whatcouldbe

I am just curious if everyone counts days of sobriety. I am happily doing very well and on day 6...almost 7! I see the benefit and huge accomplishment to rack up the days is, i get that. I guess i dont necessarily agree with getting to day 275 and have one slip and go back to day 1 versus day 276 or 277 ( obviously just referring to one error in judgement not a bender). Is this the norm? I guess we can all do what we want but just curious on the opinion of the masses.

least

I don't care how much sober time I've got - if I take one sip of alcohol (deliberately), it's a relapse and I start at day one again. I have to be honest with myself before I can be honest with others.

I counted days until the first year, then I counted in months/years. I like knowing I've got sober time under my belt. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something worthy.

SWTPEA61

I guess whatcouldbe.......it helps because if you count days and your on day 275 your likely to think twice about drinking and going back to day 1.

whatcouldbe

I think that would be a huge deterrant for me at least...

Forward12

Some find it beneficial to keep track of sober time, others not. I personally don't as I find it to become too obsessive. I just stay clean for today, and that's all that matters.

tomsteve

i counted days early on and it took work for me to keep it today.
but if i were to drink, even one dring one day,i would have 11+ years sober still.

Zebra1275

I don't count days.

Or weeks, or months. I do know I'm coming up on 7 years, but I would need to get a calendar to tell you the exact day.

Ultramarathoner

I'm not a counter- it's all individual.

Mattq2

I try not to count days but I always know roughly where I'm at. For me I need to be sober forever so counting individual days isn't that important . Counting got me in trouble after seven years of sobriety I took a drink, thought I was cured, I wasn't.

Coldfusion

Here is part seven of a thread with mostly posts by people who like to count days, but also some debate about counting days:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...er-pt-7-a.html

Aellyce

I did and found it beneficial after I got sober for the first time ~3 years ago but not after a relapse early last year. I honestly don't even remember in which month my last drink was, would need to trace it back... and I don't generally have a bad memory. I could look it up here on SR as I reported my last drink here on one of my threads. Just don't care this time. Sometimes when I go to an AA meeting, people look at me as if I had two heads when I say I don't know my most recent sober time more than pretty roughly But I do remember my first sobriety date very well. The other thing I feel certain about is that this recent, non-counting kind of sobriety is much higher quality and more satisfying for me than the two years were before the relapse. That's not advocating relapse, just an observation and fact.

Dee74

I counted days at the start. Each sober day meant a lot too me.
They still do, but I no longer know what my day count is

I often see people get hung up on the day count...some see it as an achievement, some as a prison...

I don't see it as a recovery method in any sense of the word, it's just a marker.

People get into recovery with it, and without it.

When relapses happen I can guarantee there's more going on than simply counting days.

D

whatcouldbe

I have a problem with looking too far into what ifs and the future. I am not certain that, (while i do not anticipate or wish it but it seems to be a recurrant theme), if i were to relapse months from now that counting days and losing that number, wouldnt make it worse. OR as previously suggested, that number may make me rethink any "whim" i may have.......just thinking out loud. Honestly i have never felt better and more certain of this new life i am creating. Starting aa and overcoming that "fear" has given me a new outlook and sense of pride in myself that has been missing for soooooo long. Sorry for the rant....

bunnezjp

971. I like one-upping myself.

~Bunnez

Doug39

I am at day 75 days and I figure at some point I will stop counting the days.

I quit smoking in 1992; I can't even remember what day. I am sure that will happen will alcohol some day.

Mklove

Since I'm in sobriety by myself I like the celebration I feel when I see a milestone, I have a day counter app, all for me to see if I want. 166 days, *****!

BrendaChenowyth

I think today is 140 for me. So earlier in another thread I said I had 18 weeks, but it looks like I actually have 20. I'm so good at math.

I like to keep track, because prior to this go my longest was probably 6 weeks? At this point, I feel like it would be harder to relapse than it is to stay sober.

Delilah1

I counted days in the beginning, then I started counting months. On January 1st I hit the one year mark and will continue to recognize each year.

Remaining active in my recovery each day has been the most important thing to me.

blueberry2015

I used to count days religiously, then it turned into months, every now and again I check my day counter, for me its good to see how taking it one day at a time mounts up.

blueberry2015

Congrats on one year! Amazeballs