10 days and counting
 

Hello everyone.

Today I am 10 days sober (I have probably been 10 days sober about 7 times over the past year but never remained longer than 21). I can get to 10 days sober fairly easy - although 24 hours after my last drink this time
I could feel/hear my elevated heart beat and struggled to sleep - I had never before experienced symptoms like this, but this was after a period of drinking for about 48 hours.

It's always at around about this time in sobriety that I start to think - was the drinking that bad? The memory of the hangovers/stupid behaviours have lessoned and that glass of Chardonnay just seems much more attractive then it did a week ago. I am also a little worried as I am leaving my family tomorrow after a trip away, so going back to my empty flat can often be a trigger for me after leaving a busy bustling house.

I am hoping I can find the strength to get through this time, my first day back at work too and find myself back here at the weekend having still not drank.

Hope everyone is doing well and happy new year!

Welcome to SR, Newh85; so glad that you found this wonderfully supportive, understanding and encouraging site.

Have a look around the forums, giving special attention to the 'Stickies' at the top of each forum (especially, initially, the Newcomers and Newcomer's Daily Support forums). You will find a wealth of information and wisdom.

Again, welcome.

Welcome to the family and congrats on ten days sober! :) Keep going, it gets better. :)

Thank you guys; I'm really happy to have found this site too.

Upon reading my post back - getting to 10 days hasn't been that easy all of the time. Just this time having been away there have been a lot of distractions/ plus I have been super busy - although there has been many times over the past 10 days I have looked at someone with a glass of wine in their hands and felt a fleeting moment of could I.

As my family don't really drink it's also been easier although believe it or not I actually survived a wine tasting at a vineyard without caving, although the cravings were there.

Babbling now - sorry!

Welcome! Stick around, things really do get better.

That feeling of.... a drink would be good right now....

is the addiction.

The brain damage. The crave. If you don't give in...your health improves...but the anxiety ramps up....it takes a long time to stabilize.....many many months...

That is why folks relapse over and over....

Addiction is progressive. It gets worse, deeper, stronger...harder to quit.

I went through hell quitting. It took over a year clean to start to really pull out of the addiction.

Booze for us addicts is toxic.

Sounds like halfway through today, you've already accomplished halfway of where you've been before! Then it'll be the next half, and then 22 days, 23, 24...you've got this! Congratulations on ten days and thank you for coming to SR and sharing your story! We've got you, both on the wagon and - if ever again - off. :)

And the answer to your question, was the drinking really that bad....always yes. Just because the ability to create a "Pro" list in the midst of mostly "con"s does not make any of it justifiable. That darn addiction just has a loud mouth. Moving forward! ;)

welcome newh :)

the good thing about joining SR for me was that I had written proof that yes, it really was that bad...

it helped remind me I was here for a reason. I hope it will help you too.
congrats on 10 days :)

D

Congrats! Just continue to take it one day at a time. ( so cliche but so true!) I kept myself super busy when I first quit - running, exercising, cleaning, writing, reading, cooking, just doing anything to fill that free time. It's so amazing how much free time you have once you quit drinking. Try something new. I like to run and joined a trail running group where we have different group runs weekly,

I drank a lot of herbal tea in the beginning when I wanted to drink and I still drink a lot of herbal tea to this day. I just need something to sip on.

I like the idea someone posted above about making a list of pros and cons of drinking. I'm sure the cons will outweigh the pros.

-Leasha

Welcome to the Forum Newh!! :wave: