Whiskertron

When I was a drunk I only had two problems, earning enough money to afford booze and getting through my shifts with a rocking hangover, I cared about little else. No I sorry about what every thinks of me, how people are doing and what should I do with the rest of my life. Sometimes I miss the simplicity

Fearlessat50

I’m sorry you feel that way, whisker! I’m not sure if you’ve gone back to drinking and if you are drinking now? Or perhaps you are going through a rough patch in life? Life is always going to have ups and downs regardless of drinking. But drinking always makes it worse. Handling problems sober is always better.

Whiskertron

No I am stone cold sober, just reflecting on why everything is so stressful for me these days

serenitynowplz

For me, I drank because I didn’t want to feel feelings... namely bad feelings. Now I’m learning to ride through those bad feelings because they are way better than the repercussions and horrible **** that always came from drinking. Maybe not immediately... but eventually there was always some wreckage.

WaterOx

Yep.

Simple it was....not to be confused with easy.....but simple, yes.

serenitynowplz

Interesting perspective because there was nothing simple about my life when I was drinking. Maybe 25 years ago when it was just me and it was all fun and games and blackouts. But with work, family, kids... I was aleays cleaning up the wreckage. And it only got worse. I guess it was simple to drink to make stuff go away but it always came back at me a million times worse. Alcohol is a liar. For me at least. It deadens your sense and makes things appear more simple but only until it wears off

D122y

Whisk,

I found out now that the only reason i drank was because i was addicted. Sometimes life is tough now, but i get a chance to be the real me. Not the drunk chemically altered version.

I can face issues head on and i do.

Being in a drunken stupor is not living. That is a fantasy.

It took well over a year before things really began to settle down in my head. But, i could feel them getting better by the moment.

Thanks.

Fearlessat50

Hi again whisk, sorry about the stress. It can be so hard. I do understand what you mean about the simpler aspect. It’s always easier to numb, escape and run away. It is more intense to deal with feelings sober. It takes more work to handle problems sober. But ultimately, it is so much more rewarding.
Whatever you are going through will pass in time. Even without knowing your specifics, I promise it will pass.
If you are having chronic stress and more than just a bad day here and there, would it help to consider therapy? I feel like I preach this all the time here. But it has been really helpful for me and my family when things get rough. It lets me feel without feeling judged and also gives me perspective and helps me come up with a proactive plan for whatever I’m faced with.
Hopefully you will stay close to SR during this difficult time

least

I'm sorry you are going thru difficulty right now.

I found just the opposite. My life got simpler when I got sober. No more drama, no more lies, no more waking up feeling horrible.

I hope you can find some peace of mind soon.

Ghostlight1

I agree 100 percent.
There was nothing simple or easy during the last years of my drinking.
In fact, things were more complicated. Constantly lying, trying to hide my drunkenness and recovering from devastating hangovers isn't simple or easy.

Maybe you weren't as bad as I was. Don't know. But life is manageable for me now. I'm in control. I can make it as simple or complicated as I choose. Usually.
I wouldn't trade my sober life now for the world.

rayna87

I completely understand and relate to this. Today this idiot former client from wayyy before my time at my job got into me and gave me so much rude attitude for things that were not my fault, and I was visibly upset from what was said and how it went down. A month ago my solution would have been stopping at the gas station down the street from the office for one of those little pouches of wine to take the edge off and hold me over till i got home to open my nightly bottle of wine. Today it looked so easy to just pull into that gas station, but instead I texted people who I knew could cheer me up, and laughed at one friend’s silly GIFs, and looked at potential new houses, to keep moving forward.

The wine would’ve been SO simple, but I can tell you the alternative was 150% better and worth it ��

DontRemember

How long have you been sober for? You sound angry at something..what type of plan are you working? Just because you stop drinking DOES NOT change what ever 'things' you were drinking to excess AT...So, if you don't work to find a way to fix/workout 'things', you'll remain pissed off and more than likely drink again. IME


Edit: My life was also so much simpler when I was a child....but..that's not an option. Alcohol gave me that instant fix of 'no worries', like a child has. Here in the real world..there's bills, other people,places,things that need to be taken into account and handled like an adult. I had to learn to finally grow up to get sober.

JScatt

Life was a lot simpler when I was drinking too

Hardly went to work
Paid bills when I felt like it
Didn't have to go grocery shopping cuz I was rarely hungry
Watched movies all day
Showered and shaved once a week

I guess life was simpler when drunk because it wasn't much of a life

Dee74

beware selective memory

I remember how hard it was to try and balance responsibilities while also wanting to be drunk all the time...the lies, the fear of being discovered, the letting people down, the shame, the disgust, the self hatred...

however difficult and stressful life gets now I choose this life - besides I know the stress and rough times will give way to better easier times again

D

AAPJ

Simple yes. But sustainable? You haven't vomited any more blood since giving up the drink right? You are young (under 30) so believe me when I say that if you kept drinking the consequences would get worse.

All that said I certainly appreciate and understand why you made your original post.

elhen

As Dee said, beware selective memory. It's called euphoric recall, where you think of the benefits (albeit temporary,very temporary) of drinking and block out the problems it leads to. If drinking was that great, why would anyone want to stop? Because the consequences are so bad, that's why.

Kid50

August252015

Whisker, I hope you stay sober long enough that you see how much simpler it really is - and that makes you want to keep it simple permanently. You can - I promise it is so much easier on this side.

PS I ditto the contributions above completely.

thomas11

Like others, my life was much more work and complicated when I was drinking. Now, it is very simple or at least it seems so. Quite the relief actually.

MantaLady

When I was drinking I had no life, I existed. I actively self medicated against life.

Sitting in a burning house, closing your eyes and making yourself believe that the house is not burning down around you doesn't stop it happening. Eventually you will get burned. Numbing and medicating yourself against life doesn't mean it stops happening around you, doesn't make life more simple, the only thing that is simple and plain about it is you are simply not living. xx