oops, maybe that won't work... well, I'm outta jokes

jazzfish

I love laughing and making fun of things. My problem is getting the maturity to make sure it is appropriate.That said, there are many, many comedians who are recovering alcoholics and make fun of their situation. John Mulaney, Jim Norton, Marc Maron, Robin Williams (RIP), Greg Giraldo (RIP)...there is actually a whole YouTube channel devoted to recovery comedy, although the bigger names won't be there. Yep, I love to have fun with it, but I did have to learn when to shut the funny off.

DrunkTx

Different strokes for different folks. If you want to laugh, go ahead. I know I sure do! The jackass movie could have been written about my drunken profile. Three years sober, sometimes the only defense I have to life is laughing at my alcoholism. That's just me. But when my dad died, we laughed; once I finally accepted 9/11, I learned to laugh, and now I laugh because it is just good for my soul.

While I agree that on this site, people are at different places in alcoholism and sobriety, it's also about what you need to help you along your journey. So if you want to laugh - then go for it. If people want to join they will, otherwise they will just ignore.

Nonsensical

I hear ya. I've gone to quite a few meetings where I entered in high spirits and left feeling down because of the atmosphere of the crowd. An abundance of people sharing their suffering and struggle and too few sharing their joy in sobriety. Lots of people only go to a meeting when they feel bad, though, and I have to remember that it's important to give them space to vent their toxic fumes so they don't return to the bottle.

I'd love to lighten the mood at those meetings. A time and a place for everything, though.

I've also been to meetings where the mood is bright and cheery and people talk about the stupid things they've done and the rest of us chuckle because we've done stupid things, too.

Have you checked out the recovery follies forum? Some good yucks in there.

Recovery Follies - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

aasharon90

I pray to make people laugh. lol I wanted
and needed to be sober and worked my
program of recovery to remain that way
for a many one days at a time to get me
where I am today. Healthy, Happy, Honest.

I learned thru recovery that they insist on
us having fun in recovery. I wanted that
because there was too much seriousness.
Or maybe because I was being to serious
with myself and saw laughter and light humor
in meetings and I wanted that.

It is okay to work on ur recovery, but to
always be serious can take a tool on our
health. If I remain serious all the time then
I would be sick with stress and unhappiness.

I love to laugh and I love to hear laughter
especially from the little children. I see how
happy and care free they are and that is what
I wanted for so long especially since I was
robbed of that as a child.

I believe I heard that its takes more effort
to frown than it does to smile. A smile, a
chuckle, light hearted laughter to a full blown
histerical laughter can bring another person
out of their own troubles or sadness for a split
moment and make them feel free with happiness.

Yes, addiction Is serious and can be overcome
by using a program of recovery to guide them
or us all along the way. But it doesn't mean we
have to forget why we are in recovery. We are
striving for health, happiness, honesty with
each step we take.

Smile and Be Happy. It's okay.

digdug

I go to this men's AA meeting on Saturday mornings. It was suggested to me in rehab.

So I get there the first time and everyone is laughing, cracking jokes, making fun of each other, etc.

Honestly, it made me angry! I had just got out of rehab after a stint in the ICU. I was trying to save my life. This was serious to me! And these jokers are hooting and hollering like it's a family reunion.

But that was almost 2 years ago. I get it now. Recovery IS fun. We don't take ourselves too seriously. One of the old-timers calls the meeting, "AA-lite." I look forward to this meeting every single week. I know I will laugh more in an hour than I probably will the rest of the weekend. And I have a lot of fun on the weekends.

The undertone is always that this is a serious disease. People die from it. You see that in the rooms. You see that here on SR. But sobriety is truly about having a good time. A good life. Without the booze and drugs.

Tang

Laughter is one of the few things that makes me happy in not drinking. Self depricating (not to be confused with self deficating) humor is a major part of who I am.

LBrain

Busted...


jazzfish - don't forget Craig Ferguson, he uses his recovery in his act on stage and on TV sometimes. He jokes about it but he is serious as hell at the same time when he brings it up.

Justincredible

What was funny then isn't funny anymore for me, but in the first few weeks of recovery I had to laugh at some of the crap I did. Just to survive the pain and discomfort me and my rehab roomates would laugh as much as possible, but we were cautioned by the staff and counsellors that we were on the edge of "romanticizing" drinking/using so we had to cool it.

I still love to laugh but I find when I am around "normies" like family and such, they do not find "drinking stories" to be funny at all. I guess we get a little desensitized to it. Time and a place I guess. If someone is really struggling, humour might not be the best approach yet at the same time a laugh might really help. I don't know where I am going with this really, but yeah I have to bite my tongue a lot with humour especially when reading posts here out of respect, I don't wanna PO anybody.