It has now been one year since I last had a drink.
 

On Easter 2014 I drank a bottle of red wine by myself. My sister in law was visiting and my wife was angry at me again. A day or so later I told my wife that I would not drink for a period. She never asked me to stop drinking. She is a good example of an occasional and moderate drinker.

I had been of the habit of drinking 1 strong craft beer plus 4 or 5 big glasses of wine every night. My idea of a full pour was nearly to the rim of the wine glass. I never felt drunk from this. My wife said that I showed some impairment. Her main objection was that drinking made me unavailable to the family.

I felt some craving in my early withdrawl period and later when I was reminded of the good times of alcohol by advertising. I miss it less and less every day. The only alcohol I have had since them is a tiny drop when I take communion at church.

I got a different job in the same industry which I like quite a bit better. My earnings are a little higher and I feel the potential is much higher for the future.

My sixteen year old son seems to have less interest in trying alcohol now. Our relationship is better now. There are still issues as he still tests my will and patience as he is learning how to be an independent man.

My relationship with my wife is much better now. She tells me all the time how proud she is that I dont drink any more. Her sister has a much better opinion about me now also.

It has now been almost 20 years since I have smoked marijuana. Before I got married I had smoked daily for 20 years. That was a deal breaker for my wife at the time.

I have recently stopped drinking coffee. Somehow I have become overly sensitive to caffeine and can no longer tolerate much.

There is still much that I need to work on. I need to lose some weight and get more exercise. I need to work on staying calm and patient with my wife and son.

I still check back here every once in a while for inspiration and resolve. I hope everyone finds their own way to sobriety.

Congratulations!!

You made a good point about your son not seeming as interested in trying alcohol. I have an 18, 16(twins) and 15 year old. They've seen me drink. I've always worried that they'll think its fun and want to drink as well. Since cutting back this year and now quitting, we've had more discussions about alcohol. We've discussed addiction and normal drinking, etc. I guess only time will tell where it leads.

Again, most excellent on your year!!

Well done on a year. That's great. We are all works in progress. Keep going!

Congratulations on a great year of sobriety, vf. Glad to hear that things are going so well for you.

Thanks for the update. It's good to see that things have improved so much for you during this year. Congratulations!

:hb6

Congrats!

Sounds like you are investing energy into the things that will bring you more happiness and satisfaction in year 2. Keep it up!

Congratulations!

Great stuff, vf. Thank you for posting. Your message is a simple, but powerful reminder that some lives change dramatically with sobriety, others change in more subtle ways. But our lives inevitably get better with sobriety.

Best wishes for many more years of sobriety. :c014:

Wow congratulations on a year. Your story is inspiring and it sounds like you're leading by example with your son :-)

grats on a year !

Congrats on one year! That is really great, you should be proud!:dance4:

Congratulations!

You are awesome! Congrats!

A whole year - fantastic.

Fantastic!! :You_Rock_

Congrats on your year Vf :)

D

Congratulations, VF! It's so great to see milestones like yours here!

:You_Rock_

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