dwtbd

What's your plan for future alcohol use?

thomas11

I'm hoping there is no future alcohol use. That being said, I enjoy the sober life much more than a drinking lifestyle. I've done both, a binge drinker and a daily drinker.

entropy1964

Well you fell down but you don't have to stay down. And like you said, didn't help a thing. And more drinking is guaranteed to makes things worse.

You didn't lose your 4 years. You had a bad day. I can completely relate. Hang in there and just move forward.

August252015

Hey Jeff - so glad you came right back to talk with us. I'm a little behind you in sobriety at 3 yr 8+ mo. It's been a little turbulent for me lately, alternating with a whole lot of gratitude like our friend least always says.

Diff points in sobriety are different for a lot of reasons, esp emotionally, for me. You know you feel better sober and lived better for 4 yrs - and I know you can do it again, and keep going. You inspire me, truly - being around the same mark as people (and I still think of you that way!) is so good.

Take care - stay here- do whatever you need to be sober today and as you'd guess I'd say....think about why you did it, briefly perhaps, but most importantly what you can do again AND try new. Best to you.

Hevyn

Jeff - I'm so glad you posted about what happened & didn't isolate.
I had 3 yrs. once - thought I could have a glass of wine. That glass led to years more of chaos & misery - that's when I found SR. I think for me it was necessary - obviously I had more to learn. That was the last time I ever drank & it's been 11+ years. You can continue on your sober journey with head held high. We're with you.

Delilah1

Hi Jeff,

I’m so glad you came here and posted, and what I heard loud and clear from you is that you like the sober life. I know you can make this a one time thing and get right back into the sober life again.

Whatever you feel us making you broken is where you should start, is it possible to go talk o someone about whatever isn’t going on? Maybe they can help you come up with some strategies or a plan to address the issue. I am getting close to that four year mark as well, and that’s a lot of time sober, you’ve developed many different coping strategies the past four years to deal with life and whatever it throws at you, maybe you just need a little tweak to some of those.

Sending you lots of virtual hugs as you continue to move forward in your sobriety.

❤️ Delilah

faith823

Great attitude and thank you for sharing this is helping others no doubt. I commend you on four years. Obviously you have the tools to succeed one day at a time. I am working on learning the tools that you have applied the last four years.
*When I am broken I am grateful I still have all the pieces to put myself back together* Was almost at the place where pieces of myself were gone forever....
I am just in awe that you came on the board and was honest. You did the right thing and that is true recovery.

sadforldr7

You helped me years ago when I was on SR during my first attempt at stopping, but I had a different name (can't remember what it was now). I remember you sharing all you've overcome in your struggles.

You have the courage and the experience to move past this and get stronger, I have no doubts of that.

I am confident you'll come away from this setback having learned something about yourself.

lessgravity

Hey bro, very sorry to hear you drank. Don't have anything to add other than what others have said. I've followed your story here for some time. Get your head right and get back on the horse.

Anna

Jeff, I'm so sorry that you drank yesterday. It's good that you are back here, sober, and ready to do this.

DreamCatcher17

Thomas,

I do not say this harshly, however, I want to express my true feeling when I read this.

I have seen you around here for 2 years helping people, encouraging people and had a good amount of sober time.

I was instantly in shock and sad.

This is the kind of post that makes me scared that relapse is real and it can happen to anyone at any given time and I am no exception.

The good news is you have the tools, I just wish you would have used them better and I am sure you do wish the same thing. -I am not trying to bring you down. Just a thought process.
Being so in the thick of something that is going on and not reaching out for help is scary.

I do wish you the best and I pray and hope this is not an ongoing thing and this was just a ops that is easily recoverable from.

Blessings,
DC

thomas11

So I drank through yesterday afternoon and the football games. Fell asleep until about 3:30am woke up and here I am. I drank because i got let go from a job that I liked. I got let go because the management felt threatened by my experience. I'm not saying that in a bragging way, I'm just telling you how I am. There is a sickness in that department where when leadership walks by, they want you to pee your pants in fear. I did not do that, nor would I ever. So they needed me gone.

faith823

Thomas,
Will you get unemployment? Maybe take some time for some R and R ....work on you and your recovery ? No doubt a bigger and better job is waiting for you.
Do not settle for less. If we continue to drink we are counting on a much lesser power than what we are worthy of. ( I write this for myself) HP that has another door waiting for you to open. How are you feeling today? Are you rested? Please nurture yourself tonight, hydrate and eat healthy. Put the horse back in the barn.
sorry for all my "sayings" been hitting alot of meetings because if I don't I am going to die.

faith823

that place sounds toxic.

Dee74

Fear brings a lot of us close to the edge and sometimes we let ourselves fall over.

Whatever your head is telling you Jeff you can get another job, one you like, and you can live a life of peace and contentment, whatever your past, or your worries.

Drinking will only work against both things, man.

Sounds to me like, even tho you liked the job, it just wasn't a good place for you to work.

You have skills, experiences and a really good work ethic.
Best wishes with finding something similar in a better work environment

D

doggonecarl

You drank because you were let go? Or did the underlying emotions to that firing drive you to drink? Anger at being let go? Fear of economic uncertainty? Disappointment? Sense of failure? Shame?

Your drinking was a reaction to something. I was curious as to what and just imagining how I might react. We can't control the things that happen to us. We can only control how we react--read as "cope"--to them.

Anna

Jeff, it doesn't sound as if you were happy working where you did, even though you loved the job. You have so much going for you, I know you will find a job that is a good fit for you and a good work environment.

thomas11

Anger at being let go, sense of failure....sums it up. But I agree with your premise that its how we react that matters,

silentrun

I was just thinking about this today. I've developed some pretty good coping mechanisms but then again, I haven't had to face any real tests like losing a job since I sobered up. Alcohol was a great quick fix or at least offered the allure of one. By the time a person figures out drinking just made the situation 100x worse it's too late.

Could that be part of the reason you drank? Did you use it as a way to cope? What would you have done if alcohol weren't an option?

emme99

Hi Thomas, I just want to say I’m glad you posted and came back right away. In regard to reacting to things, one of the things they talked about in my SMART meetings is you can’t always control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it. I think about that often and it has helped me out a lot.

I’m glad you’re here and I’m wishing you the best.