Hi SR,

I haven’t posted for awhile but I want to Check In and give some hope to anyone thinking about getting sober or struggling at the moment.

So 2 years ago today my life was very differant I was 70 lbs heavier, suicidal & drinking to absolute oblivion most days.
Whilst under the influence I was engaging in risky sexual behaviours with women I would meet & also getting arrested occasionally for drink related incidents.

I was totally broken in every way & I honestly believed I was the only one on earth who wouldn’t be able to stop drinking and would die this way.

My life had become more about damage control than living i was also struggling terribly with anxiety that would go after a few drinks only to come back 10 times worse, I was close to calling an ambulance on more than one occasion.

My on off again 10 year relationship to my daughters mother ended spectacularly when she met someone else and told me to leave. I was at that point the lowest I had been in my entire life and was really at a cross road, either get sober NOW or drink until oblivion and let alcohol decide my destiny what ever dark place that may be.

I wish I could tell you that it’s was a miraculous process with god talking to me from the heavens and telling me he had now made me sober And all my problems disappear, the reality is I was drinking straight vodka at 3am on my sofa trying to comfort my sisters boyfriend as he’s 6 year old daughter had just died unexpectedly and then something just clicked some call it a moment of clarity, All I could think about was that life is so fragile and that little girl could be my little girl or even worse I could die and leave her without a daddy because I was to too selfish to stop drinking. Although I had these thoughts before something about seeing my friend crying uncontrollably and showering me videos of his daughter on his phone happy and full of life a few weeks before her death really changed my perspective on life.!!

I had tried to get sober 1000s of times before using all sorts of methods but nothing worked because I wasn’t being 100% honest with myself, but this time I knew I was done And this time i would face it all no matter how painful it was. And it was extremely painful my anxiety the first 9 months was unbearable and I was left housebound some days and had real issues swallowing food from all my anxieties but with the help of a good therapist I got better slowly but surely.

Therapy helped me massively and I highly recommend it i was like a raw nerve in that room the tears would flow the hurt would poor out but i was finally feeling real emotions and being honest with myself and that felt good, I also started yoga and I have since fallen in love with it and practice most days and it really helped me in the early part of my recovery.

Today Iam a new man and have truly been reborn Iam now proud of me for all I have overcome, Iam a good dad and have not let my little girl down once since I stopped drinking.
I have met a wonderful women who’s a non drinker and we live in a nice house we both have daughters who are the same age and we all live together half the week, Iam Back to running my Buisness and have been blessed with good fortunes. Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I see how much life has changed and I also scare myself when I think about how close to the edge I actually was.

Life is is amazing and best seen through sober eyes, I hope you choose to give sobriety a chance it will be the best thing you do for yourself and family

Peace & love.

herc.

Your story aligns closely with mine, except I don’t have kids. Thanks for posting. It helped.

Thanks for all the positive replies. Hope the thread helps newcomers and those struggling.
Peace.