Bertyboy

Not my first time on here, but this site helped me achieve 6 months sober a number of years ago.

Day 3 at the moment so very early in the journey. Happy to read a lot of other posts just now for inspiration and to remind me of what I am and where I’m at.

Thanks

Dee74

welcome back Berty
any ideas on what you might do differently this time?

D

Bertyboy

Thanks Dee.

This time around, I realise that I cannot ‘drink again but only on special occasions and maybe the odd weekend’. It doesn’t work that way. It just goes full circle back to where you left off.

Gabe1980

welcome back and congratulations on day 3

Bertyboy

Thanks Gabe.

I’ll be very happy when there are a couple of zero’s on the end of the ‘3’. But one day at a time.

Dee74

I can't recommend a recovery action plan highly enough Berty. Don't 'wing it', plan it.

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ery-plans.html (Psst...wanna know why I'm always recommending recovery plans?)

Bertyboy

Interesting reads. Many thanks. 😀

Surrendered19

Hi Berty. No it certainly does not work that way for us. If we could drink only on the rarest of occasions this site wouldn't exist and we would all be doing that instead of this. It is pure folly to think otherwise. Dee's always-sage advice about making a plan is invaluable I think. It is really all about thinking things through ahead of time. Think forward, backwards, up, down, sideways. Then you will be ready for battle.

Bertyboy

Thanks - I realise that now (well I realised it a long time ago but it’s taken until now to accept it).

Very early days yet, but it’s the first time I’ve not had a drink for more than a single day in 3 years (end of my last stint of sobriety). I’m a binge drinker, but even between binges I still drink, just less.

Feeling optimistic.

Surrendered19

Congrats on Day 3 by the way!! A tough 3 days and not for the faint of heart, that is for sure. Those strong foundational days are so important. Nobody has a Day 1,000 without a Day 3 so you are in excellent company.

I hope you are feeling ok today. Those first few weeks my most prevalent memory is that of being stunned. The silence and calm, which I have come to treasure, were deafening in those early days.

Sober45

I just reached 6 months and accepting that moderation is BS is key to me staying sober. I think rationalizing moderation is what causes most relapses. Amazingly though, once I accepted this, sobriety became a lot easier...i can do it now! I'm grateful because rationalizing was exhausting too. And feeling exhausted just made me want to drink more.

You seem to have accepted this. Awesome. I also read every relapse story on here I could find. They're scary to read but keeps me grounded.

MaximusD

Congrats on day 3 or maybe 4 now!

ZIP

Good read. Acceptance is critical for alcoholic recovery. It took me decades, but I finally got the slap of reality and stopped drinking. Going into 19 months, now...

I accepted that I had become an alcohol addict. Moderation, or "special event" drinking was...and remains...a non-issue. I simply can't have any.

I worry about the folks who enter addiction programs or join AA and reach that point of starting to enjoy sobriety. I think some believe they have somehow gained control of their uncontrollable drinking. The reality is that they haven't.
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least

Welcome back BB. I hope you'll fully utilize this site and let our support help you get sober for good.

ZIP

Nice job, Berty'. Roll sober.

Hodd

It takes everyone a long time to realise. Drinking really is like going back to an old partner who is annoyingly captivating but bad news. It’s utterly heartbreaking to leave such a person, but you look back later and wonder why the hell you wasted the time with them. I previously couldn’t imagine never drinking again either, but as time goes on, it becomes the normal and the urges fade. You’ve got two options, Berty:

1. Give up forever, pleasant surprises ahead
2. Drink “occasionally”, same old disappointments