Stiltskin

To help some of the newbys like myself out (Class of Jan 2017), could some of the more established members let us know some of the positives we can expect please....For example, did you experience weight loss, better skin, better concentration, more money in your pocket etc.

This will really help me, and hopefully everyone else.

Thank

Jimmy58

Congratulations on your sober journey stiltskin. Some of the benefits of not drinking for me are restful, deep sleep, more money, basically being a better human being and caring more about other peoples feelings and empathy for their problems. Far from perfect but better than I used to be. Thank you.

PhoenixJ

Self esteem and mindfulness of being in the present while dealing with the past.

Dee74

Hi stilts

I have to admit I didn't experience much in the way of better health good looks or more money for a good while...not to discourage anyone - those things did happen eventually but I'd dug a pretty deep hole for myself and I had to be patient

But I did have an enormous sense of relief and a growing sense of optimism and hope about my future pretty much from the beginning..

I also rediscovered a me Id totally forgotten about - a me who went places and did things and had dreams and schemes and friends with interests outside drinking and drugging.

It was a life changing decision for me and I haven't regretted it for a second

D

entropy1964

Yes the external stuff happens. And with some effort (diet, exercise, sleep) it happens with even better results.

For me, while that stuff is great for sure, its all about the internal. I drink to fill a void in my soul essentially. I am working a program that helps me fill that void with something other than a person, a substance or an activity.

Things external to me are impermanent and are not 'enough' to 'keep' me sober.

Soberween

For me, my skin became so much more beautiful. I was in a constant state of dehydration while drinking and didn't take care of my skin the way I do sober. Now that I have more disposable income (due to no longer procuring my wine supply), I have started to get facials and chemical peels a few times a year. Don't mean this in a boastful way, more to highlight the dramatic difference, but I've had complete strangers come up and ask me what I do to make my skin so luminous. There are so many other benefits. I'm not constantly worried about my liver or if my chances for breast cancer has increased due to my wine intake. I'm more organized, house is cleaner, never feel full of shame and my favorite benefit is that waking up feeling great never gets old.

That said, this disease is relentless. I have quite a few years of sobriety under my belt and the mental obsession has lifted, but I still have the occasional fleeting feeling (maybe once or twice a year) of missing the good ole days when I could meet a friend for a few glasses of wine and then go home. That's the nature of this disease. In reality, I never met a friend and only had a couple glasses of wine. It was always to drink profusely. When I controlled it, I didn't enjoy it. When I enjoyed it, I didn't control it. We tend to romanticize it. Cunning, baffling, powerful!

soberandhonest

I'm definitely not an "established member" and I've only been sober for a year (four days shy of 13 months, woo hoo!), but I like this thread so thought I'd add a couple things. First, the greatest joy for me is that my life no longer revolves around booze and the deceit that I had to constantly practice to get my daily dose of alcohol in my system. I have a sense of freedom that I haven't enjoyed in many years. Second (this one is pretty obvious, but still incredibly real and important), my relationship with my wife and kids has improved substantially. Third, I lost significant weight, gained a renewed enjoyment of good food, and can basically eat whatever I want without worrying about weight gain. Fourth, I still make plenty of mistakes, but waking up each morning knowing that I haven't self-sabotaged myself is a pretty damn good feeling.

january161992

yes

heres what God working thru aa has given me

me me me ... because im very selfish/ self centered

a sobriety date
a God
a wife
a family ... didnt seem 'em much in the 80s
relationships
job
house
cars
tools to deal with life

oh yea, less self hate

leasha24

Just over a year sober :
PR'd in all my race distances and qualified to run the Boston marathon
Lost 30 lbs (started eating healthier and no more empty calories from booze)
Made new friends by joining some local running clubs
Bought my first house
My confidence came back
Met the love of my life and finally in a healthy relationship
I learned how to deal with my emotions instead of numbing them with alcohol
I'm happy... genuinely happy

....just to name a few 😉

-Leasha

madgirl

My skin looked better within a few weeks.

Ha - I assumed any extra weight would just fall off without all that wine, but I craaaaaaaved sugar so I gained weight. The sugar cravings do pass, though.

