tonib

So I did something stupid and drank yesterday. Didn't get wasted but I did. Have no desire to do it today or again but does this mean I have to reset my counter back to day 1? Or do I just keep going?

Venecia

I'm sorry you drank, Toni.

I think you already know the answer to your question. Dee has shared a helpful post about the lure of drinking that I hope is helpful for you. Drinking has brought sheer misery into your life. Isn't it time to plant your stake in the ground and say "no more -- it's over." You won't regret it, I assure you.

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...t-drunk-7.html

Take care and remember that you can do this.

Soberwolf

I'm glad your back Toni reaching out is so so vital in early recovery know that there is n shame coming here and saying you feel like drinking it's better than suffering in silence

Glad your back Toni

doggonecarl

Sorry you surrendered to the obsession to drink. I hope it's only a blip and you carry on with your recovery. Too often the relapse crashes open the gates of drinking and the terrible cycle carries on.

Please stay strong.

Leezer

Venecia, thanks for that link. Dee is a wise one!!! That's why his words are in my signature.....

tursiops999

Hi Tonib. Good for you for posting and getting re-focused on sobriety. If it were me, I would try to put aside the question of the "days counter" for now. I'd try to focus on what behaviors & thoughts I had leading up to that drink. I'd try to look at my plan -- what's working and not working, what do I need to do differently so that I don't drink again? You could decide later about your sobriety date, but I think the important thing is keeping your focus on staying sober now. Just my 2 cents. Anyway, I'm glad you're here.

uncorked

Tonib, not sure how long you've been sober, but personally I don't like the whole "go back to Day 1" thing. It trivializes the progress you have already made. I would find it quite daunting to think I'd have to start counting from "Day 1" if I had a slip....maybe enough so that I'd just keep drinking. That's why I focus on the positive, not the negative. So, you had a slip. Get back on the wagon and keep going.

Endeavor

Well said, completely agree.

Dee74

I'm glad you're back Toni

What does you recovery plan look like?
Are you doing anything else besides SR?

If it was me I would reset my date. Not as a punishment - I don't think it trivialises anything and it doesn't make the achievements we gained sober any less to go back to scratch.

I just know I need to be honest. I could rationalise for the Olympics.

If I make my count say 65 days and one slip it would be easy for me to then rationalise say 70 days and two slips, or three....

Going back to the start of my count signifies a new page - a new beginning...and the hope I never have to start counting at day one again

D

thomas11

Its unfortunate you drank yesterday, but your sober days are not wasted. Hopefully you learned a lot and can use that to your advantage in the future. As far as resetting your counter, I think the consensus on that would be yes. sorry to say.

Jack465

Unfortunately, for many of us one drinking session IS enough to wipe out a lot of our progress... that's why people put such a big emphasis on this.

I agree with your point though. I still have written down my ratio of sober days vs. drinking days from when I was still trying to quit, so I can see how many times I stayed sober during that period.

least

If I deliberately drank, I would have to start again at day one. My sobriety days are counted in a row, not just so many days sober and then a slip. I hope this time you don't drink again. Living sober is hard at first, but it gets better, and easier, the longer you're sober.

tomsteve

for me, if I drank, even just 1 drink, I couldn't honestly say I still have 11 years sober.being dishonest about it would eat away at me.

youre continuous sobriety may have changed but the knowledge of what helped you do that hasn't.

did I read from ya before about attending AA?

ZenLifter

Hey Tonib, I wouldn't get too wrapped up in the numbers game right now, cause it's "one day at a time", and it's always today right? It took me many tries to finally get sober, so I think it's great you came here after a little slip and didn't let it become a full blown relapse

KPForever

I agree with ZenLifter. Today is my first say sober in my new life of recovery. But I don't think i'm going to count days. I just want to never drink, so all I want to say is 'Haven't had a drink since June 24, 2016.'

I hope I stay in this mindset forever.

juppe

Not even one drop. Ever

AnvilheadII

sober = no drinking ever

attempting to minimize that it was "only one" or "i didn't get drunk" is exactly the mindset your AV wants......next it will be, well SEE? it wasn't THAT bad. the house didn't fall in you. it will be ok to drink AGAIN.

hpdw

Im gald you got right back here . Have to strongly agree with AnvilheadII too though . Been having some AV going on in my head too .

Behappy1

Regardless of whether you choose to reset your counter or not... Get back up. Dust yourself off and get on the sobriety horse. I know there are two thought processes on the counter thing...

Choose to focus on the positive that you've gained from the sober days you have under your belt. Figure out why you drank and what you need to do to prevent it in the future. I have btdt, have the t-shirt. It can be very easy to throw in the towel and say forget it. I have done just that. Years later I am back putting a real effort into it with more seriousness about my sobriety than I have ever had. Don't waste more years drinking.

CaseyW

How are you doing today, tonib?