How did you get sober?
 

I guess the number one things I always want to know from people who have had long standing, decades of sobriety

For my own benefit as someone who has struggled to have only a few months here and there sober as well as a benefit to so many others on this site.. tell me this:

How did you get sober?

Made a decision to quit and backed it up with action. Put the plug in the jug - followed a plan others had trudged before and don't drink, today.

Nothing special - just had enough. Eventually for many of us drinking became more work than quitting.

Sobriety is for people who want it - not need it.

Glad you're here with us

Two things for me Eisley. I got scared I was goign to die if I didn't stop - and I found this place.

I posted every day, multiple times a day - sometimes for myself to ask questions etc - but also to help others too.

I knew all the right things to do...my advice was good. I just had to learn to listen to my own good advice, and the advice of others.

The scared part didn't last for ever - but the recovery I built here has :)

D

I had the help of weekly sessions with my addiction counselor and daily visits here. I no longer see the counselor, but still come here every day to read and post.

The last time I relapsed, I knew it was the last time. I knew I couldn't go on, that I'd drink myself to death if I continued. :( I wanted to live, so I got sober for good.

Welcome.

I don't have decades, just an early start of almost 2 years come Feb.

For me, like Dee, I had to decide I didn't want to die. I was given a year, 18 mo to live if I kept going as I was and for whatever combination of reasons I was finally DONE drinking that day.

I committed myself fully to sobriety, not knowing what it would mean except I wouldn't die from drinking. AA is my bedrock and my life is primarily and foremost about recovery; from my program, habits, new tools for thinking and living and making good choices, everything else follows.

I wouldn't trade my sober life for a second of my drinking life. I wish you the same peace and happiness in sobriety- the decision to never drink again, acceptance that I am an alcoholic, and addressing how to live sober and well has been the working plan for me to date.

I accepted that I had a drink problem, that whatever I tried to do to drink moderately, I could not. That my only solution was to quit completely. Then work a program to change my perception, attitude and thinking patterns.

I think it was a couple years of trying. I would get a couple weeks, then my addictive thinking would kick in, I would make the mistake of listening and I would drink again for a short while.

Gradually it got to where I would just drink for one day, then quit again. Then I stopped altogether.

Once this happened and I had accepted it, it was actually quite easy to not drink.

I fully embraced my recovery.

I now have a life way beyond my dreams.

it started with surrender- admitting and accepting alcohol had me whooped.
then decided i wanted to get and stay sober.
then decided i would go to any lengths for victory over alcohol.
i went to AA meetings, read the big book, prayed, did what the big book said, repeat.
DOS=4/23/05

It's been difficult at times to stay sober but I worked hard to create a vision of my life with good relationships and self-respect and I try to use my rational mind to consider what happens to that vision if I drink.

Not quite a decade yet but think you might want to be asking people around or less than decade as getting sober was very different decades ago.

Anyway for me AA, counselling, therapy, Antabuse, docs, anti depressants, lots of changes, spirituality, lots of reading, movies, music, so on. All this kept me sober.

What got me sober? Alcohol stopped working; I went out bought some alcohol, threw it away, did the same a couple of hours later, then third time thought f*** it and cracked open the bottle of wine to start, after wgat I thought was one glass worths whilst watching a movie I had finished the bottle and nothing, no buzz. So cracked open beer, nothing! Thought to myself now I am really f***ed, went to bed in tears. Knew the next morning it wasn’t working anymore, so what now? Top myself or do diverging I don’t want to do! Saw addiction counsellor that day and walked into AA meeting the next. So long and short if it did I want to die basically, but not like the usual i might have fatty liver fear, or the like I mean stark choice die or not. Had to get to that hope you don’t.

Around the time I turned 80, I made firm a decision that I didn’t want to spend my few remaining years in an alcohol induced haze. I had known for many years that I didn’t have a good relation with drinking and that I was much better off sober. So, on a particular day I made the decision to permanently quit and did so. Sure, there have been a few rocks in the road but I have been able to remain sober in spite of them. It helped that I was able to resurrect some of my old hobbies as distractions. This site and my lurking here also helped a lot. As for any recovery programs, I never felt the need although some of the ideas in AVRT helped me past the occasional temptation.

I got very sick of being either drunk or recovering. I made sobriety the most important thing in my life for a few months. I made it as important as breathing air, because that's what it took.

I made the decision that I would never drink again. Formulated a plan. Stuck to the plan.

I chose not to drink.

"Choose" has incredible power.

For me I hit my bottom. I always thought that hitting bottom meant you lost everything. Your friends, job, and family. But for me it wasn't that, thank God.

It was I couldn't stand myself anymore. I hated everything I was doing to myself and everything I had become. I knew I couldn't live that way anymore so I quit.

It was difficult but it paled in comparison to how I felt physically and mentally everyday of my life.

AA meetings and the program of AA, SR, + any wisdom I could get from elsewhere. Total acceptance of being an alcoholic and an honest desire to want to be sober and do what that requires was essential for me and still is

DEtox-->Rehab-->immediately started going to AA-->Got a sponsor-->Became accountable-->Started the steps-->Joined a home group-->Job in my home group-->Built a strong sober network. Every day I make the choice not to pick up a drink or a substitute. I have a good life today.

I'm only 17 days sober ...I drank a bottle of wine every night and two on a Friday night an two on a Saturday night ...I knew for a while I was spiraling out of control
I can't have one drink ..I need to have 10
I made the decision to stop ... completely the day after boxing day ...my youngest daughter is 9 years old an was sick of seeing mummy drinking wine ...
I've promised her mummy won't drink again and it's a promise I intend to keep
I will fight very very hard to stay sober
Once you have it in your head it does get easier
Remember Alcohol gives you wings but it takes away the sky 😫😫

Good luck with everything
X

I did cognitive behavioral therapy since I needed to learn new tools for my anxiety, depression and ptsd. I started meditating and doing tai chi as pain management (I was also a pill popper) and starTed working nights so I couldnt get loaded. I kept really busy and worked out everyday, started taking classes and volunteering so that I had new interests/ things to keep me distracted