Feeling everything
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Feeling everything
I'm heading towards 8 months sober . You know I've been described more then once as gruff. Don't usually show a bunch of emotions. I noticed lately that I can get a little teary eyed while watching a movie or if I hear a sad song. So yeah I do feel a more powerful sadness now that I'm sober. I also feel happiness to a point of being joyful. Joy is not an emotion I would have ever used in the past to describe how I feel.
So I guess sober I feel all emotions more. I'll blow by those sad days no problem to get to those happy ones. I'm almost positive this is what normal people feel like😊
I choose to focus only on the improvements, the happiness. And the good times.
I think we all should.
So I guess sober I feel all emotions more. I'll blow by those sad days no problem to get to those happy ones. I'm almost positive this is what normal people feel like😊
I choose to focus only on the improvements, the happiness. And the good times.
I think we all should.
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 106
Know exactly what you mean Matt. One reason I drank was to self-medicate and block a lot that I did not want to deal with sober. It watered down the depression, anger, and anxiety, made me "feel" less miserable. In reality, I think it does the opposite. We drink to make things go away but they are always there when we wake up the next day -- often worse then before, because we have less money, worse health, and we ruin relationships because we are drunk.
I would agree with you. I think we experience life more fully sober. Good and bad.
I would agree with you. I think we experience life more fully sober. Good and bad.
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Originally Posted by DesertTraveler 
Know exactly what you mean Matt. One reason I drank was to self-medicate and block a lot that I did not want to deal with sober. It watered down the depression, anger, and anxiety, made me "feel" less miserable. In reality, I think it does the opposite. We drink to make things go away but they are always there when we wake up the next day -- often worse then before, because we have less money, worse health, and we ruin relationships because we are drunk.
I would agree with you. I think we experience life more fully sober. Good and bad.
I would agree with you. I think we experience life more fully sober. Good and bad.
Attended By a Single Hound
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: England
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Thanks for the insight, Matt.
Was a bit of a shock to suddenly discover I had emotions, to say the east. Unlike you, I was (and am) suspicious and uncomfortable with similar instances when I've teared up, or more often got tight chested faced with stuff that once over didn't touch me. Takes guts to embrace feeling.
for recognising and embracing the potentially terrifying as it is - a symptom of 'recovery'.
Respect the wisdom and courage.
Was a bit of a shock to suddenly discover I had emotions, to say the east. Unlike you, I was (and am) suspicious and uncomfortable with similar instances when I've teared up, or more often got tight chested faced with stuff that once over didn't touch me. Takes guts to embrace feeling.
for recognising and embracing the potentially terrifying as it is - a symptom of 'recovery'. Respect the wisdom and courage.
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 5,453
Congratulations on 8 months!
I think we drink to hide from the pain but we forget we are drinking away a lot of happy feelings too.
I am 8 months sober too! I am definitely feeling a lot more joy! It is pretty amazing. some days I really feel High on life. Like today! I also cried over things a few times last week. Just normal things to cry over not depression or anything like that. It is like my cold heart is melting. lol
keep up the great work.
I think we drink to hide from the pain but we forget we are drinking away a lot of happy feelings too.
I am 8 months sober too! I am definitely feeling a lot more joy! It is pretty amazing. some days I really feel High on life. Like today! I also cried over things a few times last week. Just normal things to cry over not depression or anything like that. It is like my cold heart is melting. lol
keep up the great work.
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 2,412
Great post and observation. Same goes for the comment of having a choice of what we focus on... The good or the bad.
As a drunk, I focused solely on the bad when I was sober. Well... Not as drunk is more like it.
When I was drunk, I might have been happier once in a while, but I always forgot why and it wasn't sustainable.
So basically, I was depressed 90% of the time. I still get depressed periodically, but it's soo much easier to change that mindset.
As a drunk, I focused solely on the bad when I was sober. Well... Not as drunk is more like it.
When I was drunk, I might have been happier once in a while, but I always forgot why and it wasn't sustainable.
So basically, I was depressed 90% of the time. I still get depressed periodically, but it's soo much easier to change that mindset.
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Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Australia
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Great post / thread & congrats on your sober time!
I'm on day 6 sober but under a mountain of pain I am starting to glimpse some excellent fragments of that positivity / joy / serenity that was forgotten to me when I was boozing nightly. Can't wait for these feeling to become more pronounced.
Viva la sobriety.
I'm on day 6 sober but under a mountain of pain I am starting to glimpse some excellent fragments of that positivity / joy / serenity that was forgotten to me when I was boozing nightly. Can't wait for these feeling to become more pronounced.
Viva la sobriety.
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[QUOTE=healthychoices;6327090]Great post / thread & congrats on your sober time!
