Notices

Success stories from chronic relapsers?

Old 05-18-2019, 12:40 PM
  # 1 (permalink)  
The Little Alcoholic Monstress That Could
Thread Starter
 
LiveLikeGold6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Northern California
Posts: 1,159
Success stories from chronic relapsers?

Just looking for a little hope
LiveLikeGold6 is offline  
Old 05-18-2019, 01:01 PM
  # 2 (permalink)  
Member
 
Ghostlight1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 2,872
I was the poster boy for chronic relapsers.
I tried to quit drinking for ten years. I'm sure that qualifies me for something. An idiot maybe. No kidding, ten years of my life spent trying to stop drinking.
Needless to say, I couldn't do it on my own. I went to AA. I came here. I worked on it.
It has now been over ten years since I've had a drink of alcohol.
There is hope. No matter how low we've sank. And I sank pretty damn low.
But I never stopped trying. I never gave up trying to quit. It took Divine intervention, but it worked.
You can do it, too.
Just never give up hope. I've been doing it one day at a time. That works for me.
I wish you the best.
Ghostlight1 is offline  
Old 05-18-2019, 01:03 PM
  # 3 (permalink)  
bona fido dog-lover
 
least's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,671
I was a chronic relapser until I got sick and tired of always being sick and tired. I went to counseling once a week and came to SR every day to post and read. I now have over 9 yrs sober. Yes, it's possible.
least is offline  
Old 05-18-2019, 03:23 PM
  # 4 (permalink)  
The Little Alcoholic Monstress That Could
Thread Starter
 
LiveLikeGold6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Northern California
Posts: 1,159
Aww i love it guys!! I feel incredibly terrible right now and really want this to be my last!
LiveLikeGold6 is offline  
Old 05-18-2019, 03:41 PM
  # 5 (permalink)  
Member
 
Ghostlight1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 2,872
Imagine feeling that way every couple of days for ten years and you'll get an idea of what I went through.
I'm sorry you're feeling so incredibly terrible right now, but realize, you never have to feel this way again.
Best to you, and I hope it's the last time you feel this way. I really do. I know from what I speak.
Ghostlight1 is offline  
Old 05-18-2019, 04:31 PM
  # 6 (permalink)  
Sober Alcoholic
 
awuh1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,539
The first post from this thread is part of my story (which includes chronic relapse in the beginning). I wish you all the best. https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...xperience.html (Having had a spiritual experience)
awuh1 is offline  
Old 05-18-2019, 04:50 PM
  # 7 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,642
I had 13 months from August 2017 to September 2018. Sure, I relapsed, but I look at that as a time of success.

I also look at now as a time of success because I'm happier now than I've ever been; for no other reason than I've finally accepted and embraced the fact that I will never drink again. Not because I can't but because I don't want to
ThatWasTheOldMe is offline  
Old 05-18-2019, 05:07 PM
  # 8 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 121
5 times in detox and 3 times inpatient for 30 days or more. I think it finally stuck. I have 6 months sober and don't ever want to go back. I feel great.
CincyFin is offline  
Old 05-18-2019, 05:11 PM
  # 9 (permalink)  
The Little Alcoholic Monstress That Could
Thread Starter
 
LiveLikeGold6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Northern California
Posts: 1,159
Originally Posted by CincyFin View Post
5 times in detox and 3 times inpatient for 30 days or more. I think it finally stuck. I have 6 months sober and don't ever want to go back. I feel great.
that is so freaking good to hear. I’ve been in the hospital too many times in the last cpl years.
LiveLikeGold6 is offline  
Old 05-18-2019, 05:13 PM
  # 10 (permalink)  
Administrator
 
Dee74's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,043
I tried to quit for 15 years and every week I'd try again.

I often thought I'd never make it...but I never completely gave up.

In the end, the list of things I was prepared to do, and the list of things I was prepared to change to stay sober, got bigger and bigger...I found SR, used it daily, and I stayed sober

You can do it LLG

D
Dee74 is offline  
Old 05-18-2019, 08:02 PM
  # 11 (permalink)  
Member
 
lessgravity's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Big City
Posts: 3,893
Another one right here. In a sense, and I mean this genuinely, chronically relapsing can also be seen as chronically sober. In other words, it demonstrates, at least to me, that a person is continually trying to remove themselves from the muck and the filth of a drunken life. There's something inside of them that drives them over and over to try and do the better thing, the right thing. I'm permanently sober, finally, and it's taken a long time to get here but I'm grateful each and every single day. Lots of examples on this website and elsewhere. You just need to work, make some sacrifices and life will unfold and all its peace, Beauty and freedom right in front of your eyes.
lessgravity is offline  
Old 05-18-2019, 08:27 PM
  # 12 (permalink)  
The Little Alcoholic Monstress That Could
Thread Starter
 
LiveLikeGold6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Northern California
Posts: 1,159
Originally Posted by lessgravity View Post
Another one right here. In a sense, and I mean this genuinely, chronically relapsing can also be seen as chronically sober. In other words, it demonstrates, at least to me, that a person is continually trying to remove themselves from the muck and the filth of a drunken life. There's something inside of them that drives them over and over to try and do the better thing, the right thing. I'm permanently sober, finally, and it's taken a long time to get here but I'm grateful each and every single day. Lots of examples on this website and elsewhere. You just need to work, make some sacrifices and life will unfold and all its peace, Beauty and freedom right in front of your eyes.
mmm beautiful words, felt like a warm reassuring hug 🤗
LiveLikeGold6 is offline  
Old 05-19-2019, 02:05 AM
  # 13 (permalink)  
Member
 
Jeni26's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: South East England
Posts: 8,008
I joined this forum in 2012 and finally got sober in 2016.

