Difference between 1 and 2 years
 

Do people notice much difference between the two?

Absolutely. I blogged about it.

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ars-sober.html

Tom,

I unkowingly relapsed over and over for 3o plus years. The damage is deep in me.

I had 1 shot at 14 months, so that might have messed up my growth.

I was still pretty jacked up at 12 months. Better than before, not as good as now.

I still crave sometimes. I stil obsess. I still feel anxious. I still get lightheaded sometimes.

I am used to it so it seems like it is better.

My strength and stamina are up and seem to be improving.

I am more calm and carefree.

But, I think everyonee is different.

Thanks.

I think there is a huge diff btw year 1 and year 2. In year 1 i basically did everything to help keep me away from alcohol, many of those months questioning my resolve and several nights feeling sorry for myself. I was certainly not in the clear so to speak. In year 2 I was able to concentrate more on finding my happiness again, learning to live alcohol free, and accepting life in all its good and bad.
Im now into year 3, and am finally strong enough to go to any event and actually enjoy myself. This year Im really hoping to find peace, as I still struggle with depression and anxiety (on medication), but drinking again is not even a thought anymore. Occasionally i have a vivid dream where I smoke and drink, and wake up horrified.. i feel this is God's way of offering glimpses of the future and getting do overs without the failure. Theyre a blessing really.

Note: Ive never been to AA. I use SR as my only resort and resolve for anything and everything. This place is my salvation.

I would say there is a huge difference each year till about year 4 or 5. Hopefully the ride becomes more smoother for you as you settle in. It did for me.

For me, year one was all about 'not drinking'. Year two I started to feel more comfortable with myself and being sober was the norm. :)

My first year I was all over the place, my addiction to alcohol was swapped to an addiction to recovery (not a bad thing) I had some lovely pink cloud moments but also some crashing down to reality. Emotional roller coaster, i started to feel a bit more balanced towards the end, the following year was really quite tough, personal situations, it led me to horrible bouts of anxiety, which I got through without a drink or drug, I felt I had learned an awful lot, whilst challenging it was also rewarding and in someway enjoyable too. I’ll be three years sober this year...... wow. It truely is miraculous.

I agree with least about year one being mainly about 'not drinking'. Plus, I found that once I got through all the 'firsts' I felt much more confident. First holiday season, vacation, birthday, etc. - the first time around it was a bit challenging. The second year I felt stronger.

I agree with Least as well about year one, the most important thing was not drinking. Year two, I found my groove, and sobriety was just my new normal. I am now in year three, and look forward to continuing along with this groove.

If my first year was building the foundations, the second year was building the rest of the house - my new life :)

D

This,same with me.
Coming up on 5 years now.

Great blog entry. I just reached two years of sobriety and I couldn't agree more. It does take a long time for the body to heal itself. It's very incremental, but even now I notice small but critical improvements in my physical, mental, and emotional well being.

Thank you all for being here!

Tomis, thanks for a great thread. Really fascinating for those of us in the early stages of recovery.

Superb blog Carl. Loved it!

It's been awhile since I was in year 1 and year 2 so I don't remember all the details.

But I can tell you three things were healthier.

My body, my bank account, and my marriage.

Great read, DoggonCarl! Sometimes i find myself wishing I’d journaled my progress over the last two years, but it’s such an incremental change day by day it probably wouldn’t have been helpful.

Do people notice much difference between the two?
for me there was a difference and it was a wee bit different than most differents.
the first 6 months of the first year had a whole lot of time fighting the obsession to drink. the next 6 months were learning a lot more about life on lifes terms.
the 2nd year was the start of a 2 1/2 year fight with cancer. TONS of new fears to overcome and life on lifes terms to learn.
but i never once had a thought of a drink - i no longer had the obsession.

Great thread! I will have 2 years on Feb 21 and have plenty of differences to note between year one and year two (and am curious and excited about year three!).

I spent the first 3-4 mo of year one healing. Physically. I was SO sick when I quit. I started AA right away and it was probably around 100 days that my mind began to clear enough to grasp what I had been taking in during that early time.

Physically, it was about 10 mo before exercise began to enter the picture for real and in 2017 my now husband and I ran a 5K each month. By Sep 2017 I added what is now an amazing, 5-6 days a week yoga practice and yesterday, I ran a 15K. My body is probably as strong as it was in my 20s (I am 41). I am beyond grateful after getting to the point in Feb 2016 where my liver dr gave me a year, 18 mo if i kept going as I was.

Mentally things continued to clear- looking back I can see the truisms of the BB at play. "Things that used to baffle me"- the right decisions becoming (more) intuitive....removing alcohol let my "real" issues develop - such as, I do have anxiety and now I can deal with it.

Emotionally, I continued to grow in year two and I hope to always keep that intentional focus. My recovery hasn't been 100% pink clouds, but darn close. I work really hard at my program and it is the most important thing in my life- it lets me have everything else that is good. Learning how to take care of myself in all ways, and to be in a strong partnership, and on and on....crucial to forward progress.

My husband says I told him on our first date that "everything is better sober." He says he didn't quite believe me, but he wanted to know more. He soon agreed with me. All these months later, while still young in the path of sobriety, we both believe that's true.

And there differences between year two and year three. Changes...all good, kept occurring.