Soberwolf

My last dog was a rescue dog

TroyW

Hi emme,

I don't have much to add, except I definitely understand where you're coming from. Hang in there, all of us trying to get sober can do this together.

endlesspatience

Glad to hear things are looking a bit brighter for you. As we all said, you did really well to get to 67 days and it wasn't surprising that you felt disappointed when you relapsed after that. We've all had similar experiences.

Thanks for sharing about the therapy, too. I expect the therapist started talking about other issues when you explained that you were sobering up. And indeed, her suggestion of handing that part of your recovery over to AA sounds like a good idea because it's got lots of experience in that area.

Therapists don't always get AA, though - especially the spiritual side of it, so sometimes it can be a bit of a balancing act. I wouldn't worry though - both can be helpful.

Please keep posting - we're pleased to hear what's going on for you and we'll support you where we can.

Dee74

Good to hear from you Emme

D

jt1234

Yes, same for me. Things do look "dark" when you've been drinking. Remember that

Calicofish

Hi Emme:

I'm still very new to sobriety but I thought I would share with you what I did for my plan in hopes that it will help.

I made a memo on my phone with a list of what drinking does to me - things like:

• red face
• bloat/weight
• bad skin
• high blood pressure
• saying/texting stupid things
• epic hangovers
• memory loss
• anxiety/depression

This list helped enormously at the beginning, when cravings hit. Additionally, I would imagine drinking and what the results would be all the way through to the morning. The few hours of escape would not worth the above list. I read everything I could find about addition and the results of long term alcohol abuse (not a pretty picture). I used this forum as my support. I also subscribe to the views of "addictive voice recognition techniques" AVRT (see secular subforum here for information). AVRT has given me the means to conquer my addiction.

I also changed activities in my life. One activity that I think was pivotal in my success was joining the community theatre group. Having to memorize lines and then perform on stage helped me not only with my memory but also knowing that a whole lot of other people were counting on me to do my job. It wasn't just "about me" it was about the entire group and we were a team.

And lastly, which is probably the key to success is that I want to be sober more than anything.

I wish you much success Emme.
CF

ElleDee

Been there. The anxiety was so bad I thought I was going crazy. I also felt like I couldn't stop. I was beginning to resign myself to the fact that I would probably die from cirrhosis. You have to do something different this time to stay sober, whatever that may be. For me it was going back to AA and getting a sponsor. Don't know how you feel about AA. Otherwise as you probably know there are lots of other options out there. Nothing changes if nothing changes.

Ruby2

Hi Emme, there's always hope. I did inpatient treatment and it really helped derail my drinking. Placing myself in someone else's hands knowing I'd be physically cared for, was such a relief. If it's an option, I'd highly recommend it. Then I hit AA meetings and started reaching out to others.

Be well. You have too much to offer to give up.