I had a few years, then a few months, then I couldn’t manage a few weeks. Each relapse got harder to come back from...I thought I’d tried everything and I was absolutely at the lowest point in my life when I quit for the last time.

I had to do something that I hadn’t tried before, something radical to step out of the spiral I was in, and I went on a 12 step retreat.

It completely turned my life round and I believe that stepping out of my comfort zone like that saved my life.

Do whatever you need to. If you are in that relapse cycle you need to shake it up and do something that feels uncomfortable and a bit scary.

Good luck ❤️
Jeni26 is offline  
Old 05-19-2019, 03:35 AM
  # 14 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 732
Yes me. I've been trying for about ten years but the last three years I deteriorated massively and have been in hospital numerous times. It's very scary how progressive this thing is because I went from stopping and feeling awful, to stopping and massively fitting on not as much as I used to drink before.
Unfortunately it took me to cardiac arrest to stop and I feel so stupid that even after hospital and fits I would still pick up again.
Most of us relapse but I used that as an excuse to relapse I think!
I hope you have good family and friends because I have found that when I'm triggered, I go into auto pilot and before I know it I'm drinking. My SMART therapist said this can be stopped by talking to someone about what happened, whatever the trigger was. It is working for me, I just pick up the phone and I don't say I'm craving a drink, I take one step back and talk about what happened. Whether it was a major or minor thing or if I'm bored whatever stopping it before I go into auto pilot seems to be working for me.
And when everyone tells me 'you can do this' im allowing myself to believe them.
You can do it :-) xxx
daisy1 is offline  
Old 05-19-2019, 07:03 AM
  # 15 (permalink)  
~sb
 
sugarbear1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: MD
Posts: 15,951
25+ years of chronic relapsing, but I finally surrendered to the fact that I can't drink safely. Now sober 8 years.

I did it, you can, too!!!
sugarbear1 is offline  
Old 05-19-2019, 08:03 AM
  # 16 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: New York, New York
Posts: 594
Chronic relapser here, especially for the last 3 years. For me, this time something clicked. Currently 9 + months sober. I honestly do not know what was the difference but I talk to my wife often about what I’ve learned from SR & am surprised at the reaction I get. It’s positive! She’s put up with my heavy drinking, especially over the last 14 years, & usually when I talk sobriety she rolls her eyes, but she thinks the difference this time is this site. I had read the recovery stories since July 2017 but started posting this year. Also, daily exercise is critical for me as it’s so incompatible with drinking & helps in so many ways not to relapse. But learning about the AV, HALT as one person mentioned, the bartender who sees people go from NA back to drinking, adjusting to inevitable downturns & resetting the plan, this is good stuff. Good luck on your journey. I am rooting for you.
Tailai is offline  
Old 05-19-2019, 10:07 AM
  # 17 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 37
I once heard a guy say that he picked up enough white chips to tile a bathroom floor before he got any substantial sober time.
Keep trying.....the next attempt may be when this thing takes hold.
rc29 is offline  
Old 05-19-2019, 07:35 PM
  # 18 (permalink)  
Member
 
PhoenixJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Posts: 28,512
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...-my-story.html (PhoenixJ- My Story)


Each relapse, even after my above story for a few months- got worse and I was literally dying of malnutrition

My support and prayers to you.
PhoenixJ is offline  
Old 05-19-2019, 08:17 PM
  # 19 (permalink)  
Member
 
bexxed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: here, now.
Posts: 1,236
I joined this site when it first occurred to me that I was probably an alcoholic. That was summer of 2011. I finally got sober five years later. I hope it doesn’t take you that long. But, I guess I qualify.

Although now in retrospect I don’t think I was relapsing over those five years, where I probably cumulatively had (liberally) 4-6 months sober; I think of it as periodic drinking lapses. I wasn’t putting in the real work to get to sobriety so I wasn’t relapsing when I went back out.

Semantics? Maybe. Point is, getting sober is hard. I understand. I also understand that it can be done. The longest dry spell I had was a month. Now I’m a few months away from three years, with a totally changed and much more meaningful life. Don’t wait as long as I did!
bexxed is offline  
Old 05-20-2019, 01:10 AM
  # 20 (permalink)  
Member
 
PhoenixJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Posts: 28,512
btw- enough was enough in the last miserable days of drinking...now 3 anda bit years sober.
PhoenixJ is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:39 PM.