MidnightRider

Hey all - Hope you are having a great day or evening.

Since January 1, 2016, I have been trying to quit drinking. So in the past 7+ months.. I have had a couple 50-60 day sober periods. But in between the sober weeks/month... I caved and drank for like a month straight .. non stop. But I quit in July again and today I'm on my 19th day!

So below is what I'm going through now.... Seems interesting to me........ I am wondering if this is a phase I'm going through this time......

So The first couple times I quit.... I was thinking about drinking AND not drinking everyday, almost every minute of every day.

But this time is different ... I am only thinking about drinking once in a while.. So it is not a constant thought in my head. Again, I am not thinking every minute about being sober or drinking,..... It's like I've been able to put it out of my head. The feeling of sobriety comes in waves..... Like I forgot about it. Then BAM .. I think to myself.. Cool I'm sober today! Wow nice going !.......

My question is .. Is this a phase. Or is sobriety get easier and do some people just forget about it. (like normal sober folks.... they dont think about it all the time ... ) Does this make sense?

Thanks for reading.... Go ME !

Soberpotamus

I know for me it seemed easy after I had the moment of clarity, followed by acceptance, that I could no longer drink again safely. I could not moderate. And drinking binges were not ok. Once accepting that fact, there was a mental shift, yes. The possibility of living a sober life became very real. And it only depended on me not drinking. As for living happily, that came with some time and some hard.

So, yes, I do believe some of us experience a relative 'ease' in quitting drinking. But that's not to say that getting to that point was easy... on the contrary. Many of us went through pure hell to get here.

biminiblue

It keeps getter easier and better, MidnightRider.

Well done on all the days of sobriety you've gained over the past eight months. I hope you keep this going.

january161992

Once I was attending meetings regularly, the desire to drink was removed ...

... and so far has never returned.

U75

I like SoberP's characterization of it as a "mental shift." For me, the shift was from fear that I inevitably was going to pick up again, to confidence that I was not going to pick up again.

I gotta say, I still think about drinking all the time, but with this shift in mindset I seemed to have taken control. Now my thoughts about drinking aren't "I desperately want a drink." Instead, they are "I am beating this thing."

Pretty cool.

Delilah1

Hi Midnight Rider,

I believe there can definitely be a shift in thinking. I have been sober since January 1st, and the thoughts of drinking rarely pop into my head anymore, and when they do I am able to play the tape through and do something else.

This is not my first attempt at so deity, but it has been different and a big part of it is due to the mental shift you are talking about. I still check in here daily, because I enjoy reading inspirational posts, and encouraging those starting out or over. I also know that for me complacency has led to drinking in the past.

I'm glad you are doing so well. Sobriety is definitely the best gift I have given myself!

LadyBlue0527

First, congrats on your time!

Each time that I did quit it gave me more of what I needed to realize that there's only one way out. Full and complete acceptance of the fact that there will never be any plausible reason to drink. Just like my sig line says. The more accepting I am of that fact the happier I am.

Sounds like you've made your way there

It takes some work and diligence to find those muscles. I'm happy for you.

Nonsensical

That is exactly what I mean when I say I never knew I was a slave until I was free.

That state of constantly think about drinking or thinking about trying to be sober is slavery. Your mind is not your own, it is enslaved by the addiction. That moment when I first realized I haven't been thinking about drinking today remains very vivid for me. It was my emancipation day.

Well Done.

MrPL

Hey MidnightRider,

You have described my life for the past few years, quitting, getting back, month sober, 3 drunk, you know it.

I find your post interesting as the exact opposite is happening to me now. Since joining this forum yesterday getting sober took a new meaning in my head and I realised I never thought about it before, so I am thinking about it all the time and kind of enjoying it (though I know at some point I ll have to slowdown on reading things here!)

Well done to you, may this be the last time we both quit!

P

MidnightRider

Amen Brother... May this be the last time!

Upstairs

I'm right there with you and going on six months. Seems awfully easy so far once I got past the first couple months. When I do crave it in a meaningful way, remembering all the really, really bad stuff that made me quit in the first place is enough to get past them.

MLD51

The mental shift Soberpotamus mentioned is what I experienced pretty quickly after I quit drinking in December 2014. I had tried half-heartedly to quit several times before that. And I had always entertained thoughts of being able to take a break and go back as a moderate or "normal" drinker. Once I had the realization that was never going to be possible, that the ONLY answer for me was to quit forever, that mental shift happened. And I felt free. I do still occasionally think about drinking, but it's less and less frequent, and easier to shrug off the more time goes by. So yes, it gets easier. Enjoy this feeling, and remember how good it feels next time you want to drink.

Boleo

I no longer think about drinking or not-drinking. That's why I say:

"Not-drinking has nothing to do with why I am sober today".

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ml#post6083875

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ml#post6082173

MidnightRider

Thought I'd say .. Thank you to those that replied and others that offer support here.

I'm sober on a Sunday morning. Got my trusty Martin with me here on the couch and SR on my iPad. Nowhere in particular to go ... Nothing much to do.

Maybe a lazy day is necessary ...

21 days today!