NestWasEmpty

Hi Everyone , I joined a few days ago to get some Inspiration to stay on my journey with my Sobriety . Also to help others in return that's fighting the battle .
While I was reading through newcomers posts and even return posters starting again . I seen a lot of questions , that I could not help with . Because my reason to sustain is really simply - I was only a few drinks away from dying , if I hadn't quit . So I found the Will to Live more important .
I won't name the poster or posters that's asked , but maybe with this tread others can give their reasons , that are different . To help one's that don't have health issues as of Yet .
I did do a search , of this kind of topic but nothing popped up . If there is one . I can or Mod can just delete - or if I'm in the wrong for posting .

Soberwolf

Good thread if i didnt stop drinking i wouldnt have lasted much longer

NestWasEmpty

Thanks soberwolf for your input I do enjoy trying to help others , and in return I feel better about myself . I know so many that begins their journey and they have so many what ifs or can't seem to word their thoughts right .
Like many I've heard say , but I miss it , maybe I can have one . Usually no amount of telling them they can't or shouldn't convinces them not to- until it's too late .
That's the saddest part of being addicted to alcohol . I only have 2 years of sobriety and still have to fight some days

PurpleKnight

I think we're all pretty much heading the same way, but just at different stages of our drinking careers.

The consequences for me were getting increasingly worse, the grip alcohol had on my life was tightening, I was still at the "functioning" stage of my drinking, but the noose was closing before my eyes, it was only going to be a matter of time before I would finally loose a job, loose my driving licence, financial problems etc

Thankfully I decided to get off the train a few stops back before it finally crashed!!

Dee74

Like you I was an end stage drinker NestWasEmpty.

All I've done to rebuild my life over the last several years is predicated on me staying in recovery - thats a pretty big and effective carrot

D

NestWasEmpty

With your replies - Regrets came in my mind that's another thing you can't fix , what's done is done . The If I only had sobered up sooner . Can do a lot of damage in the bottle for 10 + years worth on family & friends .
Some forgive - some won't believe that you'll stay sober . Which you can't lay blame on them . You have to prove it .
There's no way I could even write all I put myself and family through . I can Wish for the rest of my life to have stopped before it was to late .
Had my first grandbaby born , I maybe could stay sober enough to see him 2-3 times a month . Lost my Mom while she was in the hosp. Never went to see her or be there for my Dad & son's .
I hate alcohol That Demon ! Yikes Sorry I got on a roll - Venting is good ?

tomsteve

One drink and my past will become my present. My past was very disgusting.

As with dee, I've built a very nice life for me. Not materialistic but inside myself. I'm not who I was.
One drink and who I am disappears. Who and what I was will return.

Although I had a lot further down the physical scale to go,the day after my last drunk i was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to the point that the only other choice over getting sober that I gave myself was suicide.

That choice would be effective with one drink.


Life's too good!
Plus I love my dog.

Incontrol15

I LOVE that!

I keep my sobriety because I don't like anxiety and depression too much. And I could do without suicidal thoughts.

nyala

I've thrown enough rocks at the moon.

zjw

i used to have this lump in my throat. I didnt under stand what it was. but it terrified me. being a heavy smoker and a heavy drinker i figured it was a tumor from smoking or esophugus cancer from drinking. no matter what i did ic oldnt get rid of it. and it caused me to be short of breath some even which only fueled my panic attacks. I racked my brain what it could be that was causing this surely it wasnt th ebooze of the smokes and if it was well i guess i was doomed i had done it i had finally gotten cancer no sense in quiting now what would be the point? the panic attacks got worse and worse. So i quit smoking to see if that would help alas nothing so i started smoking again. then i quit drinking i still had that lump in my throat for months after i quit drinking but it got better its totally gone now and the panic attacks have subsided.

I cant go back to that.

Lately I think its ok to look back to where i've been and look at where i am not and feel total complete Joy and happyness. My life and perfect but geeze its a 92321932109 times better then it was and thats more then enough for me!.

NestWasEmpty

Yes I will have to write that sentence down tomsteve , that flashback was scary !! Thanks for sharing all . I can't say it enough My heart goes out to the lost souls that don't know how to pull their selves out of alcohols grip or any addiction

Incontrol15

Amen

thomas11

My reasons are pretty vanilla. My self confidence (which is critical in my life) and my health were suffering, and important. I feel fortunate that it wasn't worse, and certainly could have been.

And likely would have been, if not for this site and my wife.

gettingsmarter

Not drinking keeps me from turning into a bumbling looser who lies to everyone. I like to look at sober me in the mirror a whole lot more.

DitzyDandelion

Because drunk me cannot be trusted.

TroyW

Nice post, and congrats on your sobriety.

And yep, I'd say staying alive is probably the biggest reason to remain sober. I'm absolutely confident I'm on death's doorstep right now, and trust me, you don't want to be here. Drunk or sober, my body is totally off the past few days.

This isn't a place you want to be, so definitely, stay sober.

Eddiebuckle

When I realized how utterly alone I was as a result of my drinking, and how disgusted I was with what I had become, I was faced with the choice of continuing to drink, suicide, or quitting. If I had the misfortune of living as long as my Mother who died from this disease, I might go on like that for another twenty five years. I could not imagine continuing the same regression that drinking entailed for another twenty days, much less twenty years. Only an alcoholic or addict will understand why it took serious thought to choose sobriety - I simply couldn't comprehend how to deal with life without the relief alcohol afforded, however mixed its benefit might be. One week later, I was in rehab.

NestWasEmpty

Thanks TroyW " Nice post, and congrats on your sobriety"
I'm still working on trying to get part of a quote in my post . Copy & paste is all I can figure out . Same to you Troy , I know the feeling body wise At least for me I'm happy my heads clear , been trying to eat healthier and all that good stuff . The damage is done , no reason to keep blaming myself .
Even the Dr keeps telling me it takes a long time for your body to heal after drinking for so long . My opinion is I don't believe it ever gets back to 100% !

jazzfish

The main reason I quit is that I was destroying my mental and physical health. I was on a downward spiral to a painful end. What pushed me over the edge was seeing a picture of the ONLY vacation I have given my kids in 12 years. That's when it hit me that I am impacting more people than me, and those impacts can ripple through the rest of their lives.

ccam1973

I quit because my health and life was headed out of my control. Fatty Liver Disease, wasted days and nights, too many unfounded arguments with my young kids, hating myself each morning, having to choke down drinks just to maintain, creating and feeding the financial ruin, and just not being the person, dad and husband that I was meant to be.

We only have one chance at life. One day I woke up from the destruction I had created from 21 years of heavy daily drinking and wanted to live again.

What a beautiful thing life can be when we realize how to live sober.