Enjoying Life
 

I feel like I never really enjoyed life at all when I was drinking. Imagine that? What was I doing all those years? Just getting by. Getting by for what to come? The time is now. Enjoy the simple things life has to offer. That's what it's about for me right now.

I had nine months then recently slipped up for a bit. Fortunately I was able to catch this quickly enough to put an end to it. Discovered AA and found a way to move forward. There is so much joy in all of this change. I sometimes feel like a kid again. Sobriety takes a while, but everyone is right in that its so worth it.

Don't waste another day!

I hear you, Arbor!! Even on my bad days, I feel so much more engaged and present in my life.

I am glad you were able to put a quick stop to your slip :scoregood

Sobriety is worth every difficult, enormous step!

:tyou

Edit: Took me almost two years to feel the way I feel now about sobriety. Don't get discouraged. If it's your first go at it you'll probably hit some bumps along the way. The key is to be able to recognize, pick yourself back up again, and trudge on.

You have to believe that you can live a happy sober life.

It is great to see you enjoying sobriety, Arbor.

I can't believe how much of life I missed on when I was 'checked-out'.

Keep on!!!!

Thanks Leigh.

Isn't it crazy when we are in the midst of our addictions how blind we are to see we can be happy without a substance? That's a hard thing to get through.

It is a hard thing to get through but getting through it is MAJOR. Congratulations!!!!

Alcohol for me definitely stopped being fun and enjoyable after a period of time, it simply turned into autopilot and coasting through life wondering when my next drink was!!

Great to read your positive post Arbor!! :scoregood

I fully agree, Arbor. Nice post :)

Drinking never gave me any joy or happiness, not even genuine sadness or other feelings, in the last few years of my career. It was all fleeting fake, shorter and shorter moments of delusional euphoria, extreme and unpredictable emotions, displaced feelings, everything out of context and unreal (not in any interesting "surreal art" way). It also severely alienated me from the rest of the world, from human connections, and from feeling a genuine purpose in life. I also experienced the worst kind of major depressive episode during the last year before I quit that rendered me pretty much dysfunctional for a few months. I'd never known depression like that from earlier life.

I knew how to live a good life rich with meaning, personal development, and natural enthusiasm before my drinking took over. The first sober year was kinda so-so, but now I can confidently say I recognize myself again, and more.

I can only fully agree: don't waste another day drinking our precious time away; time expands quite magically in sobriety in ways that those of us who drank heavily for years probably tended to already forget in some ways :)

It's great to hear that you're doing so well.

awesome stuff Arbor :)

D