Why do we count?
I dunno about 'we', but I counted because I was a little bit amazed I could stay sober for a consecutive string of days.
After a whole tho it just became sober life and I stepped counting.
Some people count, some don't - the important thing is to stay clean and
sober
D
After a whole tho it just became sober life and I stepped counting.
Some people count, some don't - the important thing is to stay clean and
sober
D
My longest quit was 53 days. This was years ago but I remember i used to write the # on my wrist every day. It served as a constant reminder and was like a daily reward as others have said.
Funny thing is stopped writing the number on my wrist several days before falling off the wagon. How easily we forgot.
Funny thing is stopped writing the number on my wrist several days before falling off the wagon. How easily we forgot.
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
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Lots of reasons to count and for me, that kind of focus on "accomplishment deadlines" including interim goals has always been motivational.
I've never looked at a day count and thought, sheesh wish it wasn't that many.
And sometimes the most random markers have been pretty awe-inspiring. The 100s as I called them...then 1000...1324...all served as small yet huge reminders that i'm doing pretty great.
I've never looked at a day count and thought, sheesh wish it wasn't that many.
And sometimes the most random markers have been pretty awe-inspiring. The 100s as I called them...then 1000...1324...all served as small yet huge reminders that i'm doing pretty great.
I count because I am exactly 200 days behind SoberRican and I need to stay right there. I'm sure I'll eventually quit counting the days, but right now I have fun every day doing it. Us self-centered boozers need our daily rewards!! LOL!!
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Join Date: Jun 2019
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But doesn’t act as a reminder of alcohol.
I mean, I remember once trying to stop smoking by attending a quit smoking group thing on my lunch hour. All I did was spend an hour thinking about smoking! It was never gonna work for me lol.
Can’t we just accept we don’t smoke. Celebrate the big dates, like anniversaries, but not obsess over anything to do with alcohol, including a daily count?
I mean, I remember once trying to stop smoking by attending a quit smoking group thing on my lunch hour. All I did was spend an hour thinking about smoking! It was never gonna work for me lol.
Can’t we just accept we don’t smoke. Celebrate the big dates, like anniversaries, but not obsess over anything to do with alcohol, including a daily count?
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Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 308
But doesn’t act as a reminder of alcohol.
I mean, I remember once trying to stop smoking by attending a quit smoking group thing on my lunch hour. All I did was spend an hour thinking about smoking! It was never gonna work for me lol.
Can’t we just accept we don’t smoke. Celebrate the big dates, like anniversaries, but not obsess over anything to do with alcohol, including a daily count?
I mean, I remember once trying to stop smoking by attending a quit smoking group thing on my lunch hour. All I did was spend an hour thinking about smoking! It was never gonna work for me lol.
Can’t we just accept we don’t smoke. Celebrate the big dates, like anniversaries, but not obsess over anything to do with alcohol, including a daily count?
Mm. For me, it *is* a reminder of alcohol. Same with AA. It's like sleeping with a gun under your pillow. Keep it close so you don't forget about it, and remember that I hold the power to choose to pull the trigger or not. It helps me stay active in my recovery, talk and connect with other alcoholics, and grounds me each day to only focus on today, one day at a time.
I wouldn't say I actively count my days, but I do have a sobriety tracker on my phone that I will check from time to time. At the beginning, I used to pledge each day and check in at the end to reflect on my cravings, how I was feeling, triggers, etc. It really helped at the beginning to stay grounded. I think especially in the beginning, we need strict structure to get through the days.
These are just some of the reasons why I do what I do for my own recovery plan. Obviously different things work for different people. But I find that if I don't stay active in my program, I'll forget why I'm an alcoholic and go right back to drinking. Nature of the beast.
I wouldn't say I actively count my days, but I do have a sobriety tracker on my phone that I will check from time to time. At the beginning, I used to pledge each day and check in at the end to reflect on my cravings, how I was feeling, triggers, etc. It really helped at the beginning to stay grounded. I think especially in the beginning, we need strict structure to get through the days.
These are just some of the reasons why I do what I do for my own recovery plan. Obviously different things work for different people. But I find that if I don't stay active in my program, I'll forget why I'm an alcoholic and go right back to drinking. Nature of the beast.
Counting is not a rule of recovery. If you think counting is one of the reasons you struggle, then don't count. Let us know if the obsession with drinking is lifted.
If it's not harming me or anyone else, I don't see the issue with other people counting. I don't count each day, but I have an app on my phone that was activated on my quit day and it reminds me of the day I'm on every now and then (it used to be more often, but now it's every few months) and I'm pleased when I see the reminders.
I definitely don't think it's 'Obsessive' to have a daily count. I'm sure the members here who post daily are inspiring others to keep sticking to their sobriety too (they inspire me). I'm confident that what it does for other people is help them.
I definitely don't think it's 'Obsessive' to have a daily count. I'm sure the members here who post daily are inspiring others to keep sticking to their sobriety too (they inspire me). I'm confident that what it does for other people is help them.
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
But doesn’t act as a reminder of alcohol.
I mean, I remember once trying to stop smoking by attending a quit smoking group thing on my lunch hour. All I did was spend an hour thinking about smoking! It was never gonna work for me lol.
Can’t we just accept we don’t smoke. Celebrate the big dates, like anniversaries, but not obsess over anything to do with alcohol, including a daily count?
I mean, I remember once trying to stop smoking by attending a quit smoking group thing on my lunch hour. All I did was spend an hour thinking about smoking! It was never gonna work for me lol.
Can’t we just accept we don’t smoke. Celebrate the big dates, like anniversaries, but not obsess over anything to do with alcohol, including a daily count?
And that is generally easier as we go along, and not just re days.
If something serves as a good reminder - ie, what I have gained by being sober, not lost because I can't drink - then I use it. Days generally do that.
But like the rest of my program and life, it's not a conscious awareness of being an alcoholic, how long, literal stuff, etc. My life muscles are different.
Also I think lots of us quit on random days so maybe like me, it helps to keep some kind of track The third wk of the month is special but I don't always remember the 21st!
To begin with it gave me encouragement to be able to add a day to my total and I would get a boost from the mini milestones of a week, double figures, a fortnight a month etc. That was true right the way up to a hundred days. After that of course they became less important and I stopped counting except to note another month and now it is only the annual soberversary that I really count.
Some people can take or leave it. I do not believe counting your days to be harmful or negative.
1856 Days 19 Hours 46 minutes...
Some people can take or leave it. I do not believe counting your days to be harmful or negative.
1856 Days 19 Hours 46 minutes...
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