Day 1
 

Welcome, Lulu!

SoberRecovery can be the basis of a solid sobriety. Read around and post often--it works if you work it!

Here's a couple good threads to join:

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ml#post7425247

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ml#post7425032

Welcome Lulu :grouphug:

SoberRecovery is the best place for support and information, a place to share experiences and to know that you are not alone.

I agree with Coldfusion, read and post, post and read!

:grouphug:

Welcome! Lots of great people and good info on here. You will always find a very supportive environment too!

Welcome to SR. My only advice would be to set up a good support system. You can learn about here or look it up on the internet. This site was a huge part of my recovery and is a huge part of my sobriety. I read a lot and posted often early on.

Welcome to the family. :) Getting sober can be rough at first, but it will get easier the longer you're sober. :hug:

Great advice here Lulu :)

I can only add to remember to reach out whenyou need help - that what we;re here for :)

welcome aboard :)

D

How are you this evening Lulu? Day one can see like many different days lived hour by hour. I hope your evening is peaceful. Don't worry about sleep tonight. If you sleep great, but if you don't, you don't. Tomorrow morning, tired but clear headed will be so preferable than the day greeting you with a crushing hangover to deal with.

It's great to have you join us, Lulu. I'm glad you're concerned about the amounts you're drinking. I was drinking all day, every day when I first came here. SR helped give me the courage & strength to change my life. I hope you'll stay with us & keep talking. We care.

Welcome Lulu.
I ended up drinking phenomenal amounts too.
My life and that of those close to me was going up in flammes and still I thought I could drink.
I am powerless when it comes to alcohol.
I am glad you decided to stop.
Keep going and posting.

Hello and welcome to the fold :)

Welcome Lulu,

This is a safe place to be. Lots of good information and support here.

Why did you decide to give up drinking?

The only way you will stop desiring heavy substances and change your behavior is by seeing more happiness (reward) in the change than in the using. You must reach that conclusion yourself because, as Aristotle said, “We desire in accordance with our deliberation.”

When your values and purpose in life trump your drinking, you won't have a problem stopping. I spent 45 years of my life, drinking and drugging before I realized I had lost my values and purpose in life.

1 Corinthians 13:11. “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

My addictive move was to think I was missing out on a good time if I didnt drink.

That thinking turned into horrible anxiety when I quit and continued to stay quit.

The addiction will do and say anything to get me to relapse.

What I found out after quitting for a long while was I was missing out on what real life was like.

Even dealing with the covid killer, doing it in real life is awesome. There is not a day that goes buy that I don't feel weird about something.

Yesterday, it around 4 or 5 pm. I wanted to shower, but just felt I had wasted the day away. Drinking crossed my mind as one of the things that I could have done.

As part of my new routine, i finished up my nightly things, and rolled into be around 930. I was nice and tired because i had exercised doing about 125 air squats, 100 crunches, and 100 push ups.

The exercise caused my brain to produce dopamine and endorphins. These internally produced drugs are the ones that drinking alters and the cause of my addiction.

This is proven all over, if one searches for it. There is no miracle. It is science. Education and suffering were my path out of my hellish addiction...so far.

I could relapse today. That is where 1 day at a time comes in.

5 years ago it was 30 airs squats/crunches/push ups. My goal is around 500 of each. When I get close to that goal, I know I will be in better shape. Not good shape, just better than before.

Exercise is my primary new DOC.

That is my advice.

Thanks.

My suggestion is just to remember how you felt when you decided you were going to try and STOP.....because drinking everyday....leaves you feeling drained, paranoid, miserable....and if you can remember why you stopped and keep waking up every morning refreshed the days will get better and better and not only for you..but I had 2 children that watched me drink thru their entire childhood....I wish that I had quit earlier for them.....Just think about how we show them "how to cope" ...you are their biggest role model...if you stay stopped you will and they most importantly of all will notice the change in how you interact with them...something to strive for.

Keep yourself busy, which it sounds like you are plenty busy....a job at home and 2 kids...you will be so much more efficient sober also...think about that too.

I wish you strength!

Hi Lulu
I got sober at age 46, that was 12 years ago. I have never looked back. It hasn't always been easy. Many, many days it has been boring and lonely. But still I never looked back.

NEVER, EVER again in my life did I want to wake up in a panic wondering what the hell I did the night before , what stories I would have to make up, and eventually what bridges had I burned. I HATE that feeling. So the cravings, boring, lonely days are tolerable to ever feeling like that again.

My advice- many people may say you picked a bad time to quit (in the middle of a pandemic) but for an alcholic- no time is a good time. Stick with it and read every post you can. There are a lot of wise people here and they can help. Good luck.