It's been a while
 

I've not checked in here for a while. Things are really hard right now, as I'm sure they are for many of us. I'm struggling to get through the days. My sleeping is atrocious.
but I wanted to share I've been sober for 20 weeks today. To have achieved this under the current situation is mind blowing and shows me anything is possible.

That's amazing, AK! To get 20 weeks when the last 8 or 9 have been under these pandemic conditions is awesome!

Great work 🙂
20 weeks is a big accomplishment! Keep it going!

Hi AW, that's fantastic, and good to see you on here. So that must be since January? Same as me. Little did we know back then how life would be a few months down the line. Eternally grateful to be getting through it sober.

Good job on staying sober this long while learning new, helpful,
healthy, affective ways to achieve success with long term sobriety.

We all start with the first day and from there we take one step at a time
building a strong solid recovery foundation to live our lives upon with
continuous sobriety.


When we are hungry, angry, lonely, tired which means H.A.L.T.,
to stop what we are doing, pause for a moment and take care of
these issues that can cause us stress or lead us right back into
old behavior or possibly to alcohol or drugs, prescriptions meds,
all that can be addictive or into our addiction.


In early recovery i had a little family, stay at home mom, 2 little
ones all trying to learn about balance and responsibility not only
to my family but also to my new recovery.

During the day if i needed a power nap that lasted maybe 15-20
minutes, i took it. Just to take the edge off and reenergize me enough
to finish my day and not interfere with night sleep.

If i was hungry, i made sure that i was eating properly, all good
healthy foods and lay off the coffee with has caffiene and would
interfere with sleep patterns at night.

Lonliness, well, i spent a many a days in AA meetings which
was the program of recovery taught to me 29 yrs ago and one
that I continue to use for my own recovery success.

My family, not into addiction, only me....they didnt understand
it or recovery like I did. I had to be around folks that were like
me with no questions asked. They understood exactly where
I was coming from because we all had been there, done many
of the same similar things in life before, during and after our
addiction.

So, recovery support was and still is extremely important in
staying connected to my recovery lifelines and in everyday
life situations that can be trying at times.

Like the situation we all are in today with this virus.

For me and countless others in recovery we know all to
well, that drinking when in any life situation wont make
it better. Only worse. so we dig deep within ourselves
and ask for help if needed.

If we are angry, we pause, step away from the situation,
turn to our recovery support to cool off and learn healthy
ways to solve it. If we stay angry from the past, the present,
it can lead to resentments that fester and make us sick
in heart, mind and soul.

We work to learn how to forgive others as well as ourselves
so that we can be the best people we can be today not only
for ourselves but for all those around us. Family, friends.


These are just a few lessons I learned early on and still
work on them today so that I dont fall back into old behavior
that would eventually drag me down or stop me from progressing
into the best person I want to continue being today.

To continue achieving many of life amazing gifts to appreciate
and never take for granted. Health, happiness, sobriety. :)

Congrats on 20 weeks and I hope things will improve for you shortly.

Congrats! This whole thing could and would be so much worse if drinking. I can't even.

AwkwardKitty, 20 weeks of sobriety is fantastic. I am so glad that you're getting through this.

20 weeks sober is awesome! :hug: Keep going, it gets better. :)

Yep, 1st Jan..another year started with good intentions but this time instead of abandoning it a few days or weeks in, it seems to have stuck.
I think if I'd known what was in store, fear would have kept me from even starting! It seems like a different life now!
congratulations to you too :)

Oh yes, I think this to myself several times a day! I mean, I'm struggling badly with my mental health, I'm trying to work from home with a young child and failing. My sleep patterns are terrible and having a knock on effect on everything else. Things are pretty tough.
BUT I am so much stronger sober. It would all be so so much worse with alcohol in the picture.

I think if I drank during this time that would be the end for me. All there is in front of us each day is time. I am grateful every day to be sober during this mess. The earliest known case in China is thought to have happened in late-November within just a few days of the day I became sober. It is like the Gods reached down and plucked me out of my drinking decades because they knew something bad was coming that I could not survive. Thanks for checking in AwkwardKitty. Great to hear you are sober and healthy.

Hey AwkardKitty, this is really great to hear!! When I saw your thread I was hoping that it wasn't the opposite.

I'm sorry things are really hard right now, but you're sober, and that really means something. Keep going. :)

Congratulations...awesome!

Congratulations, Kitty! I can't wait to be at 20 weeks.

I was reading an article today about 30% increases in alcohol tax revenue compared to Mar/Apr '19 here in KY.

Sadly, instead of seeing the very bottom and finding a way out, like many of us here, most people are accelerating the downward spiral. Additionally, there are potentially millions of people who are progressing from moderate/reasonable drinkers to heavy/unreasonable drinkers.

For those who pray, there are millions of anonymous people out there who need your prayers. It's a very dark time for many. I'm frustrated that out of all the hype and hysterics constantly covered by the media, these dark shadows are not being talked about. I'm actually straight up mad about it. The media sucks. Mental health and addiction is a far, far bigger story right now for the public than masks and ventilators.

Congratulations AwkwardKitty.

20 weeks is great AK :)

D

Well done on twenty weeks, especially under such difficult conditions.