Anyone else in to give up alcohol for Lent?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Midwest US
Posts: 157
Thank you all for your insights and encouragement. I truly appreciate all of it.
I will think about this more as my Day 1 than the start of Lent because I do truly want to be sober for life. So my Day 1 is March 6th!
Thanks again, you all are the best!
I will think about this more as my Day 1 than the start of Lent because I do truly want to be sober for life. So my Day 1 is March 6th!
Thanks again, you all are the best!
Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: The Midwest
Posts: 649
Originally Posted by ReadyAtLast 
I think there is a difference between looking at a set period of time and looking at forever. I don't intend to drink ever again but, like you, am doing this one day at a time.
I think the problem is looking at say a week/month/Lent/Dry January/training for a race. Once the time period expires then what .I know for me when i did that I just drank at the end of the set period (usually a month)
I think the problem is looking at say a week/month/Lent/Dry January/training for a race. Once the time period expires then what .I know for me when i did that I just drank at the end of the set period (usually a month)
Guess what was always at the end of those tunnels? Alcoholism :/
I totally understand the mindset, but it was always my addiction voice whispering in my ear saying, “You are doing so good! But don’t worry, you’ll get to drink again...”
Originally Posted by NerfThis
I absolutely do not miss those days of giving up for 30 or 40 days because I couldn't commit to long term. celebrating the end of Dry January with a bottomless brunch which would result in three days of non stop drinking. I've committed to a life of not drinking instead.
. Glad I finally changed the album.
Originally Posted by JJ9
Thank you all for your insights and encouragement. I truly appreciate all of it.
I will think about this more as my Day 1 than the start of Lent because I do truly want to be sober for life. So my Day 1 is March 6th!
Thanks again, you all are the best!
I will think about this more as my Day 1 than the start of Lent because I do truly want to be sober for life. So my Day 1 is March 6th!
Thanks again, you all are the best!
I hope you stick with it, JJ9. I hope WE stick with it
. I’m still early in this commitment — but actually making it in my heart and soul was very freeing. WE CAN DO IT.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: here, now.
Posts: 1,236
***Caveat: I’m not religious so understand I may get this wrong***
But isn’t Lent supposed to be about sacrificing something? You give up some worldly thing to bring yourself closer to your source, as a kind of meditation?
In one way giving up alcohol makes sense in that vein, except if the thing is something that actually divorces you from God, or your source, or whatever you want to call it, then it seems to me that giving up alcohol for Lent misses the mark. Give up alcohol for good and give up pedicures (for example) for Lent.
But isn’t Lent supposed to be about sacrificing something? You give up some worldly thing to bring yourself closer to your source, as a kind of meditation?
In one way giving up alcohol makes sense in that vein, except if the thing is something that actually divorces you from God, or your source, or whatever you want to call it, then it seems to me that giving up alcohol for Lent misses the mark. Give up alcohol for good and give up pedicures (for example) for Lent.
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
Originally Posted by August252015
My contribution here is what do you plan to do after the 40 days? Is this a starting point for permanent sobriety (like someone committing to the 90/90 meetings/days in AA so they can learn a plan about living sober, etc)....or is it truly an attempt to say "I did it! I can control this" and return to drinking?
But, as I had nothing to loose, I got stuck in. I thought I may as well give the rest of it a shot, sponsor, steps that sort of thing. Did quite a bit of work in that direction. And it made a difference.
My sponsor rang me one day to tell me I had been sober for 90 days. No one was more surprised than me. By the time the 90 days had elapsed, and with all the work I had done up to and including step 9, I had a completely different outlook. In fact I was a different person altogether. I now believed this could work for me, and it did, and it has done ever since.
But that was quite a different deal to just not drinking for a specified period.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: California
Posts: 13,031
Originally Posted by tomsteve
i gave up alcohol for me.
As for Lent, I am doing at least one random act of kindness each day. I like that better than giving something up. I did it last year as well.
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
Originally Posted by Gottalife
I committed to the 90/90, though I absolutely knew it would not work and that I didn't stand a chance of making it. Never had before and had no evidence to suggest this time would be any different. My self confidence was at an all time low.
But, as I had nothing to loose, I got stuck in. I thought I may as well give the rest of it a shot, sponsor, steps that sort of thing. Did quite a bit of work in that direction. And it made a difference.
My sponsor rang me one day to tell me I had been sober for 90 days. No one was more surprised than me. By the time the 90 days had elapsed, and with all the work I had done up to and including step 9, I had a completely different outlook. In fact I was a different person altogether. I now believed this could work for me, and it did, and it has done ever since.
But that was quite a different deal to just not drinking for a specified period.
But, as I had nothing to loose, I got stuck in. I thought I may as well give the rest of it a shot, sponsor, steps that sort of thing. Did quite a bit of work in that direction. And it made a difference.
My sponsor rang me one day to tell me I had been sober for 90 days. No one was more surprised than me. By the time the 90 days had elapsed, and with all the work I had done up to and including step 9, I had a completely different outlook. In fact I was a different person altogether. I now believed this could work for me, and it did, and it has done ever since.
But that was quite a different deal to just not drinking for a specified period.
Very different than a specified period of abstinence for sure.
Guest
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 7,097
90/90 although a specified time period is completely different than say Lent. With 90/90 the aim is to learn to live a sober life and continue to do so after the 90/90.
The idea with Lent is that you give up something you love and suffer then treat yourself on Easter Sunday
The idea with Lent is that you give up something you love and suffer then treat yourself on Easter Sunday
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
