A birthday surprise
 

I'm brand new here. Tomorrow I turn 30. I have been drinking for 17 years. It never got bad until after I got home from Iraq. Before then, it was just weekends. The same any other army guy did. After, it was every day whiskey.

Now I'm out and chasing one of my dreams. The only problem is the drink still gets in the way. Last night drank a 12 pack. That never helps me in getting my work done.

In the recent past I have developed some momentum. Last year went 50 days without drinking to start the year. This year did a 30 day stint. Now I'm ready to go longer. I'm ready to do it for good.

As a birthday present to myself, I'm going to start being sober today. I'm going to work through the 12 steps. The journey will be tough, but I think the threads here will help. Let me know if you have any advice.

Welcome to the forum, one of the many things many of us here believe is in having a plan to help us stay sober when we are exposed to situations in life including what we call our addictive voice.

If you have any questions, we all have a story and more than happy to share what worked for us.

All the best
Andrew

Happy Birthday, WaterHunter!!!

What an awesome gift to give to yourself!

There is boundless information, insight and support here at SR. Read, read and read some more, there are countless threads and sticky's to peruse!

I would have been lost without SR, this site has been instrumental in my sober journey, 1 year and a bit and onward!

Welcome :c011: :grouphug:

Welcome WaterHunter

It is a truly great birthday present WaterHunter. I'm sorry you had to be in Iraq.

Welcome WaterHunter that is a excellent present to yourself

I'm glad you've decided to live a sober life.

Did you go to London to visit the Queen Soberwolf?

She's doing pretty well for 90 that's for sure.

This is the best present you or anyone else can receive.

Advice get a good sponsor who has what you want, has long term sobriety, has the time to work with you, has worked the steps, and has a sponsor. Go to a ton of meetings, and develop a strong sober network

Happy Birthday WaterHunter :)
I agree with the others, this is the best gift you could give yourself :)

Happy Birthday WaterHunter :)
14 days ago I turned 41 and did exactly the same thing!
It's the best present I ever gave myself!
Good luck x

What is the best way to go about getting a sponsor?

Welcome to the family. :) I hope the support you find here can help you get sober for good. :)

:fest30::bday:You and I share the same birthday, WaterHunter.
I'm replying to you because 3 weeks ago on April 1 I celebrated one year of sobriety. It's definitely the best gift i ever gave myself.
To make it stick this time I have joined AA, broken old habits/rituals, stayed close to SR, and built up a good support system. I hope you can come up with a plan that works well for you. That's key to success in beating this vice of ours.
Happy birthday tomorrow. I'm 20 years ahead of you. I turn 50. Sure wish I had come to my senses back when I was your age. Could have saved myself a lot of heartache if I had. You're making a terrific choice for yourself. Good luck!!

I think it is great that you have dreams and that you are willing to chase them. It is one more reason, one more driving force, that will help you stay sober.

I don't know what dream it is that you are chasing, but I am sure that you will be much more likely to achieve it if you stay sober.

I was struck by this part of your post because, when many of us joined SR, we had few if any dreams that were within reach. Most of us had lost so much before arriving here. I, for one, was done chasing dreams. And it made my recovery harder.

So, keep your eye on the prize. Keep chasing the dream. Use it as another tool in your arsenal.

Good luck. I am glad you are here with us. :grouphug:

Welcome to SR!

Welcome and happy birthday waterhunter :)

The best thing I think anyone can do is have a definite recovery plan - there are a few ideas here:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ery-plans.html

Welcome and happy birthday! You should join the Class of April thread. Very supportive group for those of us just getting started.

WaterHunter - we're so glad to have you be part of us. Talking things over here made all the difference to me. I never felt alone anymore. You can do this! :)

Welcome aboard WaterHunter!

You awesome in your decision to deal with drinking before real damage happens in you're life.