I'm on day 6 sober but under a mountain of pain I am starting to glimpse some excellent fragments of that positivity / joy / serenity that was forgotten to me when I was boozing nightly. Can't wait for these feeling to become more pronounced.
Yes it will get much better. I drank almost every night for fourteen years. It will get better for you. Hang in there it's so worth it my friend.
I'm on day 6 sober but under a mountain of pain I am starting to glimpse some excellent fragments of that positivity / joy / serenity that was forgotten to me when I was boozing nightly. Can't wait for these feeling to become more pronounced.
Yes it will get much better. I drank almost every night for fourteen years. It will get better for you. Hang in there it's so worth it my friend.
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Join Date: Feb 2017
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[QUOTE=Mattq2;6327110] Thanks for the encouraging words Matt, I'm coming off about 20+ years of almost daily drinking / drugging too but I intend to see this sobriety through. Got any tips on how to get that first 8 months?
Originally Posted by healthychoices
Great post / thread & congrats on your sober time!
I'm on day 6 sober but under a mountain of pain I am starting to glimpse some excellent fragments of that positivity / joy / serenity that was forgotten to me when I was boozing nightly. Can't wait for these feeling to become more pronounced.
Yes it will get much better. I drank almost every night for fourteen years. It will get better for you. Hang in there it's so worth it my friend.
I'm on day 6 sober but under a mountain of pain I am starting to glimpse some excellent fragments of that positivity / joy / serenity that was forgotten to me when I was boozing nightly. Can't wait for these feeling to become more pronounced.
Yes it will get much better. I drank almost every night for fourteen years. It will get better for you. Hang in there it's so worth it my friend.
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Posts: 1,462
First I have a feeling your plan has to be specific to you. We are all so diffrent. For me I just had to grind it out every day. All of the discussion about having a plan is very real. I would literally plan out every hour of the day and not deviate from that no matter what. What time I would leave for work, what time I would eat, what I would do after I eat. Everything. It's not as regimented now but I would say that, for me ,just not drinking today was always the only goal. Soon the days turn to weeks and the weeks turn to months. You can do it
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Join Date: Feb 2017
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Thanks for your post Matt! I was just watching a video about dogs and started crying? Wth?! That's not me but maybe since we're not numb we do experience these emotions and honestly it feels kind of good.
This may mean we will experience joy and happiness in a fuller capacity? I sure hope so.
This may mean we will experience joy and happiness in a fuller capacity? I sure hope so.
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Chicago
Posts: 605
Originally Posted by Mattq2
I'm heading towards 8 months sober . You know I've been described more then once as gruff. Don't usually show a bunch of emotions. I noticed lately that I can get a little teary eyed while watching a movie or if I hear a sad song. So yeah I do feel a more powerful sadness now that I'm sober. I also feel happiness to a point of being joyful. Joy is not an emotion I would have ever used in the past to describe how I feel.
So I guess sober I feel all emotions more. I'll blow by those sad days no problem to get to those happy ones. I'm almost positive this is what normal people feel like😊
I choose to focus only on the improvements, the happiness. And the good times.
I think we all should.
So I guess sober I feel all emotions more. I'll blow by those sad days no problem to get to those happy ones. I'm almost positive this is what normal people feel like😊
I choose to focus only on the improvements, the happiness. And the good times.
I think we all should.
On a side note, I was watching a tv show and an emotion situation happened and I started tearing up. I'm like what the hell is this?
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Midwest U.S.
Posts: 142
Originally Posted by Mattq2
I'm heading towards 8 months sober . You know I've been described more then once as gruff. Don't usually show a bunch of emotions. I noticed lately that I can get a little teary eyed while watching a movie or if I hear a sad song. So yeah I do feel a more powerful sadness now that I'm sober. I also feel happiness to a point of being joyful. Joy is not an emotion I would have ever used in the past to describe how I feel.
So I guess sober I feel all emotions more. I'll blow by those sad days no problem to get to those happy ones. I'm almost positive this is what normal people feel like😊
I choose to focus only on the improvements, the happiness. And the good times.
I think we all should.
So I guess sober I feel all emotions more. I'll blow by those sad days no problem to get to those happy ones. I'm almost positive this is what normal people feel like😊
I choose to focus only on the improvements, the happiness. And the good times.
I think we all should.
Feels good, yes?
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,313
Originally Posted by Mattq2
First I have a feeling your plan has to be specific to you. We are all so diffrent. For me I just had to grind it out every day. All of the discussion about having a plan is very real. I would literally plan out every hour of the day and not deviate from that no matter what. What time I would leave for work, what time I would eat, what I would do after I eat. Everything. It's not as regimented now but I would say that, for me ,just not drinking today was always the only goal. Soon the days turn to weeks and the weeks turn to months. You can do it
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ery-plans.html
D
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