That said, the best changes have been in my head and spirit. Best decision I have ever made!!!

whitehorses

I am here again..on day 5..had a good nights sleep last night.
Last time, i ate healthily..lost a stone and a half..skin and hair looked great got loads of compliments on my appearance..and felt good and happy in myself..never missed the wine..till 6 month down the line..was having lunch with a friend and she offered me a glass of wine..never thought..whoa..never crossed my mind..such is the nature of the beast.. that was 3 years ago..but here i am now..determined..great reading all your stories.. i cant drink again.

newpage119

I lost about 30 pounds, and 2-3 sizes in a little over 2 years. That feels great.....it melted off slowly as I didn't go on strict diet. At one time I counted 5 flavors of ice cream in my freezer, so didn't go without!
Becoming sober was more important to me than losing weight, but losing the weight was a great motivation! It was a side benefit.

I learned to like to exercise daily, not much maybe 30 -45 minutes of yoga, or a 2 mile walk if the weather is good. I find that I enjoy it, and I feel better with regular exercise...who knew?
I NEVER exercised while drinking...no time....

I am getting my financial affairs in order, getting close to having zero debt.

Reading, a hobby that I loved when younger and not drinking as much, came back. I love that! When drinking I found it hard to concentrate on the printed word... ugh...

I wake up every day feeling pretty good and hangovers are a thing of the past.....

Good luck with your journey, I can tell you it is worth the struggle...and gets easier with time!

tomsteve

more important for me was the improvement in my mental state. I didn't realize until I was sober for a while that I was living a life of insanity for many years.

bexxed

Nothing changes if nothing changes.

That being said I only stopped in the beginning of August 2016, so I'm also still a "newbie".

It's weird because it's not passive, It's not like you insert the coin of not drinking into the slot of life and then these great things pop out. For me, I stopped drinking and very slowly changed the way that I think about things, by taking things one day at a time and focusing on gratitude every single day, even when it felt very annoying to do so.

Verrrry slowly I notice that

I am nicer.

I am happier.

I sleep much better, that was right away and because I had alcoholic insomnia.
I lost five - ten pounds depending on how many enchiladas I eat for lunch any given week.

My skin looks better and my hair is growing in healthier.

Most recently, I'm really sensitive to drama. I see it in other people, and I have started automatically repelling from it. It's really crazy making stuff.

I've become used to feeling alert and healthy, so on days like today (I stayed up late last night binge watching Netflix and did not deny there would be consequences) I feel tired and crappy, similar to a mild hangover, and it's not the norm.

Y'know I really want to have a different career, lose 40 more pounds, run a full marathon, get a different degree, learn a new language, learn how to surf, do the Ashtanga yoga series perfectly, follow the diet I keep not following, be a person who meditates, be a person who knits and crochets, get it together to fix up the inside of my house, fix my yard, write a novel, and paint amazing murals. I want to do all of these things but if I start to think about it all I get super overwhelmed, just like I did when I thought millions of times "I really need to stop drinking, forever/for 30 days/just for a week/year/season". Shoot, even thinking about what I need to do to the house sends me into a whirlwind. But one day at a time, one tiny part of one thing at a time, without any grand expectations, really helps me. And I'm finding that the journey there to these aspirations is making for a better quality life than the one I had when I was "buzzed" and hung over and bitter and mired in drama all the time.

<3

Stiltskin

Wonderful post Bex, thank you. :0)

Jim1958

No blinding hangovers anymore. I am on time and doing well at work. I save money each month. I feel like I am making progress. For years I was stuck in a cycle I could not break. But now I feel better.

least

I eat better, sleep better, feel better, pay my bills on time, and wake up feeling happy.

duane1

Sitting here at nearly 5 years sober. I can say that I almost never even think about alcohol anymore. It didn't seem possibly back then. I can have people all around me drinking during the holidays and I happily drank water!

Poppy79

It would be great for more long termers to add to this thread
I am only a newbie, 72 days sober, in that time I have noticed the following:-
- eyes appear brighter
- skin is glowing
- lots more energy
- sleeping much better, actually I don't need as much sleep. I am firing on all cylinders, all day on an average of 6 hours sleep.
- I have more clarity
- I love mornings, I wake up with a sense of hope and happiness
- I have saved over $2,000 so far by not buying poison
- I feel more engaged in my relationships with family and friends
- I have time now to get back into my interests like painting, drawing, reading, road trips to the beach.
- I could go on and on

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whitehorses

💪😎