Asking myself what is the point?
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
I guess the huge "point" for me is that I have found I had no idea what would lie ahead in sobriety! OOTT and others in our Feb Class of 2016 thread can tell you that I certainly found a SLEW of surprises - at 39-turning-40-sober, now going on 41.....and whatever age we are, if we stop drinking "this time" we have a chance at really living, for however long the rest of our life is.
The point for me is that now, I have choices. Now, I am a respectable, contributing member of society. Now, I can look myself in the mirror happily (or fuss about my hair) - something I had almost stopped doing during the last of my drinking- and now....so many things.
I will die at some point- but it won't be because I killed myself drinking. Getting up every day sober is exactly the point.
Take care of yourself. You're the only one who can.
The point for me is that now, I have choices. Now, I am a respectable, contributing member of society. Now, I can look myself in the mirror happily (or fuss about my hair) - something I had almost stopped doing during the last of my drinking- and now....so many things.
I will die at some point- but it won't be because I killed myself drinking. Getting up every day sober is exactly the point.
Take care of yourself. You're the only one who can.
Thanks to you all who took the time to comment and share I made it through day 4 without drinking.
Today was a very hard day for me emotionally but I was able to hang on to the hope that tomorrow might very well be better than today.
Seriously thank you all for the support and kindness.
asixstringnut
Today was a very hard day for me emotionally but I was able to hang on to the hope that tomorrow might very well be better than today.
Seriously thank you all for the support and kindness.
asixstringnut
You're in the hard part of this and your addiction will do all it can to talk you into believing you might as well drink.
There are such better things ahead, I promise, and you CAN do this!
Guest
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,174
Day 4 is the first milestone Mista Sixstring. It's the day when you first start to feel a bit better and it seems like maybe the problem isn't so bad. The weekend is coming up etc etc.
So, through Day 4 is a big thing.....hang in there, keep going. All support.
So, through Day 4 is a big thing.....hang in there, keep going. All support.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 15
Hey Six — it looks like from your profile pic you have a doggie, even if you don't have a human family ... And trust me, your pet knows the difference between drunk you and sober you. For 15 years we had a little rat terrier who adored his Papa, my husband. They would sit together on the sofa watching TV -- the dog sitting up on his bum with his legs sticking out front like a baby in my husband's lap; they would play games together -- the dog always wanted to be with him ... unless he was drunk. Then my husband couldn't get the dog even to come to him, and once or twice when he managed to grab the dog, the dog actually nipped him! It was crazy. So, one creature, anyway, will love that you're sober for his or her sake.
Plus, what all the others have said: whatever time you have left, it can be full of good days rather than drunken ones. Hang in there. I admire you for making the decision.
Plus, what all the others have said: whatever time you have left, it can be full of good days rather than drunken ones. Hang in there. I admire you for making the decision.
I get it, sixstring, but day 4 is way to early to judge on how things will be just a short time from now. I'm a 54 year old gay man living alone in a small farming town in Idaho. I've tried getting sober numerous times before. have congestive heart failure. By last Fall, although sober, I had become a complete recluse, almost never leaving my apartment unless I had to. I prayed to God to just obliterate me.
I have almost a year now of not just being sober but living sober and I pray to God in thanks for each beautiful day. My life is far from perfect nor without hard setbacks. I still have no friends where I live (I'm working on it!) and no one in my family has even seen me in years and years, but I am 50x better than I was back then. It takes time, and a plan you have to stick to. The first weeks are just about getting through the crap that detoxing is. Then it's about taking charge and setting out a plan to live a sober life, whatever form that takes; AA, hobbies, other support groups, pets, new venture, therapy, exercise, etc., any of those sorts of things can be part of your sobriety but with some sort of plan, you can execute it daily and you will see the progress.
Life will be beautiful and is worth living because YOU are worth it. God, (Not saying you have to believe.), loves you so much more than you love yourself. I love the quote from Fr. Greg Boyle from Hevyn's signature line in this thread...
"You are so much better than the worse thing you have ever done."
I have almost a year now of not just being sober but living sober and I pray to God in thanks for each beautiful day. My life is far from perfect nor without hard setbacks. I still have no friends where I live (I'm working on it!) and no one in my family has even seen me in years and years, but I am 50x better than I was back then. It takes time, and a plan you have to stick to. The first weeks are just about getting through the crap that detoxing is. Then it's about taking charge and setting out a plan to live a sober life, whatever form that takes; AA, hobbies, other support groups, pets, new venture, therapy, exercise, etc., any of those sorts of things can be part of your sobriety but with some sort of plan, you can execute it daily and you will see the progress.
Life will be beautiful and is worth living because YOU are worth it. God, (Not saying you have to believe.), loves you so much more than you love yourself. I love the quote from Fr. Greg Boyle from Hevyn's signature line in this thread...
"You are so much better than the worse thing you have ever done."
Today is day five and it is 6:23 pm here so I am feeling pretty confident that I am going to make it through the day.
Lots of self talk about the fact is that I can no longer drink. It is not an option that will work for me.
My body and soul are tired but I am sober today and looking forward to being the same tomorrow.
I feel like I could eat everything in the house. I am craving sweets and I just might cave in and get some Ben & Jerry's ice
cream. My waist line is the least of my worries at the moment.
I did not eat a bunch of carbs I just use to drink them all.
Alcohol is poison to me and I can no longer go there.
Thanks all of you for the support.
asixstringnut
Lots of self talk about the fact is that I can no longer drink. It is not an option that will work for me.
My body and soul are tired but I am sober today and looking forward to being the same tomorrow.
I feel like I could eat everything in the house. I am craving sweets and I just might cave in and get some Ben & Jerry's ice
cream. My waist line is the least of my worries at the moment.
I did not eat a bunch of carbs I just use to drink them all.
Alcohol is poison to me and I can no longer go there.
Thanks all of you for the support.
asixstringnut
Alcohol Induced Anhedonia is a real thing.
Anhedonia is the inability to experience pleasure. I was loaded with it whenever I quit drinking. I would quit, life seemed dreary, so I would start again thinking 'sober life is dreary'.
Problem was, I was never really past the longer-term emotional effects of alcohol. In hindsight, I was never really sober.
Now I am - and life is great again.
Hang in there, Friend! It gets better!
Anhedonia is the inability to experience pleasure. I was loaded with it whenever I quit drinking. I would quit, life seemed dreary, so I would start again thinking 'sober life is dreary'.
Problem was, I was never really past the longer-term emotional effects of alcohol. In hindsight, I was never really sober.
Now I am - and life is great again.
Hang in there, Friend! It gets better!
Ben & Jerry's gets my vote!
I have been hearing some things about "Chocolate Therapy". I haven't been able to locate any yet but once I do I'm trying it.
Glad to hear you sounding in somewhat better spirits.
If it helps any, whenever my head started questioning my decisions it was a surefire tell that I needed to find something fun to do, or good to eat. Anything that would busy me until the thoughts passed.
We're all here for you
p.s., It is a really nice encouragement when people start to say things to you like, "Wow, you look great!" "Are you working out?" "Did you just come back from vacation?"
And you're thinking; "Nope. Just stopped drinking."
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)