ImNotThatGuy

For the first few weeks, every day felt like an accomplishment. "Six days, yay!" "12 days! Woohoo!"

The other day somebody asked me how long it had been since I drank, and I had to think about it. It's only 43 days now. I can see how people who have been sober for years lose track of days, but is this normal at this early stage?

The good part is that it seems like not drinking is just the new normal, like it's not that big a deal to go another day. The bad part is that it feels like my vigilance has fallen off, and it's still very early.

What do you think? Is counting time important?

thomas11

I think some on here have stated that counting days keeps them centered and provides incentive to keep going. I took a different approach. A complete lifestyle makeover. Don't know my quit date (3rd week in October of 2015 is as close as I can get). Never counted days. Whatever works for you is what you should do.

doggonecarl

Good observation.

I don't think counting is essential for sobriety. But I think it is essential to think that every day we are sober is important. Maybe not a big deal, but certainly not just "another day."

Regarding losing track of when we got sober. Perhaps it happens. It hasn't happened to me yet. But it's kind of funny, almost every alcoholic can tell me when they first drank. You'd think we'd remember when we quit.

NerfThis

Tracking the days really doesn't matter (I have an app on my phone, so it's easy to check mine) , but the vigilance does. People are often incredibly surprised by how easy it is to give up entirely. Thinking it's amazing that it's been a few months and they've 'totally got this! So easy!'
The giving up is the easy part, but staying sober is the hard part. I make sure I never forget the reason I gave up. I never forget all that wasted time trying to moderate and how difficult it was mentally and physically.

least

It doesn't matter if you count days or not, as long as you stay sober.

Abraham

In my experience, this is my first attempt to quit and I had to start counting from day 1 after about 14 or 15 days. Even though I post it here once in a while. I still have to figure it out. I dont have a calendar or have it marked down somewhere so I started loosing track after about 2 weeks and I'm only at 3 weeks now. lol. I figure if anything its good. If it was day 1 you would remember.

DriGuy

Hell, I lost track of years. Losing track of days with 43 under your belt? Hmm. I don't know if it's normal, but I don't think it's anything to worry about.

I counted days until I hit a week, then I started counting weeks, until I hit a month, etc, etc.

DriGuy

Another milestone is that day when it dawns on you that you haven't thought about alcohol in a week or maybe more.

HeadEast

The only reason I remember is that I have an app on my phone called "Sober Today". If it weren't for that I would have lost count probably after 30 days or so.

sugarbear1

Just remember how you felt when you got sober so you don't have to repeat it!!! Write the sober date somewhere, but keep moving forward!

entropy1964

To count or not to count? Dunno. I don't count. ...daily. I just take a gander when I think about it. Which is usually every couple of weeks. I don't however remember my exact quit date. I know, weird. But I do know the day I entered rehab and I think I'd been sober for about a week prior to that. So give or take a day, I know the date. I know the month and the year and at this point that's good enough.

What you say about losing vigilance. That is what I would encourage you to think about. What is vigilance to you? What have you lost that you had just a week ago? Do you need to do more? If you think not counting days at this point is part of what keeps you sober then count those days. But vigilance? That is a forever thing to me. The concept of vigilance may evolve over time, but I never lose it. Or I try anyway. If I do, then I'm in trouble.

August252015

I counted every day for a long time. Had a tracker (it had a money component too, which was shocking!) and also jotted days down on my planner. Well into the 100s - eventually, I started noting any "special" number (like a round 500 or 1000) and on the month pages, or every few days, note once a week.

Now, I look up the number but always know where I am - for example, it's 1225 and I just started my planner....so July 1 gets a note

This was just habit for me and makes me smile, or realize how far I've come, or look back at a certain point for a reminder of something or....the point really is that being sober is our lives, whether or how often we count (or not).

Keep going!

Dee74

I have no idea what my day count is

for me I think Carl's right - its not essential to count days but it is essential to remain vigilant and committed to recovery.

If you're not up on your day count cos recovery is your new way of life, thats a good thing...if you've lost track because you're getting a little complacent that would be probably not such a good thing?

D

ImNotThatGuy

Thanks everybody, especially sugarbear -- keeping in mind those first few horrible days after quitting is something that will make me not want to drink for sure, not that I want to, but I know how this thing works.

Lucinda2

We are all different. I quit last year with a friend. I counted all the way to 127 glorious days and drank again. She didn't count days at all but is over a year now. 44 days is epic though and you will soon be at 45 which seems a nice number.